Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Gary Abbott at gabbott@usawrestling.org

Tommy Vargas (Highland, Calif./Cal-State Bakersfield) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of December 27 - January 2.

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.

Vargas won the 133-pound title at the 43rd Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., Dec. 29-30. Vargas, a senior, entered the tournament unseeded. He is a former wrestler at Northwestern, and won this major title on the mats where he previously competed. He transferred to Cal-State Bakersfield, where he is attending graduate school and has a final year of eligibility.

Vargas won five matches on the way to the title, defeating No. 7 seed Jesse Sundell of Iowa State in the championship finals, 9-7.

He opened with a 17-4 major decision over Raymond Dunning of Adams State. In the next round, he defeated No. 8 seed Virgil Lockett of San Francisco State, 3-1. In the quarterfinals, he defeated No. 1 seed and 2000 Olympic Trials finalist Kerry Boumans of Overtime WC, 3-2. His semifinal victory was over No. 4 seed Andrae Hernandez of Indiana, 3-2.

Vargas led Cal-State Bakersfield to a ninth-place finish in the team standings at the Midlands, the most prestigious holiday tournament in the nation each year.

He entered the tournament without a national ranking, but moved up to No. 18 in the NWCA/Intermat rankings released on January 3.