At the time, most wrestlers in the 106lb bracket are young and unknown. Don’t let this fool you into the misconception that 106lbs (or even 103lbs in the recent past) is a weak weight class. When given the advantage of hindsight, you can see that this weight class is a breeding ground of future stars. Let’s take a look at some of the best 103lb brackets from previous Super32 tournaments.

I selected brackets to represent different eras of the Super32 Challenge that best displayed depth and top end talent. 2010 was my cutoff, because we have not had the ability to see the participants reach their potential at the NCAA level in any of the more recent brackets. Even the 2010 participants have barely dug into their NCAA eligibility.

Once you go through the brackets from years past, it should become clear that odds are in favor of this field producing multiple NCAA All-Americans and probably a national champion. Keep in mind those accolades are just as likely to come from the wrestlers battling on the back side of the bracket, as they are from the finalists.

Look through this list and jot down your predictions. Once you have your list ready, secure it in a time capsule. Bury your time capsule and wait to dig it up after the 2022 NCAA tournament. Let us know on the backside how your predictions fared.

2015 Contenders:
#1-Fr. Dylan D'Emilio, OH - Cadet World Team Member
#2-Fr. Travis Ford-Melton, IL - Fargo Runner-Up
#5-Fr. Adam Busiello, NY - State Champ, Fargo 3rd
#6-So. Nico Aguilar, CA - Double Fargo Champ, Akron 3rd
#8-Fr. Aden Reeves, IA - Double Fargo AA
#10-So. Aaron Cashman, MN - Akron 5th, Fargo 6th
#11-So. Patrick McKee, MN - Fargo 3rd
#12-So. Joey Heilman, NJ
#14-Fr. Patrick Gould, PA
#15-So. Jaret Lane, PA - Double Fargo Finalist
#17-So. Brandon Kaylor, WA
#18-Fr. Rhett Golowenski, OK - State Champ, Akron Runner-Up
#19-So. Kyle Biscoglia, IA - Fargo 6th
#20-So. So. Cody Phippen, KS - Double Fargo AA

HM-So. AJ Burkhart, NY - State Champ
HM-So. Ryan Chauvin, CO
HM-So. Job Chishko, PA
HM-Fr. Jordan Crace, OH - #24 Freshman
HM-Fr. Tyler Dilley, PA
HM-Jr. Jacob Dunlop, PA
HM-Fr. Colt Newton, OK
HM-So. Drew Schafer, NY - State 3rd
HM-So. Clayton Singh, MO - State Champ
HM-Fr. Jordan Ward, OH
HM-Fr. Colton Yapoujian, CO - #9 Freshman

Josh Saunders, MO - #1 Overall Junior High Wrestler

2010: 103 Lbs:


1st: Darian Cruz, PA
2nd: Nathan Tomasello, OH
3rd: Richie Bliss, FL
4th: Ryan Diehl, WV
5th: Dalton Macri, PA
6th: Zac Hall, MI
7th: Billy Rappo, PA
8th: Aaron Assad, OH

DNP:
Tanner Shoap, PA
Ryan Millhof, GA
Nick Picininni, NY
Jake Gromacki, PA
Colby Ems, PA
Sean Russell, GA
Logan Massa, MI
Dom Forys, PA
Coy Ozias, MD

Understanding the growth of the Super32 Challenge, it should come as no surprise that the most recent bracket is the deepest in my opinion. This crew is just starting to make their mark on the NCAA landscape, but already have locked down an All-American finish and an NCAA title.

Darian Cruz earned the All-American finish as a true freshman in 2014. He showed at Super32 that he had the skills to be successful immediately at the next level. Nathan Tomasello added the NCAA championship to the fields resume in 2015. This final is poised to be the most credentialed final in Super32 history as Cruz and Tomasello will compete this season as sophomores.

The credential list won’t look as flashy for this group, but keep in mind how young they are. Lots of these guys have yet to burn any NCAA eligibility.

Credentials:
Darian Cruz: 2x PIAA state champion, NCAA All-American at Lehigh
Nathan Tomasello: 4x Ohio state champion, NCAA National Champion at Ohio State
Richie Bliss: 3x Florida state champion
Ryan Diehl: 2x PIAA 2x West Virginia state champion, wrestles at Maryland
Dalton Macri: PIAA state champion, wrestles at Cornell
Zac Hall: 4x Michigan state champion, wrestles at Michigan
Billy Rappo: 2x PIAA state champion, wrestles at Maryland
Aaron Assad: Ohio state champion, wrestled at Purdue
Tanner Shoap: 3x PIAA placewinner, wrestles at Drexel
Ryan Millhof: 3x Georgia state champion, wrestles at Oklahoma
Nick Picininni: 4x New York state champion, wrestles at Oklahoma State
Jake Gromacki: 3x PIAA placewinner, wrestles at Pitt
Colby Ems: PIAA placewinner, wrestles at Edinboro
Sean Russell: 4x Georgia state champion, wrestles at Edinboro
Logan Massa: 3x Michigan state champion, wrestles at Michigan
Dom Forys: 2x PIAA placewinner, NCAA qualifier at Pitt
Coy Ozias: 4x Virginia state champion, wrestles at Princeton

2007: 103lbs:

1st: Sean Boylan, DE
2nd: Max Nowry, IL
3rd: AJ Schopp, PA
4th: Devin Carter, VA
5th: Stephen Spradlin, GA
6th: Cameron Throckmorton, PA
7th: Christopher Mears, TX
8th: Tyler Biscaha, NJ

DNP: 
Joey Dance, VA
Ronnie Garbinsky, PA
Rossi Bruno, FL
Eric Morris, PA
Brandon Jeske, VA
Shelton Mack, PA
Coltin Fought, PA
Robert Dyar, AL
Lou Mascola, NJ
Laike Gardner, PA
Caleb Richardson, VA

With the advantage of hindsight, the third place match would be everyone’s pick to be the final when you see the list of entrants. It doesn’t change the fact Sean Boylan was an absolute superstar coming out of Delaware. Boylan dominated Carter in the semifinal 9-1. Boylan had a solid career at Bloomsburg and backed up this Super32 performance throughout high school with many major championships. Max Nowry took the Greco path post high school and doesn’t have the household folkstyle name. That didn’t stop him from having enough mat wrestling to get past Schopp in the semifinal 2-1. 

The depth of this weight is terribly impressive when you see how many guys competed at the Division I level. Eleven of them were good enough to qualify for the NCAA tournament. The credential list for this field is still growing as many of the DNPs were in junior high or just freshmen. 

Credentials:
Sean Boylan: 3x Delaware state champion, wrestled at Bloomsburg
Max Nowry: Illinois state champion, Greco-Roman National Team member
AJ Schopp: PIAA state champion, 3x NCAA All-American at Edinboro
Devin Carter: 3x Virginia state champion, 3x NCAA All-American at Virginia Tech
Stephen Spradlin: GA state champion
Cameron Throckmorton: 3x PIAA placewinner, Division II NCAA qualifier at Shippensburg
Christopher Mears: 2x National Prep runner-up, wrestled at North Carolina
Tyler Biscaha: New Jersey state champion, wrestled at Cornell
Joey Dance: 4x Virginia state champion, NCAA All-American at Virginia Tech
Ronnie Garbinsky: 4x PIAA placewinner, NCAA qualifier at Pitt
Rossi Bruno: 5x Florida state champion, NCAA All-American at Michigan
Eric Morris: 2x National Prep champion, wrestles at Harvard
Brandon Jeske: 2x Virginia state champion, NCAA qualifier at Old Dominion
Shelton Mack: PIAA qualifier, Round of 12 at Pitt
Coltin Fought: PIAA state champion, NCAA qualifier at NC State
Robert Dyar: 3x Alabama state champion, wrestled at Columbia
Lou Mascola: New Jersey state placewinner, NCAA qualifier at Maryland
Laike Gardner: PIAA runner-up, NCAA qualifier at Lehigh
Caleb Richardson: 2x Virginia state champion, NCAA qualifier at Pennsylvania

2005: 103lbs:
1st: Eric Grajales, FL
2nd: Steve Mitcheff, OH
3rd: Nic Bedelyon, PA
4th: Zeke Hofer, CO
5th: Andrews Williams, VA
6th: Tommy Bennett, FL
7/8th: Eric Dunnet, NJ
7/8th: Joey Lazor, GA

DNP:
Matt Snyder, PA
Kenny Courts, PA
Ian Squires, VA
Riley Adamson, TX

In 2005 the Super32 boom was in full swing. Competitors were now traveling great distances to get the best competition leading up to the season. The tournament now had the depth to go along with the top end talent.

Eric Grajales is an all-time great wrestler when only looking at prep careers. He earned four state titles in Florida and was a member of two Fila Junior World teams. He earned All-American honors at Michigan, but many expected so much more. Grajales defeated Steve Mitcheff in the final 7-0. Mitcheff went on to be an NCAA qualifier at Kent State.

Mitcheff had an impressive run to the finals defeating future college stars Matt Snyder and Nic Bedelyon. Bedelyon would become Mitcheff’s teammate at Kent State. 

One of the cool things about the lighter weight classes is that you get to see junior high phenoms compete against the big dogs. A seventh grade Kenny Courts won a match before being dropped into the consolations by Ian Squires. Catch Josh Saunders try to be one of the rare junior high placewinners.

Credentials:
Eric Grajales: 4x Florida state champion, NCAA All-American
Steve Mitcheff: Ohio state champion, NCAA qualifier at Kent State
Nic Bedelyon: PIAA runner-up, 2x NCAA All-American at Kent State
Joey Lazor: 2x GA state champion, NCAA All-American at UNI
Kenny Courts: 2x PIAA state champion , NCAA All-American at Ohio State
Matt Snyder: PIAA runner-up, 2x Round of 12 at Virginia
Riley Adamson: 2x Prep National Champion, wrestled at Duke
Ian Squires: Virginia state champion, wrestled at Boston and Maryland
Eric Dunnet: New Jersey state runner-up, wrestled at Old Dominion
Andrew Williams: 4x Virginia state champion
Zeke Hofer: Colorado state champion

2003: 103lbs:
1st: Tyler Nauman, PA
2nd: Scotti Sentes, FL
3rd: Matt Rosen, VA
4th: Colton Palmer, NC

DNP:
Eric Olanowski, VA
Connor McDonald, DE

In 2003 the Super32 Challenge was on the verge of exploding into the national tournament it is today. The entrants had expanded beyond the North Carolina and Virginia borders. The field entered was from up and down the east coast.

To have two future NCAA All-Americans in the finals today is commonplace. I believe the final between Tyler Nauman and Scotti Sentes to be the first match-up of that kind. Nauman took care of Sentes before moving onto a PIAA championship and two All-American finishes later in his career. Sentes accumulated four Florida championships, and matched Nauman’s two appearances on the podium at NCAA’s.

Credentials:
Tyler Nauman: PIAA state champion, 2x NCAA All-American at Pitt
Scotti Sentes: 4x Florida state champion, 2x NCAA All-American
Eric Olanowski: Virginia state champion, NCAA qualifier at Michigan State
Matt Rosen: 4x Virginia placewinner, 46-36 as a Hokie at Virginia Tech
Colton Palmer: 2x North Carolina state champion, NCAA qualifier at NC State
Connor McDonald: 3x Delaware state champion, Division II All-American at Newberry