There are only three weeks to go until the final USA TODAY High School Sports/National High School Coaches Association Super 25 High School Wrestling Rankings are released, but this weekend will shape the national championship chase.
RELATED: Super 25 Wrestling Rankings
Top-ranked Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) and No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, Pa.) will square off at the National Prep Championships at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. Blair, which beat SEM in its dual meet, has won 34 of the last 35 national prep titles. Wyoming Seminary broke Blair’s streak of 33 straight championships two years ago. SEM also will benefit from the return of unbeaten Greg Kleinsmith and Mike Rogers. Neither wrestled when Blair beat SEM by 15.
Also competing at Lehigh will be No. 24 Malvern Prep (Malvern, Pa.).
As far as this week’s rankings, there are no changes, but with the New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania individual championships being wrestled over the next two weekends, expect some shifting.
In Minnesota this weekend, all eyes will be on the AAA Team Duals where No. 15 Apple Valley (Apple Valley, MN) and No. 20 St. Michael Albertville (Albertville, MN) could meet in the finals.
In Texas, kudos to No. 25 Allen (Allen, TX), which won its seventh consecutive team University Interscholastic League individual team title. The Eagles scored 230.5 team points, the second most team points in UIL State History behind its own record of 251.5 points. Allen had five state champs and twelve state place winners.