Four repeat champs, Anderson named OW at 25th Annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – It was a historic conclusion to the 25^th edition of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, one of the toughest and most prestigious high school wrestling tournaments in the nation, with 14 individuals earning top-prize and the title of Ironman.

Six men entered the tournament with an opportunity to repeat as champion, but only four were able to accomplish the feat. Ponderosa’s Cohlton Schultz, Parkersburg South’s Braxton Amos, and the Blair Academy duo of Trevor Mastrogiovanni and A.J. Ferrari joined 52 other high school wrestling legends as multiple-time Ironman champions.

Schultz was particularly impressive throughout his run to the heavyweight title. The Greco-Roman Cadet World champion and Arizona State commit tallied four pins in a total time of 2:12 on his way to the finals, where he blanked Broad Run’s Jonathan Birchmeier, 6-0.

The Major Ray Mendoza Award, given to the wrestler who scores the most team points, was co-awarded to Schultz and Bethlehem Catholic’s 145-pound champion Ryan Anderson. Each man posted 32 team points over the two-day event. Past winners of this award include Olympic and World champion Kyle Snyder, and NCAA champions Zain Retherford, Myles Martin and Spencer Lee.

Following an 11-1 thumping of returning Ironman runner-up Jaden Abas of Rancho Benardo in the finals, Anderson was also named the Bill Barger Outstanding Wrestler of the event. It was Anderson’s forward, relentless pressure forcing multiple stall points, plus a crucial feet-to-back sequence, that proved too much for Abas in the main event of the evening.

“I just think it was mental ability. I knew out there I was going to win that. He was scared. I’m not trying to be cocky or anything, but I knew that,” Anderson said.

Mastrogiovanni and Ferrari were joined by 132-pound champion Shane Van Ness atop the podium for Blair Academy. The team race was a runaway for Blair as the program won its third-straight, and 15^th all-time, Ironman with 276.5 total team points, exactly 100 more than runner-up Wyoming Seminary. Blair’s point total was the highest seen at this event in a decade.

If there was a downside for the New Jersey-based powerhouse, it came from two Blair wrestlers falling one win shy of a championship. Defending champion Michael Colaiocco was ousted by Broken Arrow’s Reece Witcraft in a wildly entertaining 8-5 contest at 126 pounds. Likewise, Julian Ramirez succumbed to Olentangy Liberty buzzsaw Carson Karchla in the 170-pound finals, 5-2.

Reigning Cadet World finalist Richard Figueroa of Selma claimed his first Ironman title with a 2-1 decision over surprise finalist Alejandro Herrera-Rondon of Seneca Valley at 113 pounds.

Perennial power St. Edward picked up a championship from No. 3 seed Sam Dover at 152 pounds. Dover’s high motor was noticeable throughout the tournament, and was even more apparent in his grinding 5-2 win over South Dade’s Brevin Balmaceda in the finals.

Others marching to individual crowns on the weekend were Kyle Rowan of Perry at 106 pounds, Joshua Saunders of Christian Brothers College at 138 pounds, Connor Brady of Olentangy Liberty at 160 pounds and Darrien Roberts of Wyoming Seminary at 182 pounds.

All told, nine of the 14 No. 1 seeds finished the weekend unscathed. No wrestler seeded lower than fourth was able to win a championship.

There were nine individuals boasting a No. 1 national ranking in the FloWrestling high school rankings competing at the Ironman this weekend, and seven of them took home top prize. The only two unable to maintain the top spot were Jordan Decatur of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and Devin Winston of Park Hill, who both fell in the semifinals before coming back to place third.

Complete brackets and match-by-match results of the 25^th Annual Walsh Jesuit Ironman can be found at Trackwrestling.com. Archived video of the event is located online at FloWrestling.com.

25TH ANNUAL WASLH JESUIT IRONMAN
Walsh Jesuit High School, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Dec. 7-8 

Team Standings

1. Blair Academy, N.J. 276.5

2. Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 176.5

3. Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 90.0

3. La Salle, Ohio 90.0

5. Lake Highland Prep School, Fla. 82.5

6. St. Edward, Ohio 81.0

7. Parkersburg South, W. Va. 73.5

8. Montini Catholic, Ill. 73.0

8. St. John Bosco, Calif. 73.0

10.. Elyria, Ohio 71.0

10. Gilroy, Calif. 71.0

10. Selma, Calif. 71.0

 

Final Results

106 pounds

1^st – No. 2 Kyle Rowan (Perry) dec. No. 1 Braxton Brown (Allen), 4-3

3^rd – No. 6 Gary Steen (Reynolds) dec. No. 3 Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy), 6-2

5^th – No. 10 Richard Fedalen (McDonogh School) dec. Evan Holloway (New Kent), 5-4

7^th – Andre Gonzales (Poway) dec. No. 7 Daniel Wask (Blair Academy), 8-1

 

113 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Richard Figueroa (Selma) dec. No. 10 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley), 2-1

3^rd – No. 5 Troy Spratley (Wyoming Seminary) dec. Timmy Levine (St John Bosco), 3-2 SV1

5^th – No. 3 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy) inj. def. No. 2 Jacob Decatur (Cuyahoga Valley CA)

7^th – No. 6 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh School) dec. No. 9 Colton Drousias (Mt. Carmel), 5-2

 

120 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy) dec. No. 2 Lucas Byrd (La Salle), 6-5

3^rd – No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame) dec. No. 8 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary), 3-1 SV1

5^th – No. 4 Matt Ramos (Lockport Township) dec. No. 5 Nic Bouzakis (Lake Highland Prep School), 3-2

7^th – Kysen Terukina (Kamehameha) dec. No. 10 Carson Sauriol (Poway), 6-4

 

126 pounds

1^st – No. 2 Reece Witcraft (Broken Arrow) dec. No. 1 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy), 8-5

3^rd – No. 4 Kai Orine (Seckman) dec. No. 3 Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic), 3-2

5^th – No. 6 Dylan Shawver (Elyria) dec. No. 10 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary), 8-2

7^th – No. 7 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic) dec. No. 9 Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa), 5-1

 

132 pounds

1^st – No. 4 Shane VanNess (Blair Academy) dec. No. 11 Frankie Talshahar (American Heritage), 5-1

3^rd – No. 1 Jordan Decatur (Cuyahoga Valley CA) dec. No. 2 Dylan D`Emilio (Genoa Area), 3-2

5^th – No. 3 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary) dec. No. 13 Mick Burnett (Elyria), 3-2

7^th – No. 9 Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic) med. for. No. 8 Henry Porter (Oakdale)

 

138 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College) dec. No. 6 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep School), 3-0

3^rd – No. 3 Chase Saldate (Gilroy) dec. No. 15 Trent Dooley (Allen), 5-2

5^th – No. 12 Matt Lackman (Bethlehem Catholic) dec. No. 7 Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney), 1-0

7^th – No. 4 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen) fall Jaden Le (Rancho Bernardo), 4:28

 

145 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic) maj. dec. No. 3 Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo), 11-1

3^rd – No. 5 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy) dec. No. 13 Cael Valencia (St John Bosco), 4-1

5^th – No. 4 Michael North (Wadsworth) med. for. No. 2 Bryce Andonian (St. Edward)

7^th – No. 9 Trevor Chumbley (Marmion Academy) dec. No. 7 Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic), 2-0

 

152 pounds

1^st – No. 3 Sam Dover (St. Edward) dec. No. 1 Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade), 5-2

3^rd – No. 5 Aaron Gandara (Poway) dec. No. 14 Nicholas Incontrera (Blair Academy), 3-2

5^th – No. 11 Reece Heller (Marian Catholic) fall No. 10 Benny Baker (Wyoming Seminary), 3:50

7^th – No. 8 John Martin Best (Parkersburg) dec. No. 9 Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic), 5-4

 

160 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty) dec. No. 3 Jace Luchau (Selma), 7-0

3^rd – No. 5 Kyle Mosher (South Side) fall No. 2 Domonic Mata (Blair Academy), 1:11

5^th – No. 7 Noah Blake (Del Oro) inj. def. No. 4 Thayne Lawrence (Frazier)

7^th – No. 8 Todd Perry (South Dade) maj. dec. No. 10 Tyler Stoltzfus (Saint Joseph`s), 10-2

 

170 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Carson Karchla (Olentangy Liberty) dec. No. 2 Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy), 5-2

3^rd – No. 3 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont) dec. No. 6 Ashton Habeil (Lake Gibson), 7-2

5^th – No. 5 Christian Rodriguez (Selma) dec. No. 4 Jake Stefanowicz (Wyoming Seminary), 4-3

7^th – No. 10 Jake Evans (Elyria) dec. No. 7 Blake Hopson (Park Hill), 3-0

 

182 pounds

1^st – No. 2 Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary) dec. No. 4 Jackson Turley (St. Christopher’s), 4-2

3^rd – No. 1 Devin Winston (Park Hill) dec. No. 8 Anthony D`Alesio (Canfield), 3-2

5^th – No. 7 Ronald Sizemore (La Salle) dec. No. 3 Sam Fisher (Fauquier), 4-2

7^th – No. 5 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy) dec. No. 6 Nathan Haas (St John Bosco), 11-4

 

195 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Albert Ferrari (Blair Academy) dec. No. 3 Pete Christensen (Montini Catholic), 13-7

3^rd – No. 2 Ryan Reyes (Gilroy) dec. No. 5 Nathan Dugan (Lake Norman), 6-4

5^th – No. 8 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) dec. No. 7 Mike Doggett (Wyoming Seminary), 5-3

7^th – No. 10 Kolby Franklin (Saint Joseph`s) dec. No. 6 Jack Wimmer (McDonogh School), 3-2

 

220 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South) dec. No. 2 Owen Trephan (Blair Academy), 4-2

3^rd – No. 3 Jake Kaminski (Wyoming Seminary) maj. dec. No. 4 Andy Smith (Christiansburg), 9-0

5^th – No. 6 Kade Carlson (Corner Canyon) dec. No. 7 Matthias Ervin (Union County), 5-1

7^th – No. 5 Tyler Stein (Canfield) inj. def. No. 11 Jarin Curtis (Perry)

 

285 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa) dec. No. 2 Jonathan Birchmeier (Broad Run), 6-0

3^rd – No. 3 Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy) maj. dec. No. 5 Louden Haga (Parkersburg South), 9-1

5^th – No. 6 Johnny Shafer (Graham) dec. No. 9 Max Millin (Perry), 7-3

7^th – No. 7 Andrew Johnson (Poway) dec. Caden Hill (Crestview), 5-1

 

Semifinal Results

106 pounds

No. 1 Braxton Brown (Allen) dec. Evan Holloway (New Kent), 10-3

No. 2 Kyle Rowan (Perry) dec. No. 6 Gary Steen (Reynolds), 8-4

 

113 pounds

No. 1 Richard Figueroa (Selma) maj. dec. No. 5 Troy Spratley (Wyoming Seminary), 13-2

No. 10 Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Seneca Valley) dec. No. 3 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy), 2-1

 

120 pounds

No. 1 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy) dec. No. 5 Nic Bouzakis (Lake Highland Prep School), 3-2

No. 2 Lucas Byrd (La Salle) dec. No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame), 4-3

 

126 pounds

No. 1 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy) dec. No. 4 Kai Orine (Seckman), 7-1

No. 2 Reece Witcraft (Broken Arrow) dec. No. 3 Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic), 8-3

 

132 pounds

No. 4 Shane VanNess (Blair Academy) dec. No. 1 Jordan Decatur (Cuyahoga Valley CA), 11-5

No. 11 Frankie Talshahar (American Heritage) dec. No. 2 Dylan D`Emilio (Genoa Area), 5-4

 

138 pounds

No. 1 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College) fall No. 12 Matt Lackman (Bethlehem Catholic), 3:14

No. 6 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep School) dec. No. 7 Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney), 5-3

 

145 pounds

No. 1 Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic) dec. No. 5 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy), 6-2

No. 3 Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo) dec. No. 2 Bryce Andonian (St. Edward), 7-3

 

152 pounds

No. 1 Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade) tech. fall No. 5 Aaron Gandara (Poway), 16-0

No. 3 Sam Dover (St. Edward) dec. No. 10 Benny Baker (Wyoming Seminary), 6-0

 

160 pounds

No. 1 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty) dec. No. 5 Kyle Mosher (South Side), 9-2

No. 3 Jace Luchau (Selma) dec. No. 2 Domonic Mata (Blair Academy), 6-3

 

170 pounds

No. 1 Carson Karchla (Olentangy Liberty) maj. dec. No. 5 Christian Rodriguez (Selma), 12-3

No. 2 Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy) dec. No. 3 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont), 6-2

 

182 pounds

No. 4 Jackson Turley (St. Christopher’s) fall No. 1 Devin Winston (Park Hill), 6:36

No. 2 Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary) dec. No. 3 Sam Fisher (Fauquier), 8-6

 

195 pounds

No. 1 Albert Ferrari (Blair Academy) dec. No. 5 Nathan Dugan (Lake Norman), 9-6

No. 3 Pete Christensen (Montini Catholic) dec. No. 2 Ryan Reyes (Gilroy), 4-2

 

220 pounds

No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South) tech. fall No. 4 Andy Smith (Christiansburg), 25-10

No. 2 Owen Trephan (Blair Academy) dec. No. 3 Jake Kaminski (Wyoming Seminary), 13-8

 

285 pounds

No. 1 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa) fall No. 5 Louden Haga (Parkersburg South), 0:34

No. 2 Jonathan Birchmeier (Broad Run) dec. No. 3 Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy), 11-5