Utah Numbers Grow in Wrestling USA Magazine National Midseason Rankings

Wrestling USA Magazine published its midseason national rankings of high-school wrestlers on its Web site.  Forty-seven Utah wrestlers were on those lists, up from 36 in the preseason.  Top-ranked of the three divisional lists was Wasatch's Jacob Salazar, ranked no. 1 at 135 lbs., in the freshman/sophomore rankings.  Top-ranked senior was Levi Mele of Uintah High School, no. 9 at 119 lbs., and top-ranked junior was Wade Eldredge of Monticello, ranked no. 16 at 145 lbs.

Salazar was ranked no. 1 in the preseason, but the other top rankings shuffled a little.  Mele displaced Nathaniel Holt of Provo as the top-ranked Utah senior, as Mele rose one notch, but Holt dropped from no. 5 to 12.  In the junior rankings, Eldredge displaced Sean Porter of Davis as the top-ranked Utah junior, as Eldredge rose from no. 18 to 16, and Porter dropped from no. 16 to 19.

Bill Kilpack, Utah editor for Wrestling USA Magazine, said, "Some of the ranks shifted because, in the preseason, assumptions are being made about what weight someone will wrestle.  For example, Jon Gappmaier wrestled 103 lbs. last year, but really grew, putting on 20 pounds.  That puts him in a different group of kids and impacts his ranking.  The greatest thing that I see about this midseason ranking, however, is how many more Utahns are included.  It's a real tribute to teh quality of athletes in our state, as well as their coaching."

The biggest growth in Utahns ranked was in the freshman/sophomore list.  In the preseason, only eight Utahns were included.  At midseason, that number grew to 15.  Ranked no. 1 at 135 lbs. was Jacob Salazar, Wasatch High School, sophomore; no. 4, 119 lbs., Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, sophomore (down from no. 2 in the preseason); no. 10, 275 lbs., Matthew Fairbrother, Murray High School, sophomore (down from 8); no. 15, 140 lbs., Ethan Smith, Wasatch High School, sophomore (down from 13); no. 21, 135 lbs., Ethen Lofthouse, Mountain Crest High School, freshman (new to the list); no. 23, 130 lbs., Ky Lucero, Brighton High School, sophomore (new to the list); no. 24, 119 lbs., Jonathan Gappmaier, Skyline High School, sophomore (up from special mention); no. 24, 125 lbs., Blake Mangum, Lone Peak High School, sophomore (down from 21); no. 26, 152 lbs., Cole Shafer, Brighton High School, sophomore (up from 28); and no. 30, 112 lbs., Matthew Brown, Cyprus High School, sophomore (up from special mention).  Receiving special mention were Jaes Jones, Brighton High School, and Aaron Butler (new to the list), Monticello High School, both sophomores at 103 lbs.; Matt McDonald (new to the list), Pine View High School, a sophomore at 119 lbs.; Tag Miller of Payson High School, a sophomore at 125 lbs.; and Quincy Thatcher of Millard High School, a sophomore at 130 lbs.

Three more Utah athletes made it onto the senior rankings, raising the number of nationally ranked seniors to 17.  Top-ranked at no. 9 at 119 lbs. was Mele, Uintah High School (up from no. 10); no. 10, 171 lbs., Carson Brown, Wasatch High School (new to the list); no. 12, 145 lbs., Nathaniel Holt, Provo High School (down from no. 5); no. 12, 189 lbs., Jared McCurdy, Uintah High School (down from no. 11); no. 13, 130 lbs., Jake Swensen, North Sanpete High School(down from no. 11); no. 17, 145 lbs., Josh Wilson, Morgan High School (down from no. 11); no. 17, 160 lbs., Talan Knox, Brighton High School (down from no. 14); no. 20, 103 lbs., Jared Shepherd, Delta High School (up from no. 22); no. 25, 171 lbs., Phillip Rutledge, Mountain Crest High School (down from no. 22); no. 26, 135 lbs., Jaren Day, Alta High School (new to list); no. 26, 275 lbs., Zane Taylor, Grand County High School (up from special mention); no. 27, 215 lbs., Trent Steele, Delta High School (up from special mention); and no. 30, 125 lbs., Jesse Clark, Bingham High School (new to list).  Receiving special mention were Ryan Young, Uintah High School at 103 lbs.; Tyrell Sweat, Wasatch High School, 145 lbs.; Tag Elliott, Bear River High School, 152 lbs.; and Kenny Scott, Hurricane High School, 189 lbs.

In the junior rankings, one more Utah athlete was ranked, while other positions within the ranks jockied.  Top-ranked was Eldredge, Monticello High School, at no. 16, 145 lbs. (up from no. 18); no. 19, 112 lbs., Casey Smith, Wasatch High School (down from 16); no. 19, 119 lbs., Shay Warren, Weber High School (down from 18); no. 19, 130 lbs., Sean Porter, Davis High School (down from 16); no. 21, 103 lbs., Kolby Bradley, Springville High School (new to list); no. 23, 103 lbs., Mitch Moss, Bingham High School (new to list); no. 27, 171 lbs., Mitch Sanderson, Pleasant Grove High School (up from 28); no. 28, 160 lbs., Riley Yeates, Box Elder High School (down from 27); no. 29, 112 lbs., Colton Miles, Altamont High School (up from special mention); and no. 30, 112 lbs., Bo Beckman, Brighton High School (up from special mention).  Receiving special mention were Shaun Holt, Enterprise High School, 112 lbs.; Shayne Bonner, Wasatch High School, 125 lbs.; Glenn Woods, Duchesne High School, 145 lbs.; Eric Wells, Wayne High School, Jaden Briskey, Weber High School, both at 275 lbs.

In the overall, all-division rankings (regardless of age), were six seniors and two sophomores: no. 16, 119 lbs., Mele, senior; no. 20, 119 lbs., Chamberlain, sophomore; no. 14, 130 lbs., Swensen, senior; no. 19, 135 lbs., Salazar, sophomore; no. 16, 145 lbs., Holt, senior; no. 21, 145 lbs., Wilson, senior; no. 27, 160 lbs., Knox, senior; no. 15, 171 lbs., Brown, senior; no. 12, 189 lbs., McCurdy, senior.

The list was compiled by Dan Fickel, National Editor for the magazine, based on six criteria: 1) accomplishments at state high-school championships (folkstyle); 2) National Junior freestyle and Greco-Roman success; 3) Cadet National freestyle and Greco-Roman success; 4) performance at prestigious high-school tournaments; 5) information from coaches and parents; and 6) the state from which the nominee hails.

Of all the high schools represented by wrestlers in the national rankings, Wasatch (3A) had six athletes; Brighton (5A) had five; Uintah (3A) had three; Bingham (5A), Delta (3A), Monticello (1A), Mountain Crest (4A), Springville (4A) and Weber (5A) each had two.  All with one athlete nationally ranked are Alta (5A), Altamont (1A), Bear River (3A), Box Elder (4A), Cyprus (4A), Davis (5A), Duchesne (1A), Enterprise (1A), Grand County (2A), Hurricane (3A), Lone Peak (5A), Millard (2A), Morgan (3A), Murray (4A), North Sanpete (3A), Payson (4A), Pine View (3A), Pleasant Grove (5A), Provo (4A), Skyline (5A) and Wayne (1A).

WrestlingUSA Magazine has been the voice of national high school wrestling since 1965. For more information, see www.wrestlingusa.com.

Kilpack is editor of UtahWrestling.org, an AAU national champion and seven-time national silver medalist, a 15-time AAU/USA Wrestling All-American, and earned an alternate position on the U.S. Pan-Am Team in Greco-Roman. He coaches an independent freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling program through Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, Mountain Top Wrestling Club.