The Walsh Jesuit wrestling tournament isn’t called the Ironman for nothing.
The first big wrestling tournament of the season, the Ironman features many of the nation’s top teams and is scheduled to host eight of the nation’s No. 1-ranked wrestlers.
A pair of brothers figure to gain much of the attention this weekend. Hunter and Logan Stieber of Monroeville, Ohio and Dylan and Andrew Alton of Central Mountain, Pa., are all ranked at or near the top of their respective weight classes by several national ranking sources and all four are favored to win at the Ironman.
Among the top teams expected to attend the tournament include Ohio’s St. Paris Graham, St. Edward and Monroeville, along with Blair Academy from New Jersey.
Here’s a look at some of the nation’s top wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes to begin the season, as determined by a consensus of the ranking services at USA Wrestling, W.I.N. Magazine, Intermat and the Amateur Wrestling News.
103 pounds
Nick Roberts, North Star, Pa.: Roberts went 32-6 last year in winning the AA state championship in Pennsylvania. He also had a big offseason, winning the junior national championships in March and capturing the cadet national freestyle and Greco championships. Roberts figures to get plenty of competition for the No. 1 ranking in this class from Virginia freshman Joey Dance of Christiansburg. He also won the cadet freestyle national championship, although at 105 pounds (Roberts won the 98-pound division). He also placed second in the Greco finals. Dance is already off to a good start at the high school level, winning the Super 32 tournament in October in North Carolina.
112 pounds
Evan Silver, Blair Academy, N.J.: Ranked No. 1 in this weight class by three of the four ranking services, Silver is coming off a sophomore season in which he won the Beast of the East Tournament and the National Prep School championship. Jerome Robinson of St. Ignatius, Ohio, is also highly regarded, winning unanimous approval from all four ranking services as the nation’s second-best wrestler in this class. Robinson is the defending Division I 112-pound champion in Ohio and also won the Super 32 tournament in October.
119 pounds
Ryak Finch, Safford, Ariz.: You won’t find many better resumes than Finch’s. At 140-2 in his first three seasons, Finch twice won the Arizona 3A state championship and finished second as a freshman. He was 56-0 last year and was a Greco and freestyle national champion. Finch is not without his challengers, however. Monroeville’s Hunter Stieber also has a sterling list of accomplishments, including a 47-1 record last year when he won the 119-pound Ohio state title as a sophomore.
125 pounds
Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio: Stieber winds down an impressive four-year career in search of his fourth straight Ohio Division III state championship. With a record of 129-1 in three seasons, Stieber’s only loss came against eventual four-time Ohio state champ David Taylor in the finals of the Ironman tournament. Stieber, who missed part of last season with an injury, was 35-0 as a junior with a state title in the 125-pound class. He also recently placed second at the FILA Junior freestyle world team trials.
130 pounds
Jamie Clark, St. Edward, Ohio: Another Ohio state champion claims the No. 1 ranking in this class. Like Logan Stieber and Finch, Clark is a unanimous No. 1 pick by all four ranking services. He finished 35-0 last year at 119 pounds to win the Ohio Division I state championship. He also won a state title as a sophomore and finished second as a freshman. He was also an ASICS first-team All-American last year.
135 pounds
Josh Dziewa, Council Rock South, Pa.: Dziewa did not wrestle last year as he had to sit out a year after transferring to Council Rock South. Dziewa won the junior national freestyle championships over the summer and opened the season with a gold medal at the Super 32 tournament in North Carolina. Dziewa is 91-6 heading into this year. He’ll get some competition for the No. 1 ranking in this class from Blair Academy standout Austin Ormsbee, who was a Beast of the East and National Prep Tournament champion last year.
140 pounds
Chris Villalonga, Blair Academy, N.J.: An Ironman and Beast of the East champion last year, Villalong was also an ASICS first-team All-American and was a National Prep Tournament champ. He gets the slight nod over Josh Kindig of Blue Mountain, Pa., who won the Super 32 tournament and was 53-1 last year with a 135-pound state championship. He also finished second to Andrew Alton in the freestyle nationals over the summer.
145 pounds
Andrew Alton, Central Mountain, Pa.: The clear choice here, Alton is a junior national freestyle champion, an ASICS first team All-American and a returning Ironman champ. Alton was 47-0 last year while winning a state championship. He is 133-8 in his career with a pair of third place state finishes as a sophomore and freshman.
152 pounds
Dylan Alton, Central Mountain, Pa.: The other half of the brother combination, Dylan Alton is also a unanimous choice here after winning his second straight Pennsylvania state championship last year and capturing the junior national freestyle title over the summer. Like his twin brother Andrew, Dylan is also a returning Ironman champion. He is 141-5 in his high school career.
160 pounds
Marshall Peppelman, Central Dauphin, Pa.: While the Altons have reached legendary status in Pennsylvania, Peppelman has actually had a better overall career. He is 130-7 in his career with two state titles and a second-place finish as a freshman. He also has a win over Alton and was an ASICS first-team All-American last year while winning the Pennsylvania 152-pound state title. Peppelman also opened the season with a gold medal at the Super 32.
171 pounds
Chris Phillips, Monroeville, Ohio: Just a junior, Phillips has already accomplished a lot. He’s a two-time Division III state champion in Ohio, going 49-1 last year as a sophomore. He was also an ASICS second-team All-American. As a freshman, Phillips went 51-0 and won the Ironman Tournament. His only loss in his career (100-1) is to Blair Academy’s Ed Ruth, a National Prep Tournament champion, last year at the Ironman tournament. A consensus No. 1 ranking by all four ranking services.
189 pounds
Andrew Campolattano, Bound Brook, N.J.: Just a junior, Campolattano is on pace to make history in New Jersey. No Garden State wrestler has ever gone undefeated and won four state titles. Although he still has a ways to go, Campolattano could be the first. He is already 89-0 in two seasons with a pair of state championships. He also won a Greco national championship over the summer. Like Phillips, Campolattano is a consensus No. 1 pick.
215 pounds
Trevor Rupp, Pocatello, Idaho: The defending Idaho 4A state champion, Rupp went 37-0 last year and placed third as a sophomore. Rupp also finished second in the junior national Greco wrestling championships.
285 pounds
Jimmy Lawson, Manchester, N.J.: A two-time state champion in New Jersey, Lawson was 33-0 last year and has a 102-11 career record.
Besides the Stiebers and the Altons, Villalonga, Dziewa, Clark and Phillips are all expected to compete in the Ironman tournament this weekend.
