For decades, California has been recognized as one of the nation’s premier high school wrestling states. The release of Billy Buckheit’s Final 2026 High School on SI National Wrestling Rankings once again reinforces that reputation, revealing a level of statewide depth unmatched by nearly every wrestling state in America.

California finished the season with 58 nationally recognized wrestlers, including 51 nationally ranked athletes and 10 Honorable Mention selections, spanning every weight class from 106 to heavyweight. Even more impressive is the breadth of schools and CIF sections represented, illustrating that elite wrestling talent extends far beyond a handful of powerhouse programs.

While California’s single-class CIF State Championship has long been regarded as one of the most difficult tournaments in the country, these rankings provide additional evidence that success in California often means competing against nationally ranked opponents week after week throughout the regular season.

California’s Elite Schools

Twenty-two California high schools produced nationally recognized wrestlers, but several programs clearly separated themselves from the rest.

School	Nationally Ranked	Honorable Mention	Total
Buchanan	7	2	9
St. John Bosco	6	1	7
Clovis North	3	1	4
Clovis	4	1	5
Esperanza	3	0	3
Poway	4	1	5
Gilroy	3	2	5
Birmingham	3	0	3
Oakdale	1	2	3
Pitman	2	1	3

No school in the nation may have demonstrated greater overall depth than Buchanan High School, which placed nine wrestlers among the national rankings. The Bears were led by No. 1-ranked Ashton Besmer (132 pounds) and featured nationally ranked wrestlers across five different weight classes.

St. John Bosco continued its rapid rise as a national power with seven nationally recognized wrestlers, including four Top-10 athletes:

• Luke Loren (#2, 106)
• Jesse Grajeda (#6, 144)
• Michael Romero (#2, 150)
• Isai Fernandez (#7, 175)

Traditional powers Clovis, Clovis North, Poway, and Gilroy again demonstrated why they remain annual national contenders by placing multiple wrestlers in the rankings.

CIF Central Section Again Sets the National Standard

No CIF section in California came close to matching the depth of the Central Section, which produced an astounding 24 nationally recognized wrestlers.

National Rankings by CIF Section

CIF Section	Ranked [top 30]	HM	Total
Central (CS)	21	3	24
Southern (S)	17	4	21
Central Coast (CC)	6	2	8
Sac-Joaquin (SJ)	4	3	7
San Diego (SD)	4	2	6
Los Angeles (LA)	2	0	2
North Coast (NC)	2	1	3
Northern (N)	1	0	1

The Central Section’s remarkable performance is hardly surprising considering it is home to perennial national powers Buchanan, Clovis, Clovis North, and Reedley. Together, those programs continue to produce nationally elite wrestlers at an extraordinary rate.

The Southern Section finished a strong second with 21 nationally recognized athletes, led by powerhouse St. John Bosco, Esperanza, Valencia, Fountain Valley, Sultana, and perennial heavyweight contender JW North.

Meanwhile, the Central Coast Section showcased its traditional technical excellence through programs like Gilroy, Bellarmine Prep, Los Gatos, Everett Alvarez, and Palma.

The Sac-Joaquin Section continued to prove its growing strength with nationally ranked wrestlers from Folsom, Chavez, Pitman, and Oakdale.

California’s National Leaders

California placed wrestlers inside the national Top 10 in virtually every weight class.

Among the state’s highest-ranked wrestlers were:

• Ashton Besmer (Buchanan) — #1 at 132 pounds
• Moses Mendoza (Gilroy) — #1 at 138 pounds
• Luke Loren (St. John Bosco) — #2
• Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan) — #2
• Samuel Sanchez (Esperanza) — #2
• Michael Romero (St. John Bosco) — #2
• Coby Merrill (JW North) — #2
• Aiden Talavera (Reedley) — #3
• Slava Shahbazyan (Birmingham) — #3

In total, California produced:

• 2 National No. 1 wrestlers
• 5 National No. 2 wrestlers
• 2 National No. 3 wrestlers
• Numerous additional Top-10 athletes across nearly every weight class

Few states can match that level of elite representation from top to bottom.

Elite Depth Across Every Weight Class

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the rankings is California’s consistency throughout the lineup.

California produced nationally recognized wrestlers in all 14 weight classes, often placing multiple athletes among the nation’s best.

Several divisions featured four or more nationally recognized Californians:

• 106 pounds — 5
• 113 pounds — 4
• 120 pounds — 5
• 126 pounds — 5
• 132 pounds — 6
• 138 pounds — 5
• 144 pounds — 4
• 150 pounds — 4
• 175 pounds — 4
• 190 pounds — 4
• 215 pounds — 5

That level of depth illustrates the unique challenge of advancing through California’s postseason. Many wrestlers must defeat multiple nationally ranked opponents simply to qualify for the CIF State Championships before facing another nationally elite field in Bakersfield.

The Significance of California’s Single-Class Championship

Unlike many states that crown multiple state champions across enrollment divisions, California awards only one CIF State Champion per weight class.

As a result, nationally ranked wrestlers routinely eliminate one another throughout league championships, section tournaments, Masters Meets, and the CIF State Championships.

Billy Buckheit’s final rankings reinforce what wrestling observers have recognized for years: California’s single-class format consistently produces one of the nation’s deepest and most competitive postseason tournaments.

It is not unusual for nationally ranked wrestlers to finish outside the state medal stand, while future NCAA All-Americans and national champions often emerge from California’s brutally competitive bracket.

A State Built on Depth

While Buchanan, St. John Bosco, Clovis, Clovis North, Poway, and Gilroy continue to dominate the national conversation, the rankings reveal a broader story.

Twenty-two schools from eight CIF sections earned national recognition. Programs from Reedley to Folsom, Esperanza to Oakdale, Birmingham to Liberty-Brentwood, and Los Gatos to Everett Alvarez all contributed to California’s remarkable national footprint.

That widespread excellence is what truly separates California from nearly every other wrestling state. Elite wrestlers are not concentrated in one region—they are developed across the entire state.

When the final national rankings were released, California wasn’t represented by just a few stars. It showcased an entire ecosystem of nationally competitive programs, outstanding coaches, and exceptional athletes.

The numbers tell the story:

• 58 nationally recognized wrestlers
• 22 schools represented
• Eight CIF sections represented
• Two No. 1 nationally ranked wrestlers
• Seven wrestlers ranked No. 2 or better
• Nationally ranked athletes in every weight class

Those figures are more than statistics—they are a testament to the unparalleled depth of California high school wrestling and another reminder why the Golden State continues to set the benchmark for excellence on the national stage.

CALIFORNIA WRESTLERS RANKED IN THE TOP 30 / HONORABLE MENTION

• 106 – Luke Loren [St. John Bosco, S] #2
• 106 – Aiden Talavera [Reedley, CS] #3
• 106 – Tyler Sweet [Clovis North, CS] #4
• 106 – Giovani Suarez [Esperanza, S] #26
• 106 – Frank Fuentes [Chavez, SJ] #29
• 113 – Michael Bernabe [Clovis, CS] #4
• 113 – Thales Silva [Buchanan, CS] #6
• 113 – Jax Vang [Buchanan, CS] #13
• 113 – Kingston Cruzat [Folsom, SJ] HM
• 120 – Rocklin Zinkin [Buchanan, CS] #2
• 120 – Antony Garza [Clovis, CS] #12
• 120 – Max Murillo [Esperanza, S] #14
• 120 – Thiago Silva [Buchanan, CS] #15
• 120 – Aiden Garcia [Palma, CC] #21
• 126 – Samuel Sanchez [Esperanza, S] #2
• 126 – Henry Askikyan [Birmingham, LA] #4
• 126 – Siraj Sidhu [Clovis North, CS] #10
• 126 – Thunder Lewis [Del Norte, NC] HM
• 126 – Sean Wilcox [St. John Bosco, S] HM
• 132 – Ashton Besmer [Buchanan CS] #1
• 132 – Arno Vardanyan [Birmingham, S] #4
• 132 – Antonio Rodriguez [Los Gatos, CC] #7
• 132 – Slater Hicks [Valencia, S] #8
• 132 – Paul Ruiz [Buchanan, CS] #10
• 132 – Nathan Carillo [St. John Bosco, S] #16
• 138 – Moses Mendoza [Gilroy, CC] #1
• 138 – Chris “CJ” Huerta [Buchanan, CS] #14
• 138.- Ray Rivera [Clovis, CS] #15
• 138 – Matthew Orbeta [Poway, SD] #16
• 138 – Cael Humphrey [Sultana, S] HM 
• 144 – Jesse Grajeda [St. John Bosco, S] #6
• 144 – Arseni Kikiniou [Poway, SD] #7
• 144 – Joseph Toscano [Buchanan, CS] HM
• 144 – Vinnie Gutierrez [Fountain Valley, S] HM
• 150 – Michael Romero [St. John Bosco, S] #2
• 150 – Ivan Arias [Buchanan, CS] #21
• 150 – Alias Raby [Anderson, N] #28
• 150 – Chris Arreola [Clovis North, CS] HM
• 157 – Christopher Creason [El Diamonte, CS] #14
• 157 – Tommy Holguin [Bellarmine Prep, CC] #25
• 165 – Slava Shahbazyan [Birmingham, LA] #3
• 165 – Jacob Perez [Everett Alvarez, CC] #11
• 165 – Kaleo Garcia [Gilroy, CC] #23
• 175 – Mario Carini [Poway, SD] #6
• 175 – Isai Fernandez [St. John Bosco, S] #7
• 175 – Travis Grace [Gilroy, CC] HM
• 175 – James Curoso [Clovis, CS] HM
• 190 – Jonathan Rocha [Clovis North, CS] #5
• 190 – Mason Ontiveros [Pitman, SJ] #9
• 190 – Mason Savidan [St. John Bosco, S] #30
• 190 – Dominic Dotson [Poway, SD] HM
• 215 – Daniel Moyan [Poway, SD] #6
• 215 – David Calkins [Liberty-Brentwood, NC] #18
• 215 – Wes Burford [Oakdale, SJ] #19
• 215 – Carter Vannest [Pitman, SJ] HM
• 215 – Brian Haran [Gilroy, CC] HM
• 285 – Coby Merrill [JW North, S] #2
• 285 – Matthew Cooley [Oakdale, SJ] HM

Photos courtesy of John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com

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