California wrestling has long served as a launching pad for athletes who aspire to compete on the biggest stages in the sport. From the CIF State Championships to NCAA Division I podiums and international competition, the pathway is demanding, unforgiving, and reserved for the elite.

At the 2026 U23 Pan American Championships held in Lima, Peru, two former California high school stars demonstrated exactly what that pathway can produce.

Former Poway standout Noah Tolentino and former St. John Bosco star Nicco Ruiz represented the United States with distinction, helping power Team USA to the U23 Pan American Freestyle Championship. Their combined gold and silver medal performances generated crucial team points as the Americans rolled to a dominant team title with 245 points, finishing well ahead of Puerto Rico (158) and Canada (133).

2026 U23 Pan American Championships – Freestyle Team Scores

1. United States – 245.0
2. Puerto Rico – 158.0
3. Canada – 133.0
4. Peru – 117.0
5. Brazil – 112.0

While Ruiz climbed to the top of the podium with a gold medal and Tolentino earned silver, their performances represented more than individual success. They were instrumental in Team USA’s championship effort and served as the latest chapter in California’s long tradition of producing wrestlers capable of excelling at every level of the sport.

California Foundations

Both wrestlers emerged from two of California’s premier high school programs.

Tolentino developed at Poway High School, one of the nation’s most respected wrestling programs. During his prep career, he placed third at the CIF State Championships in 2022 and captured a prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions title. Wrestling in California’s single-class state tournament meant battling through one of the toughest qualification systems in the country, where every weight class funnels the state’s best athletes into one bracket.

Those experiences helped shape a wrestler capable of thriving on bigger stages and ultimately contributing to an international championship team.

Ruiz’s high school resume was even more decorated. Competing for St. John Bosco, he became one of the nation’s premier recruits. Ruiz was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally, won the Super 32 Championship, earned multiple Fargo All-American honors in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, and compiled one of the most impressive CIF careers of the modern era.

His state tournament achievements included:

• CIF State Champion (2022)
• CIF State Champion (2023)
• Third Place CIF State (2020)
• Three-time CIF Southern Section Champion

By the time he graduated, Ruiz had already established himself as one of California’s most accomplished wrestlers.

Success Carries Into College

The transition from high school stardom to NCAA Division I success often proves difficult. Yet both athletes have continued to elevate their careers.

At Oregon State, Tolentino has steadily developed into one of the nation’s top competitors, placing third at the Pac-12 Championships and establishing himself among the country’s best at 65 kilograms.

Ruiz’s rise has been even more dramatic.

Competing for Arizona State, Ruiz earned NCAA Division I All-American honors in 2026 and captured the Big 12 Championship, validating the expectations that surrounded him throughout his prep career.

For both wrestlers, collegiate success became the bridge connecting California achievement with international opportunity.

Pan American Excellence Powers Team USA

With a continental championship on the line, both former California stars delivered exactly what Team USA needed.

Every victory, technical fall, and podium finish contributed valuable points toward the United States’ pursuit of the team title. By tournament’s end, Tolentino and Ruiz had played significant roles in helping the Americans separate themselves from the field and secure the U23 Pan American Freestyle Championship.

Competing at 65 kilograms, Tolentino immediately showcased the offensive style that made him successful in California and collegiate wrestling.

Noah Tolentino (65 kg) – Silver Medal

• Technical Fall over Jose Benites Vasquez (Peru), 10-0
• Technical Fall over Donovan Neudorf (Canada), 10-0
• Victory over Omar Ayoub (Puerto Rico), 13-7
• Silver Medalist

Tolentino’s impressive run to the finals delivered valuable team points and provided a significant boost to Team USA’s championship total. His silver-medal performance further demonstrated his continued growth from CIF State medalist to international contender.

At 74 kilograms, Ruiz delivered one of the most dominant performances of the entire tournament.

Nicco Ruiz (74 kg) – Gold Medal

• Technical Fall over Jesus Castillo Saez (Peru), 10-0
• Technical Fall over Dilan Fuentes Silva (Chile), 10-0
• Technical Fall over Kydyn Luk Correa Lima (Brazil), 10-0
• Gold-Medal Victory over Rafael Garcia Morales (Puerto Rico), 12-1

Ruiz outscored his opponents by a staggering 42-1 margin while recording four consecutive technical falls. More importantly, he secured maximum team points for the United States, helping the Americans build an insurmountable lead in the team standings.

His performance stood among the most dominant of the tournament and reinforced his status as one of the nation’s premier young freestyle wrestlers.

California’s Impact on International Success

The success of Tolentino and Ruiz is not an isolated story. Rather, it reflects the strength of California wrestling as a whole.

Both athletes navigated the state’s demanding single-class system, where future NCAA champions, All-Americans, and international competitors often collide long before reaching college. Their achievements at the U23 Pan American Championships demonstrate how California’s toughest weekends often become preparation for the world’s biggest stages.

More importantly, they showed how California-developed wrestlers continue to play critical roles in Team USA’s success on the international scene.

For Tolentino, the silver medal represents another step forward in an already impressive career that has progressed from Poway High School to Oregon State and now to the international podium.

For Ruiz, the gold medal further validates a journey that has included CIF state titles, national rankings, Fargo success, NCAA All-American honors, a Big 12 championship, and now international gold.

Together, they did more than win medals.

They helped propel the United States to the 2026 U23 Pan American Freestyle Championship, combining for a gold medal, a silver medal, and a series of dominant performances that generated crucial team points throughout the tournament.

Their success serves as another reminder that California wrestling remains one of the nation’s premier developmental pipelines. The names may change from generation to generation, but the formula remains the same: elite preparation produces elite performers.

And in 2026, Noah Tolentino and Nicco Ruiz once again proved that California wrestlers are capable of helping Team USA stand atop the international podium.

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