2011 Grappler Fall Classic Preview
By Steve WidzinskiMI Grappler High School Analyststeve@michigangrappler.com2nd Annual Grappler Fall Classic
October 15-16, 2011
Tecumseh, MI
In 2010, Michigan Grappler made waves across the state by introducing the First Annual Grappler Fall Classic. The tournament offered unprecedented national competition inside of Michigan, with 21 entrants going on to win state championships, and over 100 earning all-state honors. Now in its second year, the Grappler Fall Classic offers an even stronger field of competition that will feature all-state wrestlers from across the country. State champions from Ohio, Iowa, Florida, Minnesota and Kentucky will be among nearly 500 wrestlers traveling to Tecumseh Michigan this weekend to compete in this rapidly growing event.
*Note that seeds may change and some projected matchups may change as well
98lbs
Pre-Seeds:
1. Jake Voss (Addison, MI) - NUWAY National Champion, 2010 GFC Placer
2. Hunter Bell (Decatur, MI) - Disney Duals All-American
3. Ricky Azelton (Tecumseh, MI) - 2X MYWAY State Placer
4. Dalton Roberts (Fowlerville, MI) - MUSAW Greco & Freestyle State Champion
5. Max Johnson (Davison, MI) - MYWAY State Champion, NUWAY Nationals Runner-Up
6. Kanen Storr (Leslie, MI) - MYWAY Runner-Up, 3rd Tulsa Nationals
7. Daniel Shear (Walled Lake Central, MI) - MYWAY Runner-Up
8. Foster Karmon (Allegan, MI) - MYWAY State Placer
9. Jonathan Wellman (New Boston Huron, MI) - MYWAY State Placer
10. Brock Hoffman (Parma Western, MI) - MYWAY State Placer
11. Noah Gonser (Grand Blanc, MI) - MYWAY State Placer
12. Rahman Johnson (Markham, IL) - NUWAY Nationals Placer
Outlook: Many little men will look to make their mark here, in one of the few preseason tournaments offering a 98lbs division. Seeded 1st is returning GFC placer Jake Voss who finished 8th in this weight class a year ago. Making up the rest of this weight class will be a good blend of underclassmen and highly touted middle school grapplers. Freshman Hunter Bell of Decatur Michigan was an All-American at the Disney Duals this summer, and will be the #2 seed. Tecumseh High School Sophomore Ricky Azelton comes in as the #3 seed after posting thirty varsity wins last year and will be one of a handful of guys with varsity experience here. Other highly accredited youth wrestlers capable of making noise include #5 seed Max Johnson and #6 seed Kanen Storr. Johnson was a MYWAY state champion this spring, while Storr was a MYWAY runner-up and placed third at the extremely competitive Tulsa Nationals. This appears to be one of the tournament's most wide open weight classes and has a chance to feature some early upsets.
105
Pre-Seeds
1. Cameron Sykora (Wheaton, MN) - Class A Minnesota State Champion
2. Ben Griffin (Canton, MI) - 2010 GFC Champion, Michigan State Placer
3. Matthew Pool (Toledo, OH) - Ohio State Placer
4. Nick Piccinni (Suffolk County, NY) - New York State Placer
5. Kyle Keller (Delta, OH) - Ohio State Placer
6. Ty Pelot (Two Rivers, WI) - Fargo Cadet Greco Roman All-American
7. Devin Schroder (Northview, MI) - 2X MYWAY State Champion
8. Michael Schmidt (Greenville, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
9. Tommy Cash (Fountaintown, IN) - 2X Middle School State Champion
10. Keshav Patel (Canton, MI)
11. Alexander Smith (Sandusky St Marys, OH) - Middle School Super 32 Placer
12. Alex Martinez (Ida, MI) - 2X MYWAY Runner-Up
Outlook: Returning Fall Classic Champion Ben Griffin will have his hands full as he comes in seeded second at 105lbs. Griffin, who dominated the field at 98lbs last year, will be one of six wrestlers pursuing their second GFC championship this weekend. Standing in his way will be top-seeded Cameron Sykora of Minnesota. Sykora won a Class A state championship last winter as an eighth grader and followed up with a 3rd place finish at Folkstyle Nationals in the spring. Many others with notable credentials will be in the mix here as well including Ohio state placers Matt Pool and Kyle Keller and New York State Placer Nick Piccini. This bracket should feature big matchups from the quarterfinals on with Piccini and Keller seeded #4 and #5, and Pool likely to wrestle #6 seed Ty Pelot of Wisconsin who was a Cadet Greco Roman All-American this summer.
112
Pre-Seeds:
1. Philip Laux (Iowa City West, IA) - Iowa State Champion, FILA Cadet Greco Roman Champion, Fargo Cadet Freestyle Champion
2. Mitchel Rogaliner (Bedford, MI) - 2010 Michigan State Champion, Flonationals All-American
3. Alex Uhre (St Thomas Aquinas, FL) - 2X Florida State Placer, Fargo Cadet Greco All-American, 2010 GFC Runner-Up
4. Stephen Ireland (Richmond, MI) - 2010 Michigan State Champion, Flonationals All-American
5. Skylar Moody (Lake Gibson, FL) - Florida Runner-Up
6. Zach Krumlauf (Auburn, IN) - Indiana State Placer
7. Trae Blackwell (Union County, KY) - Kentucky State Placer
8. Luke Spotts (Fremont, MI) - Michigan State Placer
9. Carter Ballinger (Jonesville, MI) - Michigan State Placer
10. Cody Chase (Owosso, MI) - Michigan State Placer
11. Ernest Willis (Iowa City West, IA) - Iowa State Qualifier
12. Trevor Sherburn (Lawton, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
Outlook: After falling short and finishing third last year, Iowa state champion Phillip Laux is back in his senior season to pursue a GFC championship. Laux had an eventful offseason highlighted by a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman Championship that helped earn him the #1 spot at 113lbs in WIN Magazine's preseason rankings. Many others with impressive national accomplishments will also be in contention here. Seeded 2nd is Mitch Rogaliner of Temperance Bedford, MI. Following a heartbreaking loss in last year's state finals, Rogaliner has been on fire all off season with an All-American finish at Flonationals and a gold medal effort at the Disney Duals. He will be tested mightily in the semifinals where he is likely to wrestle returning GFC Runner-Up Alex Uhre of Florida who is a former Fargo All-American. Another notable entry will be fourth seeded Stephen Ireland of Michigan who is a Flonationals All-American that could pose a threat to Laux in the semifinals. Additional depth will be provided by Florida runner-up Skylar Moody and Indiana placer Zach Krumflauf who are seeded #5 and #6.
119lbs
Pre-Seeds
1. Tim Lambert (Forest Hills East, MI) - 3X Michigan State Placer, Fargo Junior Freestyle All-American
2. Zac Hall (St Johns, MI) - Michigan State Champion, Double Fargo Cadet All-American, 2010 GFC Champion
3. Shiquan Hall (St Thomas Aquinas, FL) - Florida State Champion, Fargo Cadet Freestyle All-American
4. Luke Bell (Decatur, MI) - 2X Michigan State Champion
5. Dalton Langford (Riverdale, FL) - Florida State Champion
6. Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, FL) - Florida State Champion
7. Anthony Petrone (Lake Highland Prep, FL) - Florida State Placer
8. Jared Parvinmehr (Carpentersville, IL) - Fargo Cadet Greco All-American, 2010 GFC Placer
9. Steve Bleise (Chelsea, MI) - Michigan State Placer
10. Jordan Amine (Brighton, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier, 3X Ohio TOC Placer
11. Ivan Gallejos (Covert, MI) - Michigan State Placer
12. Cody Korpus (Salem, MI) - Michigan State Placer
Outlook: This summer Tim Lambert established himself as one of Michigan's elite recruits with an incredible Fargo performance that ended with a third place finish in the junior freestyle division. Now Lambert will look to carry that success to folkstyle season by winning the Grappler Fall Classic after placing third last year. It will not be an easy task however, as Lambert will be opposed by last years 105lbs champion Zac Hall. Hall also had a strong off season, achieving double All-American status in Fargo to earn the #7 spot at 113lbs in WIN Magazine's preseason rankings. Hall will be making a significant weight jump after wrestling at 105lbs for most major tournaments over the past year. Another wrestle who will play a key factor in this weight class is third seeded Florida State Champion Shiquan Hall. Hall is also a Fargo All-American and appears likely to meet Zac Hall in an electric semifinals match between the second and third seed. Three other wrestlers with state titles to their names make this one of the GFC's deepest weight classes. Luke Bell, a two-time Michigan, champion is seeded fourth with Florida state champions Dalton Langford and Anthony Petrone taking the #5 and #6 seeds. Expect to see dynamite matchups from the quarterfinals on in this loaded weight class.
125lbs
Pre-Seeds
1. Freddie Rodriguez (Grand Ledge, MI) - 3X Michigan State Champion, 2010 GFC Champion, 2010 FILA & USAW Triple Crown Winner
2. Justin Oliver (Davison, MI) - Michigan State Champion
3. Cole Weaver (Hudson, MI) - Michigan Runner-Up, Fargo Double Cadet All-American, 2010 GFC Runner-Up
4. Calvin Campbell (Lexington, OH) - 2X Ohio Runner-Up
5. Nick Ross (Comstock Park, MI) - Michigan State Champion
6. Austin Eicher (Hartland, MI) - Michigan State Placer
7. Jamel Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, FL) - Florida State Placer
8. Alex Melinn (Coopersville, MI) - Michigan State Placer, 2010 GFC Placer
9. Hunter Machus (Bronson, MI) - Michigan State Placer
10. Dustin Noreyko (Roscommon, MI) - Michigan State Placer
11. Kody Hukill (Otsego, MI) - Michigan State Placer
12. Aaron King (Pekin, IA) - Iowa State Qualifier
Outlook: Freddie Rodriguez will be another wrestler with a chance to win his second Grappler Fall Classic title this weekend. Rodriguez is one of Michigan's most accomplished wrestlers, having won some of most prestigious tournaments in all three styles over the past few years. He will be chased by a strong group that includes some of Michigan's elite young talent. On the other side of the bracket, there will likely be a semifinals showdown between two of Michigan's best from the Class of 2014. Seeded second is state champion Justin Oliver who has yet to lose in his prep career. In the #3 spot is the returning GFC Runner-Up Cole Weaver, who is coming off of an excellent summer highlighted by a double All-American showing in Fargo. Other notables include #4 seed Calvin Campbell who has been a runner up in Ohio the past two years, and Michigan state champion Nick Ross who comes in seeded at #5.
130
Pre-Seeds
1. Jack Hathaway (Iowa City West, IA) - Iowa State Champion, Double FILA Junior All-American, 2010 GFC Champ
2. Ken Bade (Detroit CC, MI) - Michigan State Champion, Flonationals All-American, 2010 GFC Placer
3. Jayce Carr (Union County, KY) - Kentucky State Champion
4. Zehlin Storr (Leslie, MI) - Michigan State Placer
5. Wade Willen (Hopkinsville, KY) - 3X Kentucky State Placer
6. Joseph Nelson (Stoughton, WI) - Fargo Cadet Greco All-American
7. Lake Bennett (Birch Run, MI) - Michigan State Placer
8. Nick Perez (St Thomas Aquinas, FL) - Florida State Qualifier
9. Brandon McCormick (Lima Catholic Central, OH) - Ohio State Qualifier
10. Alec Breckenridge (Plymouth, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
11. Chris March (Bullock Creek, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
12. Aaron David (Lansing Eastern, MI - Michigan State Qualifier
Outlook: Iowa's Jack Hathaway left no doubt at last year's Grappler Fall Classic, dominating his way through the 119lbs chart before winning his finals match with a first period fall. Now, Hathaway is back in pursuit of another GFC title in the 130lbs weight class. The Iowa City West senior is coming off an offseason that included a double All-American performance at the FILA Junior Nationals. Also Gunning for first place in this weight class will be junior Ken Bade who won his first state title last march. Bade, who is a flonationals All-American, will have a big matchup in the semifinals where is likely to meet Jayce Carr of Kentucky. Carr, also a junior, is a state champion and placed fifth at NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Rounding out the top six seeds will be Michigan placer Zehlin Storr, 3X Kentucky placer Wade Willen and Fargo All-American Joseph Nelson of Wisconsin.
135
Pre-Seeds
1. Brandon Jorge (Lake Gibson, FL) - 2X Florida State Champion
2. Jared VanVleet (Edgerton, OH) - Ohio State Placer, 2010 GFC Champion
3. Dakota Bauer (Iowa City West, IA) - Iowa State Champion, 2010 GFC Runner-Up
4. Andrew Wisdom (Cardinal Gibson, FL) - Florida State Champion
5. Max Hubbard (Sterling Newman, IL) - Illinois Runner-Up
6. Jake Spengler (Lake Highland Prep, FL) - 2X Florida State Placer
7. Malik Amine (Detroit CC, MI) - Michigan State Placer
8. Evan Hoshaw (Brighton, MI) - Michigan State Placer
9. Zack Jones (Holly, MI) - Michigan State Placer
10. Damian Johnson (Birch Run, MI) - Michigan State Placer
11. Kyle Lang (Norwalk, OH) - 2010 Ohio State Placer
12. Anthony McHugh (Culver Military Academy, IN) - Indiana State Qualifier
Outlook: One of the Grappler Fall Classic's deepest weight classes will be the 135lbs division which features a wealth of talent from a wide range of states. Coming in as the top seed will be Florida's Brand Jorje. Jorje is a two-time state champion as well as a NHSCA All-American. Jorge should face a big test in the semifinals where he will most likely run into the winner of a quarterfinal between Andrew Wisdom and Max Hubbard. Wisdom is also a Florida state champion, while Hubbard was a Class A runner-up in Illinois last year. The other side of the bracket may very well feature the tournament's premier semifinal if the seeds hold true. Second seed Jared VanVleet and third seed Dakota Bauer met in the finals at last year's GFC, with VanVleet coming out on top. Expect to see a rematch between them in one of Saturday's most anticipated semifinals. VanVleet is a state placer out of Ohio, while Bauer is an Iowa state champion. Many other top grapplers will add tremendous depth to this weight class including Jake Spengler of Florida and Michigan's Malik Amine and Evan Hoshaw.
140lbs
Pre-Seeds:
1. Logan Marcicki (Detroit CC, MI) - Michigan State Champion, Fargo Cadet Double All-American, 2010 GFC Runner-Up
2. Isaiah Schaub (Traverse City SF, MI) - Michigan State Champion
3. Tyler Majoy (Tiffin, OH) - Ohio State Runner-Up
4. Rocco Borg (Oxford, MI) - 2X Michigan State Placer
5. Garrett Edwards (Richmond, MI) - Michigan State Placer
6. Alex Mossing (Toledo Cent Catholic, OH) - Ohio State Placer, Fargo Cadet Greco Roman All-American
7. Gradey Gambrall (Iowa City West, IA) - 2009 Iowa State Runner-Up
8. Travis Dragomer (Lakeshore, MI) - Michigan State Placer
9. Ty Hagar (Erie Mason, MI) - Michigan State Placer
10. Johnny Finney (Bullock Creek, MI) - Michigan State Placer
11. Chance Ravish (Niles Brandywine, MI) - Michigan State Placer
12. Harry Kriger (Spring Lake, MI) - 2010 Michigan State Placer
Outlook: At last year's Fall Classic Logan Marcicki had a breakout performance, pulling off a pair of upsets to reach the finals as a freshman in the 130lbs weight class. Now as a sophomore, Marcicki will look to continue his success at the GFC with a title this weekend. He comes in seeded 1st after a strong offseason highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Cadet Greco division at Fargo. Seeded second will be Michigan state champion Isaiah Schaub. Assuming the seeds hold true, Schaub should have a huge semifinals matchup against the third seed Tyler Majoy, a state runner-up out of Ohio. This is a very deep weight class where a lot of lower seeded guys will have a good chance of advancing far. Two wrestlers with the potential to finish well above their seed are Alex Mossing of Ohio and Gradey Gambrall of Iowa. Mossing, seeded sixth, placed seventh at the Ohio state meet and was cadet All-American in Fargo this summer. Seventh seeded Gambrall is another to watch out for, a former Iowa runner-up back in 2009.
145lbs
Pre-Seeds:
1. Zack Dailey (Massilon Perry, OH) - Ohio State Champion, 2010 GFC Champion
2. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, MN) - Minnesota State Champion, Flonationals All-American
3. Jake Faust (Lexington, OH) - 2X Ohio State Placer, Disney Duals Gold Medalist
4. Scott Flowers (Bullock Creek, MI) - Michigan State Placer
5. Kris Iglesios (St Thomas Aquinas, FL) - Florida State Placer
6. Chad Decker (Grass Lake, MI) - Michigan State Placer
7. Chase Krutzky (Lake Gibson, FL) - Florida State Placer
8. Tyler Booth (Lindenhurst, IL) - Illinois State Qualifier
9. Eric Dennis (Otsego, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
10. Dalton Nicely (Wauseon, OH) - 2X Ohio State Qualifier
11. Clint Doty (Warren Fitzgerald, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
12. Blake King (Edwardsville, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
Outlook: One of the tourney's premier final matches should come in the finals of 145lbs division. Leading the way is top-seeded Zack Dailey of Ohio who was a GFC champion last year. Dailey, who was a state champion this year, is ranked as one of the nation's top 100 senior recruits according to Intermat. On the other side of the bracket is second-seeded Mark Hall out of Apple Valley Minnesota. Hall is currently ranked as the nation's top junior high wrestler after winning a Minnesota state title as a seventh grader last winter. The highly touted youth grappler should have a big challenge in the semifinals where he will see two-time Ohio all-stater Jake Faust. Other key wrestlers in this weight class include Scott Flowers and Chad Decker of Michigan as ell as Kris Iglesios and Chase Krutzky of Florida.
152
Pre-Seeds:
1. Kyle Burns (Milan, OH) - Ohio State Champion, 2X Flonationals All-American
2. Travis Curley (St Johns, MI) - Michigan State Placer, 2010 Fargo Double Cadet All-American
3. Jake Weissand (Carman Ainsworth, MI) - Michigan State Runner-Up
4. Jon Heffner (Riverdale, FL) - 2X Florida State Placer
5. Jake Baker (Lakeview, MI) - Michigan State Placer
6. Luke Gilmore (Greenville, MI) - 2X Michigan State Placer
7. Sam Lyscas (Imlay City, MI) - Michigan State Placer
8. Todd Boyd-Olson (Dundee, MI) - Michigan State Placer
9. Jamie Jakes (Divine Child, MI) - Michigan State Placer
10. Nick Vandermeer (Clarkston, MI) - Michigan State Placer
11. Eddie Nuttall (Lincoln, MI) - Michigan State Placer
12. Austin Hughes (Saginaw Nouvel, MI) - Michigan State Placer
Outlook: Entering this weekend Ohio's Kyle Burns will be heavily favored to claim first place in the 152lbs division. Burns is a nationally accomplished state champion who has been an All-American at Flonationals the past two years. The top competition for Burns should come from second-seeded Travis Curley out of St. Johns Michigan. Curley is a former Fargo All-American who will have a chance to score a huge national win if he wrestles Burns in the finals. Returning GFC placer and state runner-up Jake Weissand is seeded third and will be another top competitor in this weight class. Jon Heffner of Florida and Jake Baker of Michigan are among many additional all-state wrestlers schedule to compete here.
160
Pre-Seeds:
1. Justin Koethe (Iowa City West, IA) - 3X Iowa State Placer, FILA Junior Greco Roman Champion & Freestyle All-American, Fargo Double Junior All-American
2. Andrew Garcia (Detroit CC, MI) - Michigan Runner-Up, Double Fargo Cadet All-American
3. Jordan Cooks (Davison, MI) - Michigan State Placer, Flonationals All-American
4. Drew Barnes (Dexter, MI) - Michigan State Placer
5. Jordan Bethem (Lakeview, MI) - Michigan State Placer
6. Dillon Farrell (Milan, MI) - Michigan State Placer
7. Liam Widman (Alma, MI) - Michigan State Placer
8. Jordan Sullivan (Coopersville, MI) - Michigan State Placer
9. Zack Newhouse (Dundee, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
10. Robert Steveson (Merrillville, IN) - 2010 GFC Placer, Tulsa Nationals Runner-Up
11. Michael Lurz (Barrington, IL) - NUWAY Nationals All-American
12. Alex Morang (Richmond, MI) - 2X Michigan State Qualifier
Outlook: Headlining the highly talent rich 160lbs weight class will be Justin Koethe out of Iowa. Koethe, ranked as the nation's #31 overall senior by Intermat, is a three-time Iowa all-stater with a host of national accomplishments including national championships at Fargo and FILA nationals. Koethe should be a good bet to reach the finals where he will most likely see the winner of a highly anticipated semifinal between two of Michigan's premier young wrestlers. Following brilliant freshman seasons, Drew Garcia and Jordan Cooks both established themselves as some of the nation's best from the class of 2014. Seeded #2/#3, the two will likely meet in one of Saturday's premier semifinal matchups. Garcia was double All-American in Fargo this summer, while Cooks reached AA status at Flonationals in the spring. Other noteworthy wrestlers on this chart include Michigan state placers Drew Barnes and Jordan Bethem as well as freshman standout Robert Steveson of Indiana.
171
Pre-Seeds
1. Jordan Thomas (Greenville, MI) - 2X Michigan State Champion, 4X Fargo Freestyle All-American
2. Chevez Farris (Ferndale, MI) - 2X Michigan State Placer, 2010 GFC Runner-Up
3. Gio Giovanetti (St Thomas Aquinas, FL) - Florida State Placer
4. Brandon O'Neill (Clear Fork, OH) - Ohio State Placer
5. Justin Charneski (Hartland, MI) - Michigan State Placer
6. Jake Stilling (Elkhorn, WI) - 2X Wisconsin State Qualifier
7. Chad Cznerski (Howell, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
8. Greg Dolland (Chippewa Valley, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
9. Adrian Morang (Richmond) - Michigan State Qualifier
10. Teddy Warren (Dundee, MI) - 2010 GFC Placer
Outlook: In recent years few Michigan wrestlers have achieved the level of success of Jordan Thomas, the top seed in this weight class. Since reaching high school Thomas has done nothing but win, claiming two state titles and finishing as a freestyle All-American in Fargo the past four summers. This weekend, Thomas will look to add a Grappler Fall Classic title to his illustrious résumé. Coming in as the second seed is returning GFC runner-up Chevy Ferris. Ferris is a two-time Michigan all-stater, and should have a good chance of reaching the finals for a second consecutive year. Standing in his way will be third-seeded Florida state placer Gio Giovanetti who is likely to meet with Ferris on the semifinals. Another notable wrestler here is Brandon O'Neill, an Ohio state placer and Flonationals All-American who comes in seeded fourth. O'Neill should have a tough quarterfinals match against fifth-seed Justin Charneski, the final all-stater in this weight class.
189
Pre-Seeds
1. Kevin Beazley (Detroit CC, MI) - Michigan State Runner-Up, 2X Flonationals All-American, Fargo Junior Greco Roman Runner-Up
2. Payne Hayden (St Johns, MI) - 2X Michigan State Placer, FILA Cadet Double All-American
3. Donovan Fouchey (Oscoda, MI) - Michigan State Placer
4. Wayne Beach (St Louis, MI) - Michigan State Placer
5. Ryan Wilt (Inverness, IL) - Illinois State Qualifier
6. Andrew Hissom (Spring Lake, MI) -Michigan State Qualifier
7. Brandon Sunday (Bedford, MI) - Michigan Regional Qualifier, TOC Champion
8. Jonathan Scott (Eau Claire, MI) -Michigan State Qualifier
Outlook: Coming off of a monster offseason, Kevin Beazley will be looking to continue his national success at the Grappler Fall Classic. Beazley has been on fire since finishing second at Flonationals this spring. He achieved double All-American status at FILA Cadet Nationals, and then further solidified his status as one of Michigan's best by reaching the Junior Greco Roman finals in Fargo this summer. Second seed Payne Hayden out of St. Johns will be the favorite to emerge from the lower half of the bracket and wrestle Beazley in the finals. Hayden is a two-time all-stater with an accomplished national track record that includes All-American performances at Fargo and FILA nationals.
215
Pre-Seeds
1. Gage Hutchison (Buchanan, MI) - Michigan Runner-Up
2. Brendan Darrow (Louisville, KY) - 2X Kentucky State Placer
3. Josh Lehner (Lexington, OH) - Ohio State Placer, Fargo Cadet Greco Roman All-American
4. Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa City West, IA) - 2010 GFC Runner-Up, Fargo Cadet Freestyle All-American
5. Spencer Raypole (Carroll, IN) - Indiana State Placer
6. Taylor Gohn (South Haven, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
Outlook: 215 appears to be up for grabs to be up for grabs Saturday, with all four of the top seeds being very evenly matched. Claiming the one seed is Michigan junior Gage Hutchinson, who was state runner-up at 171lbs last year. Hutchison will have a huge test in the semifinals where he will likely see Iowa's Mickey Pelfrey. Pelfrey, also a junior, has had a lot of national success including a runner-up performance at the GFC last year and an All-American showing in Fargo last summer. The other side of the bracket should feature an equally big semifinal between Kentucky's Brendan Darrow and Ohio's Josh Lehner. Darrow has been very successful at the Kentucky state tournament, placing top in the top three the past two years. The third-seeded Lehner is an Ohio all-stater as well as a Fargo All-American.
285
Pre-Seeds:
1. Logan Rimmer (Bedford, MI) - Michigan Runner-Up
2. Brett Martin (Hesperia, MI) - 2X Michigan State Placer
3. Shawn Chamberlain (Dexter, MI) - 2010 GFC Placer
4. Jeff Tautolo (Lanse Creuse, MI) - Michigan State Qualifier
5. Ryan Prescottt (Whittemore Prescott, MI) - MYWAY State Champion
Outlook: Heading into this weekend Logan Rimmer appears to be a clear cut favorite to take home a gold medal in the heavyweight division. The Temperance Bedford big man broke out this march with a second place finish at the Division 1 state tournament. He has been active in the offseason, wrestling well at the Ohio TOC and Junior Duals. Other accomplished heavyweights include Brett Martin and Shawn Chamberlain who are the #2/#3 seeds. Martin has been an all-state 215lbs the past two years, while Chamberlain placed third at last year's Fall Classic. Rounding out the seeded wrestlers will be Jeff Tautolo and Ryan Prescott. Tautolo is Division 1 state qualifier at 285lbs, Prescott is a highly accomplished freshman who was a middle school Super 32 champion last year.
