With the NCAA Tournament and the 2023-24 out of the way, all that’s left in front of us for a few months on the collegiate front is recruiting, transfers, and coaching changes. We’ll address the latter two points in the coming days but hit the recruiting topic today. 
Coaches are putting the final touches on their Class of 2024 and trying to ink those diamonds in the rough that may have emerged during their final year in college. Or maybe a big name or two had a change of heart and reopened their recruiting process late in the game. That’s happened a few times this week. 
While those scenarios are going on, you have to move on to 2025 and address the current high school junior class. While only one of the top-20 wrestlers in the nation is currently uncommitted, there are plenty of high-quality recruits looking for a home. 
Within the last couple of days, some very notable recruits have made their collegiate plans public. Since then, they’ve been added to our commitment page and we’ve mentioned some of the best below.
Jackson Blum: Indiana - Lowell, Michigan
Ranked #79 overall in the Class of 2025. Blum now gives the Hoosiers three top-100 recruits from the current junior class, joining #39 Carson Thomas and #64 Hunter Sturgill. Angel Escobedo’s team has a formidable class for 2024 that should likely get ranked; however, this class is on the way to being even better and one of the best in recent memory for Indiana. Blum is a two-time Fargo 16U freestyle All-American (6th, 7th) and a UWW Cadet freestyle AA. Last fall, Blum finished seventh at the Super 32. He recently won his third Michigan state title. 
For Indiana’s Class of 2025: Click Here
 
Billy Dekraker: Northwestern - Warrenton, Virginia (Blair Academy)
The 2023-24 season was a breakout year for Billy Dekraker. Always in the mix at national events, Dekraker to the next step and started placing highly at them and even won. Most notable is the National Prep Championships where Dekraker was victorious at 138 lbs. He was previously fifth, fourth, and seventh (as an eighth-grader). During the high school regular season, Dekraker was a Beast of the East runner-up and a Walsh Ironman third-place finisher. Last spring, he was a champion at NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Dekraker is currently ranked #80 amongst the Class of 2025. He’s the first ‘25 commitment reported to Intermat for Matt Storniolo’s squad. His verbal gives the Wildcats a strong starting point as the staff attempts to revamp the roster. 
 
Mason Gibson: Rutgers - Bishop McCort, Pennsylvania
Earlier this month, Mason Gibson announced he was decommitting from Penn State and re-opening his recruitment. Yesterday, Gibson took to social media to confirm what many who follow high school wrestling suspected - he was committing to Rutgers. Gibson’s verbal is huge for the Scarlet Knights and gives a late boost to a recruiting class that was likely headed for a national ranking and was one of the best of Scott Goodale’s tenure. Gibson is a three-time Super 32 finalist, who famously won the 106 lb bracket as an eighth-grader in 2019. He has placed three times in Fargo, most notably highlighted by a Junior freestyle title at 126 lbs in 2022. Because his high school was barred twice from postseason competition, Gibson only saw action at the Pennsylvania state tournament as a freshman and senior. He finished his career with a runner-up finish at the AA level. 
Gibson’s commitment gives Rutgers seven of the top-120 seniors in the nation and three of the top-50. In MatScout’s most recent update, Gibson was tabbed #15 in the Class of 2024. 
For Rutgers’ Class of 2024: Click Here
 
Nick O’Neill: North Carolina - Malvern Prep, Pennsylvania
Robert Platt: North Carolina - Poway, California
The University of North Carolina continued its late surge up the recruiting rankings by getting a pair of notable wrestlers to flip commitments within the past few days. First came two-time California state champion Robert Platt. Platt initially committed to Columbia, but chose to keep a similar singlet color and chose the Tar Heels. Getting Platt on board now gives Rob Koll’s team three wrestlers from the Class of 2024 from perennial California power, Poway. Platt’s state title was a rematch of the Doc Buchanan finals match that he lost earlier in the season. 
Monday morning UNC also got a commitment from Malvern Prep’s Nick O’Neill. O’Neill was a two-time National Prep runner-up and four-time top-four finisher. After winning NHSCA Juniors, O’Neill was fourth at the Super 32 and third at both the Ironman and Beast. 
O’Neill is currently ranked #75 in the Class of 2024, while Platt is at #172. Their late addition almost locks up a spot in InterMat’s Class of 2024 recruiting rankings. 
For North Carolina’s Class of 2024: Click Here
 
Gavin Hawk: Princeton - Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Finally, we’re looking at a Princeton team that had another addition to an already impressive Class of 2025. The Tigers latest addition comes in the form of Gavin Hawk. Last season, Hawk got on the New Jersey state podium for the first time when he advanced to the 150 lb state finals for Phillipsburg High School. Hawk made it to Atlantic City in each of his first two years but didn’t make the podium. He’s the fifth recruit from the Class of 2025 to pledge to second-year head coach Joe Dubuque’s squad - two of which are ranked in the top-100.
For Princeton’s Class of 2025: Click Here

On Sunday, the University at Buffalo announced that they had hired Cornell Associate Head Coach Donnie Vinson to lead their program. Yesterday he was introduced to the team and the local media. Today, Vinson spoke with InterMat. Coach Vinson lets us know what was attractive about the Buffalo program, his coaching influences, future plans at Buffalo, and an obligatory Scott Green story. 
For the full interview:

The 2024 Olympic Trials concluded over the weekend with the women’s freestyle team winners being:
50 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt
53 kg: Dominique Parrish
57 kg: Helen Maroulis 
62 kg: Kayla Miracle
68 kg: Amit Elor
76 kg: Kennedy Blades
While many of these athletes who made the team are alumni of some of the best college wrestling programs, including Sarah Hildebrant from King, Dom Parrish, and Helen Maroulis from Simon Fraser, and Kayla Miracle from Campbellsville, I also wanted to discuss some current and future college wrestlers and how they fared at this stacked tournament.
50KG
The story of this weight was rising star Audrey Jimenez, who at the age of 18, made her way to the Olympic Trials finals to take on Sarah Hildebrant. Jimenez, who is committed to wrestle at Lehigh, teched her first two opponents, Nyla Valencia of Iowa who was the runner-up at U20 Nationals this year, and multiple-time U.S. National Team member Erin Golston.
In the finals of the challenge bracket, Jimenez took on Sage Mortimer, the Grand Valley State wrestler who was the 2023 US Women's Senior Nationals Champ at 50KG. Mortimer turned up the heat, scoring four points early, which Jimenez responded to with six points of her own. Jimenez struck first in the second as well, and while Mortimer was able to put together two more points late in the period, it was not enough to come back, sending Jimenez to face Hildebrant with the 10-6 win.
King’s Samara Chavez also had an impressive tournament, finishing in fourth at the weight after dropping a tough match in the semis to Mortimer and wrestling back to face Golston in the consolation finals. On her path, she took out 3x All-American Kendra Ryan (North Central) and 2024 NCWWC Champ at 101lbs, and 2024 U20 Nationals Champ Emilie Gonzalez (Iowa).
53KG
Felicity Taylor, coming off an electric NCWWC Championship, snagged a third-place finish at this year’s Trials. After dropping her first match to Haley Augello, who made the Olympic team in 2016, Taylor claimed another win against teammate Brianna Gonzalez on the backside to make the quarters. Gonzalez and Taylor faced off earlier this year in the NCWWC championship finals. From there, Taylor took on and teched former Augsburg/King wrestler Vayle Baker. Her final match was against Alisha Howk, U23 World Team member in 2023 and former Junior Pan Am champion. After taking a minute to warm up, Taylor scored late in the first and then piled on in the second, winning 5-1 to claim a top-three finish.
Before dropping her match to Taylor, fellow Hawkeye Brianna Gonzalez solidified another win over North Central’s Sydney Petzinger in a rematch from their NCWWC semifinal match. In that match, Gonzalez won 10-1, and here Petzinger narrowed the gap a bit, but still lost 8-0. Both of these wrestlers are top college stars, swapping #2 and #3 rankings throughout the season.
57KG
It felt like 57KG had some of the most college talent within the bracket. You had 4x NCWWC Champion Cam Guerin of McKendree, her teammate Shelby Moore who had a 4th Place finish, Cristelle Rodriguez of Doane coming off her NAIA Championship finish at 123 pounds, NCWWC National Champ Claire DiCugno of King, NAIA National Champ Carolina Moreno of Southern Oregon, and then two of North Central’s top talents Amani Jones and Lexi Janiak who were both coming off of age-division championships at Women’s Nationals the week prior.
Unfortunately, Carolina Moreno was injured in her first match against Amani Jones and could not continue in the tournament. Moreno was then bested in her next match by Abigail Nette.
Cam Guerin and teammate Shelby Moore had a first-round matchup with Guerin getting the win. Guerin then had to face off against a super dynamic Xochitl Mota-Pettis and dropped that match by a 12-2 tech fall in the first period.
The wrestler that caught my attention the most, however, was Doane’s Cristelle Rodriguez. Rodriguez, NAIA Champion, started her day by taking out a very talented Lexi Janiak. In her next match, Nette took out Rodriguez after taking a 7-2 lead in the first period with a flurry of offense. Even with three points late in the second, it was not enough for Rodriguez to battle back, and she was sent to consolations after losing 9-5. 
In the semis on the backside, Rodriquez went up against Guerin and looked fairly dominant before putting a stamp on the victory with a second-period pin. In the third-place match, Rodriguez was once again up against Nette, and while she was able to keep it closer in this match, scoring a great takedown late in the first, Nette still had the upper hand and won 5-2. However, Rodriguez looked great in her journey to 4th place here and last weekend when she pinned her way to a U20 Championship at 55kg. Her performances this month serve as another testament to the talent held on NAIA Collegiate Teams in women’s wrestling. 
62KG
At such a stacked weight as far as international wrestling talent, it was difficult for even top college talent to shake things up too much at 62 kg. However, 2024 National Champions Claire DiCungo of King and Adaugo Nwachukwu of William Penn both had impressive showings.
DiCugno dropped her first match to former World medalist Mallory Velte, but really cleaned up in the consolation bracket. DiCugno got a 6-1 decision over former college national champ from Augsburg Katie Lange, leading her to a suspected rematch against Velte who actually forfeited from the tournament at this point. In the consolation finals, DiCungo faced Nwachukwu and was able to score some points in the second period, but a series of big moves from Nwachukwu put it too far out of reach. However, DiCungo’s fourth-place finish was impressive nonetheless.
Nwachukwu was definitely one people were keeping an eye on even with the absolute hammers already slated to compete in this weight class. She came out with a big tech fall win over Lauren Louive, followed by a win of her own over Lange. However, in her next match over World silver medalist Macey Kilty, it just wasn't in the cards. Nwachukwu had to wrestle back again for second here and a highly anticipated rematch with Jen Page seemed inevitable. Nwachukwu defeated Page at the US Open finals at 62kg last year. However, Page forfeited this match as well to take the third-place finish instead. Nwachukwu continues to be a top force not just in college, but on the international circuit as well.
68KG
Early on at this weight, we saw an NCWWC rematch between Aine Drury of King and North Central’s Alara Boyd. Boyd was ranked at the top of their weight class all season and was the top seed when Drury was able to get the decision over her in the semifinals. Here, Drury was able to get the win again, this time 5-1. After that, she faced eventual challenge of tournament winner, Forrest Molinari, a 3x Senior World team member and bronze medalist. She then lost her next match on the backside to Kaylynn Albrecht.
Another familiar name from the 143 lb college weight class here was 2024 NCWWC Champion Reese Larramendy of Iowa, who beat Drury in the finals to claim that title. On the opposite side of the bracket, she did not meet up with Drury at this tournament, but did have a tough first matchup against the former Augsburg powerhouse Brooklyn Hays, who just became the U23 Nationals champion last weekend. I
In a super back-and-forth match, Hays got the first takedown for two, but Larramendy had a quick response scoring four of her own with two takedowns. In the second period, Larramendy kept up the offense scoring six more. While Hays also scored six in the second, Larramendy’s early lead was too much for her to catch up with, and the Hawkeye advanced to the semis. There, she dropped a match to National team member and former McKendree Bearcat Alexandria Glaude. On the backside, Larramendy looked dynamite against Albrecht, outsourcing her by a 2:1 margin each period. In the third-place match, though she had a strong day, she had no answers for the stellar offense brought on by Hays. 
However, as if her opponents were not already on notice for the talent this sophomore put on display last season, a 4th place finish at the Olympic Trials will definitely be in the headlines for what’s to come in her junior year.
76KG
While this weight was dominated by veteran wrestlers who have seen the Olympic and World team trials several times, a few college athletes stood out as well as some interesting matchups.
First, I just wanted to highlight that in the first round, we saw a match between Marlynne Deede of Iowa and Tavia Heidleberg-Tillotson of Menlo. Both were National Champs in college last season with Deede claiming the NCWWC title at 155 lbs and Heidleberg-Tillotson winning her NAIA title at 191lbs. Less than 2 months ago these two wrestlers competed at different weights by almost 40 pounds and met up for this spot at approximately 167 lbs, a relatively big shift for each of them. Deede ended up the winner by technical fall in their match to move on to the next round. There, Deede dropped her match to teammate Kylie Welker with a tech of her own.
This paved the way for a highly anticipated rematch between Welker and Yelena Makoyed. However, this rematch goes past the two wrestlers’ nail-biting championship match at NCWWCs to decide the team championship as well. Going back, Makoyed bested Welker 11-6 at the US Open, followed by three consecutive wins by Welker at the World Team Trials, National Duals and of course the NCWWC. It appeared as though Makoyed was done with the matches not going her way, however, as she started this one off with a huge four-point move and then another two points for a takedown all in the first. While the second period was all Welker, it wasn’t enough to overcome Makoyed’s lead. After Makoyed dropped the finals match to eventual Olympic team member Kennedy Blades and Welker wrestled back on the back side taking out Sky Grote and Dymond Guilford on the way, the two were slated to wrestle again for true second, but Makoyed ended up winning by no contest. While the two will probably not match up again in a collegiate setting, with Makoyed wrestling her senior season as a Cardinal last year, fans can hopefully see this amazing rivalry play out a few more times in international competition like this for years to come.