Congrats to Matt, Reece and Nathan!!!


170 First Team: Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), Senior

The University of Michigan bound grappler ended finished high school as an undefeated four-time state champion with a career record of 223-0. Right before the start of the season, Massa earned an elusive Super 32 Challenge title after twice placing second and third each the prior four years. During the two April's before this one, he was a FILA Junior National freestyle champion, and was a member of the FILA Junior World Team at 74 kilos (163 pounds) this past summer.

Other All-Americans at 170:
2. Cody Wiercioch, Canon McMillan, Pa.
3. Kyle Crutchmer, Tulsa Union, Okla.
4. Geordan Speiller, Pine Castle Christian, Fla.
5. Mark Martin, St. Edward, Ohio
6. Zac Brunson, Churchill, Ore.
7. Eric Morris, Wyoming Seminary, Pa.
8. Alex Meyer, Southeast Polk, Iowa
9. Cooper Moore, Jackson County Central, Minn.
10. Micah Barnes, Simley, Minn.
11. Matt Reed, Wichita Heights, Kan.
12. Zach Nevills, Clovis, Calif.
13. Elliott Riddick, Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.
14. Zach Beard, Tuttle, Okla.
15. Silas Nacita, Bakersfield, Calif.
16. Kyle Begin, Anoka, Minn.
17. Tyler Askey, Northgate, Ga.
18. Vince Pickett, Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio
19. Jacob Taylor, Bald Eagle Area, Pa.
20. Steven Elicegui, Wooster, Nev.

182 First Team: Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.), Senior

Short of injury prior to the state tournament his sophomore year, very little kept Rogers from his goals while competing in Washington State. This three-time state champion is headed to Oklahoma State University with a career record of 152-6. In the last two calendar years, Rogers has won three FILA Cadet National titles (two freestyle, one Greco-Roman), traveled twice to represent the United States in international competitions, was a Cadet National double champion in 2010, and a Junior National double All-American in 2011 (third Greco-Roman and second freestyle). He also earned dominant victories in both of his all-star matches against nationally ranked opposition, pinning a Pennsylvania state champ in the Dapper Dan and earning a major decision against one from Iowa in the Dream Team Classic.

Other All-Americans at 182:
2. Sam Brooks, Oak Park River Forest, Ill.
3. Brandon Griffin, Sprague, Ore.
4. Nikko Reyes, Clovis West, Calif.
5. Chaz Gresham, Goshen, Ohio
6. Jordan Thomas, Greenville, Mich.
7. Huston Evans, Graham, Ohio
8. Domenic Abounader, St. Edward, Ohio
9. Roland Dunlap, Muskego, Wis.
10. Anthony Lock, Pioneer, N.Y.
11. Nolan Boyd, Deer Creek, Okla.
12. Jack Dechow, Richmond Burton, Ill.
13. Taylor McGiffen, Alton, Ill.
14. Jared Bartel, Mason City, Iowa
15. Wes Phipps, Grove City, Pa.
16. David Reck, Colonial Forge, Va.
17. Kevin Beazley, Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.
18. Preston Lehmann, West Fargo, N.D.
19. Matt McCutcheon, Kiski Area, Pa.
20. Reece Wright-Conklin, Lawrence, Kan.

220 First Team: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), Sophomore

The sophomore sensation Snyder joins Marsteller as being undefeated in two years of high school competition. This includes a pair of National Prep championships, a pair of Beast of the East titles, and singular titles at Mount Mat Madness as a freshman and the Walsh Ironman during this sophomore campaign. Last summer, Snyder was a double finalist in Fargo, winning the Cadet National freestyle championship; and in the last month has added a FloNationals title and third place finish in freestyle at the FILA Junior Nationals to his resume.

Other All-Americans at 220:
2. Willie Miklus, Southeast Polk, Iowa
3. John Rizzo, Richland, Pa.
4. Josh Marchok, Schaumburg, Ill.
5. Jordan Gruettner, Muskego, Wis.
6. J'Den Cox, Hickman, Mo.
7. A.J. Vizcarrondo, Wyoming Seminary, Pa.
8. Thomas Haines, Solanco, Pa.
9. Matt Meadows, CVCA, Ohio
10. Prescott Line, Oxford, Mich.
11. Andy Janovich, Gretna, Neb.
12. Ty Walz, St. Edward, Ohio
13. Mike Swider, Wheaton North, Ill.
14. Eric Laytos, Lackawanna Trail, Pa.
15. Spencer Empey, Reed, Nev.
16. Mick Dougharity, Barlow, Ore.
17. JT Goodwin, Bear Creek, Calif.
18. Nathan Butler, Leavenworth, Kan.
19. Austin Lobsinger, West Valley, Calif.
20. Logan Byrd, Sallisaw, Okla.

So the #1 220 in the state doesn't even make the list. makes sense to me.

I did talk with Josh Lowe at Intermat about that. Their view was that Nathan had the larger national accomplishments and that the 220 bracket in Virginia this year didn't give Luke a nationally ranked win. Part of the year I had Nathan and Luke tied in my ranking. I landed on Luke being number 1 by his running the table and also his placing high in Virginia.

Actually most of the year you did not. You had them tied for like 2-3 weeks toward the end of the year and then changed.

Looks like it is a benefit to wrestle up a weight when Luke Bean is in the same tournament.

lazyman_1,

I am not sure who you are but if you are going to imply things please feel free to put your name to your remarks.

I coach Nathan in kids club and can assure you the reason for his wrestling up a weight was not because of what you are trying to imply. He is a big kid that is going to heavyweight. He made the decision to do that before the high school season was over. Therefore, once the high school season ended the decision was made to start wrestling heavy weight during the spring and summer so that he can be best prepared for next year.

Shawn Budke

I usually stay off forum arguments as I am a pretty quiet guy in the first place. But I believe that comment is way off. Nathan never has, nor ever will move away from an opponent. He and his family (with support from a variety of coaches) have decided he will wrestle heavyweight next season. Nathan would like to get a head start and get used to the weight class early to prepare him for the challenge ahead.

If he was running away from competition - why would he wrestle against the undefeated 6A heavyweight state champion in Colorado? Nathan has wrestled two other national tournaments at heavyweight this spring and wrestled several state champs from across the nation while weighing about 225 lbs and actually gets extremely excited when he gets the opportunity to wrestle top level competition. Nathan's only loss during the HS season was to the individual ranked #6 on that list who was the JR National Champ in Virginia. Luke is an absolute beast and it is unfortunate he is not ranked nationally, and it's also unfortunate they never got to wrestle each other.

The criteria that probably went in to help Nathan was his exposure of becoming an All-American at Fargo. Again, I'm not a ranker and do not know all the information that went in to it.

I believe you have every right to stick up for Luke, as you should, because he is an incredible wrestler very deserving of being ranked in the country - but don't throw another great kid under the bus in the process.

I also apologize if I interpreted your comment the wrong way, but I have a 4 hour Master's class tonight so I'm already on edge:)

Good to see Shawn and Jay chime in on this. I'm assuming that Lazy had not intended to dis Nathan. There are not many kids as solid as Butler. When I broke the ties at the top that I had at 160 and 220, I only did so because of the undefeated season. I applaud Nathan for moving up to HWT! He understands his future at that weight and is doing exactly the right thing by moving there as soon as possible. As dominating as Luke is, I really think that match could go either way! On our Colorado trip, the first night we got there we were working out at a local high school and we had 15 live scrambles going on in the room. I was GLUED to watching Luke and Nathan go live. I had waited for that all year and it was a battle, I can tell you.

Both of those guys are among the best we have!

I have nothing against any Kansas wrestler and do support them all. If my comment offended anybody I apologize. I just get frustrated when they do not get the respect they deserve.

So Chief you had Kansas kids wrestling live right before they wrestled a dual tournament and then an individual tournament. I'm sure they were all going full speed. There is a difference between drilling/practicing and live match wrestling.

In the end it really doesn't matter as it is just a ranking. Maybe we will see them meet up at the next level some time. Would be fun to see.

No, it was Thursday afternoon. The duals were Friday.


Ya think?

Thursday afternoon is right before. That was exactly the point I was making.

They were doing live go's to get down to weight. It was a blast to see Luke and Nathan get after it.

Are you implying that one kid was going balls out, and the other wasn't? And that is why it was a good scramble? If both would have been going hard, it wouldn't have even been worth watching? Come on......

I've never seen Bean wrestle, but I heard he was a beast. I have seen Butler wrestle, and he is a beast. It would be a good match, no doubt. BUt until they wrestle, we can only speculate on the outcome.

If someone "backing" Butler got on here and said some of the things you said, you would be hot under the collar. IMplying that Bean ran from BUtler, implying that Bean doesn't go hard in practice, and that's why the practice "match" was a good one........

I would be upset about the out of state kids that are ranked above them, that don't deserve to be.........

No i was not implying anything about anybody not working hard in practice and don't really care about it. I assume most kids at that level work hard.

I was questioning Chief and his ability to tell us that it would be a toss up match, because he watched them wrestle around the day before a tournament one day while getting down to weight. I have no problem with Chief, I just like to question things from time to time.