Illinois's Isaiah Martinez wins title #2 as does Cornell's Gabe Dean. Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer finishes off his career as a 3 time champion. J'Den Cox, 2014 champion who was 5th in 2015, wins title #2 of 3.
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| 2016 Champion 125 Nico Megaludis of Penn State |
A three time state champion Franklin Regional high school, in his first three years of collegiate competition he had done about everything other than win an NCAA title. Taking back to back NCAA runner-up finishes in his true freshman and true sophomore seasons, he was 3rd as a true junior in 2014. Taking a redshirt in 2015, he returned to finally get over the hump and walk out of the NCAA tournament national champion.
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| 2016 Champion 133 Nahshon Garrett of Cornell |
A two time California state champion for Chico high school, Garrett won four EIWA conference titles competing for the Big Red. Finishing 3rd in the nation as a freshman in 2013, he was then the NCAA runner-up as a sophomore in 2014. As a junior he finished in 5th place. The NCAA title would come to him in his senior season of 2016. From a rather athletic family, sister Kandi was an All American for California and brother Isaac is a professional Ballet dancer.
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| 2016 Champion 141 Dean Heil of Oklahoma State |
A four time Ohio state champion for St. Edward high school, Heil competed collegiately for Oklahoma State. Earning 4th place All American honors as a freshman in 2015, he won back to back NCAA titles in his sophomore and junior seasons of 2016 and 2017. Unfortunately Heil would finish one match shy of All American status as a senior in 2018. Post college he continues to wrestle while coaching at Campbell where his younger brother Josh still competes.
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| 2016 Champion 149 Zain Retherford of Penn State |
Winning state titles for both Line Mountain and Benton high schools, Retherford started for the Nittany Lions as a true freshman, finishing 5th in the nation at the 2014 NCAA championships. He then took a redshirt in 2015, returning to absolutely dominate the field his last three years of competition. Winning three BIG 10 titles and three NCAA titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Post college he won World Cup bronze in 2019.
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| 2016 Champion 174 Myles Martin of Ohio State |
A three time Maryland state champion for McDonogh high school, Martin's NCAA title came in his freshman season of 2016. He was 5th in 2017 as a sophomore, 2nd in 2018 as junior and 3rd in 2019 as a senior.
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| 2016 Champion HWT Kyle Snyder of Ohio State |
It's not often we talk about standout wrestlers from Maryland, but yet here's another one. A three time state champion for Our Lady Council high school, Snyder is the youngest wrestler to even win two junior World medals from the United States. As a freshman in 2015, Snyder finished as the NCAA runner-up. He then won his first of three NCAA titles in 2016 as a sophomore, winning an Olympic Gold medal that summer. I really thought with being an Olympic Gold medalist that the potential of being beaten again in college, would set itself up to be one of the greatest upsets of the modern era. I was laughed at when I proposed that question at a press conference meeting. Nevertheless I still think it was a huge deal when Adam Coon of Michigan defeated him in a dual meet two years later. Not everyone wins Olympic Gold after their sophomore year of college. Snyder went on to win two more NCAA titles in 2017 and 2018. His international career continues to blossom as we speak. Winner of 6 Pan-American Golds, he also has two Golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze in the World Championships. Recently this summer he was the Olympic Silver medalist.
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Martinez, Dieringer, Dean and Cox previously mentioned
Heil repeated in 2017 but did not in 2018
Martin did not repeat
Retherford and Snyder both repeated in 2017 and 2018
Megaludis and Garrett were both seniors
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