Tournament: Super 32
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. Greensboro, North Carolina
Livestream and on-demand: Flowrestling.com
The Dirt: While there are several great folkstyle tournaments across the country, from Journeymen to the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament, the Super 32 event is the best in the country and possibly the world. The annual event in Greensboro, North Carolina always brings in the best talent, the deepest fields and some of the biggest crowds. This year should be no different as a nation’s best flock to the Greensboro Coliseum to see who will come away with a title belt. Super 32 has become one of the pillars of the wrestling season. Many wrestlers go on to great things in both their college and international careers, and there are memorable moments and matches made every year.
Top prospect per weight class
106 - Cory Land (Moody, AL) – The talented sophomore won his second Alabama Class 5A state championship while finishing with a 47-0 record. Ranked # 1 in the country by Flowrestling, Land won the Cadet Greco World Team Trials and finished second in the Cadet Freestyle World Team Trials.
113 – Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, MO) – The third-ranked 113-pound wrestler in the nation placed third at Fargo and last year’s Super 32 tournament. He is also a two-time Folkstyle Nationals runner-up and has won the Missouri state championships on three occasions.
120 – Max Renteria (Buchanan, CA) – The talented junior has claimed back-to-back titles in the one state division in California. A phenomenal wrestler on his feet, Renteria was a Folkstyle Nationals Champion as he defeated Reno in the tiebreaker criteria.
126 - Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) – The National Prep titlist was successful during summer in winning a Fargo Cadet Freestyle Championship. Ranked # 5 in the country, Bouzakis is a savvy individual with great technique ready to bring the heat to any foe.
132 – Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, IN) – The # 2 ranked wrestler in the country looked great as he won his match at Who’s Number One event last weekend. The talented sophomore won an Indiana state championship while compiling an overall record of 47-0. He is also a Cadet World Team Member.
138 – Josh Saunders (Christian Brothers, MO) – The Cornell commit will probably compete in his last high school event until the Missouri postseason when he will return to try to win his fourth state title for Christian Brothers College.
145 – Manzona Bryant (Western Reserve, OH) – The rising senior is currently ranked # 3 in the country after having finished second at the National Prep tournament and Flo Nationals. Uncommitted now, Bryant is a returning Super 32 place winner as he was sixth last year at 145-pounds.
152 – Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, WV), - Hall who is a West Virginia commit, will be going for his fourth state title in Class AA/A. He recently won a Journeymen Classic hammer by defeating some tough competitors from the East Coast. He is a returning Super 32 place winner as he was fifth in the 138-weight class.
160 – Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, CA) – The younger sibling of two-time NCAA Champion (Zahid) is making waves of his own and stepping out of his brother’s shadow. A California state runner-up, he recently won the Journeymen Classic by outscoring a two-time Pennsylvania state champion 6-0 in the finals.
170 – Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, PA) – The third-ranked wrestler in the nation finished a match away from earning a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships in the 80 Kilogram weight class. A PIAA state runner-up, Ulrey completed the 2018-19 season with 40-2 record. He will continue his collegiate career for Virginia Tech.
182 – Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, PA) – Ranked # 2 in the country, Nijenhuis has placed at the PIAA state tournament in three attempts and will be going for his second state title after having finished with a 44-3 record. The Fargo Junior Freestyle runner-up will be competing for Big 10 school Purdue.
195 – Seth Shumate (Coffman, OH) – Shumate will stay locally and compete for wrestling powerhouse Ohio State. Rated as the # 2 ranked wrestler in the country at 195-pounds, Shumate is a rising sophomore who was an Ohio Division I state champion and a Cadet Freestyle National Champion at Fargo.
220 – Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, WV) – Amos is one of the top wrestling prospects in the nation and has been highly recruited. He chose Wisconsin over Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia Tech. and Oklahoma State. He is a three-time state champion and has yet to taste defeat. Earlier this year, Amos was named the first Dutton Award winner (given to the most outstanding wrestler in the state) as an underclassman.
285 – Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, PA) – The Pennsylvania senior is the top heavyweight in the country according to FloWrestling. A Virginia Tech commit, Catka competed at the Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Tournament: 13th Annual California World Challenge
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: Clovis West High School
Livestream and on-demand: Trackwrestling
The Dirt: The California World Challenge will enter its 13th year of providing great wrestling in the Golden State. Since its early beginnings, the California World Challenge wrestling tournament has attracted some of the best talent the Golden State has to offer. From the first whistle to the last one, this event offers some great matches for all fans in attendance to enjoy. The California World Challenge is a tournament that can either make or break you; this tournament is not for the faint of heart.
Top prospect per weight class
106 – Cristelle Rodriguez (The Empire) – The rising sophomore is currently the top-ranked female wrestler in the country at 106-pounds. A California state champion as a freshman, Rodriguez recently finished second at the Cadet World Championships as she was defeated in freestyle 6-2 by Moe Kiyooka of Japan.
113 – Andre Gonzales (Poway) – After an impressive run at Fargo where he won double titles, Gonzales, who is only a junior, is the # 2 ranked wrestler in the country at 106-pounds. A CIF state medalist for the Mean Green Machine, Gonzales will be the heavy favorite this weekend.
120 – Joey Cruz (Dark Horse) – Cruz is coming off from placing third at the Grappler Fall Classic in Michigan. On his way to the third-place match, Cruz defeated state runner-up Jack Gioffre of The Empire. We could eventually see another match between these two athletes in the finals.
126 – Israel Tubera (Pitman Wrestling Academy) – After a hiatus in the sport during his sophomore campaign, Tubera came back with a different attitude this past season to once again place at the state tournament. He is a very talented wrestler with exceptional mat smarts.
132 – Haiden Drury (Takedown Express, WA) – An exceptional grappler from the neutral position, Drury will be going this season for his four-state championship in Washington. He is a two-time Fargo Greco-Roman and Flo Nationals Champion.
138 – Hunter Leake (The Empire) – Leake is a two-time state qualifier and was a state place winner in 2018. He is part of the three-time state championship team Buchanan High and recently placed at the Grappler Fall Classic.
145 – Matthew Rodriguez (Marvel Wrestling Academy) – A very skill underclassman, Rodriguez was a state qualifier last season out of the tough Central Section and finished within a match from placing. He was part of a large contingent of wrestlers that traveled to Asia with Tri-Titans to garner some more wrestling knowledge.
152 – Aaron Gandara (Poway) – The Campbell recruit will attempt and win a World Challenge title for the first time in his career this weekend. A three-time state place winner, Gandara was an Arizona state champion as a sophomore while placing third last year in California.
160 – Alexander Hernandez (Poway) – The Life Pacific commit was one of many master’s champions for Poway High last season. Winning a couple of matches at the state tournament, Hernandez was able to help the Titans placed third as a team.
170 – Max Wilner (Genesis) – The # 13 ranked wrestler in the country is only a junior that has committed to further his education at Arizona State. An NHSCA Champion, Wilner was third at the start tournament last year at 160-pounds.
182 – Nathan Haas (St. John Bosco) – The future Cornhusker is ranked # 5 in the country at 182-pounds. Haas is a multiple-time Fargo All-American as he was second during the summer. His resume also includes a CIF state championship.
195 – Joaquin Garcia (Villa Park) – The senior was successful last season in placing third for the Spartans at the Southern Section Masters Meet at 170-pounds. He will try to become a state finalist this upcoming season just a Mike Ruiz did last year.
The 220 and 285-pound weight class was not talked about as there weren’t enough wrestlers with excellent accolades to write about.