WIN’S Preseason Prep Preview: Looking back and ahead at 152

In looking ahead to this winter’s upcoming high school season, WIN Magazine is looking back at the top wrestlers from last season, who are expected to return this season. The examination of these weight classes comes from individual wrestlers’ performances this past summer at the Cadet/Junior Nationals and Disney Duals.

Click here to view WIN’s 2013-14 Preseason High School National Rankings

Mark Hall (left, beating Illinois’ Kamel Bay in last summer’s Cadet Nationals in freestyle) has already won three Minnesota state championships entering his sophomore season.

By Rob Sherrill

Rankings will be subject to change as weight classes are updated as the season grows nearer.

Here’s how they finished in the WIN rankings at 152 pounds last year, minus those who graduated:

7.                  Mark Hall                                    So                  Apple Valley, MN

9.                   Alex Marinelli                                    So                  St. Paris, OH Graham

12.                  T.C. Warner                                    Sr                  Mechanicsburg, PA Cumberland Valley

15.                   Fox Baldwin                                    Jr                  Kissimmee, FL Osceola

16.                   Corey Rasheed                                    Sr                  Middle Island, NY Longwood

17.                   Zach Kelly                                    Jr                  Saltsburg, PA Kiski School

Wow. Talk about attrition. The Class of 2013 took most of this weight class off the board. But while there’s not much quantity, there’s plenty of quality. And there will be for the next three seasons, with freshmen who have combined for four state championships at the top of the table.

So, let’s hand out some hardware.

OW – Hall

As the double Cadet Nationals champion, this was a no-brainer. Let’s start with the final two events of the season. Wrestling at 160 pounds for Colorado – he spent the summer training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs – Hall was a perfect 10-0 in the Junior National Duals, including an 8-0 mark in freestyle, with eight technical falls. The only match he wrestled that went the distance came up a weight class, in an 8-3 victory over Kimball Bastian of Utah. In the Cadet Nationals, he went 15-0 and was scored upon in just one match, in a 9-2 victory over Kamal Bey of Illinois in the Greco-Roman round robin. His only off-season loss also came at 170, in an 8-6 loss to Junior National champion Bo Nickal of Texas in the FILA Cadet National freestyle.

Honorable Mention:

Kelly – En route to third place in the Junior National freestyle, he edged Andrew Millsap of Kansas, pinned Garrett Sutton of Illinois and won by technical fall over Anthony Valencia of California — an honorable mention selection at 145 — for three quality wins in the event.

Nick Reenan, sophomore, Dallas (Texas) Highland Park — The second of three double Cadet National champions to come out of this weight class, Reenan followed up a 50-0 freshman year with nine quality wins, besting Hall by one. Reenan recorded quality wins in five different events, four coming in the FILA Cadet freestyle. There, he scored a 10-5 victory over the double Cadet Nationals champion at 145, Mason Manville of New Jersey, and a pin over Valencia.

Beau Breske, sophomore, Hartford (Wis.) — Also a state champion, Breske gave Hall all he wanted in the semifinals of the Cadet Folkstyle Nationals at 160, dropping a 3-2 decision. He then headed north to win a double Cadet Nationals title at 170. The Greco-Roman OW, Breske did not have a match go the distance. His 17-0 log included a pin and 16 technical falls, and he allowed just one point.

Warner, meanwhile, picked up a gold medal at the Disney Duals wrestling for Team Diesel. He went 9-0 and did not allow a point, pinning four opponents and racking up major decisions over a pair of ranked opponents – 10-0 over Nate Higgins of Illinois and 8-0 over Ryan Harris of Ohio.

Also in the running: Logan Breitenbach, senior, Severna (Md.) Archbishop Spalding; Vincent Corsaro, senior, Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral; Ryan Klemp, junior, Lewiston (Idaho); Matthew Moody, senior, Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes County; Ryan Preisch, senior, Milton (Pa.); Garrett Sutton, senior, Richmond (Ill.) R.-Burton.

Later this week: 160 pounds.