Now nobody can be perfect, and I could be totally off base, but I was checking in on the rankings RevWrestling just released for Middle Schoolers and can't believe my eyes!

Destin McCauley, Apple Valley's phenom, is the #4 Middle Schooler. I don't track middle school wrestling, really only pay attention to a couple Apple Valley kids, but how could there be 3 other kids in the country capable of winning 2 MN High School State titles (regardless of weight class), go 48-1 (or something like it), and have their only loss be on (as Bill Demaray puts it) ridiculously close match with the #1 112 pounder in the country, any age group.

I'm interested in seeing why these three little studs are better, even though untested in High School?

Let me add, that I am extremely impressed that Rev went as far as posting Middle School rankings as it is.

Luster has wrestled in the High School division of the Super 32 Challenge the past two years. In 2005 he went 3-2, with his losses coming to a state champ from NC and to Pat Strizki from New Jersey, who was 2nd in NJ this year and placed at Sr Nationals.

In 2006 as a 7th grader he went 3-2, losing to two seniors by 2 point margins.

He trains with Arturo Holmes.

I don't follow MS wrestling all that much either, so I really don't know anything about those other guys to compare it to, but I do know that Luster attracted a lot of attention at the Super 32. We sometimes have 8th graders that come in and do well (Marshall Peppelman, Jordan Frishkorn, and Scotti Sentes come to mind), but for a kid in the 6th/7th grade to come in and win some matches in the HS division was pretty impressive.

PS - Not sure exactly how the grade thing works - I just noticed that in 2005 he was registered as a 7th grader and again as a 7th grader in 2006, under "home school"

Do we really need rankings of middle school wrestlers?

Originally Posted by Champ Kind

Do we really need rankings of middle school wrestlers?

I don't think so. With all the complaints you hear about HS rankings, and knowing how hard it is to rank guys when there is not a lot of head-to-head competition... it's even harder in middle school.

I'm sure all these top middle school guys dominate their age divisions.... so we are discussing them in regards to how they have done against high school level competition, which seems a little crazy.

That being said, however, I do like seeing "lists" of the top middle school guys, to be aware of who to keep an eye on.

I think Scotty needs a hug today