Michigan Grappler's 2009 Fargo Preview
7/15 - Team Michigan will be heading West this week to Fargo, ND for the Cadet and Junior National Championships, which will begin this weekend. Saturday morning when Cadet Greco-Roman competition gets underway, the madness will begin.
The tournament, which is commonly referred to simply as "Fargo", has been the proving grounds for the nation's top prep wrestlers to show what their made of. Many of the United States' top college and senior level athletes first made names for themselves under the FargoDome lights and this year should be no different.
A lot has changed over the years as 10 years ago Fargo was basically the only platform for high school wrestlers to garner national attention. As a number of other summer and fall national level tournaments, such as Super 32s, the Disney Duals, and events like BorderWars and the Tournament of Champions have built in popularity, one would expect Fargo's importance to go down. However, Fargo still remains as the toughest, most challenging tournament for a high school grappler to compete in.
Whether it is the monster charts filled with all-americans, state champs, nationally ranked wrestlers, or the infinite amount of college coaches that can be found wandering the FargoDome floor, there is just something about Fargo that separates it from the rest. It is not uncommon to see multiple time high school state champions get bounced from the bracket long before the all-american rounds, which is why placing in Fargo is the quickest way to propel yourself into the national spotlight.
This year could very well be one of the best years for the state of Michigan with a handful of returning all-americans and nationally proven wrestlers slated to compete in Fargo. Read below for our in depth preview of this year's tournament and everything you need to know heading into Fargo.
What went down last year
Last year Fargo was the official coming out party for Taylor Massa. Massa, who had yet
to enter high school at this time last year, lived up to the hype that surrounded him as he
stormed through the 140lb weight class, winning National Titles in both greco-roman and
freestyle. He was one of the biggest storylines of the tournament and he officially thrusted
himself high into the national rankings and national spotlight with his performance.
Two other then freshman-to-be made names for themselves last year as well as Freddie
Rodriguez of Holt advanced to the 91lb freestyle finals and finished runner-up. Rodriguez
also placed in Greco-Roman to become a double all-american in his first year wrestling in
Fargo. Jordan Thomas also placed in freestyle, finishing 4th in a tough 145lb freestyle
weight class.
In the Junior Division it was 2008 Michigan Grappler Wrestler of the Year Ben Bennett
who stole the show as he methodically worked his way through the 171lb Freestyle chart
en route to a national title. Bennett was the first Michigander to win a Junior Freestyle
Title since Jon Reader won in 2006.
Also earning Double All-american honors in the junior division was Brenan Lyon, who claimed the 5th and 6th Fargo all-american plaques of his career. Kyle Waldo finished 7th at 112lbs in the Junior Freestyle Division as well, which solidified him as a top recruit in the country heading into his senior season.
This year's Team Race outlook
While Michigan has had a ton of individual success in Fargo over the past few years, we are not traditionally near the top of the Team Standings. Even with all of last year's all-americans and two national champions, the highest team finish was 10th in Cadet Freestyle, where Michigan was still tripled in points by Team Champions New Jersey.
This year's Team Michigan has a good shot at finishing significantly higher than last year, especially in the Cadet divisions where a handful of individuals have great shots at earning all-american honors. Here is an overall outlook at each age group:
CADETS
This year's Cadet squad may be one of the best Michigan has ever taken to Fargo. Just about all of the wrestlers who traveled to the Cadet Duals last month will be wrestling in Fargo as well. That squad finished 7th at the Duals in Greco and Consolation Champs in Freestyle.
The Cadet Duals were promising for Team Michigan not because of their team finish, but because of all the individuals who found success at the Duals. 4 wrestlers went undefeated in each style, including Massa and Jacob Schmitt who went undefeated in both styles, and a handful of others who finished with winning records. 11 of the 16 team members finished with winning records in freestyle.
Massa is an obvious heavy favorite to repeat and win both styles this year. He crushed everyone he wrestled at the Duals, as he did not surrender a single period in the 4 days of competition. He was also dominant in winning the FILA Cadet Nationals this spring, so it is hard to see anyone challenging him. In addition, Thomas is a heavy favorite to win in Freestyle as for the first time this year he and Massa will not be in the same weight class. Thomas plans on wrestling 160 while Massa will be going 152. These two are arguably two of the biggest names in the entire Cadet division and if they both win National Titles at 152 and 160, it should give Team Michigan some big time points and a good shot at finishing high.
In addition to Massa and Thomas, incoming freshman Jacob Schmitt (91lbs), Ben Whitford (112lbs), and Adam Coon (189lbs) are serious threats to place high and possibly win in both styles as well. All three of these middle school stars made the freestyle all-tournament team in Freestyle.
Another big name (literally and figuratively) to watch in both styles is Devin Pommerenke (285lbs). The Rogers City sophomore heavyweight state champ is one the premier big men in the Cadet Division and he went undefeated in the Greco-Roman Duals and 6-2 in freestyle. There are few 15-16 year old kids his size who have the ability and aggressiveness of D-Pomm.
Then you throw in DCC freshman state champ Alec Mooradian (119lbs), who was a FILA Cadet Freestyle All-American and Cadet Greco Duals all-tournament teamer. Mooradian has shown his ability to compete in both styles and could also double All-American with a good showing.
In addition to all these contenders you have freshman state runners-up Jordan Wohlfert (140lbs) and Alec Calendrino (105lbs), who were right in the mix at the Cadet Duals. Wohlfert competed well in Fargo last year and should be in the looking to advance far this year and possibly make the podium.
Three other incoming freshman who did well at the Duals and have been successful in the schoolboy division the past two years are Brandt Schafer (105lbs), Payne Hayden (135lbs), and Kevin Beazley (140lbs).
Count them all up and one could realistically see about around a dozen Cadets with shots and earning all-american honors. If all these guys can show up, wrestle well, and get close to 10 guys to the all-american rounds then Michigan could place very high in the Cadet division for both styles.
Returning Cadet National Runner-Up and double all-american Freddie Rodriguez of Holt will not be wrestling in Fargo this year. Freddie, along with brother Martin who likely would have contended at 84lbs in both styles, are taking the summer off for family reasons. While there is a good chance of Michigan doing very well in Fargo, it is scary to think of how they could do with both the Rodriguez brothers contending for titles in both styles as well.
JUNIORS
Traditionally Michigan's Junior squad is a bit hampered because a lot of our best
seniors usually opt not to wrestle in Fargo heading into the start of their college
careers. Last year Ben Bennett went against that tradition and it paid off.
This year many of our top guys are staying home again, including some guys with
freestyle experience like Waldo, Yates, Miller and Germaine.
There are some senior studs who will be attending though, including 6x Fargo All-
American Brenan Lyon who will be wrestling at 112lbs. We had previously reported
that Lyon would not be wrestling, however, he will be back to go for the 7th and 8th
all-american plaques of his career. Returning Junior Greco All-American Jake
Walters of St Johns will be wrestling at 130lbs and 3x state champ Dan Osterman,
who has never been able to all-american in Fargo, will be back for one last shot at
making the podium.
A few big names from next year's senior class are planning on making the trip,
including returning Junior Greco all-american Mike Curby. Curby, who won the
Division 3 state title this year at 171lbs, was 6th last year in Greco and was a
Cadet Greco Runner-Up two years ago. Curby will wrestling 160lbs this year and
after going undefeated at the Junior Duals in Greco he should be a favorite to place
high this year.
Another incoming seniors with Fargo experience on this year's team is Josh Houldsworth. The Division 1 state champ did well last year, advancing to the second day in Junior Freestyle. He is capable of stringing some wins together at 145lbs. Dakota Cooley of Chelsea looked good at the Junior Duals, scoring a win over Illinois state champ Matt Boggess. Cooley is a very athletic wrestler who is good on his feet and his style should give him a good shot at doing well at 140lbs.
The Humes brothers will both be making the trip. State runner-up Nick Humes and state placer Tyler Humes have both shown they can compete with top-tier guys. Tyler placed at the FILA Cadet Nationals and wrestled well against top ranked guys while Nick Humes is coming off an undefeated performance at the Disney Duals.
Another Michigander in the Junior division with a wealth of freestyle and greco expierence is Joe Rendina of Dundee. Rendina had a rough outing last year in Fargo, however, after winning the Western Junior Regional in Freestyle and placing top 6 in Greco. He also placed at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco so he is definite threat to place in both styles and his sucess in Vegas and the FILA Cadets will give some always valuable seeding criteria.
One of the big guys to watch will be 2x state champ Ryan Nieman. Nieman turned some heads as he cruised through the Disney Duals last month, however, he has had little freestyle experience in the past so it will be interesting to see how he does in Fargo. He is already one of the top recruits in the state, however, if he can put together a performance like Kyle Waldo had last year, he could solidify himself as a blue-chip recruit.
Some other guys to keep an eye on in the Junior division include Division 1 state placers Dezmond Jones and Chris Heald, who both had winning records at the Junior Duals
WOMENS
The Michigan Women's team has been our best finishing squad over the past few years, including last year when they finished 6th. CC Weber is one of the top prep female grapplers in the country right now and she is a returning Fargo Champ. We are not 100% sure on whether or not CC will be wrestling this year in Fargo, as she has been busy competing on the Senior Circuit at 105lbs, but if she does she will be a heavy favorite to win.
Another Goodrich girl to watch is Kristi Garr, who made the Fargo finals two summers ago. Garr should be ready for another run to the finals this year. Julia Salata of Canton placed at the Junior Women's Canada Cup earlier this month and if she is competing this year she should be capable of placing high as well. Another girl to watch is Rachel McFarland of DeWitt. McFarland did well this year as a freshman in high school, so it should be interesting to see how she competes against other girls.
A couple other girls to watch will be returning Fargo All-Americans Stephanie Tucker and Jennifer Spitza. Spitza was also a FILA Cadet National Champ.
Michigan's Best Bets in Fargo
Here is a look at who we think is Michigan's best bets to all-american and/or contend for a national title next week in Fargo:
1. Taylor Massa (Cadet 152) - Massa is a man among boys in the Cadet division and if anyone beats him it will be considered a huge upset. He destroyed everyone he wrestled at the Cadet Duals, he won the FILA Cadet Nationals, and he finished 1st and 3rd at the Western Junior Regionals, losing only to Destin McCauley of Minnesota (who will not be a Cadet in Fargo). All of the top guys that Massa had to beat last year in Fargo are now up in the Junior division so it is hard to see anyone giving him a challenge.
2. Jordan Thomas (Cadet 160) - After finishing 4th in a very tough weight last year
in Fargo and getting a year of high school wrestling under his belt, Jordan Thomas
appears to have a new level of confidence heading into Fargo this year. Like
Massa, there are very few Cadets who are close to Thomas' level and a run to the
finals and maybe even a title seems inevitable for him. Thomas will only be
wrestling freestyle due to a concussion suffered at the Cadet Duals, but as long
as his health remains good he is an almost sure thing to make the finals next
week.
3. CC Weber (Women's 109) - CC wrestling against high school girls is almost
not fair. She has been mixing it up at the senior level all spring and summer,
placing 3rd at the US Nationals and the Canada Cup. She has wrestled at the World Trials and gained a wealth of big match experience. CC is the returning champ and she has won two Fargo titles in her career, if she opts to return to the FargoDome this year a 3rd title seems very inevitable.
4. Mike Curby (Junior 160) - Curby has proven the past three years that he is a well-rounded Greco-Roman wrestler. After making an impressive run to the Cadet Greco Finals two years ago Curby has been as consistent as they come. He all-americaned at the FILA Cadet Nationals in greco last spring, then placed 6th at Junior Nationals in Greco last summer, then went undefeated at the Junior Duals in Greco this year. He added a High School state title to his credentials this year and all that is left for Curby is a national title. Whether or not he obtains that is left to be decided but he is a very good bet at being at least an All-American at 160lbs in Greco.
5. Jacob Schmitt (Cadet 91) - Heading into Fargo next week there are a lot of people outside of Michigan (and even many in Michigan) who are unfamiliar with Jacob Schmitt. However, I am willing to bet that is going to change in the next week in a half as Schmitt is capable of roping in National Title is both styles. He went undefeated at the Cadet Duals in both styles and he has been successfully in the youth ranks over the past few years. Schmitt will be a freshman at St Johns this fall and following the completion of Fargo he will likely be looked at as a top contender to win the Division 2 state title at 103lbs next year.
6. Ben Whitford (Cadet 112) - This weekend could be the coming out party for Whitford, who will
be a freshman next year. Whitford is widely considered one of the best incoming freshman in the
country heading into next year and he is capable of being Massa-esque this week in Fargo if he
shows up. He lost a couple matches in Greco at the Cadet Duals, however, this kid has trained
and competed with the best over the past few years and he should contend in both styles. One
of the biggest obstacles for Whitford should be returning Fargo Double Champ Mark Grey of Blair,
NJ who beat Whitford in greco at the Duals. Grey is currently ranked #2 in the country at 103lbs
by InterMat. The sad side of this story is that Whitford's coming out party may also be a going
away party as he is likely moving to Illinois prior to the start of his High School career.
7. Jake Walters (Junior 130) - Walters wrestled like a mad man in Fargo last year, finishing 3rd in
Junior Greco and falling just short of placing in freestyle. He has since placed at the Super 32s and went undefeated throughout the High School season en route to a state title. As a graduated senior with as much Fargo experience as anyone, Walters will not be overwhelmed by the organized chaos that is Fargo and he should be poised to do well again in both styles. It will be interesting to see how the Greco rule changes affect Walters, who won many of his matches with his mean reverse lift last summer. (Per the new rules, only the wrestler leading after 1:30 of the period will get to start on top as opposed to last year when wrestlers went 1:00 on their feet then traded shots at starting with a reverse lift). Therefore, this year Walters will have to score from his feet more, but im sure he will be to the challenge.
8. Devin Pommerenke (Cadet 285) - The Cadet division consists of wrestlers age 15 to 16 years old, therefore, as you may expect there are few Heavyweights built like Pommerenke. His size, stature, and athleticism are rarely matched among heavyweights his age and he should be a top contender in both styles. D-Pomm rolled through the Cadet Duals in Greco, but lost a couple bouts in freestyle. He is capable of being knocked off, however, it is difficult to see him losing twice in the early rounds so he is a near sure thing to place in both styles.
9. Brenan Lyon (Junior 112) - We had previously reported that Lyon would not be wrestling in Fargo this year, however, we stand corrected. We have been informed that he will be back and he will be wrestling 112. The Senior National Champ is as accomplished as any Michigan kid making the trip as Lyon has been a double all-american every year that he has went to Fargo, which gives him 6 total. He has never made the finals however, and this year may be the toughest yet as it will be Lyon's first time wrestling in a triple digit weight class. The past three summers he has doubled up he has been at 84, 88, and 98lbs. This year he will be a 112, which is the same weight that Kyle Waldo finished 7th at last year, so it is a traditionally a strong weight class and will be a good opportunity for Lyon to prove he is not just a good little guy and that he can compete at higher weights. His past Fargo success will give him a favorable spot on the chart, which further makes him a good bet to do well.
10. Alec Mooradian (Cadet 119) - Mooradian experienced a breakout freshman season this year, going undefeated en route to the Division 1 112lb state title. In addition, he beat the D2 and D3 champs during the course of the year. He has not slowed down since, as he was a FILA Cadet Freestyle All-American at 119lbs and he showed his greco skills, going undefeated at the Cadet Duals in Greco. Mooradian did lose three matches in freestyle at the Duals, but his all-american status from the FILA Cadets will give him some valuable seeding criteria and it is likely that he will find his way to the All-American rounds in at least one style.
11. Adam Coon (Cadet 189) - Coon, who will be a freshman at Fowlerville in the fall, is not your average 8th grade 189lber. He is tall and strong for this age and he has proven that he can compete in the Cadet Division as he went a combined 16-1 at the Cadet Duals including an unbeaten performance in Freestyle. Expect to see Coon advance far into the tournament in both styles and don't be surprised if he comes home with at least one all-american plaque and possibly even a Finals appearance or two.
12. Dan Osterman (Junior 135) - Osterman did well in Junior Freestyle two years ago as a sophomore, then injuries kept him out of Fargo last year. He is back this year and poised to make a run. He is talented in both styles as he placed at the Western Regional in Greco-Roman. Osterman is already signed on and ready to start his college career at MSU so he should go into this tournament with nothing to lose and his sights set on an All-American plaque.
Copyright 2007-09 Michigan Grappler LLC
May not be reproduced without expressed written consent
