As the calendar turns, we're just one month from kicking off the 2025-‘26 prep season in Idaho, the Gem State. Continuing a long-standing tradition, Team Idaho sent a strong group of wrestlers to Des Moines, Iowa this past weekend, to face off against some of the country's best prep wrestlers before the season begins. Ultimately, Team Idaho represented very well in the three respective high school divisions, bringing home twelve All-American honors.

A group of talented sophomores showcased their skills this weekend, earning accolades in the Frosh/Soph division. Standouts include Bishop Kelly’s Samson Castillo, who secured fourth place at 165 pounds, and Kuna’s Konnor Fordyce, who claimed a strong third-place finish at 150s. Both are poised to be key wrestlers in their weight classes this season. Blackfoot’s Brian Moreno (157s), a returning state placer, also shone, earning All-American honors in the division.

The next cohort of All-Americans in the Junior/Senior division showcases a talented lineup of multiple state champions, finalists, and top contenders for this year’s titles in their respective divisions. Headlining the group is Nampa’s Ryan Hirchert (113s), who reached the championship finals in Des Moines and is poised to pursue a rare fourth state title in the 5A division this season. Alongside Hirchert on the All-American podium are returning state champions Ayden Tokita (120s) from Skyline and Jake Mescher (150s) from Bishop Kelly, state placer Aiden Hernandez (157s) of Highland, and two-time state finalist Ian Avalos from Mountain View at 144s.

Team Idaho's remaining All-Americans feature a talented group of juniors with state finals experience, poised to compete for their third high school state medal. Securing a spot on the medal podium in the Showcase division are two-time state finalist Brand’n Edstrom from Madison (120s), state champions Blaise Turner of American Falls and McGregor Miller of South Fremont, each at 215s, along with two-time state placer and finalist Kace Fullmer (175s) from Teton.

Of the All-Americans from Idaho, the Southeast region contributed the most, with seven athletes (58%), while the Boise Metro area, also known as the Treasure Valley, accounted for the remaining five (42%). By high school division, the 5A division led with five All-Americans (42%), followed by the 6A division with four (33%), and the 4A division with three (25%).

After the conclusion of the competition, I had the benefit of communicating with Chris Owens, who serves as the Director of Operations and Development Coach for Idaho USA Wrestling, regarding Team Idaho’s exceptional performance. He provided the following remarks, “The Team Idaho wrestlers that attended Preseason Nationals showed lots of grit and determination with many managing their way thru very large brackets in a two day format. A few had 9-10 matches with 6-7 of those coming in session one. It was very impressive how well our crew handled the tough matches back-to-back and many were able to come out on top in close bouts! There were a lot of gains and very positive takeaways coming out of the tournament. At the top of the list for me would be (WE) wrestled a high match count versus tough competition and able to come out tested and sore, but not injured. Additionally, it’s exciting now we can go back to the wrestling room this week and make improvements in critical areas that were pretty consistent across the board. Most importantly, our team was very excited and thank for to compete and learn from these tough battles. It’s going to be fun helping them take a few steps towards their goals before upcoming high school season. I’m lucky to be able to help young, motivated scrappers!!”

To wrap up, I’d like to extend congratulations to all of Team Idaho’s All-Americans and every Idaho wrestler who took to the mat this past weekend. The journey to elite-level success is a challenging one, demanding countless hours of dedication, sacrifice, and effort, but above all, the mental strength to compete against the nation’s finest. In my view, Idaho, the Gem State, stands out as one of the top small-school wrestling states per capita in the country. Keep pushing forward, and best of luck in the upcoming season. I’m currently working on the 2025-’26 Preseason Review, which should be released in early December. WE’RE ONE IDAHO!

ALL-AMERICANS (12)

113 – Ryan Hirchert (Nampa, 12, 5A), 2^nd Place           

120 – Ayden Tokita (Skyline, 11, 5A), 4^th Place  

120 – Brand’n Edstrom (Madison, 11, 6A), 7^th Place

144 – Ian Avalos (Mountain View, 11, 6A), 5^th Place

150 – Jake Mescher (Bishop Kelly, 11, 5A), 5^th Place  

157 – Aiden Hernandez (Highland, 11, 6A), 6^th Place

150 – Konnor Fordyce (Kuna, 10, 6A), 3^rd Place

157 – Brian Moreno (Blackfoot, 10, 5A), 7^th Place

165 – Samson Castillo (Bishop Kelly, 10, 5A), 4^th Place

175 – Kace Fullmer (Teton, 11, 4A), 8^th Place

215 – Blaise Turner (American Falls, 11, 4A), 5^th Place

215 – McGregor Miller (South Fremont, 11, 4A), 4^th Place