IMPORTANT NOTE: Michigan Grappler’s annual Fargo rankings are not directly intended to order the top overall wrestlers Freestyle/Greco wrestler in the state of Michigan, but rather those who are best positioned for success relative to the projected level of competition in their respective weight classes.
In order to be eligible for rankings, wrestlers must have competed in the correlating style at this year’s MUSAW state tournament, FILA Cadet Nationals, USAW Central Regional, or Cadet National Duals.
#1 Dom Lajoie, Gaylord (9) 100lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 6-0
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 7-1
2014 FILA Cadet Nationals 4th
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
2013 USAW Cadet Nationals 7th
2013 USAW Cadet Duals 5-0
2013 FILA Cadet 4th
With 3 All American finishes already under his belt at the cadet level, Lajoie has a very legit shot to bring a stop sign home to Michigan, but that could hinge largely on what weight he ends up wrestling. He wrestled 106lbs at the cadet duals and lost by fall to Zach Sherman of NJ who in turn finished with a somewhat pedestrian Greco record of 3-4. However, LaJoie dropped to 100lbs for the Junior Duals and was unstoppable, pinning and teching all 6 of his opponents including Randon Miranda of CA, who pinned LaJoie en route to a runner-up finish in Fargo last summer.
Even at 106lbs I like LaJoie’s chances to AA, but if he can effectively manage both of his weigh-ins at 100lbs I firmly believe LaJoie is the guy to beat at that weight as expressed in my official Fargo predictions for the Associated Wrestling Press.
#2 Kanen Storr, Leslie (10) 120lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 0-4
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 6-1
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
2013 USAW Cadet Nationals 5th
2013 USAW Cadet Duals 2-2
2013 FILA Cadet Natinoals 3rd
2013 MUSAW Cadet Champ
The second and final returning Greco AA in this group, Storr’s results have been somewhat of a mix bagged through this cycle. He was awesome at the cadet duals, losing only to IN stud Joe Lee in a match where Storr jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but was caught and pinned shortly thereafter. His 0-4 record at the junior duals was obviously far less impressive, but all of those matches came up a weight class, and two of them were against former Cadet National finalists Mitch McKee of MN and Jon Marmolejo of IL who are projected to meet in the 126lbs finals of the junior division. Throw in the fact that another one of those losses came against 3X Greco AA Adam Whitesell of MD, and it’s clear that Storr’s record at the junior duals is quite misleading.
Ultimately, I am confident that a second consecutive top-6 Fargo finish is in order for Storr, and the possibility of him bringing home a stop sign is not too far-fetched at all.
#3 Ben Freeman, WL Central (9) 113lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 4-0
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 7-0
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
2013 Cadet Duals 7-0
2013 MUSAW Cadet Champ
It’s tough to know what to make of Freeman as Greco wrestler. He wrestled at both FILA and Fargo Nationals last summer and failed to win a match, going 0-2 at both events. But, on the flip side, he has amassed a gaudy record of 18-0 at the National Duals over the past two summers.
Overall, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Freeman is a terrific wrestler with a strong Greco skill set, but he also has some style-specific susceptibilities that have been exposed at major events. There’s a decent chance he will choose to focus solely on Freestyle in his second trip to Fargo (as he did at FILA's this spring), but, should he compete in Greco, Freeman is more than capable of a high AA finish. However, given his track record at major individual Greco events, he’s far from a sure thing to place at a weight as stacked as 113lbs projects to be.
#4 Luke Ready, Brighton (10) 220lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 6-0
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
A relative newcomer to the FS/GR scene, Ready was arguably Michigan’s most impressive wrestler in the Greco portion of the cadet duals, and he heads into Fargo as strong AA candidate with legitimate title aspirations. He can’t match the Greco experience of guys like LaJoie, Storr, or Freeman, but from a physical perspective there’s a good chance Ready will be the best all-around athlete in his weight class. Plus, the month since the cadet duals should have afforded him some valuable time to refine his skills.
Heading into Fargo, Gannon Gremmel of IA seems like a clear favorite at this weight, but beyond him there are a number of evenly matched wrestlers with a comparable shot at cracking the finals, and Ready is capable of beating any of them.
#5 Brandon Whitman, Dundee (8) 170lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 8-0
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
2013 USAW Schoolboy Duals 8-0
Unfortunately Whitman sustained an injury during the FS portion of the cadet duals that will likely prevent him from wrestling in Fargo. At optimal health, I think the he had a very strong chance of cracking the top-4 as an incoming freshman at a weight that will likely include two of the top-25 juniors-to-be in the country.
#6 Dan Perry, Lapeer East (10) 285lbs
2014 USAW Central Regional Champ
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
Perry missed the cadet duals and has been absent from competition since the spring which suggests he probably won’t be making the trip to Fargo. However, should he choose to compete, Perry’s size, strength, and athleticism would alone be enough for a him to have a very realistic shot of cracking the finals at what is traditionally not a very deep weight.
#7 Ian Parker, St Johns (10) 113lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 2-1
2013 USAW Junior Duals 2-1
2013 MUSAW Cadet Champ
Parker has kept his focus directed heavily on Freestyle during his high school career, and I’d be very surprised to see him in the Greco division. With that being said, Parker has opted up to wrestle in the junior duals each of the past two summers, and turned in solid Greco performances on both occasions. So, while it’s not his strongest suit, I could very plausibly see Parker battling his way to an AA finish.
#8 Dresden Simon, Dansville (10) 126lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 4-3
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
Simon is definitely better suited for Freestyle, but he’s coming off a solid cadet duals, and is a good enough overall competitor to battle through some of his stylistic disadvantages and make a push for the top-8.
#9 Kam Bush, Grandville (9) 145lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 4-3
2014 USAW Schoolboy Duals 7-1
Bush wrestled at 152lbs for the cadet duals, but competed at 145lbs in FS action earlier this spring. Even at the higher weight he was very competitive at the cadet duals, and should he drop Bush has a chance to the best athlete on the chart at 145lbs, which projects to be among the weaker weights.
#10 Cole Janes, Grand Ledge (9) 94lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 3-1
2014 MUSAW Cadet 3rd
2013 USAW Cadet Duals 1-2
2013 MUSAW Cadet Champ
Janes has logged a lot of miles on the Greco circuit over the past couple cycles, and, unlike the high school season, won’t be undersized for his weight class. He looked good at the cadet duals, and I see him being one of several guys vying for the final few AA spots.
#11 Trent Hilger, Lake Fenton (9) 195lbs
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
Hilger hasn’t wrestled much in the way of major Greco events this offseason, but he had a big win over Oxford's Wyatt Harden in the MUSAW state finals. Generally speaking, the upperweights aren’t too deep at the cadet level, and I’d expect Hilger to be very competitive should he choose to compete in Fargo.
#12 Wyatt Harden, Oxford (10) 195lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 6-1
2014 USAW Cadet Central Region Champ
2014 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up
Harden has really impressed be this spring, with his only Greco losses coming to Hilger and Indiana state placer Kobe Woods. In his remaining matches Harden has compiled a cumulative record of 11-0 with all those wins coming by pin or TF. He’s established a lot of positive momentum as of late, and I would not be surprised if he were to crack the top-8.
#13 Joseph Muzzin, Brownstown Woodhaven (8) 145lbs
2014 MUSAW Cadet Champ
One of the state’s top incoming freshmen, Muzzin made a statement at the MUSAW state tournament by recording a shutout TF against Hartland state place Sage Castillo. Since then he hasn’t been on the FS/GR scene much, but should he make the trip to Fargo Muzzin should be very capable of holding his own and competing with most everyone on his chart.
#14 Sage Castillo, Hartland (10) 145lbs
2014 USAW Cadet Duals 6-2
2014 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up
2013 MUSAW Cadet Greco Runner-Up
Castillo has put in a ton of competition in both FS & GR this cycle, but he didn’t really hit his stride until the cadet duals. However, after compiling a 6-2 record against some very competition at the duals, Castillo now seems poised to make a serious run at placing in Fargo.
#15 Mason Rife, Webberville (9) 106lbs
2014 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up
2013 USAW Cadet Duals 2-4
2013 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up
Rife has the potential to be a major sleeper. He has no prior experience in Fargo and hasn’t competed in Greco since the MUSAW state tournament, but less than 15 months ago he had a win over top-ranked Lajoie at the Dakota Cougar Classic. Should he make the trip Rife has the potential to surprise some people, and even more so if he’s capable of getting down to 100lbs.
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