Vote: Who is the National High School Lower Weight Wrestler of the Week? (1/6/2025)

Here are 7 nominees for your voting consideration

Chase Quenault of Delbarton (right), shown in a match last year, upset the nation's No. 4 wrestler at 138, Caedyn Ricciardi of St. Peter's Prep (NJ), at the Catholic School Duals. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024-25 high school wrestling season is fully underway and now it is time cast your vote for our weekly National High School Lower Weight Wrestler of the Week.

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Congratulations to last week's winner: Chase Karenbauer of Gove City (PA).

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Here is this week's list of nominees. Voting ends at 11:59 PT on Jan. 12.

Matthew Schuler (Charlotte, FL) 106

Schuler, who is unranked nationally, defeated No. 24 Lazaro Soto (Southwest Miami, FL), 6-5, in the finals of the Cradle Cancer Invitational. Soto beat Schuler at the Knockout Christmas Classic right before the Christmas break.

Nico DeSalvo (Southeast Polk, IA) 113

DeSalvo was recently pushed out of the honorable mention section at 113lbs due to results effecting people above him, not because of his struggles. DeSalvo stated his case to not only be included again, but moved up in the pecking order, by winning the championship at the Cheesehead Invitational with wins over No. 13 Caleb Noble (Warren Township, IL), 8-5, in the finals and No. 21 Jarrett Smith (Lowell, MI), 1-0, in the semifinals.

Paul Ruiz (Buchanan, CA) 113

Ruiz is a freshman, who had a highly decorated youth career, which is reflected in his No. 20 ranking. Ruiz finally had an opportunity to face one of the big dogs in high school, World Bronze Medalist No. 2 Henry Aslikyan (Birmingham, CA). The championship finals of the Doc B Tournament provided the stage, and Ruiz announced his legitimacy with a 9-8 win in overtime.

Eli Gabrielson (South Carroll, MD) 120

Gabrielson was at St. Mary’s Ryken last year where he beat Justin Farnsworth now of Malvern Prep at the National Prep Tournament. The sophomore is at a public school in Maryland this year and faced off with Malachi Stratton (Sussex Central, DE) in the championship bout at the War on the Shore. Stratton is ranked No. 11 at 113lbs and placed sixth at Ironman and fourth at the Beast of the East. None of that mattered to Gabrielson as he throttled Stratton to the tune of a 15-3 major decision.

Ashton Besmer (Buchanan, CA) 132

Besmer is ranked 28th in the country. At Doc B he authored two major upsets. The first was in the semis over No. 6 Moses Mendoza (Gilroy, CA), 22-15, and then in the finals over No. 7 Manuel Saldate (SLAM! Academy, NV), 8-5.

Liam Neitzel (Hudson, WI) 132

Neitzel fell in the Cheesehead finals to No. 11 Jackson Blum (Lowell, MI).  But Neitzel, a honorable mention entry, gained his nomination based on his semifinal win over No. 13 Carter Pearson (Southeast Polk, IA), 2-1 UTB.

Chase Quenault (Delbarton, NJ) 138

Quenault does not appear in our rankings, but he did his best to remedy that this weekend at the Catholic School Duals in New Jersey when he beat No. 4 Caedyn Ricciardi (St. Peter’s Prep, NJ), 4-3.