Quarterfinal pairings set for Boys National High School Recruiting Showcase, with three returning champions advancing

Drew Davis of Illinois competing at the National High School Recruiting Showcase. Davis has qualified for the quarterfinals. Photo by Greg Kaup.

DES MOINES, Iowa – The quarterfinals have been set for the National High School Recruiting Showcase, which started Friday afternoon at Hyvee Hall in the Iowa Events Center.

The National High School Recruiting Showcase is an elite competition, where wrestlers must meet specific achievement standards to enter. Those eligible for the Showcase include high school state champions, Prep National champions, NHSCA placewinners, high school state placewinners plus All-Americans from a variety of USA Wrestling national championship tournaments.

Returning Showcase champions who are in the quarterfinals include Aiden Gruenenfelder of Wisconsin (106), Mack Mauger of Idaho (113) and Jackzen Rairdon of Colorado (120).

Returning Showcase runners-up in the quarterfinals include Dedrick Navarro of Idaho (113) and Keyan Hernandez of Montana (120).

Hernandez won the 2021 Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals last year in the Grade 9-10 division. Another winner from last year’s Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals in the Grades 9-10 division who has advanced to the quarterfinals at the Showcase this year is Alex Braun of Minnesota, who is competing at 138.

The biggest upset of the night came at 152 pounds, when Robert Flege of Wisconsin scored a 4-2 sudden victory win over No. 1 seed Leandro (LJ) Araujo of North Dakota. Araujo was second at the most recent National Recruiting Showcase.

The 285 pound weight class, which was a three-athlete round robin, was completed, with Rodney Trotter, Jr. of Texas winning with a 2-0 record. Trotter defeated runner-up Milan Colvin of Kansas, 6-1.

The Boys National High School Recruiting Showcase will conclude on Saturday and will be broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Also starting on Friday night was the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals High School Grade 11-12 division. Due to the size of the tournament, competition did not determine the quarterfinalists, as scheduled. This tournament will also conclude on Saturday.

BOYS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING SHOWCASE
At Des Moines, Iowa, October 28, 2022

Quarterfinal pairings

106
Zaiyahn Ornelas (NE) vs. Tyler Harper (IA)
Brayden Teunissen (IL) vs. Griffin Rial (CO)
Jayden Rinken (IA) vs. Aidan Gruenenfelder (WI)
James Pantoja (CO) vs Eric Casula (OK)

113
Mack Mauger (ID) vs. Everest Sutton (OR)
Luke Koenen (MN) vs. Connor Fiser (IA)
Dedrick Navarro (ID) vs. Drew Davis (IL)
Wyatt Skebba (WI) vs. Dominic Ducato (IL)

120
Timothy Koester (IA) vs. Drew Hansen (MI)
Kurt Wehner (NJ) vs. Benjamin DeForest (ND)
Brodie Christmas (AL) vs. Jackzen Rairdon (CO)
Bowen Downey (IA) vs. Travis Cardenas (AZ)

126
Kale Petersen (IA) vs. Mark Cardenas (CO)
Lincoln Gregersen (CO) vs. Evan Gosz (IL)
Carson Exferd (ID) vs. Dj Wince (CO)
Koufax Christensen (IA) vs. Garret Rinken (IA)

132
Vincent Robinson (IL) vs. Trebor Moreno (TX)
Giosue Hickman (AZ) vs. Jayce Luna (IA)
Daniel Heiser (WI) vs. Carter Schmidt (MT)
William Anderson (AL) vs. Teegan Vasquez (MT)

138
Alex Braun (MN) vs. Jadyn Johnson (TX)
Julian Garnica (TX) vs. Landon Drury (WA)
Ayson Rice (SD) vs. William Denny (IL)
Tye Barker (NM) vs. Billy Greenwood (CO)

145
Kayd Craig (ID) vs. Vincent Cabral (CO)
Antonio Alvarado (IL) vs. Jacob Schmadeke (AZ)
Brandon Dean (NJ) vs. Finn Shepard (TX)
Christopher Acuna (MT) vs. Noah Manuel Tapia (IL)

152
Robert Flege (WI) vs. Xerarch Tungjaroenkul (KS)
Christopher Minto (FL) vs. Kendrick Hodge (FL)
Jackson Potts (OR) vs. Isaiah Fenton (IA)
Karsen Otis (WI) vs. Israel Moreno (MT)

160
Leonard Tukhlynovych (MN) vs. Landon Weidner (NE)
Henry Reilly (NE) vs. Logan Cole (MT)
Derek Johnson (KS) vs. Tyler Martinez (IL)
Aiden Robertson (NE) vs. Tyler Schofield (MI)

170
Hudson Rogers (ID) vs. Jackson Gillen (IL)
Dante Hutchings (CO) vs. Anders Thompson (MT)
Brent Slade (IA) vs. Owen Wasley (WI)
Omer Barak (FL) vs. Travis Smith (MN)

195
Karson Tompkins (TX) vs. Elijah Villegas (CO)
Kevin Lund (OK) vs. Hunter Sonnenberg (WA)
Eugenio Franco (CA) vs. Gabriel-James Vasa (WA)
Jarrett Huber (AZ) vs. Mason Christian (MT)

220
Semifinals
Albert Butler (GA) vs. Leo Meyer (IL)
Davin Mattimoe (WY) vs. Johnathan Gressett (WA)

285 pounds
1st Place - Rodney Trotter Jr. of TX
2nd Place - Milan Colvin of KS
3rd Place - Forest Howell of MT
Rodney Trotter Jr. (TX) won by decision over Milan Colvin (KS) (Dec 6-1)
Rodney Trotter Jr. (TX) won by fall over Forest Howell (MT) (Fall 1:17)
Milan Colvin (KS) won by fall over Forest Howell (MT) (Fall 2:38)