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TKDWN TKDWN TOP 50 Industry leading weight class rankings. The only outlet ranking 1 through 50 in every weight class, and providing individual head to head results for every ranked wrestler! View the TKDWN TOP 50 TKDWN TOP 25 Taking the same ranking approach from individuals to teams. View the TKDWN TOP 25 TKDWN TOP 250 The TKDWN approach to pound for pound rankings. Made up of the 250 individuals in the class rankings. View the TKDWN TOP 250 TKDWN CLASS RANKINGS 100 seniors, 75 juniors, 50 sophomores, 25 freshmen. View the Class Rankings TKDWN TOP 50 TKDWN TOP 50: 1/30 UPDATE TKDWN TOP 25 TKDWN TOP 25: 1/30 UPDATE Rankings Three Vol. 2 Three Vol. 1 TKDWN TOP 250 TKDWN TOP 25: 1/30 UPDATE Support The Nation’s Best Rankings TOP 25 TEAMS takedownFebruary 5, 2025 Rankings TKDWN TKDWN TOP 50 Industry leading weight class rankings. The…Read More takedownFebruary 4, 2025 Three Vol. 2 Three Volume 2 To download issue, click 3 dots and…Read More takedownAugust 8, 2024 Three Vol. 1 Three Volume 1 Follow link for rankings with complete won/loss…Read More takedownJune 24, 2024 TKDWN CLASS RANKINGS TKDWN TOP 25: 1/30 UPDATE Support The Nation’s Best Rankings TOP 25 TEAMS takedownFebruary 5, 2025 Rankings TKDWN TKDWN TOP 50 Industry leading weight class rankings. The…Read More takedownFebruary 4, 2025 Three Vol. 2 Three Volume 2 To download issue, click 3 dots and…Read More takedownAugust 8, 2024 Three Vol. 1 Three Volume 1 Follow link for rankings with complete won/loss…Read More takedownJune 24, 2024 TKDWN RECRUITING CLASS RANKINGS TKDWN TOP 25: 1/30 UPDATE Support The Nation’s Best Rankings TOP 25 TEAMS takedownFebruary 5, 2025 Rankings TKDWN TKDWN TOP 50 Industry leading weight class rankings. The…Read More takedownFebruary 4, 2025 Three Vol. 2 Three Volume 2 To download issue, click 3 dots and…Read More takedownAugust 8, 2024 Three Vol. 1 Three Volume 1 Follow link for rankings with complete won/loss…Read More takedownJune 24, 2024
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2024 U20 Team Trials Preview (HS Wrestlers)
2024 U20 TEAM TRIALS PREVIEW This preview isn’t for all the contenders or entries in a weight class. Instead it is a look at the top high school contenders in each weight class, especially those who won the US Open. In the weights where a I have a current college wrestler making the world team, or the US Open champion was a college wrestler, I do mention them. There are plenty of non high school guys in contention in these weights, like Vinny Kilkeary, the US Open runner up to Lilledahl at 57. Nasir Bailey at 61. And others. I’m transitioning into an exclusively high school (boys/girls) platform. This is the first article specifically to that end. 57KG In terms of top talent at the high school level, many of these weights have plenty to speak of. No bracket will have the depth of it that 57KG does though. Lilledahl was the US Open champion and therefore sits until the finals. In the field will be a bunch of names that were also at the US Open but a couple new ones join this group as well. By now the history between Jax and Luke should be fairly well known. And that could definitely be the finals match up this weekend in Ohio. At the US Open, it was Vinny Kilkeary in the finals against Lilledahl. It could be him again. But he’s not in HS so not part of my write up. Others to watch are obviously Seth Mendoza and Anthony Knox. Mendoza made some big news for himself beating Jax, but then it was Knox over Mendoza for 3rd. New to the group is former cadet world team member Chris Castillo, Haakon Peterson who was at the Last Chance trials, and Leo DeLuca who always battles with Knox and Lilledahl. Have to consider Lilledahl the favorite here and I like Jax to bounce back in a big way. 61KG College freshman Cael Hughes leads the way into Ohio as the US Open winner. But his road to the title and the spot on the world team just got even harder. At the Open he beat Kyler Larkin in a tight finals. This go round, he could get Larkin again – or he could get the one of the new top guns in this bracket. First, there’s Ben Davino, our 2024 Wrestler of the Year winner (all winners will be announced in the first edition of our digital magazine, Three.). He is of course one of the best in any style at any weight. His win for the high school season was bolstered by a huge showdown with Marcus Blaze in the Ironman finals. Speaking of Blaze, he’s the 2nd newcomer to speak of here. He finished 3rd at the Olympic Trials and if you considered him the favorite here I couldn’t argue much. In fact he is my favorite. Based on what he’s done on the freestyle circuit. There’s a solid group out of the top 8 from the US Open returning to do battle as well. Kyler Larkin, Jake Hockaday, Billy Dekraker, Elijah Cortez, and Matt Botello. Hard to predict any of them ultimately make the team, but I wouldn’t be shocked either. Very nice bracket here. 65KG This looks like the next Bo Bassett world team. He won the US Open fairly easily. He didn’t make the National team at the Olympic Trials, but he’s right there among the very best in the country at the senior level at this weight. His biggest threat this weekend looks to be Aden Valencia. They’ve wrestled twice this Spring already. Bassett won both, but they were very close and competitive. No one else has really tested Bassett in this time. After them, a few very familiar names round out the high school group: Pierson Manville, Jax Joy, and Daniel Zepeda. Zepeda is the last HS wrestler to beat Bassett but that was months ago and in a folkstyle all-star event. Bet against Bo at your own risk. Wait, is anyone taking bets on this? 70KG PJ Duke is one of those phenom types who is the favorite to win just about every tournament he enters. He did just that at the US Open and figures to repeat the result again to make the U20 team. The runner up to Duke at the Open was Kody Routledge, he’s entered at 74KG this weekend. Other challengers returning from the Vegas tournament are Isaias Jimenez and Landon Robideau. Both fell in the round of 16, Jimenez in a competitive match with Routledge. Robideau to college freshman Cross Wasilewski. Wasilewski is not in this field. Newcomers to the party are Brock Mantanona, Paul Kelly, and Collin Gaj. Grigor Cholakyan is also down from 74KG this time. Of the new names, Mantanona is the most intriguing to me. But in the end I think Duke is too much for everyone. 74KG Like Bo Bassett at 65 and PJ Duke at 70, LaDarion Lockett 74KG is a US Open champion with HS years left. Lockett is a junior already committed to Oklahoma State (whose thoughts on the new coaching change were shared as part of the first issue of Three, so check that out) and already has a cadet gold medal to his credit. Lockett’s battles with Joe Sealey are great and could be another round this weekend. Sealey was the US Open finalist opponent and I think should reach the 2 out of 3 rematch this weekend. Others coming back are Vince Bouzakis and Claudio Torres. Kody Routledge as mentioned is up here from 70. I do think the battles to get to Lockett will be tough, ultimately I expect to see Sealey as the challenge tournament champ. 79KG As we get up to these weights, we start to see fewer HS athletes but we do have two. The first is Zack Ryder, the US Open champ. The second is Will Henckel who gave Ryder his toughest match in Las Vegas. That was
Todd’s Talks With Luke Simcox: Resilient
Support Todd’s Talks Resilient “Whatever is in me is stronger than what is out there to defeat me.” – Caroline Myss The very definition of resiliency is the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties. If you know Luke Simcox, he is that guy. He’s gritty, tough, savvy and a true leader. Simcox is also smart, articulate and a guy that any coach would want leading their squad. Simcox finished his high school career at Central Mountain High School with a record of 137-18. He had two 5th place finishes and ended his career winning two individual titles in the PIAA, which is arguably the best state for high school wrestling state in the country. What a career. He’s had battles with guys like Matt Repos, Pierson Manville and recent Ohio State commit, Maddox Shaw. It’s no wonder why Rob Koll would want him to be a Tar Heel. Luke is going to The University of North Carolina and will undoubtedly be a guy that leads them to be a trophy contender at NCAA’s. He’s battle tested, resilient. Luke Simcox started wrestling at a very young age. He was 4 when he started attending practices because his dad was coaching. He didn’t necessarily compete but began to grow a love for the sport. That love soon developed into a desire to compete. When Luke was 7 years old, he received a dirt-bike for winning a tournament from his parents. That is a pretty great incentive. It was something that paired his two passions, wrestling and dirt bike riding. Simcox then began to have increasing success winning PJW’s at age 10. This was the moment that launched his career. He not only had others believing in him, Luke Simcox began believing in himself. That’s a dangerous combination. Luke credits his parents and sister, Darbi (Pitt Gymnastics recruit) for a lot of his success. “ I had such a great support system, they did everything to make sure I was successful, endless car rides to practices and tournaments to find the best competition.” It happens in this sport, although rare in life for young people to have this type of backing, unwavering support paired with the self motivation that takes to be the very best. Luke Simcox had that. It allows athletes to solely focus on their craft. Simcox took full advantage of that opportunity becoming one of the top ranked wrestlers in the country. For anyone who thinks Luke Simcox has had an easy route to where he is, you would be mistaken. He has battled injuries from early on to more serious ones now. He battled through a torn shoulder against Bo Bassett in the Powerade finals. He dropped that one but kept it closer than most other competitors. Luke Simcox is resilient. Does that stop him? Not a chance. This guy is as mentally strong as they come. “The injuries I sustained made me hungrier, people didn’t think I would be the same after them. Their doubt pushed me.” Luke credits a lot of that his practice partners Dalton Perry (PSU Commit) as well as others for his continued progress. He tore his shoulder before states last season but wanted to compete for his team. He not only wrestled but won the tournament. That takes as much physical toughness as it does mental. That’s what you get with Luke Simcox, he resilient, he’s an ultimate competitor. After originally committing to The University of Pennsylvania during his junior year, Luke decided to reconsider some things. He took some more visits to Penn State, Pitt and NC State. He also had an unofficial visit to North Carolina and fell in love. He committed to being a Tar Heel. The fit was ideal. Luke stated that he wanted to be one of the ones to “take the program from good to great.” It’s pretty safe to say that this is a guy to build a program around. He’s a leader. No nonsense, go to work kinda guy. He’ll be a person who makes others better, not only on the mat but off as well. A guy who had been through a lot in his early career, he’s resilient. You think he’ll waste this opportunity, absolutely not. Luke Simcox may very well be one of the most under the radar STUD wrestlers you’ll ever find. I think he likes that. It’s motivation. Injuries and other set backs won’t keep this guy down. He’s a competitor, he resilient, one of the very best in the country. This is a name you absolutely need to keep an eye on. He won’t disappoint. Get To Know Luke Better: Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Favorite Meal? Myrtle Beach Favorite Vacation Spot? Cliff Jumping Favorite Off Mat Activity? Karma Police by Radiohead Hype Song “Relax and have fun.” Best Advice? More Todd’s Talks: More Posts:
2024 TEAM USA WORLD TEAM ROSTERS
2024 OLYMPIC AND AGE GROUP WORLD TEAM ROSTERS 2024 OLYMPIC TEAM {Aug 5-11; Paris, France} MENS FREESTYLE WOMENS FREESTYLE GRECO *57KG: Spencer Lee *65KG: Zain Retherford 74KG: Kyle Dake 86KG: Aaron Brooks 97KG: Kyle Snyder 125KG: Mason Parris *weight still to be qualified 50KG: Sarah Hildebrandt 53KG: Dominique Parrish 57KG: Helen Maroulis 62KG: Kayla Miracle 68KG: Amit Elor 76KG: Kennedy Blades 60KG: Dalton Roberts 67KG: Ellis Coleman 77KG: Kamal Bey 87KG: Payton Jacobson 97KG: Josef Rau 130KG: Adam Coon *57KG: Spencer Lee *65KG: Zain Retherford 74KG: Kyle Dake 86KG: Aaron Brooks 97KG: Kyle Snyder 125KG: Mason Parris *weight still to be qualified 50KG: Sarah Hildebrandt 53KG: Dominique Parrish 57KG: Helen Maroulis 62KG: Kayla Miracle 68KG: Amit Elor 76KG: Kennedy Blades 60KG: Dalton Roberts 67KG: Ellis Coleman 77KG: Kamal Bey 87KG: Payton Jacobson 97KG: Josef Rau 130KG: Adam Coon 2024 U23 WORLD TEAM{Oct 21-27; Tirana, Albania} MENS FREESTYLE WOMENS FREESTYLE GRECO TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD 2024 U20 WORLD TEAM {Sep 2-8; Pontevedra, Spain} MENS FREESTYLE WOMENS FREESTYLE GRECO 57KG – Luke Lilledahl (MO) 61KG – Marcus Blaze (OH) 65KG – Bo Bassett (PA) 70KG – PJ Duke (NY) 74KG – LaDarion Lockett (OK) 79KG – Zack Ryder (NY) 86KG – Josh Barr (MI) 92KG – Connor Mirasola (WI) 97KG – Justin Rademacher (OR) 125KG – Ben Kueter (IA) 50KG: Anaya Falcon (CA) 53KG: Brianna Gonzalez (CA) 55KG: Cristelle Rodriguez (CA) 57KG: Carissa Qureshi (CA) 59KG: Alexis Janiak (IL) 62KG: Cadence Diduch (IL) 65KG: Reese Larramendy (NV) 68KG: Caitlyn Davis (SC) 72KG: Jasmine Robinson (TX) 76KG: Naomi Simon (IA) 55KG – Isaiah Cortez (CA) 60KG – Cory Land (AL) 63KG – Otto Black (CO) 67KG – Joel Adams (NE) 72KG – Patrick Brackett (CO) 77KG – Aydin Rex McElhinney (ME) 82KG – Arian Khosravy (CA) 87KG – Ryder Rogotzke (MN) 97KG – Soren Herzog (MN) 130KG – Aden Attao (ID) 57KG – Luke Lilledahl (MO) 61KG – Marcus Blaze (OH) 65KG – Bo Bassett (PA) 70KG – PJ Duke (NY) 74KG – LaDarion Lockett (OK) 79KG – Zack Ryder (NY) 86KG – Josh Barr (MI) 92KG – Connor Mirasola (WI) 97KG – Justin Rademacher (OR) 125KG – Ben Kueter (IA) 50KG: Anaya Falcon (CA) 53KG: Brianna Gonzalez (CA) 55KG: Cristelle Rodriguez (CA) 57KG: Carissa Qureshi (CA) 59KG: Alexis Janiak (IL) 62KG: Cadence Diduch (IL) 65KG: Reese Larramendy (NV) 68KG: Caitlyn Davis (SC) 72KG: Jasmine Robinson (TX) 76KG: Naomi Simon (IA) 55KG – Isaiah Cortez (CA) 60KG – Cory Land (AL) 63KG – Otto Black (CO) 67KG – Joel Adams (NE) 72KG – Patrick Brackett (CO) 77KG – Aydin Rex McElhinney (ME) 82KG – Arian Khosravy (CA) 87KG – Ryder Rogotzke (MN) 97KG – Soren Herzog (MN) 130KG – Aden Attao (ID) 2024 U17 WORLD TEAM{Aug 19-25; Amman, Jordan} BOYS FREESTYLE GIRLS FREESTYLE GRECO 45KG – Sammy Sanchez (CA) 48KG – Henry Aslikyan (CA) 51KG – Dom Munaretto (IL) 55KG – Keanu Dillard (PA) 60KG – Jordyn Raney (KY) 65KG – Nate Askew (NC) 71KG – Melvin Miller (PA) 80KG – Emmitt Sherlock (MD) 92KG – Dreshaun Ross (IA) 110KG – Mike Mocco (FL) 40KG: Francesca Gusfa (NJ) 43KG: Hailey Delgado (TX) 46KG: Morgan Turner (IL) 49KG: Epensa Elison (CA) 53KG: Bella Gonzales (CA) 57KG: Everest Leydecker (AZ) 61KG: Taina Fernandez (MD) 65KG: Bella Williams (OK) 69KG: Kaili Manuel (MI) 73KG: Piper Fowler (TN) 45KG – Loc Webber (OH) 48KG – Hayden Schwab (IA) 51KG – Dom Munaretto (IL) 55KG – Jayden Raney (KY) 60KG – Jordyn Raney (KY) 65KG – Colton Weiler (WI) 71KG – Joe Jeter (OK) 80KG – Emmitt Sherlock (MD) 92KG – Evan McGuire (MN) 110KG – Travyn Boger (UT) 45KG – Sammy Sanchez (CA) 48KG – Henry Aslikyan (CA) 51KG – Dom Munaretto (IL) 55KG – Keanu Dillard (PA) 60KG – Jordyn Raney (KY) 65KG – Nate Askew (NC) 71KG – Melvin Miller (PA) 80KG – Emmitt Sherlock (MD) 92KG – Dreshaun Ross (IA) 110KG – Mike Mocco (FL) 40KG: Francesca Gusfa (NJ) 43KG: Hailey Delgado (TX) 46KG: Morgan Turner (IL) 49KG: Epensa Elison (CA) 53KG: Bella Gonzales (CA) 57KG: Everest Leydecker (AZ) 61KG: Taina Fernandez (MD) 65KG: Bella Williams (OK) 69KG: Kaili Manuel (MI) 73KG: Piper Fowler (TN) 45KG – Loc Webber (OH) 48KG – Hayden Schwab (IA) 51KG – Dom Munaretto (IL) 55KG – Jayden Raney (KY) 60KG – Jordyn Raney (KY) 65KG – Colton Weiler (WI) 71KG – Joe Jeter (OK) 80KG – Emmitt Sherlock (MD) 92KG – Evan McGuire (MN) 110KG – Travyn Boger (UT) Latest News 2024 U20 Team Trials Preview (HS Wrestlers) May 31, 2024/No Comments 2024 U20 TEAM TRIALS PREVIEW This preview isn’t for all the contenders or entries in a weight class. Instead it… Read More National High School Wrestling Rankings: FREESTYLE VOL. 2 AFTER US OPEN May 1, 2024/ National Rankings May 1, 2024 Notes About US OPEN Update: Obviously the US Open has been the biggest HS related… Read More 2024 TEAM USA WORLD TEAM ROSTERS April 29, 2024/ 2024 OLYMPIC AND AGE GROUP WORLD TEAM ROSTERS 2024 OLYMPIC TEAM {Aug 5-11; Paris, France} MENS FREESTYLE WOMENS FREESTYLE GRECO… Read More 2024 U17 TEAM TRIALS SEMIFINALS April 28, 2024/ 2024 U17 TEAM TRIALS SEMIFINALS 45KG Brandon Bickerton vs Sammy Sanchez Sean Kenny vs Justin Farnsworth 48KG #2 Henry… Read More 2024 U20 US OPEN FINALS LINE UP April 27, 2024/ FINALS LINE UP U20 US OPEN 57KG #2 Luke Lilledahl vs Vinny Kilkeary 61KG #2 Kyler Larkin vs Cael Hughes… Read More 2024 U17 WORLD TEAM TRIALS PREVIEW April 27, 2024/ 2024 U17 WORLD TEAM TRIALS 45KG Of course the u17 trials can have middle school wrestlers throughout any of the… Read More 2024 U20 US OPEN QUARTERFINALS April 27, 2024/ QUARTERFINALS MATCHES AT US OPEN U20 57KG #2 Luke Lilledahl vs #10 Aaron Seidel Isaiah Quintero vs G. Rinken #4… Read More 2024 U20 US Open Notable Round of 16 Matches April 27, 2024/ NOTABLE ROUND OF 16 MATCHES AT US OPEN U20 57KG #9 Isaiah Cortez vs #10 Aaron Seidel #4 Anthony
2024 U17 TEAM TRIALS SEMIFINALS
2024 U17 TEAM TRIALS SEMIFINALS 45KG Brandon Bickerton vs Sammy Sanchez Sean Kenny vs Justin Farnsworth 48KG #2 Henry Aslikyan vs #4 Cam Sontz Brayden Wenrich vs #8 Turner Ross 51KG #3 Dom Munaretto vs #18 Arseni Kikiniou Alex Rozas vs Alex Pierce 55KG #19 Lincoln Sledzianowski vs #10 Keanu Dillard Titan Friederichs vs #15 Slater Hicks 60KG #6 Jayden Raney vs Tyler Dekraker #9 Jordyn Raney vs #20 Clinton Shepherd 65KG Derek Barrows vs Kellen Wolbert Nate Askew vs Tyler Traves 71KG #16 Jayden James vs #12 Kyler Knaack #25 Cooper Rowe vs #4 Melvin Miller 80KG #14 Emmitt Sherlock vs #24 Liam Crook #19 Caleb Dennee vs #9 Ryder Wilder 92KG #4 Dreshaun Ross vs Cason Howle Kaleb Jackson vs #7 Elijah Diakomihalis 110KG #16 Dean Bechtold vs #19 Mark Effendian #8 Mike Mocco vs #9 Jacob Levy
2024 U20 US OPEN FINALS LINE UP
FINALS LINE UP U20 US OPEN 57KG #2 Luke Lilledahl vs Vinny Kilkeary 61KG #2 Kyler Larkin vs Cael Hughes 65KG #1 Bo Bassett vs #2 Aden Valencia 70KG #1 PJ Duke vs #5 Kody Routledge 74KG #1 LaDarion Lockett vs #2 Joe Sealey 79KG #1 Zack Ryder vs Noah Mulvaney 86KG #1 Aeoden Sinclair vs Josh Barr 92KG #3 Connor Mirasola vs Justin Rademacher 97KG #2 Cole Mirasola vs Camden McDanel 125KG #6 Nicholas Sahakian vs Jimmy Mullen
2024 U17 WORLD TEAM TRIALS PREVIEW
2024 U17 WORLD TEAM TRIALS 45KG Of course the u17 trials can have middle school wrestlers throughout any of the weights, the lower ones are where you’ll find the largest percentage and even further, 45KG which translates to under 100 pounds (not a HS weight), it’s almost all non-high schoolers. Still worthy of looking at for preview purposes, but for me (whose primary focus is the high school level) most of the names here will be in the mix next school year and season. For now, I’ll focus mostly on the current high school contenders and some others of note who could challenge for the team spot. Right off the bat, we’d have to say Fargo champ Brandon Bickerton is the favorite to make the team here. Aside from the Fargo title, he was also the u15 champ and is coming off an Ohio state title in his first season wrestling for Highland. Competing in what seems like every national event available on the calender, Bickerton is no stranger to elite competition and the lights of Las Vegas shouldn’t prove to be too bright. The top challenger from the high school group is Cason Craft. Craft placed 6th at Fargo last year, though up at 94 pounds compared to 88 for Bickerton. That Fargo 94 bracket was littered with guys who finished in the top 25 at 106 and are mostly at 48KG here this week. That opens things up for Craft to reach the finals against Bickerton. (keep in mind I’m writing this without any knowledge of where they’ll be slotted in the bracket). Like Bickerton, Craft was also a state champion (Oklahoma). Among the current middle school contenders, we have to mention Eddie George. He was the runner up to Bickerton in that Fargo 88 bracket, picking up wins over Loc Webber and Hudson Chittum (in this bracket) along the way. Those figure to all be tough battles should they meet again. Cruzer Dominguez from Nebraska doesn’t have results from either Fargo or last year’s US Open but he does have some solid results already this Spring. He beat both Hayden Schwab and Nico DeSalvo at the PNL freestyle tournament. Others to watch include Sammy Sanchez, Brayden Wenrich, Jojo Burke, Loc Webber, Hudson Chittum, and Sean Kenny. 48KG Now we get to our first full HS weight where the majority of the contenders coming to Las Vegas will be from this past season’s 106 weight class. And of course, a few of them finished in our season ending top 25. But that was folkstyle only and this is freestyle and we have a new 1st edition freestyle ranking dropping this week too and some of the names will be in different slots based on last year’s Fargo and trials placements. #3 Henry Aslikyan wasn’t in any Fargo bracket but instead did place 3rd at last year’s 45 trials. His loss was to Caleb Noble but he would actually bounce back to place higher than Noble. His trials run included wins over Sontz, Bell, Mac Crosson (think he’s up a few weights), and Haakon Peterson. He would then go on to capture his 1st CA state title this past February. He also picked up a pair of nice wins at the Journeyman Classic over Oumar Tounkara and Julian Rios. Tounkara himself had a big win over Shamus Regan. I think all of this makes Aslikyan the favorite coming into Vegas. #4 Caleb Noble and #6 Cam Sontz should be discussed together. Not only were they two super frosh who picked up state titles during the scholastic season, they also traded results last year at Fargo and the Open. There’s Mac Crosson sandwiched between them, who factored into those event results as well, but Crosson isn’t in this field as mentioned earlier. So Noble was the Fargo runner up while Sontz finished 5th there. Then Sontz also finished 5th in this event while Noble ended in 6th. Noble gets the higher ranking for me coming in due to Fargo being the more recent event. These two are really neck and neck though. #9 Turner Ross was the runner up to #8 Jarrett Smith last year and picked up a win over Cason Craft (contender at 45 we mentioned) along the way. He also finished his freshman season as a Minnesota state champion. It looks like Smith isn’t in the field this time around so Ross won’t get the chance at revenge there but he will still have a chance to make the world team. #17 Hayden Schwab, #18 Austin Bickerton, #22 Nico DeSalvo, and #23 Liam Collins all figure to be in the mix for top 8 and honestly, could do even better than that. They’re all capable of beating anyone in this field, even perhaps winning the team spot. Bickerton was the u15 runner up, Schwab was 4th at Fargo, Collins took 8th in last year’s 45 field, and DeSalvo was top 3 at both Fargo and the US Open. 51KG Talk about a star-studded bracket. We have 12 of our top 25 at this weight here and 6 of the top 10 and 4 of the top 5. This is about as elite as it gets and whoever does survive the mine field will have no doubt earned their way to Jordan this Summer. First up we have our top rated, and 2023 US Open 45KG champion, #1 Ignacio Villasenor. The Colorado phenom has been active to say the least, shying away from exactly zero big events. He won the world team spot with a finals win over Kavin Muleart, who is also in this field and one of those highly ranked kids who will make it tough for Villasenor to repeat. #2 Grey Burnett is a returning runner up at 48KG and the 106 Fargo champ from last year as well. An argument could be made he should be #1 at this weight and considered the favorite. I gave the nod to the world team member
