Each year, the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals seems to get better.  If this year’s champions are any indication, Brian Keck’s creation has become one of the top stops for high school wrestlers on their way towards their high school seasons.

With over 1,400 wrestlers, the Preseason Nationals concluded on Saturday night at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

At 103 pounds, Illinois’ Matt Garelli stopped fellow Illinois wrestler Johnny Jimenez 9-2 in the finals. Garelli is coming off a Junior freestyle championship at 98 pounds in Fargo this past summer. Garelli broke open a close match with a second period takedown and two nearfall to give him a 6-2 lead. Garelli scored an escape and a late takedown to reach the final count. 

At 112 pounds, Nebraska’s Colton Adams trailed Jarred Brooks of Illinois 3-0 early in the second period, but scored an escape and a late takedown to knot the score at three going into the third and final period. Adams took his first lead with an escape to start the third and finished off Brooks with a takedown and three nearfall late in the third to finish with a 9-3 victory. Brooks was last year’s champion at 103 pounds.

At 119 pounds, Iowa’s Jack Hathaway dominated the entire field, earning four falls, two major decisions and a 7-0 finals victory over Minnesota’s Mike Fuenffinger. Hathaway, who wrestles for West High in Iowa City, was a Cadet National Champion in Greco-Roman and freestyle runner-up in Fargo back in July. Hathwaway improves on last year’s finish. He was the runner-up at 112 pounds in 2009.

Iowa’s Tanner Werner edged Colorado’s Courtland Hacker 6-4 in overtime to claim the championship at 125 pounds. Werner trailed 4-2 with 16 seconds to go, but on a restart, Werner hit a reversal on a forward roll and was given the point with just a second left on the clock. Werner, from Waverly-Shell Rock, scored a double leg with 17 seconds left in sudden victory.

Wisconsin’s Jesse Thielke turned in arguable the most dominant performance, racking up for falls, a tech and a major decision en route to the 130-pound title. Thielke beat Iowa state champion John Meeks 16-6 in the championship round. In the previous two rounds, Thielke beat two wrestlers who were in USA Wrestling national finals this summer. In the quarters, Thielke pinned Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Grant Lamont of Utah, then in the semis, Thielke teched Cadet Greco-Roman champion Zane Richards of Illinois.  Thielke has committed to wrestle for the University of Wisconsin. He was second at last week’s Sunkist Kids International Open at 55kg on the senior level.

At 135 pounds, Joey Munos of Minnesota beat Iowa’s Adam Perrin 8-4. Munos earne two falls and four decisions en route to the championships. 

Iowa’s Bo Schlosser claimed the championship at 140 pounds, beating Maryland’s Peter Galli 5-2 in Saturday night’s final. Schlosser repeated as champion at the Preseason Nationals. He won the event last year at 135 pounds.

Wisconsin’s Alex Dieringer, an Oklahoma State commit, won his second USA Wrestling National tournament in the UNI-Dome in as many tries with a 3-2 win over Illinois’ Blaise Butler in the finals at 145 pounds. Dieringer won the USA Folkstyle Nationals last spring at the UNI-Dome. He won the Junior Nationals last summer in freestyle at 145 pounds.

Nebraska’s Chase White beat Illinois’ Stephen Robertson 5-2 for the championship at 152 pounds. White was fifth at the event last season. 

Justin Koethe of Iowa City, Iowa was the champion at 160 pounds, winning in the finals by default over John Sims of Indiana. Sims did not take the mat for the final. 

In one of the night’s highlight finals, Sam Brooks of Illinois stopped Minnesota’s Jake Waste 6-3 at 171 pounds. Waste struck first with a takedown in the first period, and held on to a 3-2 lead with 10 seconds to go in the match. Brooks snatched up a leg and blasted Waste to the mat for a takedown and a count at the buzzer to win 6-3. 

Missouri’s Dallas Smith dominated in-state rival Ryan Beltz 11-1 to win the championship at 189 pounds. 

Illinois’ Taylor McGiffin scored an overtime victory at 215 pounds over Iowa’s Joe Scanlan in the finals to earn a 4-2 win to claim the championship.

Cody Krumwiede of Iowa repeated as champion at the Preseason Nationals, topping multi-time All-American Doug Vollaro of Florida in the tiebreakers at 285 pounds. Krumwiede will get very familiar with Cedar Falls, he’ll be wrestling for Northern Iowa next season.