Deepest Classes

[blueandgold]

This season of high school wrestling in Indiana is surely shaping up to be one of the best ones ever, thanks in part to a good amount of nationally-ranked wrestlers and teams in comparison to the past few seasons. For the 2021-22 season, Indiana has three nationally-ranked teams in Brownsburg, Crown Point, and Evansville Mater Dei, the first year we've had three nationally-ranked teams at once since I believe 2018 where Brownsburg, Perry Meridian, and Portage were all nationally-ranked.

 

As far as individual weight classes go, Indiana has the following eight nationally-ranked wrestlers across seven weight classes per FloWrestling:

• 106 - #16 Jake Hockaday of Brownsburg, 9 | 2021 IHPO Champion
• 132 - #4 Zeke Seltzer of Cathedral, 12 | 2× IHSAA State Champion, 3× IHSAA State Finalist, Fargo Finalist
• 138 - #2/#2 P4P Jesse Mendez of Crown Point, 12 | 3× IHSAA State Champion, 2021 Junior Hodge Trophy
• 170 - #12 Brody Baumann of Evansville Mater Dei, 12 | 2021 IHSAA State Champion, 2021 Fargo All-American
• 170 - #13 Codei Khawaja of Floyd Central, 12 | 2021 IHSAA State Qualifier, 2021 Fargo Double All-American
• 195 - #14 Gabe Sollars of Evansville Mater Dei, 12 | 2021 IHSAA State Champion, 2021 Super 32 All-American, 2021 Fargo All-American
• 220 - #1/#9 P4P Christian Carroll of New Prairie, 11 | 2× Super 32 Champion, 2021 Fargo Champion
• 285 - #12 Leighton Jones of Brownsburg, 12 | 2021 IHSAA State 3rd, 2019 Fargo All-American

 

This is certainly one of the deepest classes/seasons we've had since about 2016. I was wondering how this compares to classes of the past, and while very good across the board, I still haven't seen a season that compares to 2013-14 or 2014-15. Those may have been the two deepest classes Indiana wrestling has ever had.

 

2013-14 (18 nationally-ranked wrestlers across nine weight classes)

• 106 - Featured nationally-ranked Paul Konrath
• 120 - Featured nationally-ranked Chad Red
• 126 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers #1 Stevan Micic (champion) and Nick Lee (third place)
• 132 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Deondre Wilson (champion) and Brandon James (runner-up)
• 138 - Featured nationally-ranked Drew Hughes
• 145 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Cody LeCount (champion) and Tommy Forte (runner-up)
• 160 - Featured nationally-ranked Vinny Corsaro
• 220 - Four nationally-ranked wrestlers including Gelen Robinson (champion), Fletcher Miller (runner-up), Connor Tolley (third place), and Dylan Faulkenburg (fourth place)
• 285 - Four nationally-ranked wrestlers including Wesley Bernard (champion), Norman Oglesby (runner-up), Shawn Streck (third place), and Eric Hemmelgarn (fourth place)

 

2014-15 (28 nationally-ranked wrestlers across all weight classes)

• 106 - Featured nationally-ranked Colton Cummings (champion)
• 113 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Garrett Pepple (champion), Drew Hildebrandt (runner-up), and Paul Konrath (third place)
• 120 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Brock Hudkins (champion) and Breyden Bailey (third place)
• 126 - Featured top-ranked Chad Red (champion)
• 132 - Featured nationally-ranked Nick Lee (champion)
• 138 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Tommy Cash (champion), Joe Lee (runner-up), and Brandon James (third place)
• 145 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Jacob Covaciu (champion) and Steven Lawrence (runner-up)
• 152 - Featured nationally-ranked Tommy Forte
• 160 - Featured nationally-ranked Drew Hughes
• 170 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Dylan Lydy (champion), Ben Harvey (runner-up), and Jacob Stevenson (sixth place)
• 182 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Chase Osborn (champion), Mason Parris (third place), and Andrew Davison (fifth place)
• 195 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Blake Rypel (champion), Tristen Tonte (runner-up), and Randy Scott (fifth place)
• 220 - Featured nationally-ranked Kobe Woods (champion)
• 285 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Shawn Streck (champion), Nathon Trawick (runner-up), and Norman Oglesby (third place)

 

Not sure if there has ever been a year like 2014-15 in which every weight class had someone ranked and with multiple names at that. 2015 120 also had state champions Brendan Black and Jeremiah Reitz who didn't even place in the tournament.

Edited December 13, 2021 by blueandgold

[TeamGarcia]

@blueandgoldbringing the heat on these threads he or she creating ! LOVE IT! 

[blueandgold]

To add, I left out the 2016 class, which may be the greatest crop of wrestlers Indiana has ever seen alongside 2015.

 

2015-16 (23 nationally-ranked wrestlers across thirteen weight classes)

• 113 - Featured nationally-ranked Colton Cummings (champion)
• 120 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Drew Hildebrandt (champion) and Jeremiah Reitz (runner-up)
• 126 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Brock Hudkins (champion), Gaige Torres (runner-up), and Breyden Bailey (third place)
• 132 - The Greatest Match of All-Time between National #1 Chad Red (champion) and National #2 Nick Lee (runner-up)
• 138 - Featured nationally-ranked Brayton Lee
• 145 - Featured nationally-ranked Joe Lee
• 152 - Featured nationally-ranked wrestlers Steven Lawrence (runner-up) and Cael McCormick (fifth place)
• 160 - Featured nationally-ranked Jacob Covaciu (champion)
• 170 - Featured nationally-ranked Drew Hughes (champion)
• 182 - Featured nationally-ranked Blake Rypel (champion) and Andrew Davison (qualifier)
• 195 - Featured nationally-ranked Jake Kleimola (champion) and Tristen Tonte (runner-up)
• 220 - Featured nationally-ranked Mason Parris (champion), Gunnar Larson (runner-up), Evan Ellis (third place), and Kobe Woods (seventh place)
• 285 - Featured National #2 Shawn Streck

Note: I want to say Jared Timberman had been nationally-ranked on InterMat due to an early season upset of Joe Lee, contributing to one of his two losses that season, but I am not sure. Also, I want to say Ty Mills was nationally-ranked at 106 at one point, but memory is kind of foggy for that weight as it had so many twists.