Best high school athletes of 2022-23: Meet the national boys wrestlers of the year

The high school sports calendar is finished in most states and wrapping up in others, so SBLive Sports is beginning to take a look back at some of the best high school athletes of 2022-23.

We started with fall and winter sports while some of the nation's top spring athletes finish the season strong.

>>SBLive Sports National High School Wrestling Rankings (Pre Summer update)

Over the next month, we'll be highlighting some of the nation's best in volleyball, football, basketball, wrestling, soccer, track and field, softball, baseball and lacrosse. 

Here are 20 high school boys wrestlers who had a 2022-23 season worthy of national recognition:

Joel Adams, Millard South (Nebraska), senior

A three-time state champion, the Michigan signee didn't lose a Class A match all season (145 pounds). Last July, Adams claimed the 65-kilogram title at the U17 World Championships in Rome and he'll be with team USA at the U20 World Championship this summer. He is planning to take a gap year after graduation with the goal of wrestling in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Josh Barr, Davison (Michigan), senior

Davison, who won his fourth state title this season, is a two-time junior national freestyle champion. The future Penn State Nittany Lion is competed at 175 pounds as a senior.

Bo Bassett, Bishop McCort (Pennsylvania), freshman

Last March, Bassett tied a state record by winning his eighth Pennsylvania junior wrestling championship. He also took gold at the Cadet World Championships in freestyle. Bassett, who is a walking NIL deal, went 18-0 at 113 pounds as a freshman, found immediate success at 120 and is poised to dominate the PIAA now that his program's postseason ban is lifted.

Joey Blaze, Perrysburg (Ohio), senior

Blaze was Ohio's most dominant wrestler this year statistically according to DubStat and finished his senior 44-0, winning his third state title in March at 165 pounds. The Purdue signee is unbeaten as a senior and would likely be walking away from high school with four titles had COVID not rid him of a state meet. Look out for his brother Marcus, a sophomore who continues to make noise on the World stage. He was the 120-pound winner at last summer’s 16U freestyle National Championships and just made the U17 World Team in dramatic fashion. 

Ryder Block, Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa), junior

The Iowa signee won his third Iowa Class 3A state championship in February after notching a runner-up finish as a sophomore — his only high school loss. The 138-pound standout is part of a strong Hawkeyes 2024 recruiting class that ranks among the nation’s best.

Jude Correa, Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), sophomore

One of the top performers for national power Wyoming Seminary, Correa is already a physical specimen as a sophomore and SBLive's No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 190. He was a standout junior wrestler in New England and is a prep national champion who was been dominant all winter, placing first at the National Prep Wrestling Championships.

Ben Davino, St. Charles East (Illinois), junior

The Ohio State commit is a three-time state champion who went 50-0 as a junior on his way to a third state championship and followed it up with a U17 National Title in the freestyle in Vegas in April. Davino, whose career high school record is 119-1, also won a 16U Freestyle National Championship last summer and is at the Olympic Training Center preparing to represent Team USA in Istanbul at the World Wrestling Championships in July and August.

Angelo Ferrari, Melissa (Texas), junior

The recent Iowa signee defeated current Oklahoma State wrestler Jordan Williams, a three-time state champion, in last year’s Class 6A Oklahoma 160-pound state finals, then moved to Texas and won a UIL 5A state title at 175 pounds for Melissa. He is a two-time Walsh Ironman champion, one of the best defensive wrestlers in the country and FloWrestling's No. 1 prospect in the class of 2024.

Jax Forrest, Bishop McCort (Pennsylvania), freshman

A silver medalist at last year’s U17 World Championships, Forrest asserted himself as one of the country’s top pound-for-pound wrestlers as a freshman. Forrest, who is competing at 125 pounds, inked an NIL deal with CFLWR Combat Gear and won the 125-pound title competing against college wrestlers in the Edinboro Open.

Koy Hopke, Amery (Wisconsin), junior

Also a standout football player, the well-rounded Minnesota commit is a three-time state champion heavyweight (220) who took gold in Greco-Roman and freestyle at last summer’s U17 Pan-American Championships. He's SBLive's No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 285 pounds.

Cael Hughes, Stillwater (Oklahoma), senior

Hughes finished a historical Oklahoma high school wrestling career 140-0. He became the first Stillwater wrestler to win four state titles since current Oklahoma State assistant coach Chris Perry. Hughes, who competed at 132 pounds this season, will follow in Perry’s footsteps and wrestle for his hometown Cowboys next season.

Ben Kueter, Iowa City (Iowa), senior

One of the best all-around athletes in the country, Kueter went 110-0 as a high school wrestler and became the 32nd wrestler in state history to four-peat as a state champion (215 pounds). He's also a four-star football recruit and a U20 men’s freestyle world champion. He was the fifth Iowa high-schooler to win gold at the World Championships and will play football and wrestle for his hometown Iowa Hawkeyes.

Daschle Lamer, Crescent Valley (Oregon), senior

Lamer joined his older brothers Chance and Legend as four-time state champions in Oregon. The 165-pound Cal Poly signee also notched strong finishes at the 16U Freestyle National Championships and Walsh Ironman.

Luke Lilledahl, Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), junior

Arguably the country’s top junior, Lilledahl won the 120-pound bracket at the Walsh Ironman and was voted the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. Last summer, he cruised to gold at the U17 World Cadets Wrestling Championships. He won National Prep title this year, a Missouri state championship as a freshman before transferring to Wyoming Seminary, where he won another title last winter.

Beau Mantanona, Palm Desert (California), senior

Mantanona, SBLive's No. 1 152 wrestler in the country, lost last year’s 138-pound state title match in controversial fashion, but the senior Michigan signee returned with a vengeance this winter. He moved up to 152 this season and and won the state title in February.

Max McEnelly, Waconia (Minnesota), senior

After his 132-match high school winning streak came to an end in December, he went on to win his fourth Minnesota state championship at 195. The future Minnesota wrestler is also a standout football player who rushed for 31 touchdowns last fall. He's Mr. Minnesota Wrestler of the Year and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame named him a winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence award for his achievement as a wrestlers, student and citizen. McEnelly also earned the bronze at last summer’s U17 World Championships.

Marc-Anthony McGowan, Blair Academy (New Jersey), senior

A decorated youth wrestler, McGowan won a Florida state title as an eighth-grader, took gold at the World Championships Cadets in 2019 and his third New Jersey state title helped Blair win a team title. The future Princeton Tiger has also won a pair of prep national titles and is one of the best 126-pounders in the country.

Gavin Nelson, Simley (Minnesota), senior

Another multi-sport star, Nelson is a play-every-down football player and a wrestling leader for Simley. He is a two-time state champion who has signed to wrestle for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Nelson won his third state title in March and is one of the top wrestling prospects in the country.

Nicco Ruiz, St. John Bosco (California), senior

Ruiz was the 152-pound California state champion as a junior and won every tournament he entered. Then he did it again as a senior at 160 pounds. Ruiz is staying out West for college and will wrestle for Arizona State.

Joseph Sealey, Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania), junior

The junior Penn State commit led Team USA to a win at the Journeyman World Duals in April and took gold at last year’s U17 World Championships. The North Carolina native won a state title for High Point Central as a freshman before transferring to Wyoming Seminary, where he earned another last season. Now competing at 157 pounds, Sealey is one of the country's most promising wrestlers.