2015 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals preview

by Jeff Fisher

Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Follow @NHSCARadioShow

Eight 2014NHSCA Freshman National champs are back to defend their titles at the 26th Annual National High School Coaches Association High School National Wrestling Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, along with eight runner-ups that are looking to exchange their 2014 silver medals for 2015 gold medals.




Back-to-back titles put wrestlers halfway to joining the exclusive NHSCA 4X National Title Club.  Only five wrestlers have ever captured four NHSCA's — Tyler Beckwith of Greene HS in New York; B.J. Clagon of Toms River South HS in New Jersey; Ryan Millhof of Collins Hills HS in Georgia; Blake Roulo of Matoaca HS in Virginia; and Clay Walker of Eastside HS in South Carolina are the event’s only 4-time champs.




The 2015 NHSCA Sophomore Nationals field features 23 two-time state champs from around America with the 113-pound weight class being packed with seven two-time state champs. They are — Sawyer Degen from Belgrade HS in Montana, Christian Miller from Plainview HS in Nebraska, Daniel Planta of St. Paul’s School in Maryland, Steven Shields from Brother Martin in Louisiana, Ian Timmins from Wooster HS in Nevada, Zachary Vanalst from Montgomery Catholic High School in Alabama and Shaun Williams of Danbury HS in Connecticut.

Looking for back-to-back NHSCA crowns are 2014 champs Tyler Waterson of Spearfish HS in South Dakota, who captured the 113-pound title last year; Jaden Enrique of Mission Oak HS in California, the 126-pound champ; Stephan Glasgow of Bound Brook HS in New Jersey, who won the 132-pound title last year; Caleb Little, a two-time Georgia state champ from Jefferson High School; Chase Singletary, the 2014 170-pound champ, from Blair Academy in New Jersey; Zane Black, who won the 182-pound title last year, from Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania; Quinn Miller, last year’s 195-pound winner, from Archer High School in Georgia and defending heavyweight champ Nick Boykin of Riverside High School in Tennessee.

Returning 2014 runner-ups are — Brian Courtney of Athens HS in Pennsylvania, Francisco Valdes of Miami Southwest HS in Florida, Josh Wyland of Benedictine College Prep in Virginia, Brock Wilson of Nazareth HS in Pennsylvania, Trey Greiner of Olentangy Liberty HS in Ohio, Max Andreoni of Woodford County HS in Kentucky, Drew Peck of Chambersburg HS in Pennsylvania, Bunmi Smith of Camden County HS in Georgia, Brian Hennessey of St. John’s in Maryland and Sammy Evans of Alcoa HS in Tennessee.  Wyland is a two-time Virginia state champ, while Evans is a two-time Tennessee state champ.

Aside from the seven 2X state champs in the 113-pound class, the other two-time state champions are — Cody Craig of Skowhegan HS in Maine, Danny Bertoni of Middletown HS in Maryland, Matthew Bolduc from Patch HS in Germany, Vito Arujau of Syosset HS in New York, Bradley Beaulieu of Marshwood HS in Maine, Quentin Hovis of Seton Catholic Prep in Arizona, Parker Filius of Havre HS in Montana, Jacob Hart of Independence HS in West Virginia, Kaleb Romero of Mechanicsburg HS in Ohio, Lane Van Anrooy of Roseburg HS in Oregon, Anthony Falbo of Newtown HS in Connecticut, Jase Stokes of Havre High School in Montana, Haydn Maley of Roseburg HS in Oregon.