TheOpenMat’s Clinch Gear Preseason All-American Team

Willie Saylor, Editor

With the high school season near kick-off, it’s time to introduce our Preseason All-American Team. These athletes represent the #1 ranked wrestlers at each of their 14 respective weights.

With 12 of the 14 final first-team All-American’s graduating from last year, none of the first teamers here are repeats. Only Evan Silver (NJ, 112) and Brad Perkins (MO, 103) return from last year’s first team selections. Both Perkins (7th at 103) and Silver (2nd at 119) are looking to get back on top of the rankings.

Here we’ll offer glimpses of our Preseason All-American squad with bio’s and credentials. We’ll also list our 2nd and 3rd AA teams.

2010-11 Clinch Gear All-American Team

103: So. Darian Cruz, Bethlehem, PA Bethlehem Catholic

A great start to begin his high school career, including placing at Beast of the East and a finals appearance at Escape the Rock, was somewhat muted by a serious injury (broken tibia) that sidelined Cruz for the PA post-season last year. After rehabbing, the diminutive Cruz turned in a fine summer, with Fargo Runner-Up finish in Freestyle. Last month, he bested a deep field at the Super32 to win the coveted belt.

112: So. Anthony Ashnault, South Plainfield, NJ South Plainfield

An undefeated Freshman campaign landed Ashnault on our #2 AA team last year. To begin this year, Ashnault will man the top spot. After claiming a state title with a final’s victory over a tough Tyler Fraley, Ashnault placed 3rd in Fargo Cadets before bumping up to 112lbs and winning the Super32’s deepest bracket.

119: Sr. Mason Beckman, Greenville, PA Reynolds H.S.

A 3x state placewinner and returning state champion, Beckman ended last season as a 3rd Team All-American. Prior to the state championships, where he beat fellow-ranked Mike Rhone for the state title, Beckman pledged to Lehigh University. Outside of his state title, Beckman’s signature performance occurred at the prestigious Walsh Ironman tournament where he knocked off three ranked wrestlers to claim the title in the field’s toughest weight.

125: Sr. Nico Megaludis, Murrysville, PA Franklin Regional

Going 3-1-1 in the PA big school division at the state tournament and racking up hardware in national competitions since he was just a pup, Megaludis has been a staple in the HS rankings. He concluded his Junior season on our #2 AA squad. A 3x PowerADE Champion, Megaludis has also won Fila’s and finished as Runner-Up in Fargo. Nico has signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his career at Penn State.

130: Sr. Jesse Thielke, Germantown, WI Germantown

The undisputed #1 Greco-Roman prep wrestler in the HS ranks, Thielke has a long list of national-level titles. He’s been crowned as USAW’s Cadet Champ, PreSeason National Champ, and National Folkstyle Champ. A three-time state champion, Thielke has just one career high school loss. He will spend a year training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin in the fall of 2012.

135: Sr. Hunter Stieber, Monroeville, OH Monroeville

Stieber has just two losses in his illustrious career, both occurring in the Ironman finals, last year to fellow PreSeason honoree, Mason Beckman. Hunter’s lastest exploits saw him knock off several ranked foes in an undefeated performance at USAW’s Junior National Duals in Oklahoma City this summer. A 3x State Champion, a Fila and Fargo National Champion, Hunter made an early verbal decision to become and Ohio State Buckeye next fall.

140: Sr. Austin Ormsbee, Byram, NJ Blair Academy

Firing on all cylinders, Ormsbee won the Junior Freestyle Title this year in Fargo. He’s a three-time National Prep Champion, and his accolades also include titles from The Beast and the Bethlehem Holiday tournaments. Perhaps the ‘slickest’ wrestler in the country, Ormbee’s style will be accentuated when he matriculates to Stillwater next summer to be part of the Oklahoma State squad.

145: Sr. Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, WI Port Washington

This won’t be the only team that Dierenger and Ormsbee will be on. Next year they’ll both be Oklahoma State Cowboys. Dierenger is an extremely instinctual wrestler and his accomplishments prove those instincts are true. In the past year, Alex has won a state title, a Fargo Title, USAW’s Folkstyle Nationals and PreSeason Nationals.

152: Sr. Destin McCauley, Apple Valley, MN Apple Valley HS

Possibly the single best prospect in the Class of 2011, McCauley’s resume speaks for itself. He also might be the country’s last man standing. Of those who wrestled a national schedule last year and through this summer, McCauley is the only wrestler not to lose a match. His last defeat came way back in the summer of ’09 at Fargo, in a 3rd place showing. He was a 2nd Team Clinch Gear AA to end last season, and will join Thielke both at the OTC next year, and as a Wisconsin Badger thereafter.

160: Sr. Bryce Hammond, Bakersfield, CA Bakersfield HS

When was the last time this kid lost? As a Sophomore in California’s single-class system, Bryce in the match for 3rd/4th. A month later he won NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and, he ran the table as a Junior, becoming the only California wrestler to win the trifecta of DocB, Temecula Valley, and 5Counties tournaments. And although he was ailing from an elbow injury, Bryce persevered through the state tournament to claim a title. He’ll wrestle for his hometown Roadrunners at the next level.

171: Sr. Logan Storley, Webster, SD Webster HS

At NHSCA’s we learned that Logan Storley was the best 171lber in the Junior class. In July, he made his case for the best at that weight in any class. Of the top five finishers in Fargo JR. Freestyle, only one of them were juniors. The rest were out-going seniors, all of whom were signed to Division I wrestling programs. The underclassman: Storley, who not only placed, but won the whole darn thing. Afterwards, Logan would go on to become a DI-signee himself; he’ll be a Gopher come next fall.

189: Sr. Morgan McIntosh, Costa Mesa, CA Calvary Chapel HS

We saw a glimpse of what was to come way back in the Summer of 2008 when Morgan wrestled his way into both the FS and GR finals as a Fargo Cadet. The following school year he became the rare upperweight State Champion Sophomore. But his succeeding offseason was quiet, not competing in any national tournaments, and reservation set in. This summer, he put all that to rest, and his national perception exploded. After Morgan won his second state CIF crown, he blitzed the field at FloNationals and then won Fargo JR FS. His stock at an all-time high, McIntosh parlayed his status into a scholarship from the Penn State Nittany Lions.

215: Sr. Andrew Campolattano, Bound Brook, NJ Bound Brook HS

“Camp” has enjoyed an almost unparalleled career. Beginning in his Freshman year when he knocked off two nationally ranked seniors en-route to his first NJ State Title, Campolattano has had a legendary aura surround him, and for good reason. He has two less career losses (1) than he does state titles (3). He just may go down as the best high school wrestler in the long tradition of New Jersey studs.

But it wasn’t just state titles. Andrew also excelled in international styles, racking up 3 Fargo titles, two of them over Morgan McIntosh in the finals. Unfortunately for us wrestling fans, Camp is also a good football player, and has pledged his services to the gridiron for Rutgers.

HWT: So. Brooks Black, Dover, PA Blair Academy
Black jumped on the scene about as early in his career as anyone can. His first official high school competition, the Walsh Ironman, just happened to be the toughest in-season tournament in the country. After losing an early round match, Brooks showed composure belying his Freshman status by not losing another match and taking home 3rd. This summer Black won both styles at both Fila and Fargo Cadets. Displaying that age isn’t an issue for this youngster, Brooks is undefeated against 2x Fargo Finalist (and this year’s JR Champ), Greg Kuhar, and 2x Fargo Runner-Up Doug Vollaro, both of whom he beat at Fila’s in May.