By Al Fontes

2020 didn’t just happen—it hit. The COVID pandemic upended daily life across the globe, rewriting routines, reshaping priorities, and forcing a rapid rethinking of how we work, learn, and live. Uncertainty became the backdrop; disruption, the norm. For my family, that year marked more than what the world lost—it defined what we chose to begin. After 30 years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, my wife and I stepped away from our careers, packed up a lifetime of memories, and headed to Idaho in search of a new chapter.

I didn’t arrive empty-handed.

For more than three decades—alongside career and family—I had been immersed in wrestling, coaching and promoting the sport across California through outlets like California Wrestler Newsletter, Wrestling USA, and WIN Magazine. My plan was simple: step back from promotion, recharge, and return to coaching and mentoring.

Idaho had other plans.

Within weeks of arriving, my phone rang. On the other end was nationally respected writer Mike Finn of WIN Magazine, asking a simple question: did I have interest in covering Idaho wrestling? I hesitated. Jumping right back in wasn’t part of the blueprint. But his suggestion—start with an introductory piece—was enough.

So, I went to work.

I connected with trusted voices across the state and began mapping the landscape. What emerged was unmistakable: Idaho wasn’t lacking talent—it was rich with it. What it lacked was exposure.

That realization became the spark.

Conversations turned into insight, insight into stories, and stories into purpose. The Hidden Gems and TIER ONE series was born—rooted in disruption, driven by discovery, and sustained by a simple mission: bring visibility to athletes who had earned it.

The distinction is clear.

Hidden Gems shines a light on overlooked wrestlers—those still flying under the radar of college programs. TIER ONE captures the moment of arrival—athletes already navigating the recruiting pipeline, making commitments, and preparing for the next level. Structurally similar, their purpose separates them.

Fast forward to April 2026, and what began as a single conversation has grown into sustained momentum. I’m approaching my 50th feature—each one a reflection of Idaho’s depth and the stories too often left untold. Next up: Bishop Kelly’s Jake Mescher, whose journey on the mat and in the classroom continues to raise the standard.

And the numbers tell the story.

This is not a list—it’s a statement. Across Idaho’s mats, from small-town rooms to 6A powerhouses, this collective of TIER ONE standouts and Hidden Gems represents a surge of talent that demands recognition. Headlined by proven producers like Jake Mescher, Drake Morrison, Ryan Hirchert, and Ivan Ivanov—and reinforced by depth in athletes such as Mack Mauger, Aden Attao, Hudson Rogers, and Jadon Skellenger—this group is built on results, not projection.

The metrics are definitive: 136 state medals, 88 titles, and 153 All-American honors. Twelve national champions have already proven their ability to win on the sport’s biggest stages. These athletes don’t just compete locally—they travel, they place, and they bring hardware home, from Fargo to international competition. Wrestlers like Attao, Martino, Jones, and Skellenger are pushing beyond national borders, stepping onto the world stage.

And it doesn’t stop on the mat.

More than 30 athletes have committed across NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA programs. The classroom tells the same story: a 3.7 average GPA, double-digit 4.0 students, and a strong National Honor Society presence—evidence that discipline extends well beyond competition. On the girls’ side, the rise is just as real, led by accomplished collegiate All-Americans like Alyssa Randles and Joely Slyter.

This isn’t a moment—it’s a movement.

Idaho wrestling isn’t coming. It’s already here.

And what follows isn’t just a snapshot—it’s the foundation of what’s next.

TIER ONE WRESTLERS (Boys)

• Jake Mescher (Bishop Kelly, 5A) 
• Drake Morrison (Malad, 3A) 
• Ryan Hirchert (Nampa, 5A)
• Nathan Gugelman II (American Falls, 4A)
• Ivan Ivanov (Eagle/Suples WC)
• Kaden MacKenzie (Fruitland, 4A)
• Boden Banta (South Fremont, 4A) 
• Hudson Rogers (Meridian, 6A)
• Hoyt Hvass (Lewiston, 5A) 
• Jaxton Packer (South Fremont, 4A)
• Tanner Frothinger (Eagle, 6A)
• Dedrick Navarro (Nampa, 6A)
• Aden Attao (Borah, 6A)
• Mack Mauger (Blackfoot, 4A) 
• Jadon Skellenger (Bishop Kelly, 5A)

HIDDEN GEMS (Boys)

• Ian Avalos (Mountain View, 6A)
• Sean Hall (Canyon Ridge, 6A)
• Saxton Scott (Idaho Falls, 6A)
• Wallace Durfee (Declo, 3A)
• Jeremiah Gonzalez (Meridian, 6A)
• Tyson Barnhart (Post Falls, 6A)
• Aiden McGinnis (Mountain View, 6A)
• Jake Castagneto (Bishop Kelly, 5A)
• Bowen Brunson (Buhl, 3A)
• Riley Brunson (Buhl, 3A)
• Talen Eck (Thunder Ridge, 6A)
• Treygen Morin (Ridgevue, 4A)
• Shilo Jones (Mountain View, 6A)
• Manual Valdez (Bishop Kelly, 5A) 
• Carlos Valdez (Biship Kelly, 5A)
• Gabriel Rosales (Mountain Home, 4A)
• Daniel Rosales (Mountain Home, 4A)
• Carson Exferd (Nampa, 6A)
• Kolter Burton (American Falls, 3A)
• Matthew Martino (Bishop Kelly, 4A) 
• Jason Mara (Meridian, 6A)

HIDDEN GEMS (Girls)

• Keanna Conrad (Blackfoot)
• Caddy Tverdy (Garden Valley)
• Zoe Fries (Kuna)
• Elise Twait (Meridian)
• Amie Hartman (Mountain Home)
• Joely Slyter (Lewiston) 
• Clare Waite (Boise)
• Maria Sifuentes (Columbia)
• Alyssa Randles (Coeur d’Alene) 
• Mia Furman (Rocky Mountain)

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN OF THE 46 HIDDEN GEMS/TIER ONE WRESTLERS

IDAHO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ACCOLADES

• Combined number of state medals: 136
• Combined number of individual state titles: 88 
• 4x State Champions – 5  (Exferd – Randles – Mauger – Burton – Mara)
• 3x State Champions – 8
• 2x State Champions – 18 
• 1x State Champions – 8

ALL-AMERICAN ACCOLADES

• Combined All-American Honors (Fargo, Folkstyle, NHSCA, etc.): 153
• Individual National Champions (Fargo, Folkstyle, NHSCA, etc.): 12
• Mack Mauger (Blackfoot): 8
• Aden Attao (Borah): 5
• Ivan Ivanov (Eagle/Suples WC): 3
• Hudson Rogers (Meridian): 3
• Kolter Burton (American Falls/Century): 2
• Jason Mara (Meridian): 2
• Jake Mescher (Bishop Kelly): 1
• Amie Hartman (Mountain Home): 1
• Shilo Jones (Mountain View): 1
• Matthew Martino (Bishop Kelly): 1
• Joely Slyter (Lewiston): 1
• Carson Exferd (Nampa): 1

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL ACCOLADES

Age Group Pan American Gold Medalists: 4

• Aden Attao (Borah): 4
• Matthew Martino (Bishop Kelly): 2
• Jadon Skellenger (Bishop Kelly): 2
• Shilo Jones (Mountain View): 1

Age Group World Medalist/World Team Members (Greco)

• Aden Attao (Borah): Bronze (2x)
• Jaden Skellenger (Bishop Kelly): Gold (1x)
• Shilo Jones (Mountain View): 1x

COLLEGE COMMITS

• NCAA Division I (Men’s Division): 15
• NCAA Division II (Men’s Division): 2
• NCAA Division III (Men’s Division): 2
• NAIA (Men’s Division): 9
• NJCAA (Men’s Division): 2
• NCAA Division III (Women’s Division): 1
• NAIA (Women’s Division): 6
• PENDING COMMITS: 6

ACADEMIC ACCOLADES

• Average GPA: 3.7
• Total number of GPAs 4.0 or higher: 12
• Highest GPA: Nate Gugelman II (4.3) | Jake Mesher (4.27)
• Number of wrestlers in the National Honors Society: 14 (nearly 1/3)

What comes next is even better. The next wave of Hidden Gems and TIER ONE wrestlers across Idaho is already rising—and I’ll be there to tell their stories. Not long ago, I couldn’t have imagined this chapter or the road that led me here. But documenting these exceptional student-athletes has become more than a pursuit—it’s a calling. It’s been an honor to meet so many outstanding student-athletes, along with their families and coaches, and to witness firsthand the commitment and character that define them. It’s a privilege to capture their grind, their growth, and the standard they’re setting. And I’m fully committed to shining a light on Idaho’s next generation of leaders—wherever the sport, and life, take them.

Photo images: TIER ONE, IDUSA Wrestling, Suples WC.