Wilkes-Barre, PA is hosting the National Prep Open this Sunday and Monday at the Mohegan Sun Arena, home of the Scranton Penguins.  It will not be the typical National Preps that Lehigh has famously hosted for more than 80 years, this tournament will be open to any current student at a National Prep school, and will allow multiple entries per weight class.  

Watch Nationals Preps LIVE on FloWrestling

May 2-3 | 12:00 PM ET

106 Pounds

Top Contenders

#8 Jack Consiglio, Malvern Prep

Hunter Sloan, Hill School

Sal Palmisano, Western Reserve Academy

Davis Motyka, Wyoming Seminary

Bryan Santangelo, Bullis School

Jack Consiglio is the safe bet here for the Friars of Malvern Prep.  He won a Powerade title that included a victory over PIAA champ Brenden Wentzel, and has since been climbing the national rankings as former 106 pounders have moved up to 113 in the postseason.  Hunter Sloan was a round of 12 at this weight class last year, and has since transferred to wrestle for former Virginia Tech AA Dave Hoffman at the Hill School.  Motyka is very talented coming out of Wyoming Seminary, but he is currently pretty small for the rest of the guys in this field.  

Predictions

1. Jack Consiglio

2. Hunter Sloan

3. Davis Motyka

113 Pounds

Top Contenders

Matty Lopes, Blair Academy

Tommy Link, Malvern Prep

Kade Davidheiser, Hill School

T.J. Langley, Western Reserve Academy

Sulayman Bah, Kiski Prep

Lopes has been in and out of the rankings in the past couple months at different weight classes, but seems settled now at 113.  He had a very impressive middle school career coming out of Connecticut, and looks to fall in line with the light weights that have come through the Blair program in the past.  Link and Davidheiser were third and fifth respectively at 106 last season, with Link winning 7-0 head to head in the semifinal consolations.  TJ Langley, out of Ohio, just placed at Freshman Nationals and should contend at this weight with those above him.  

Predictions

1. Matty Lopes

2. Tommy Link

3. Kade Davidheiser

120 Pounds

Top Contenders

#8 at 126 Nico Provo, Green Farms Academy

Brennan Cernus, Wyoming Seminary

Keyveon Roller, LCA

Nick O’Neill, Malvern

Jackson Bond, Baylor

Kai Owen, Wyoming Seminary

Matt Hart, Western Reserve Academy

This bracket is with-out-a-doubt the deepest weight class in the tournament.  There are upwards of 15 wrestlers with past credentials that should have them seeded in this tournament.  Cernus is the returning champion at 113 as he cradled Erik Roggie in the finals last year in the opening minute.  Provo, who is committed to Cornell, was fifth at 120 last year and is coming off of a Senior National Championship last weekend up at 126.  Roller was third at 113 last season and is already committed to Virginia as a Junior.  O’Neill and Owen both have national level wins, and have been in and out of the Flo rankings in the past couple months.  Bond is a returning placewinner with a lot of experience, and Matt Hart just finished 2nd at Freshman Nationals last weekend to add even more depth to this stacked weight.  

Predictions

1. Brennan Cernus

2. Keyveon Roller

3. Nico Provo

126 Pounds

Top Contenders

#18 Spencer Barnhart, Malvern Prep

Sam Cartella, Western Reserve Academy

Daniel Sheen, Wyoming Seminary

Joel Brown, Bullis School

Brenden Barnes, Benedictine

Barnhart has beaten Cartella, Cartella has beaten Sheen, and Sheen has beaten Barnhart.  These three sophomores all have a reason to be seeded #1, which will certainly serve as an advantage this weekend.  Barnhart just found himself in the Flo rankings for the first time this year after solid wins in the last couple weekends.  Cartella is a beast on top and might have the advantage, if he can get some turns this weekend.  Sheen was second at 106 last season, losing only to McGowan from Blair, who will not be present this weekend.  Barnes is a senior who is committed to the U.S.Air Force Academy and should be competitive with any of the above three.  

Predictions

1. Sam Cartella

2. Spencer Barnhart

3. Daniel Sheen

132 Pounds

Top Contenders

Gregor McNeil, Wyoming Seminary

Christian Coleman, Germantown Academy

Jimmy Harrington, Belmont Hill

Skylar Smith, Liberty Christian (TX)

Nick Kunstek, Blair Academy

Dayne Dalrymple, Christian Brothers (TN)

Colman just placed third at Senior Nationals and finished third at this weight class last season; however, McNeil does have the head-to-head victory over Colman just a couple weeks ago.  Harrington, who was fifth at 126 last year, has been in and out of the rankings this season, and is coming off of a fifth place showing at Junior Nationals last weekend.  Smith placed sixth at this weight class last year out of Texas and Dalrymple is committed to UTC and has been competitive with everyone he has seen in the past couple months.  Kunstek was one of the big names coming out of the middle school rankings last year, but has not had any huge wins in his high school career….yet.  

Predictions

1. Christian Colman

2. Gregor McNeil

3. Jimmy Harrington

138 Pounds

Top Contenders

#5 Shayne Van Ness, Blair Academy

Kelvin Griffin, Hill School

Chris Perry, Brunswick

JT Chance, Western Reserve Academy

Van Ness is the most recognized name in this tournament as the Penn State commit is the returning Champion and is the former #1 recruit in the senior class.  Griffin is coming off of a Junior National Championship where he won in the finals via tech fall.  If there is one high school wrestler at 138 that can ride and possibly turn Van Ness, it is Kelvin Griffin.  Everyone knows the legs are coming in, but almost no one has a solution for it.  JT Chance is a returning placewinner and is coming off of a Junior National Championship last weekend, and Chris Perry is a three-time returning placewinner and is coming down from 145 last season.  

Predictions

1. Shayne Van Ness

2. Kelvin Griffin

3. JT Chance

145 Pounds

Top Contenders

Justin Mastroianni, Green Farms Academy

Danny Wask, Blair Academy

Peter Kane, Green Farms Academy

Joe Fisk, Archbishop Spaulding

Reed Fulmer, Malvern Prep

Paul Ognissanti, Blair Academy

Two wrestlers from Connecticut’s Green Farms Academy rank in the top three after Nationally ranked Garrison Dendy had to pull out of the tournament last night.   Mastroianni finished second at Senior Nationals last weekend, and Kane is a returning New England Prep School Champion.  Navy commit Danny Wask won this tournament two years ago at 106 and placed fourth last year at 126.  Fisk placed third last year at 138, and Ognissanti was another big name coming out of the Middle School rankings last year.  This weight class has a lot of hammers, and I can see a lot of different wrestlers making surprising runs to the finals.  

Predictions

1. Danny Wask

2. Justin Mastroianni

3. Joe Fisk 

152 Pounds

Top Contenders

#17 Nick Fea, Wyoming Seminary

Zane Cox, Benedictine

Dominic Rossetti, Loomis Chaffee

Sam Beckett, Hill School

Braeden Baller, Liberty Christian (TX)

Lorenzo Norman, Blair Academy

Nick Fea lost in the finals of Junior Nationals last weekend in a tough 3-2 match.  Fea was third in 2019 at this tournament all the way down at 106, and seems to have adjusted well to the heavier weight.  Cox has been a figure at 152 the past couple years as he placed eighth and fourth in 2019 and 2020 respectively.  Rossetti placed third at 145 last season after being injured for the majority of the season, and is signed to go to Columbia next year. Coming out of New England, he does not have the name recognition of others in this weight class, but he is a very talented wrestler with a lot of experience.  Baller is a Davidson commit with a fifth place finish at this weight last year, and Beckett was sixth down at 145.  

Predictions

1. Dominic Rossetti

2. Nick Fea

3. Zane Cox

160 Pounds

Top Contenders

Cesar Alvin, Northfield Mount Hermon

Aiden Bowers, Christian Brothers (TN)

Gavin Cagle, McCallie

Owen Quinn, Malvern

Colby Isabelle, Hill School

Alvin is probably unknown to most people outside of New England, but he is a high-level wrestler.  As a Columbia commit, he won a public school New England title back in 2019 before an injury took him out of the 2020 postseason.  Bowers and Cagle are both returning placers at National Preps, and Bowers took an overtime win over Cagle in the Tennessee State Championships last month.  Owen Quinn placed fourth at Escape the Rock this year, and Isabelle lost 12-11 last week in the finals of Sophomore Nationals.  This is a weight that could definitely have some upsets in the later rounds.  

Predictions

1. Cesar Alvin

2. Gavin Cagle

3. Aiden Bowers

170 Pounds

Top Contenders

#7 Gabe Arnold, Wyoming Seminary

#13 Alex Whitworth, McCallie School

Andrew Donahue, Wyoming Seminary

Harrison Trahan, McDonough

Ryan Tremain, Benedictine

Omaury Alverez, Baylor

David Barrett, Northfield Mount Hermon

Other than 120, this weight class might be the toughest bracket of the tournament.  Seminary teammates, Arnold and Donahue are returning champs at 160 and 170 respectively.  Arnold beat Trahan last year in the finals in a match that came down to a takedown in overtime.  Trahan has been waiting a year for the chance to redeem that loss.  Donahue earned a Prep crown last year by pinning his opponent using a Gator Bacon that even Dylan Ness would have been proud of.  Harvard commit Alex Whitworth was not able to wrestle in National Preps last season, but placed fourth at 152 back in 2019.  Tremain was sixth last season at this weight class and should be competitive with the above four wrestlers.  

Predictions

1. Gabe Arnold

2. Alex Whitworth

3. Harrison Trahan

182 Pounds

Top Contenders

#2 Jack Wehmeyer, Malvern Prep

#10 TJ Stewart, Blair Academy

Cole Rees, Wyoming Seminary

James Conway, Loyola Blakefield

Wehmeyer has shown massive improvement while going from sixth place at National Preps last year to the #2 ranked guy in the country at 182.  In the fall he defeated Rylan Rogers who won this weight class out of Blair in 2020, but will not be in attendance for this weekend.  TJ Stewart has placed here in the past two seasons, and Cole Rees is the returning finalist at this weight class.  Rees is a Campbell commit who has been in and out of the National Rankings all year.  Conway placed fourth last season at 170 and is someone who should not be overlooked.  

Predictions

1. Jack Wehmeyer

2. Cole Rees

3. James Conway

195 Pounds

Top Contenders

#12 Caden Rogers, Malvern Prep

#20 David Harper, Baylor School

Andrew Connolly, Malvern Prep

Luke Duthie, Wyoming Seminary

Brady Colbert, St. John’s (DC)

Rogers put himself on the map this year by defeating the former #2 ranked wrestler Mac Stout at Escape the Rock in January.  He is a two-time returning placewinner here including a third-place finish at 170 in 2020.  David Harper won Junior Nationals last weekend and placed here as a freshman two years ago.  Rogers' teammate, Andrew Connolly spent the season down at 170, but is making the move up two weight classes.  Connolly is a Penn commit as a junior and placed fourth at National Preps last season.  Duthie placed second at Senior Nationals last weekend and is a returning seventh place winner at Preps last season before transferring to Sem this past offseason.  

Predictions

1. Caden Rogers

2. David Harper

3. Luke Duthie 

220 Pounds

Top Contenders

#1 Nick Feldman, Malvern Prep

Jeff Miller, Wyoming Seminary

Gabe Fisher, Montgomery Bell (TN)

Nick Feldman would need to pull a J’den Cox and miss weigh-ins for anyone else to win this weight class.  The #1 ranked wrestler in the country and Ohio State commit has a knack for getting techfalls via only takedowns and has not lost a high school match in about a year and a half.  Miller was round of 12 at 195 last year, and Gabe Fisher is a Tennessee Prep School state champion.  

Predictions

1. Nick Feldman

2. Jeff Miller

3. Gabe Fisher 

285 Pounds

Top Contenders

#7 Jake Kaminski, Wyoming Seminary

#12 Coltin Deery, Malvern Prep

Liam Dietrich, Trinity-Pawling

Harrison Levans, Germantown Academy

Antonio Ramos, Northfield Mount Hermon

Billy Brosko, Haverford School

Hudson Jones, Charlotte Christian (NC)

Deery vs. Kaminski will be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament if these two meet in the finals.  Deery has been as high as #4 in the country this season and Kaminski is a returning finalist from two seasons ago who was injured during the 2020 championships.  Drexel commit, Liam Dietrich, has placed fourth at this weight the last two years, and although he is not nationally recognized right now, he can hand fight with the best.  Keep an eye out for Liam’s Cowboy hat that he touts before every big match.  Levans and Brosko placed fourth and fifth respectively at 220 last season and have wrestled each other more times than they want to count in their wrestling careers.  Antonio Ramos out of Massachusetts won Junior Nationals last weekend with an ultimate tiebreaker win in the finals.  Jones placed eighth last season and adds more depth to this already talented weight class.  

Predictions

1. Coltin Deery

2. Jake Kaminski

3. Liam Dietrich