The premiere high school event of the year is here. Every year since 2013 the top two-four wrestlers in the country at selected weights have competed for the right to declare themselves #1. On Saturday evening, 27 wrestlers from 18 different states will partake in 14 phenomenal matches.

Watch Who's Number 1 LIVE on FloWrestling

Saturday, Oct. 3 | 6 PM EST

Below is a short breakdown of each match in the order they will be wrestled along with the FloWrestling team members’ picks.

138: Jesse Mendez vs Jordan Williams

Who’s #1 will be kicking things off with a bang. While Jordan Williams will be making his debut at both Who’s #1 and 138, Jesse Mendez will be returning for the second-straight year and has several results this summer up a weight from 132 last season.

Williams is known for being tough to score on and late-match heroics that have led him to two state titles, two Fargo titles, one Super 32 title, and a win over P4P #1 Richard Figueroa. However, Mendez is a full-sized 138-pounder and not afraid to open up and put some points on the board.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Williams

Kyle Bratke: Mende

Ben Askren: Mendez

JD Rader: Mendez

David Bray: Williams

Andrew Spey: Mendez

145: Kylie Welker vs Skylar Hattendorf

The only bout on the card between two World medalists, Welker and Hattendorf both returned home from the 2019 World Championships with some hardware. Hattendorf, who is currently ranked #1 at 132, could be slightly undersized but was more than open to competing at 145 lbs.

Hattendorf also made a judo world team in 2019 and it shows in her style. She is very good with trips and throws. Welker, on the other hand, is a little more traditional with control ties and snapdowns. Don’t be surprised if this match ends a pin no matter who pins as both are great pinners.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Welker

Kyle Bratke: Welker

Ben Askren: Welker

JD Rader: Welker

David Bray: Hattendorf

Andrew Spey: Welker

182: Lenny Pinto vs Rylan Rogers

Although Pinto was 2-0 against Rogers in 2019, the team is evenly split on this one.

Watch Pinto defeat Rogers in the 2019 Fargo finals below.

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The team is split for good reason: Rylan Rogers had a strong 2020 winning National Preps and Ironman at 182. Pinto took a couple of losses in 2020 but finished the season strong winning a loaded Pennsylvania State AAA 170 bracket, and although he’s coming up from 170, he has the horsepower to do so. Pinto has wins over Tate Picklo, Mac Stout, Tyler Stoltzfus, and many other top guys.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Rogers

Kyle Bratke: Pinto

Ben Askren: Pinto

JD Rader: Pinto

David Bray: Rogers

Andrew Spey: Rogers

126: Jordan Titus vs Dean Peterson

Another rematch at 126, this one from 2019 Super 32.

Watch Titus and Peterson’s first match from Super 32 below.

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That shin whizzer/Jonesy tilt position will be crucial once again. It’s a New York vs New Jersey rivalry with the #1 ranking at 126 when Titus and Peterson take the mat on Saturday night. 

Picks

Christian Pyles: Titus

Kyle Bratke: Titus

Peterson: Titus

JD Rader: Titus

David Bray: Titus

Andrew Spey: Titus

152: Victor Voinovich vs Jagger Condomitti

An interesting clash of styles at 152. Victor Voinovich is notoriously tough on top; it’s what got him the win over four-time California state champion Jesse Vasquez at last year’s Who’s #1. However, Nebraska commit Jagger Condomitti is very well aware of this and thinks he is a better neutral wrestler. I’m not sure if Condomitti is right, but I will say he is a very active and very good neutral wrestler. Can he score enough points and avoid getting turned to pick up the W?

Picks

Christian Pyles: Voinovich

Kyle Bratke: Voinovich

Ben Askren: Voinovich

JD Rader: Voinovich

David Bray: Voinovich

Andrew Spey: Condomitti

285: Kyonte Hamilton vs Chase Horne

The first heavyweight match in Who’s #1 history! Outside of a 2-0 loss to Noah Pettigrew at Ironman last season, Kyonte Hamilton basically had his way with 220-pounders. So much so that he earned the #1 ranking when he moved up to heavyweight. We won’t get to see how Hamilton will do against the real big boys as Chase Horne is coming up from 220 as well.

Horne earned his spot in Who’s #1 by defeating Illinois commit Hayden Copass earlier this summer. Both of these young men have already committed: Chase Horne recently to North Carolina State and Hamilton plans to both wrestle and play football at Rutgers. 

Picks

Christian Pyles: Hamilton

Kyle Bratke: Hamilton

Ben Askren: Hamilton

JD Rader: Hamilton

David Bray: Hamilton

Andrew Spey: Hamilton

220: Kyle Haas vs Nick Feldman

Haas has the better overall resume (he made the Cadet Freestyle World Team and won Greco-Roman World Team Trials in 2019); however, a few recent losses and a lack of national competition for Haas gives Feldman the #1 ranking at 220.

Haas has a great lat drop that he used to win the World Team Trials in both styles last year, but Feldman is a very controlled wrestler and Fargo champ as well. If there is anyone that can match the strength of Haas, it’s Feldman who is coming up from 195 last season.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Haas

Kyle Bratke: Feldman

Ben Askren: Haas

JD Rader: Feldman

David Bray: Feldman

Andrew Spey: Feldman

145: Cody Chittum vs Wyatt Henson

Everybody, including myself and Cody Chittum, is expecting this one to be an all-out hard hand fighting brawl. Chittum, just a sophomore, is already an extremely mature wrestler. He wants to get to your head, beat you up, snap your face into the mat, run behind for the takedown, and then do that again but then cow-catcher you to your back. 

Chittum wasn’t able to get the pin, but Chittum did use a variety of takedowns and a couple turns to beat Henson 13-3 when they met at Beast of the East last season. However, Henson finished the season with a Pennsylvania state title and Chittum took several losses, so it’s the Iowa commit Wyatt Henson that sits in the #1 spot.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Henson

Kyle Bratke: Henson

Ben Askren: Chittum

JD Rader: Chittum

David Bray: Henson

Andrew Spey: Henson

195: Seth Shumate vs Tate Picklo

Ohio State commit Seth Shumate has looked great the past 12 months. Both his grit and offensive ability were on full display when he defeated Nick Feldman in a crazy 10-8 match in the Ironman finals.

However, Shumate does love to go upper body and this could play right into 2019 Greco World Team member and Oklahoma commit Tate Picklo’s hand. Either way, this is a sneaky exciting matchup and I expect a lot of points.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Shumate

Kyle Bratke: Shumate

Ben Askren: Shumate

JD Rader: Shumate

David Bray: Shumate

Andrew Spey: Shumate

112: Sage Mortimer vs Mia Palumbo

Another women’s matchup with two #1s. Sage Mortimer #1 at 100 and Mia Palumbo is #1 at 106, but the two are both coming up and wrestling at 112 lbs. With five Fargo titles between the two of them, this should be an excellent technical matchup. Palumbo will most likely have a slight size and strength advantage, but watch out for Mortimer’s headlock.

Picks 

Christian Pyles: Mortimer

Kyle Bratke: Palumbo

Ben Askren: Mortimer

JD Rader: Palumbo

David Bray: Palumbo

Andrew Spey: Palumbo

160: Paddy Gallagher vs Travis Mastrogiovanni

It’s Ohio State vs Oklahoma State as both wrestlers are looking for redemption from last year’s Who’s #1. The size advantage for Ohio State commit Paddy Gallagher has been talked about quite a bit, but Travis Mastrogiovanni is a savage who always brings intensity. He even has wins over both wrestlers in the 170 lbs main event.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Gallagher

Kyle Bratke: Gallagher

Ben Askren: Gallagher

JD Rader: Gallagher

David Bray: Mastrogiovanni

Andrew Spey: Gallagher

138: Joel VanderVere vs Williams/Mendez

VanderVere and Mendez split in the two matches they wrestled in 2019. In freestyle, Mendez won the first 14-11, and in folkstyle, Vandervere won the second in the ultimate tiebreaker 1-1. That is why VanderVere currently sits at #2 and Mendez at #3. Williams has yet to compete against any of the top three at 138 as he is coming up from 126 lbs.

Watch VanderVere and Mendez’s first match from 2019 FloNationals below.

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VanderVere brings a nice double leg and hard leg riding to the table. That riding proved to be the difference in Joel and Jesse’s folkstyle match as he rode Jesse out to win.

Whether it’s Williams or Mendez who ends up taking on VanderVere, I don’t anticipate another 1-1 match. These boys will open up and put at least one takedown on the board.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Williams

Kyle Bratke: Mendez

Ben Askren: VanderVere

JD Rader: Mendez

David Bray: VanderVere

Andrew Spey: VanderVere

120: Richie Figueroa vs Drake Ayala

The pound-for-pound king, Richie Figueroa vs the pace of Drake Ayala.

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If Drake Ayala is going to beat Richie Figs, he’s going to have to get him tired. With Richie’s top game that broke Stevo Poulin last year, there’s been some debate whether or not Ayala will and/or should choose bottom in this match. Not many people can say they even stand a chance against Figuerora. Ayala has the size, speed, and skill to make the co-main event incredibly intriguing. Gameplans and execution will be huge in this one.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Figueroa

Kyle Bratke: Figueroa

Ben Askren: Figueroa

JD Rader: Figueroa

David Bray: Figueroa

Andrew Spey:Figueroa

170: Alex Facundo vs Cael Valencia

The main event of the evening. Two-time Cadet World medalist Alex Facundo vs Super 32 champion Cael Valencia. 

Penn State commit Alex Facundo has been very good for a very long time. He can put up a bunch of points or win a gritty one-point match, which is what happened when these two squared off at 2019 Folkstyle nationals; Facundo won 3-2. However, Cael has shown a lot of improvement since then. He looked his best at Doc B when he defeated Paddy Gallagher 9-5 in the finals.

Picks

Christian Pyles: Facundo

Kyle Bratke: Facundo

Ben Askren: Facundo

JD Rader: Facundo

David Bray: Facundo

Andrew Spey: Facundo

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