Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tier1 Edition 1
Tier1 Edition 1
al.fontes@sbcglobal.net
TEAM IDAHO IS ON THE RISE NATIONALLY…RETURNING TO FARGO
I’ve said it once and will say it again, the state of Idaho is a hidden gem
with a great deal of talent and is definitely on the rise at the national level.
To name a few of many that have put Idaho on the map in the last several
years include Hayden Tuma (4x National Champion/`7x All-American), Ridge
Lovett (3x National Champion/10x All-American), Brelane Huber (National
Champion/4x All-American), and more recently Marissa Jimenez of Caldwell,
winning a Gold at the Cadet Pan AM Games in Oaxtepec, Mexico.
Since 2010, Team Idaho has averaged approximately 13 All-Americans each
year at the National Championships in Fargo. This includes Cadet, Junior, and
Women’s divisions in both Olympic styles of wrestling (Freestyle/Greco-Roman). Prior to the new
millennium, Team Idaho averaged approximately 3 All-Americans each year with Zane Jones earning
the state’s first All-American honor in 1980, placing 5th in the Junior Greco-Roman division at 114.5
pounds. More recently, the state of Idaho was represented well at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals,
United World Wrestling (UWW) world team qualifiers, and the National High School Coaches Association
(NHSCA) competition held each year in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In the Cadet/U15 World Team trials,
Idaho represented well with eight finalists and thirteen All-Americans overall in both freestyle and
Greco-Roman. In the U15, Mathew Martino and Hudson Rogers each won individual titles. Blackfoot
High School’s Mack Mauger reached the finals in both styles, but came up short of making the World
Team. Earning a world title at 62kg at the U15 World Championships in 2019, Jadon Skellenger
(Suples WC) will represent the US again at the Cadet Greco-Roman World Championships in Budapest,
Hungary in June.
Team Idaho also did very well at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals by producing three National
Champions, five finalists, and eleven All-Americans overall. Winning titles in the Cadet (U16) division
were Mack Mauger (Blackfoot HS), Matthew Martino (8th grader), and Jason Mara (Meridian HS).
In the Junior division, Kolter Burton (American Falls HS), Christopher Martino (Bishop Kelly HS), and
Kayd Craig (Gooding HS) each earned All-American honors. Recently, Idaho sent a contingent to the
USA National Duals in Indiana with the 16U Greco-Roman team Placing second in pool competition and
7th in the Gold/Silver Championship bracket (31 teams overall in the competition).
This coming month (July 16th – 23rd), wrestlers from across the country will be returning to the
Fargo Dome to compete for the coveted championship “Stop Sign” and All-American honors after
missing last year due to the COVID pandemic. I want to wish Team Idaho “Good Luck” and the best
at this year’s Fargo Championships.
The following is a list of National Champions and All-Americans from the state of Idaho since 1980.
A special thank you to my wrestling colleague, Jason Bryant for his compiled historical All-American
data on the Cadet, Junior, and Women’s nationals. I could not have done this report without it.
4x ALL-AMERICANS
Christopher Martino (FS/GR), 2018 – ’19
Brelane Huber (Women’s FS), 2017 – ’19
Jaron Chavez (FS/GR), 2013 – ‘17
Drake Foster (FS/GR), 2012 – ’13
Casey George (FS/GR), 2008 – ‘11
Brock Banta (FS/GR), 2007 – ’10
Nick Smith (FS/GR), 2001 – ’04
Clint Wolfley (GR), 1997 – ‘00
Boe Rushton (FS/GR), 1995 – ’98
2010 1982
1999
125 – Brock Banta, 7th Place NO PLACERS
114.5 – Clint Wolfley, 3rd Place
215 – Trevor Rupp, National Champion
215 – Tanner Hall, 2nd Place 1981
1998
NO PLACERS
NO PLACERS
2009
119 – Brock Banta, 5th Place 1997 1980
215 – Trevor Rupp, 2nd Place NO PLACERS 114.5 – Zane Jones, 5th Place
2020 2020
Championships not conducted (COVID) Championships not conducted (COVID)
2019 2019
122 – Brelane Huber, 7th Place 138 – Marisa Jimenez, 6th Place
2018 2018
NO PLACERS 112 – Brelane Huber, 4th Place
2017 2017
106 – Brelane Huber, 4th Place 106 – Brelane Huber, National Champion
2016 2016
198 – Sierra Pesnell, 7th Place 198 – Megan Houser, 5th Place
198 – Megan Houser, 8th Place
2015
2015 172 – Sierra Pesnell, 4th Place
139 – Koral Sugiyama, 7th Place 172 – Megan Houser, 5th Place
2014 2014
125 – Cierra Foster, 2nd Place 125 – Cierra Foster, National Champion
2013 2013
NO PLACERS 115 – Koral Sugiyama, 2nd Place
2012 2012
125 – Lily DeAragon, 6th Place 124 – Katherine Renz, 8th Place
2011 2011
117 – Lily DeAragon, 2nd Place 115 – Lily DeAragon, 7th Place
2010
165 – Anneliese DeAragon, National Champion
2009
116 – Kyah Larson, 8th Place
153 – Annaliese DeAragon, National Champion
2008
146 – Annaliese DeAragon, 2nd Place
61 kg
GOLD – Marissa Jimenez (USA)
SILVER – Camila Roa Ortega (PER)
BRONZE – Makayla Browne (BAR)
POO D COMPETITION
Team Idaho 50 – Pennsylvania “Blue” 27
Team Idaho 44 – Team Missouri 33
Team Oklahoma “Outlaws Blue” 49 – Team Idaho 27
Team Idaho 38 – Team Colorado – 37 (2nd in pool)
GOLD/SILVER POOL
Team Minnesota Blue 62 – Team Idaho 13
Team California 43 – Team Idaho 30
1st – Minnesota
2nd – Oklahoma
3rd – California
4th – Illinois
5th – Pennsylvania
6th – Illinois “Gold”
7th – Idaho
8th – Wisconsin
POOL B COMPETION
Team Idaho 51 – Team Indiana Blue 28
Team Missouri 50 – Team Idaho 32
RED/BLUE POOL
Team Texas 41 – Team Idaho 36
Team Idaho 48 – Nebraska 29 (7th Place)
POOL A
Team Florida 42 – Team Idaho 35
Team Idaho 48 – Team PA Red 27
Team Idaho 45 – Team Georgia Blue 30
Team Florida 42 – Team Idaho 34 (3rd place match in pool)
POOL A
Team Tennessee 44 – Team Idaho 41
Team New York 49 – Team Idaho 34