Vote: Who should be SBLive's Lower Weight National Wrestler of the Week (2/20/2024)?
It's time once again for you to help us decide who is SBLive Sports National High School Lower Weight Wrestler of the Week.
Below are the details on the candidates we have selected for your consideration. Share this post with your friends, family, teammates and classmates and encourage everyone to support the wrestler they find most deserving. You can vote as often as you like and the winner will be announced in next week's poll. Voting ends on Sunday, February 25th at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific).
Congratulations to last week's winner: Chase Hontz of Faith Christian Academy (Pennsylvania).
Here are this week's nominees:
Liam Adlfinger (Wilton, IA) 106 – In the Iowa 1A state finals, the unranked Adlfinger handed No. 19 Hayden Schwab (Don Bosco) a 9-8 loss to claim the state crown.
Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy, IL) 113 – Garcia, who is ranked 15th in the nation at 113, shocked the crowd on hand watching the Illinois 3A State finals by defeating No. 5 Dom Munaretto (St. Charles East), 4-2.
Nathan Carillo (St. John Bosco, CA) 120 – In the Blue Finals of the SS Boys’ Ford Masters tournament, No. 18 Carillo upset El Dorado’s No. 8 Isaiah Quintero, 6-1. Quintero is a two-time defending California state champion.
Timothy Koester (Bettendorf, IA) 126 – Koester sits directly behind Waukee Northwest’s Koufax Christensen in the honorable mention section of the 126lb national rankings. Christensen beat Koester 6-2 at the season opening Dan Gable Donnybrook. In Saturday’s 3A state finals, Koester reversed that outcome with a 4-3 win over Christensen for the state gold.
Geronimo Rivera (Layton, UT) 126 – Rivera has been in the numbered section and HM listings of our national rankings. A few recent losses have him on the outside looking in, but Rivera did what he could to change that in the Utah 6A state finals when he beat No. 16 Israel Borge (Westlake), 8-4.
Luke Rioux (Avon, IN) 126 – Rioux, who is unranked, won the 126lb weight class at the Indiana states by taking out No. 14 Isaiah Schaefer (Evansville Mater Dei), 8-5.
Kyrel Leavell (Warren Central, IN) 138 – Leavell has spent some time in our rankings but currently does not appear on the list. After Saturday’s state final win over honorable mention Clinton Shepherd (Crown Point) by fall, 2:51, Leavell made his case to be returned to the rankings.
