The Next Phase in Identifying California’s Top 100 Wrestlers

The journey through Phase 2 of the California Top 100 Wrestlers project now moves to TIER 2 — Olympic & Senior-Level World Team Members, a group representing another extraordinary level of achievement in the history of California wrestling.

If TIER 1 represents the international elite—California wrestlers who reached the highest levels of Olympic, Senior World or other recognized senior-level United World Wrestling competition and earned an Olympic or Senior World-level medal—TIER 2 recognizes wrestlers who reached that same international stage but did not capture an Olympic or Senior World medal.

For purposes of this project, TIER 2 eligibility includes wrestlers who represented their country on an Olympic Team or Senior World Championship Team, as well as wrestlers who were officially designated as Olympic Team alternates following the final national Olympic selection process. An official Olympic alternate is considered to have met the Olympic-level threshold for TIER 2 because that designation demonstrates that the wrestler advanced through the highest level of the country’s Olympic selection process and emerged as the next athlete in that Olympic position.

Understanding the TIER System

Before examining the wrestlers in TIER 2, it is important to establish what the TIER system is—and what it is not.

The TIER system is not a ranking from best to worst. It is a method of stratifying an exceptionally large historical data set according to the level and nature of accomplishments achieved by California wrestlers.

The California Top 100 project began with the recognition that the depth of wrestling talent produced in California over the past several decades is simply too extensive to evaluate effectively through a conventional ranking system alone. The research database encompasses a remarkable number of wrestlers and their accomplishments dating back to the inaugural CIF State Wrestling Championships in 1973.

The purpose of the TIER structure is therefore to organize that enormous body of information into meaningful levels of achievement so that careers can be studied, compared and discussed within an appropriate historical context.

A tier represents a level or category of accomplishment. It does not establish an absolute ranking of one wrestler over another.

This distinction is particularly important because wrestling careers develop along very different pathways. Some athletes reach the Olympic Games. Others become NCAA champions or multiple-time All-Americans. Some achieve extraordinary success in the community college system, while others establish themselves primarily through exceptional high school careers. Still others excel internationally without following the traditional California high school-to-NCAA pathway.

The tier system allows those different pathways to be organized without forcing every wrestler into a single linear ranking.

Tier classification identifies the level of accomplishment that most clearly distinguishes a wrestler within the historical data set, while final California Top 100 consideration evaluates the totality of the wrestler’s career.

Consequently, a wrestler’s placement in TIER 2 does not automatically mean he is historically more or less significant than every wrestler in TIER 3 or TIER 4. Likewise, a TIER 1 designation does not by itself establish a simple one-through-one-hundred ranking of all the athletes in the project.

The eventual objective remains to identify the wrestlers whose complete careers most distinguish them within this enormous historical population. The TIER structure is a tool for making that evaluation more manageable, transparent and historically meaningful.

The classifications presented in this series are based on the research currently compiled in the project’s historical database and remain subject to revision as additional records, accomplishments and historical documentation are identified.

TIER 2 Qualification Criteria

TIER 2 — Olympic & Senior-Level World Team Members includes California wrestlers who:

• Represented their country at the Olympic Games;
• Represented their country at a Senior World Championship; or
• Were officially designated as an Olympic Team alternate following the final national Olympic selection process.

The distinction from TIER 1 is primarily based on the highest level of senior international achievement.

TIER 1 is reserved for wrestlers who ultimately earned an Olympic or Senior World-level medal, or otherwise satisfied the project’s defined senior-level world-medal threshold.

TIER 2 recognizes wrestlers who reached the Olympic or Senior World team level—or the final Olympic selection stage as an official alternate—but did not earn an Olympic or Senior World medal.

Other elite international accomplishments—including World Cup, Pan American, European, World University and other UWW-level medals—remain important components of a wrestler’s complete résumé. They can strengthen a career considerably, but they do not independently override the primary TIER 1/TIER 2 distinction.

This approach allows the project to maintain a consistent methodology while recognizing the tremendous accomplishments that occur throughout an elite wrestling career.

The distinction between the two tiers can sometimes be extraordinarily narrow. A fourth-place Senior World or Olympic finish, for example, can place a wrestler only one victory from a medal. Likewise, an Olympic alternate may have advanced through the final selection process and finished immediately behind the athlete ultimately selected.

The separating factor is therefore not whether the wrestler was elite.

They were.

The distinction is primarily the highest demonstrated level of senior international achievement.

ERIC GUERRERO — Independence HS (CCS)

Among the most accomplished wrestlers in this group is Eric Guerrero, who emerged from Independence High School and established himself as one of California’s premier wrestlers before becoming a dominant force at Oklahoma State.

Guerrero was a three-time CIF State Champion and four-time state medalist, compiling a remarkable 3-1-1-1 state medal record. His high school accomplishments also included an NHSCA Senior High School National Championship and multiple national All-American honors. He continued that success internationally, becoming a Cadet World Gold Medalist in freestyle, a Junior National Champion and four-time Junior All-American in freestyle.

At Oklahoma State, Guerrero reached the highest level of collegiate wrestling, becoming a three-time NCAA Division I champion and four-time All-American. His senior international career further established him among the world’s elite. Guerrero competed in four World Championships, captured both World Cup Gold and World Cup Silver, and ultimately earned a place on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, representing the United States in freestyle.

Guerrero’s résumé demonstrates how narrow the distinction between TIER 1 and TIER 2 can be. His career included state championships, NCAA championships, national championships, a Cadet World title, multiple World Championship appearances, World Cup medals and Olympic competition. The distinguishing factor is that, despite reaching virtually every level of elite international wrestling, he did not capture a Senior World or Olympic medal.

JOHN AZEVEDO — Grace Davis HS (SJ)

Few California wrestlers have compiled a résumé as historically significant as John Azevedo. A two-time CIF State Champion at Grace Davis High School, Azevedo established himself as one of California’s premier wrestlers before continuing his success at the collegiate and international levels.

Azevedo became a Junior National Champion in freestyle and earned All-American recognition from both Wrestling USA Magazine and Amateur Wrestling News. At CSU Bakersfield, he captured an extraordinary three NCAA Division II championships, followed by an NCAA Division I championship and two Division I All-American honors.

His accomplishments ultimately earned him a place on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team in freestyle. However, Azevedo never had the opportunity to compete at the Games, as the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Two years later, he reached another extraordinary level of international distinction, placing fourth at the 1982 World Championships in freestyle.

That fourth-place World Championship finish is particularly significant. Azevedo came within one victory of a Senior World medal, illustrating just how narrow the distinction between TIER 1 and TIER 2 can become at the highest levels of the sport.

Although he did not earn an Olympic or Senior World medal, his Olympic Team selection and fourth-place World Championship finish, combined with his extraordinary collegiate career, place him firmly among the elite wrestlers represented in TIER 2.

DAN HENDERSON — Victor Valley (S)

Dan Henderson represents one of the most accomplished Greco-Roman careers in this group. A two-time CIF State medalist from Victor Valley, Henderson went on to become a two-time Junior National Champion, winning titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

His senior career was particularly distinguished. Henderson became a three-time U.S. Senior Greco-Roman National Champion, a World University Championships champion and a Pan American medalist, earning gold, silver and bronze medals during his international career.

He represented the United States on two Senior World teams and competed in two Olympic Games, representing the United States in 1992 and 1996.

Henderson’s career demonstrates the longevity, versatility and international consistency required to remain among the world’s elite across multiple Olympic cycles.

MARK FULLER — Lincoln HS (SJ)

Mark Fuller of Lincoln High School in the Sac-Joaquin Section reached the international stage through an outstanding Greco-Roman career.

Fuller was a two-time CIF State medalist, placing fourth and third, before becoming a two-time Junior World Champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. He also captured both Pan American gold and silver medals and earned the distinction of representing the United States on four Olympic teams.

His international résumé places him among the most accomplished Greco-Roman wrestlers produced by California.

Fuller’s career also underscores an important principle of the California Top 100 project: a wrestler’s historical significance cannot be determined solely by the number of high school state championships on his résumé. His two CIF State medals were only the beginning of a career that ultimately carried him onto wrestling’s biggest international stages.

DAN CHAID — Gunderson HS (CCS)

Dan Chaid was a three-time CIF State medalist and two-time state champion from Gunderson High School. He also earned three Junior All-American honors in freestyle and Greco-Roman before continuing his career at the University of Oklahoma.

At Oklahoma, Chaid became an NCAA Division I champion and four-time All-American. He then captured a Junior World Championship in freestyle, demonstrating that his success extended well beyond the collegiate level.

Chaid’s career ultimately reached the final stage of the Olympic selection process when he was designated the 1996 Olympic Team alternate in freestyle.

Under the criteria established for this project, an officially designated Olympic Team alternate following the final Olympic selection process meets the TIER 2 Olympic-level threshold, even though the wrestler did not ultimately compete at the Olympic Games.

Chaid therefore provides an important example of the project’s Olympic-alternate criterion: a wrestler who did not compete in the Games but nevertheless reached the final level of Olympic selection after establishing himself as an NCAA champion and Junior World champion.

TIM VANNI — Monache HS (CS)

Tim Vanni represents another extraordinary example of sustained international excellence.

A two-time CIF State medalist from Monache High School, Vanni went on to become a five-time U.S. Senior National Champion in freestyle.

His senior career included three Pan American Games medals and two World Cup medals. Most significantly, Vanni became a two-time Olympian, competing at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where he finished fourth.

That fourth-place Olympic finish underscores how narrow the distinction between TIER 1 and TIER 2 can be. Vanni finished only one victory from an Olympic medal, demonstrating that TIER 2 includes wrestlers whose international careers came remarkably close to the podium.

AARON PICO — St. John Bosco (S)

Aaron Pico represents a distinctly different pathway to the TIER 2 level.

His high school career was remarkably brief but extraordinarily accomplished. Pico competed only one season at the prep level, going 42–0 as a freshman at St. John Bosco and winning a CIF State Championship. Despite competing for just one high school season, he quickly established himself as one of the most highly regarded young wrestlers in the United States.

His national résumé was exceptional, highlighted by two Cadet Fargo National Championships, a Cadet Folkstyle National Championship, a Junior Fargo National Championship, a Junior Folkstyle National Championship, a Doc Buchanan Invitational title and a Walsh Ironman Championship. He was also recognized as an ASICS First-Team All-American and Amateur Wrestling News First-Team All-American.

Perhaps even more remarkable was Pico’s ability, while still in high school, to compete successfully against established collegiate and senior-level talent. During this period, he defeated multiple NCAA All-Americans and national champions, including Jordan Oliver, Reece Humphrey, Zain Retherford and Jason Ness, and went 1–1 against eventual U.S. Olympian Frank Molinaro. Pico also defeated three-time NCAA Division III National Champion Nazar Kulchytskyy of UW-Oshkosh.

His victories also included international-caliber opponents, including David Safaryan of Armenia, a Senior World Champion, and two-time World bronze medalist Ganzorig Mandakhnaran of Mongolia.

Pico’s international accomplishments further distinguish his career. He became a Cadet World Champion and a two-time Junior World medalist, earning both a silver and bronze medal. In 2016, he advanced to the highest level of the U.S. Olympic selection process and was designated an Olympic Team alternate in freestyle.

Under the criteria of this project, reaching the final Olympic selection stage and earning official alternate status meets the TIER 2 Olympic-level threshold, even when the wrestler does not ultimately compete at the Games.

Pico’s extraordinary 42–0 freshman season and CIF State Championship, combined with his Cadet and Junior national titles, victories over established collegiate All-Americans and national champions, wins against Senior World-level opponents, international medals and advancement through the Olympic selection process, establish him as one of California’s most accomplished international-level wrestlers.

His career is an especially compelling example of how elite competitive performance can transcend the traditional high-school-to-college pathway.

QUINCY CLARK — Lincoln Prep (SD)

Quincy Clark of Lincoln Prep earned a CIF State medal, placing seventh, before becoming a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, competing for San Diego State and Oklahoma.

Clark’s greatest achievements came in Greco-Roman wrestling. He became a two-time Senior World Team member and a two-time Pan American silver medalist before earning selection to the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.

His career represents another example of the extraordinary transition from California high school wrestling to collegiate competition and ultimately international representation.

HEATH SIMS — Woodbridge HS (S)

Heath Sims was a two-time CIF State Champion at Woodbridge and continued his career at Cerritos College, where he became a 3C2A State Champion and two-time All-American.

Sims developed into one of the nation’s premier Greco-Roman wrestlers, becoming a seven-time national champion. His international accomplishments included a Pan American bronze medal and a U20 World silver medal.

His career culminated in selection to the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team in Greco-Roman.

Sims’ résumé is especially notable because it demonstrates the important role California’s community college system has played in developing athletes capable of advancing to the Olympic level.

BORIS NAVACHKOV — Fremont HS (CCS)

Boris Navachkov of Fremont High School was a two-time CIF State Champion who developed into a highly accomplished international competitor.

His high school career included NHSCA All-American recognition, followed by a Cadet National Championship and two Junior National Championships. He became a four-time Junior All-American and earned recognition from ASICS, Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling USA Magazine.

At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Navachkov became a three-time NCAA Division I All-American.

Internationally, he earned European Championship silver and bronze medals and ultimately represented Bulgaria at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Navachkov’s career reinforces the international nature of this project. The California Top 100 is focused on wrestlers whose formative careers were rooted in California, regardless of which nation they ultimately represented on the international stage.

MARCO SANCHEZ — Independence HS (CCS)

Marco Sanchez of Independence High School was a CIF State Champion and two-time state medalist, finishing fourth and first. He also became a Junior National Champion in Greco-Roman and a three-time Junior All-American in freestyle and Greco-Roman.

At Arizona State, Sanchez became a two-time NCAA Division I All-American.

His career ultimately led to Olympic competition, where he represented Puerto Rico at the 1996 Olympic Games.

Sanchez’s career reflects the exceptional depth of California’s wrestling talent during an era that produced numerous athletes capable of progressing from state-level success to NCAA and Olympic competition.

JONOVAN SMITH — Birmingham HS (LA)

Jonovan Smith provides one of the more recent examples of the TIER 2 pathway.

A CIF State finalist and two-time CIF State medalist from Birmingham High School in the LA City Section, Smith established himself as one of California’s top prep wrestlers, becoming a Junior Fargo National Champion and two-time Junior All-American.

He continued his development at Cerritos College, where he became a 3C2A State Champion and All-American.

Smith’s progression continued on the international stage. He earned Pan American silver and bronze medals and placed fifth at the UWW World Championships representing Puerto Rico.

He also demonstrated his versatility in Beach Wrestling, earning a bronze medal at the U23 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the UWW Beach Wrestling World Series event in Acapulco.

Smith ultimately reached the Olympic level as a 2024 Olympian for Puerto Rico.

His journey demonstrates that the road to Olympic competition can remain open well beyond high school, with continued development through the community college, national and international wrestling systems, including multiple UWW disciplines.

CRAIG SCHOENE — Crestmoor HS (CCS)

Craig Schoene of Crestmoor High School represents another generation of California wrestling excellence.

Schoene was a CIF State medalist and later became an NCAA Division II All-American at CSU Bakersfield.

His international accomplishments included a Pan American Greco-Roman championship and Senior World team representation.

His career adds another important name to the long list of California wrestlers who advanced from the state’s high school wrestling system to international competition.

TIER 1 vs. TIER 2

The wrestlers represented in TIER 2 demonstrate why the distinction between TIER 1 and TIER 2 can be extraordinarily narrow.

The difference is not whether these wrestlers were elite. They were.

The distinction is based primarily on the highest level of senior international achievement.

TIER 1 recognizes wrestlers who not only reached the international stage but ultimately earned an Olympic or Senior World-level medal, or otherwise satisfied the project’s defined senior-level world-medal threshold.

TIER 2 recognizes those who reached the Olympic or Senior World team level—including officially designated Olympic alternates who reached the final Olympic selection stage—but did not earn an Olympic or Senior World medal.

A wrestler’s other international accomplishments remain important. World Cup, Pan American, European, World University and other UWW-level medals can strengthen a résumé considerably and will be considered when evaluating the complete career.

However, those accomplishments do not independently override the primary distinction between the two tiers.

In many cases, the careers of TIER 2 wrestlers closely resemble those of TIER 1 athletes. They include state championships, NCAA championships, collegiate All-American honors, national championships, Junior World accomplishments, Senior National championships, international medals and Olympic competition.

The separating factor can sometimes be a single tournament, a single match or even a single moment.

That is precisely why the tiers should be viewed as historical strata rather than a simple ladder of better and worse wrestlers.

California’s Pipeline to the World

One of the most compelling themes emerging from the California Top 100 project is the remarkable pipeline created by the state’s wrestling community.

These careers span generations, weight classes and wrestling styles. They include freestyle and Greco-Roman, NCAA Division I and Division II champions, community college All-Americans, Junior World Champions, Senior National Champions, Pan American medalists and Olympic competitors.

They also demonstrate that California’s contribution to American wrestling cannot be measured solely by the number of CIF State Champions it has produced.

Some of these athletes were state champions. Others were state medalists. Some did not reach the CIF State podium at all. Yet they went on to compete at the highest levels of international wrestling.

That reality is central to the purpose of the California Top 100 project.

The goal is not simply to identify the most successful high school wrestlers. It is to identify wrestlers whose complete careers distinguish them within the extraordinary history of California wrestling.

The database reaches back to the 1973 inaugural CIF State Championships, providing more than five decades of California wrestling history for examination.

The diversity of the TIER 2 group also demonstrates that there is no single formula for reaching the international stage. California wrestlers have progressed through traditional high school and NCAA pathways, community colleges, different international styles and, in some cases, represented nations other than the United States.

That diversity is one of the defining characteristics of California wrestling history.

The Standard Continues to Rise

TIER 2 illustrates just how difficult it becomes to separate California’s greatest wrestlers as this project progresses.

A wrestler who wins a CIF State Championship has accomplished something extraordinary. A wrestler who becomes an NCAA Division I All-American has reached another level. An NCAA champion represents an even smaller group. A Senior National Champion enters an elite national fraternity.

An Olympic or Senior World team member moves into an international class occupied by only a tiny percentage of wrestlers.

And those who win Olympic or Senior World medals move into the even more exclusive territory represented by TIER 1.

The same principle applies to the Olympic selection process. Reaching the final Olympic selection stage and earning official alternate status does not carry the same distinction as competing at the Games, but it represents an extraordinary level of achievement and, under the methodology of this project, satisfies the Olympic-level threshold for TIER 2.

The wrestlers highlighted here are therefore not merely accomplished California wrestlers. They are Olympians, Senior World team members, Olympic alternates, national champions, NCAA champions, international medalists and world-class competitors whose careers helped establish California as one of the nation’s great wrestling states.

As Phase 2 continues, the standard will remain exceptionally high.

TIER 2 demonstrates that reaching the Olympic or Senior World stage—or advancing to the final Olympic selection stage as an official alternate—is itself a remarkable achievement.

TIER 1 demonstrates how rare it is to take the final step and stand on the podium.

But the tiers should not be viewed as a simple ladder of “better” and “worse.” They are a framework for stratifying the extraordinary depth of California wrestling talent, allowing more than five decades of accomplishments to be examined within meaningful historical categories.

Ultimately, the California Top 100 project is not difficult because California lacks enough great wrestlers.

It is difficult because California has produced far more elite wrestlers than 100 names can adequately represent.

TIER 2 — OLYMPIC & SENIOR LEVEL WORLD TEAM MEMBERS 

138 – Eric Guerrero (Independence, CC), 1995

• 3x CIF State Champion | 4x Medalist (3,1,1,1)
• NHSCA Senior HS National Champion (OW)
• 3x ASICS All-American Second Team | First Team (2x)
• Amateur Wrestling News All-American 
• Wrestling USA Magazine All-American (Dream Team)
• 2x Cadet All-American (FS/GR)
• Junior National Champion | 4x All-American (FS)
• Cadet World Gold Medalist (FS)
• Competed in 4 World Championships 
• World Cup Gold Medalist
• World Cup Silver Medalist
• 3x NCAA Division I National Champion | 4x All-American (Oklahoma State)
• 2004 Olympic Team Member (FS)

112 – John Azevedo (Grace Davis HS, SJ), 1975

• 2x CIF State Champion 
• Wrestling USA Magazine All-American
• Amateur Wrestling News H.S. All-American
• Junior National Champion (FS) 
• 3x NCAA Division II Champion (CSU Bakersfield)
• 1x NCAA Division I Champion/2x DI All-American (CSU Bakersfield)
• World Freestyle Championships – 4^th Place 
• 1980 Olympic Team Member (FS) 

154 – Dan Henderson (Victor Valley, S), 1988

• 2x CIF State Medalist (5,2)
• 2x Junior National Champion (FS/GR)
• 3x Senior Greco-Roman National Champion (GR)
• World University Championships Champion
• Pan American Gold Medalist (GR)
• Pan American Silver Medalist (GR)
• Pan American Bronze Medalist (GR)
• 2x World Team Member (GR)
• 2x Olympic Team Member, 1992, ‘96 (GR)

103 – Mark Fuller (Lincoln HS, SJ), 1979

• 2x CIF State Medalist (4,3)
• Pan American Gold Medalist (GR)
• Pan American Silver Medalist (GR)
• 2x Junior World Champion (GR)
• 4x Olympic Team Member (GR)

175 – Dan Chaid (Gunderson, CC), 1981

• 2x CIF State Champion | 3x State Medalist (3,1,1) 
• 3x Junior All-American (FS/GR)
• NCAA Division I Champion | 4x All-American (University of Oklahoma)
• Junior World Champion (FS)
• 1996 Olympic Alternate (FS)

98 – Tim Vanni (Monache HS, CS), 1979

• 2x CIF State Medalist (5,2)
• 5x U.S. Senior National Champion (FS)
• 3x Pan American Games Medalist (FS)
• 2x World Cup Medalist (FS)
• 2x Olympian (FS)
• 4^th 1988 Seoul Olympics (FS)

132– Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, S), 2013

• CIF State Champion (Freshman Season)
• 2x Cadet Fargo National Champion (FS/GR)
• 3x Cadet Folkstyle National Champion | 3x All-American
• Junior Fargo Champion | All-American (FS)
• Junior Folkstyle National Champion | All-American
• Walsh Ironman Champion 
• ASICS All-American (First Team) 
• Amateur Wrestling News All-American (First Team) 
• Cadet World Champion (FS)
• 2x Junior World Medalist – Silver/Bronze (FS)
• 2016 Olympic Team – Alternate (FS)

160 – Quincey Clark (Lincoln Prep, SD), 1990

• CIF State Medalist (7^th)
• 2x NCAA Division I All-American (San Diego St. | University of Oklahoma)
• 2x World Team Member (GR)
• 2x Pan American Silver Medalist (GR)
• 2000 Olympic Team Member (GR)

138 – Heath Sims (Woodbridge, S), 1989

• 2x CIF State Champion 
• 3x Junior All-American (FS/GR)
• ASICS All-American Third Team 
• 3C2A State Champion | 2x All-American (Cerritos CC)
• 7x National Champion (GR)
• Pan American Bronze Medalist (GR)
• U20 World Silver Medalist (GR)
• 2000 Olympic Team Member (GR)

125 – Boris Navachkov (Fremont, CC), 2007

• 2x CIF State Champion 
• NHSCA Senior HS All-American
• Cadet National Champion (FS)
• 2x Junior National Champion | 4x All-American (FS/GR)
• 2x ASICS All-American (HM) | Third Team 
• Amateur Wrestling News All-American (First Team)
• Wrestling USA Magazine All-American 
• 3x NCAA Division I All-American (Cal Poly, SLO)
• 2x European Championships Medalist – Silver/Bronze (FS)
• 2016 Olympic Team member (Bulgaria)

120 – Marco Sanchez (Independence, CC), 1988

• CIF State Champion | 2x State Medalist (4,1)
• Junior National Champion (GR) | 3x All-American (FS/GR)
• 2x NCAA Division I All-American (Arizona State)
• 1996 Olympic Team Member (Puerto Rico)

182 – Jonovan Smith (Birmingham, LA), 2019

• 2x CIF State Medalist (8,2)
• Junior Fargo National Champion (FS) | 2x All-American
• Cadet Fargo All-American (GR)
• 3C2A State Champion/All-American (Cerritos CC)
• Pan American Silver Medalist (GR) 
• Pan American Bronze Medalist (GR)
• Pan American Bronze U23 (Beach)
• 5^th UWW World Championships – Puerto Rico (FS)
• 2024 Olympian (Puerto Rico)

HWT – Craig Schoene (Crestmoor HS, CC), 1976

• CIF State Medalist (5^th)
• NCAA Division II All-American (CSU Bakersfield)
• Pan American Gold (GR)
• World Team Member (GR)

Coming Next in Phase 2: TIER 3 — Collegiate Level All-Americans

The next installment in Phase 2 of the California Top 100 Wrestlers project turns to TIER 3 — Collegiate Level All-Americans, recognizing a distinguished generation of California wrestlers whose accomplishments extended from the high school mat to the highest levels of collegiate competition. This tier includes wrestlers who established themselves among California’s premier prep athletes before earning NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA All-American honors, a distinction reserved for competitors who reached the upper echelon of collegiate wrestling. Their careers represent an important chapter in California wrestling history—athletes who successfully transitioned from state and national prominence in high school to sustained excellence on the collegiate stage. Although they did not achieve the Olympic or Senior World-level distinction represented in TIER 1 and TIER 2, their collegiate All-American accomplishments provide a significant measure of national-level achievement and firmly establish them among California’s most accomplished wrestlers.

TIER 3 will also serve as a gateway to a deeper examination of California’s collegiate wrestling legacy. Beyond this broader Top 100 project, I plan to develop separate articles highlighting the best of the best from each major collegiate division and level, including NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, and National Junior College (NJCAA) wrestling. These articles will provide an opportunity to examine the exceptional California wrestlers who distinguished themselves within each competitive classification and to further document the remarkable impact California athletes have made on the national collegiate wrestling landscape.

I may also develop a separate article examining the large and historically significant group of California wrestlers who either qualified for the CIF State Championships or, despite not qualifying, went on to reach the collegiate level and earn All-American honors. Such an examination could provide perhaps one of the clearest measures of the depth and difficulty of California high school wrestling. The pathway to the CIF State Championships requires a wrestler to successfully navigate an extensive qualification process against some of the strongest competition in the nation, and merely reaching the State tournament represents a substantial accomplishment. Earning a place on the CIF State podium is an even more demanding achievement. Yet California’s wrestling history includes numerous athletes who were unable to advance through that process—or did not place at the State Championships—who later developed into collegiate All-Americans. That reality serves as a compelling leading indicator of just how deep California wrestling has been historically and how difficult it is for even highly accomplished wrestlers to distinguish themselves within the State’s extraordinarily competitive high school landscape.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The research behind the California Top 100 project is extensive. My master list of potential candidates and their accomplishments now exceeds 125 pages, reflecting the remarkable depth of talent California has produced over the past five decades. The next challenge is narrowing that extensive pool into four tiers that appropriately recognize the state’s all-time greats.

I may release the complete master list in the near future, giving readers access to the data and an opportunity to join the debate over who belongs among California’s all-time great wrestlers.

It is important to note that this series currently focuses exclusively on the men’s division, from the first CIF State Wrestling Championships in 1973 to the present. This is only the beginning. It is my intent to develop additional series recognizing the outstanding wrestlers from the pre-CIF era of the 1950s and 1960s, including both Northern and Southern California, as well as a separate project highlighting the history and accomplishments of California women’s wrestling.

Photos courtesy of John Sachs, U.S Olympic Wrestling, and California Wrestling archives. 

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