CLASS 5A BOYS WRESTLERS TO WATCH IN 2025-26 
 

 
BRENNEN BOWERS, SEAMAN
 
Preseason No. 1 at 157

With 10 of the 16 wrestlers at 157 pounds a year ago seniors, Bowers was facing some experienced competition in his state debut last year as a junior. He nearly came away with a state medal after dropping his opening match to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Trever Morgan. Bowers won his next two matches in commanding fashion to position himself for a medal, but was pinned by Andover’s Tristan Ring in the consolation quarterfinals to fall a match short. He finished the season with a 28-19 record and drew the No. 1 ranking in 5A at 157 to start this season.
 

CRUZ CANNON, HUTCHINSON
 
Preseason No. 4 at 126
 
Cannon, a junior, has reached the Class 5A semifinals each of his first two seasons, taking third at 106 in the 2024 state tournament and fifth at 113 last season. After dropping a major decision to eventual champion Trevor Christenson of Basehor-Linwood in the semis as a freshman, Cannon came much closer to reaching the championship round last March, losing 5-4 to Christenson’s teammate, Eric Vielhauer. Cannon’s 18-3 technical fall over Andover’s John Goodman in the fifth-place match produced his second straight 34-win season. Cannon joins Vielhauer in making the move to 126 to start this season.
 

STEPHEN CARROLL, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
 
Preseason No. 2 at 285

Carroll, a senior heavyweight, returns this winter as one of the most experienced forces in the Eastern Kansas League, and he’ll be aiming to cap his career with a third state medal. Carroll is coming off a strong 29-5 campaign in which he claimed the 2025 EKL championship and finished fifth at 285 pounds at the Class 5A state tournament. Carroll has 75 career wins and 57 career falls, including 22 pins last season. He was also the state runner-up at 285 as a sophomore and will look to stand atop the podium this year. 
 

TREVOR CHRISTENSON, BASEHOR-LINWOOD
 
Preseason No. 1 at 132

Christenson enters the 2024–25 season as one of Kansas’ most dominant returning wrestlers — and he’s already a two-time state champion. After winning the 106-pound title as a freshman, the Basehor-Linwood junior jumped two weight classes last winter and never missed a beat. He tore through the Class 5A bracket at 120 pounds with three straight pins before capping his run with a technical fall over Lansing’s Caden Garcia in the championship match. Christenson finished his sophomore campaign at 37-4 with 26 pins, bringing his career record to 79-8.  
 

K’LYN CURTIS, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
 
Preseason No. 3 at 215

Curtis returns to the mat at 215 pounds this winter looking to build on a breakout junior season—one that proved he’s among Class 5A’s toughest. The Aquinas senior battled all the way through the consolation bracket at last year’s state tournament and capped his run with a gritty 4-2 win over Andover’s Tate Hutchinson to secure a third-place medal. Curtis enters the 2025-26 season with 60 career wins, including 41 career falls and 20 pins last year alone. The 2025 Eastern Kansas League champion is hoping to use his experience to have a strong final year for the Saints.  
 

 
RILEY DILKA, LANSING
 
Preseason No. 3 at 138

Dilka returns this winter as one of the top contenders at 138 pounds after a breakout sophomore campaign. Dilka finished 24-6 last season and capped it with a fourth-place medal at the 2025 5A state tournament. The Lansing junior dominated the postseason en route to state, winning both the 5A East regional and the United Kansas Conference titles, while all of his wins came by pin. He was a state qualifier as a freshman and took second place in the UKC. Dilka has a 60-16 career record with 52 pins.
 

TAD FORSYTH, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
Preseason No. 1 at 175

Forsyth enters his final high-school season as one of Kansas’ most accomplished returning wrestlers, and he’ll bump up to 190 pounds looking to close out his career with another title run. Forsyth is coming off a dominant junior campaign in which he went 34-3, claimed the EKL championship, and capped it with a 4-2 victory over Pittsburg’s DeMarus Partee to secure the 175-pound Class 5A state title. Already a three-time state medalist with finishes of fourth, third, and first, Forsyth owns a 107-22 career record and has established himself as a cornerstone of the Timberwolves’ lineup. He has also signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska.
 

 
CADEN GARCIA, LANSING
 
Preseason No. 2 at 132

Garcia returns with podium ambitions as he makes the jump from 120 to 150 pounds this season. Garcia is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which he went 26-8 and surged all the way to the 5A state finals at 120, finishing as runner-up after a strong postseason run that also included second-place finishes at both the 5A East regional and United Kansas Conference. In all three instances, Garcia ran up against Basehor-Linwood's Trevor Christenson, who finished as the state champion. With a 57-22 career record with 24 total pins, Garcia brings two years of consistent production, including a sixth-place state medal as a freshman.
 

OSCAR GAUNA, GODDARD
 
Preseason No. 1 at 113
 
Gauna helped Goddard win its second consecutive Class 5A title last season by winning his first individual crown. After losing 6-4 to Basehor-Linwood’s Trevor Christenson in the 5A 106-pound final as a freshman, Gauna made it back to the championship round last winter and made quick work of Blue Valley Southwest’s Vince Maturo, pinning the freshman in 31 seconds to complete a 45-1 season. His lone loss came to 6A runner-up Pace Plankenhorn of Garden City. Now a junior, Gauna moves up a weight class with an 81-7 career record and a list of tournament victories that includes two regionals, two Newton Tournament of Champions and a Kansas City Stampede. Gauna is the lone returning state champion of the four the Lions produced last season.
 

HARRISON GLOVER, GODDARD
 
Preseason No. 3 at 132
 
So far in his high school career, when Glover moves up in weight classes, his state tournament finishes climb as well. The senior will try to keep that trend alive as he starts out at 132 pounds after finishing third in 5A last season at 126. Glover earned his third state medal with a 21-5 record, improving his career mark to 79-34. His finish helped the Lions win their second consecutive state team championship. He took second at the 5A West regional, knocking off 2024 state champion Aiden Shields of Valley Center in the semifinals before Shields returned the favor in the state quarters. Glover was fourth in 5A at 120 as a sophomore and fifth at 113 as a freshman, when he posted a career-high 30 victories.
 

JULIAN GLOVER, SALINA CENTRAL
 
Preseason No. 2 at 144
 
Glover, a senior, earned a spot in the Class 5A 138-pound final last season by pinning regional champion Riley Dilka of Lansing in the semifinals. His title bid was halted by Maize South’s Josh Kerr, who also defeated him in the 5A West regional final. But Glover still posted a 31-9 record and improved on his fifth-place finish at 132 during his 31-17 sophomore campaign. Glover was part of a trio of Mustang finalists who led Salina Central to a fifth-place team finish. He plans to wrestle collegiately at Southeast (Neb.) Community College. 
 

 
MAX HARRIS, HUTCHINSON
 
Preseason No. 1 at 165
 
A two-time state qualifier, Harris made significant progress in his return to the big stage last season, earning his first Class 5A individual medal at 157 pounds. After placing third in the 5A West regional, Harris reached the state semifinals, where Spring Hill’s Avery Bartek edged him 4-3. Harris rebounded with two victories, including a second-period pin of De Soto’s Casey Bowlin to complete a 31-6 season with another third-place postseason finish. As a freshman, Harris went 21-10, including a 1-2 record in his state debut in the 144-pound bracket. He’s one of two returning state medalists for the Salthawks along with fellow junior Cruz Cannon.
 

SAWYER JORGENSEN, LANSING

Preseason No. 6 at 144

Jorgenson returns this winter as one of the Lions’ most reliable forces on the mat, moving up to 144 pounds after a stellar sophomore campaign. Jorgenson went 42-6 last season with 26 pins and capped it with a fourth-place finish at the 2025 5A State Championships at 132. He also earned runner-up honors at both the 5A East regional and the United Kansas Conference. Now sitting with an 84-9 record for his career, Jorgenson is already a two-time state medalist, adding last year’s finish to a fifth-place showing in 2024. He has also claimed UKC and regional titles in his career and enters the season with 48 career pins. 
 

JOSH KERR, MAIZE SOUTH
 
Preseason No. 1 at 144
 
Kerr’s takedown skills were on full display at last season’s Class 5A state tournament, as he posted three technical falls and a pin to win the 138-pound title. The Maverick standout defeated Salina Central’s Julian Glover – his regional final opponent – 17-2 in the championship match, capping his sophomore season at 47-2. It was the second state finals appearance for Kerr, who dropped a 5-1 decision to Andover’s Adam Maki in the 2024 5A 138-pound final. Kerr and his fraternal twin, Max, last year’s 5A runner-up at 144, both move up a class and start the season ranked No. 1 in 5A by the KWCA.
 

MAX KERR, MAIZE SOUTH
 
Preseason No. 1 at 150
 
Moments after his twin brother Josh won his first state title last March, Kerr took the mat for the Class 5A 144-pound final. While he couldn’t stop three-time state finalist Kaden Allen of St. Thomas Aquinas from winning his first title, Kerr did complete a season of massive gains with his runner-up finish. He posted a 48-7 record, doubling his victory total from his freshman season, when Kerr went 24-16 including a 1-2 mark in his state tournament debut. Kerr won tournament titles at Lee’s Summit and Bishop Carroll before completing the hat trick with the 5A West regional crown. After entering last year’s state tournament ranked third in his weight class, Kerr will move up to 150 this season, where he tops the KWCA 5A rankings.
 

CONNOR LANDERS, BISHOP CARROLL
 
Preseason No. 2 at 138
 
One of six juniors in the KWCA’s 138-pound rankings to start the season, Landers is coming off a 30-9 sophomore campaign that ended with a third-place finish in 5A at 132. That matched his state finish two seasons ago, when he knocked off regional champion Sawyer Jorgensen of Lansing in the quarterfinals and went on to take third at 120. After dropping a major decision to eventual champion Cael Puderbaugh of Basehor-Linwood in last season’s state semifinals, Landers met Jorgensen again in the third-place match and won 8-6. He’s one of six Golden Eagles in the KWCA preseason rankings, starting this season behind Puderbaugh, who is also moving up in weight class. 
 

 
NOAH MATHIS, LANSING
 
Preseason No. 2 at 215

Mathis enters this season as one of the most dominant upper-weight wrestlers in Kansas. After a 45-1 campaign last year at 215 pounds—one that included UKC and 5A East regional titles and a runner-up finish at the 5A state championship. Mathis returns with championship expectations and national-level credentials to back them up. The Lansing junior has an 87-6 record for his career with 64 pins, and has been a force since his freshman season, placing third at state in 2024 while sweeping conference and regional crowns. With all that success, Mathis has committed to wrestle at Oregon State, and also finished fifth at the 2025 U17 Men’s Freestyle Open, and earned Double All-American honors at the 2024 Fargo Junior Nationals.
 

VINCENT MATURO, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
Preseason No. 1 at 106

Maturo returns this season as one of the top lightweights in Class 5A after a breakout freshman campaign. Competing at 106 pounds, Maturo put together a strong 38-10 record with 19 pins, capturing an EKL championship and finishing as the 5A state runner-up. At last year’s state tournament, Maturo rattled off three impressive victories—highlighted by a semifinal pin over Newton’s Noah Vela—before falling in the finals to Goddard standout Oscar Gauna. Now competing at 120 pounds, Maturo will try for his second straight state medal.
 

ZACKRY MOSIER, ARKANSAS CITY
 
Preseason No. 1 at 120
 
With the two state finalists in his weight class moving to 132, Mosier inherits the top spot in the 5A preseason rankings at 120 after finishing third at state as a freshman. Mosier, who lost to eventual champion Trevor Christenson of Basehor-Linwood in the semifinals, rebounded to defeat 2024 state champion Braxton Moody of Valley Center 13-2 in the third-place match. That completed a 37-13 season for Mosier that included runner-up finishes at Rose Hill and Chanute’s SEK invitationals as well as the 5A West regional.
 

TEAGUE MUNSON, ARKANSAS CITY
 
Preseason No. 2 at 106
 
One of three returning state medalists for the Bulldogs, Munson finished third in 5A at 106 pounds as a freshman. After dropping his state quarterfinal match to eventual champion Oscar Gauna of Goddard, Munson won four backside matches – two by pins – and defeated Basehor-Linwood’s Grant Taylor 10-1 in his final match to end the season 33-13. Gauna also sent Munson into the consolation bracket at the 5A West regional, where he finished fourth. Munson’s tournament highlights included a first-place finish at the SEK Invitational and runner-up at the Derby Invitational.
 

 
ABRAM OWINGS, SALINA CENTRAL
 
Preseason No. 2 at 175
 
Owings, a senior, made a big splash on the opening day of last season’s Class 5A tournament, defeating top-ranked Kade Smith of Hutchinson in the quarterfinals. He made a bigger splash the following day, scoring a 4-1 sudden victory over Great Bend’s Jace Schartz to win the 5A 165-pound title. Owings, who posted his 100^th career victory in the opening round, finished with a 31-9 record and his second state medal. As a sophomore, Owings took fourth in 5A at 150 pounds, losing to eventual champion Jacob Goodwin of Goddard in the quarters. He also qualified for state as a freshman at 132, bowing out in the blood round after winning his debut match.
 

 
DEMARUS PARTEE, PITTSBURG
 
Preseason No. 3 at 175

Partee enters his final season with one goal in mind: finishing on top of the podium. A two-time state runner-up at 175 pounds, the Pittsburg senior is coming off a 42-5 campaign that saw him reach the Class 5A championship match before dropping a tight 4-2 decision to Blue Valley Southwest’s Tad Forsyth. Now up at 190 pounds, the three-time state qualifier brings a career record of 110-30 with an impressive 70 falls. 
 

CAEL PUDERBAUGH, BASEHOR-LINWOOD
 
Preseason No. 1 at 138

Puderbaugh returns this winter looking to build on a breakout sophomore campaign that ended with a Class 5A state championship at 132 pounds. The Basehor-Linwood junior bulldozed his way through last year’s state tournament, stacking up two falls and two major decisions, capped by a dominant title-match win over Andover’s Luke Potter. Now moving up to 138 pounds, Puderbaugh brings a 73-16 career record and plenty of momentum. He also owns a sixth-place state medal from his freshman season at 126. 
 

COOPER REVES, SALINA CENTRAL
 
Preseason No. 1 at 215
 
After leading Salina Central to the Class 5A football championship, Reves, a senior, begins his quest for a third consecutive state wrestling title. His 4-0 decision over Lansing’s Elijah Mathis capped a 36-2 season and gave him the 5A 190-pound title. Reves’ lone losses came to 6A champion Everett Joyce of Maize, as he won tournaments at Gardner Edgerton, Bishop Carroll, Newton, De Soto and the 5A West regional. Reves won his first 5A title as a sophomore, posting a 43-3 record that included a victory over Pittsburg’s DeMarus Partee in the state finals. Reves began his high school career at McPherson, posting a fifth-place state finish in Class 4A at 157 with a 30-5 record. 
 

JONNY RIGLER, HAYS
 
Preseason No. 1 at 190

A two-time state placer, Rigler capped his junior season with a third-place state medal at 190 pounds. Rigler lost to Valley Center’s Steel Schomaker in the quarterfinals before winning four straight matches on the backside of the bracket to complete a 32-10 season. He avenged the loss to Schomaker in the third-place bout. Rigler also had a memorable state tournament as a sophomore, upsetting Goddard’s Zach Wessley in the 175 quarterfinals and ultimately placing sixth. Rigler is ranked No. 1 at 190 pounds.
 

CAL SCHARTZ, GREAT BEND
 
Preseason unranked

Schartz delivered an impressive freshman campaign last season, finishing fourth at 113 pounds. He lost to Hutchinson’s Cruz Cannon in the quarterfinals then made his way to the third-place match before dropping a decision to Newton’s Wade Stubbs.  Schartz finished with a 35-11 record. Another highlight for Schartz was winning his division at the Hoisington Corner Classic. Schartz is ranked No. 6 in the all-class rankings at 120. 
 

WADE STUBBS, NEWTON
 
Preseason No. 2 at 113
 
Stubbs capped his freshman season with a solid state tournament debut, finishing third in 5A at 113 pounds. After getting pinned by eventual champion Jayden Grijalva of Goddard in the quarterfinals, Stubbs rolled through four consolation matches, the last a 7-2 decision over Great Bend’s Cal Schartz that completed a 35-14 season. Another of his backside victories avenged a regional loss to Hutchinson’s Cruz Cannon. Stubbs collected a first-place finish at the Valley Center December Pools tournament, then added a series of third-place finishes at Douglass, the KC Stampede, Dodge City and Rose Hill tournaments before doing the same at regionals and state. 
 

 
GRANT TAYLOR, BASEHOR-LINWOOD
 
Preseason No. 2 at 120

Taylor finished 30-12 last year, racking up an impressive 19 pins and claiming a United Kansas Conference title. His postseason run included a trip to the state semifinals, where he fell to Goddard’s Oscar Gauna before battling back to secure fourth place overall at the 5A tournament. He will wrestle at 120 pounds this season and will look to build on a strong freshman campaign.
 

 
EMERSON TJADEN, DE SOTO
 
Preseason No. 2 at 165

Tjaden returns this winter as one of Class 5A’s top contenders after a breakout sophomore campaign. Tjaden tore through the 150-pound field last season, posting a 40-3 record with 24 falls and reaching the state championship match. His run ended just shy of gold in a hard-fought 4-1 overtime loss to Bishop Carroll standout Brady Duling. Already an 87-8 career wrestler, The De Soto junior has been a force since his freshman year, when he medaled with a third-place finish at 138 pounds. He is also a 2-time United Kansas Conference champion. 
 

BENJAMIN TRAW, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
Preseason No. 1 at 285

Traw returns this winter as one of Kansas’ top big men after completing a memorable rise from state qualifier to 5A state champion in just a year’s time. Traw finished last season 30-5, claiming the 285-pound title with back-to-back 1-0 decisions, including a tense championship win over Andover Central's Dawson Rodd. A two-time EKL runner-up, Traw enters his senior year with a 62-15 career record and a steady trend of improvement that makes him one of the top heavyweights in Class 5A.
 

 
ERIC VIELHAUER, BASEHOR-LINWOOD
 
Preseason No. 1 at 126

Vielhauer enters this season ready to build on a breakout sophomore campaign. Last year, the Basehor-Linwood sophomore put together a 30-9 record with 18 pins at 113 pounds and delivered his best wrestling on the biggest stage. He edged Hutchinson’s Cruz Cannon 5-4 in a gritty semifinal battle at state before finishing as the 5A runner-up after a tough championship match against Goddard’s Jayden Grijalva. Along with his state medal, Vielhauer also claimed a United Kansas Conference title. He will wrestle at 126 pounds this season.