The Pulse with Andy Hamilton is a look at the hot topics and interesting angles in wrestling. This week’s edition looks back at the dazzling performances by high school seniors Caleb Henson and Nick Feldman last weekend at college open tournaments, what Tony Cassioppi’s U23 World title means for the heavyweight class from a historical standpoint and how Jay Aiello has gone from a 13-15 season as a freshman to a Junior World bronze.

Forget about dipping a toe in the college waters just to check the temperature. Caleb Henson and Nick Feldman spent Sunday backflipping off the high board into the Division I pool just to show they’re next-level ready right now. 

This is what you do when you’ve won almost everything there is to win at the high school level and you’ve beaten almost everybody there is to beat in your own age group. You start looking upward for bigger challenges and more ways to test yourself, which is what the top-ranked prep seniors did Sunday. 

Henson entered the Southeast Open at 149 pounds, Feldman took on the heavyweight field at the Clarion Open and both came away unscathed. 

Henson, a Virginia Tech recruit whose resume includes three Georgia state titles, a Super 32 belt, a Fargo crown and a Who’s #1 win, cruised to the Southeast Open title. He outscored his four opponents by a combined 39-7 count and notched a 12-0 win in the finals against Princeton’s Marshall Keller. 

“Going into it, I knew my best chance was to go out there and do my thing and do what I always do — attack, attack, attack and not be hesitant and be solid throughout every single position,” Henson said. “Wrestle through every position and be tough everywhere — tough on bottom, tough on top, and trust my training going into it. That’s one of the biggest things — knowing I’m right there with these guys.” 

Henson’s next-level offensive preparedness was apparent back in the spring at the Junior World Team Trials, where he picked off a series of wins against current college competitors. He placed fifth at 70 kilograms, losing in the quarterfinals to eventual Junior World bronze medalist and future Virginia Tech teammate Bryce Andonian. Henson held a 9-6 second-period lead in that bout before Andonian rallied back and put it away late with 10 consecutive points. 

“You’re gonna have to stop my shot or shoot on me to stop my shot,” Henson said. “It’s just having fun out there. That’s the biggest thing. You’ve gotta be mean, you’ve gotta be angry, but going out there worried and stressed isn’t going to help you. Wrestling is very mentally draining, so going out there with a light mind and knowing the only thing that’s going to ruin this moment is holding myself back, so you’ve just got to let it fly.” 

There’s no holding back in Feldman, either. The Ohio State-bound heavyweight ascended to the top of the high school pound-for-pound rankings this fall after a Who’s #1 win and backed up that billing Sunday by piling up 40 points in three dominant victories at the Clarion Open before bowing out of the tournament after the semifinals. 

Feldman’s tournament run included a 10-3 quarterfinal win against Hofstra’s Zachary Knighton-Ward, a returning NCAA qualifier who’s ranked 23rd nationally. The Malvern Prep senior said he approached the tournament with a “nothing-to-lose” mentality. 

“There’s a pretty big difference between good high schoolers and good college kids,” he said. “I wanted to see where I was at with those tough college guys, those older guys.

“It’s kind of (about) just not changing up your style no matter who you’re wrestling. No matter who the guy is, you’ve got to find a way to get to your attack and get to your offense. You can’t just shut down because of the name of the guy you’re wrestling or how old he is or how big he is.” 

One thing Feldman learned Sunday: “I’m pretty small for a heavyweight right now,” he said. “I didn’t feel at a disadvantage or anything like that, but I definitely felt the size, especially in one of my matches.”

Heavyweight Gold Rush

This is unquestionably the American heavyweight golden era. The top of the college rankings has never been this decorated — 1. Olympic champion Gable Steveson, 2. Junior World champion Mason Parris, 3. U23 World champion Tony Cassioppi, 4. Cadet World champion Cohlton Schultz, 5. Cadet World champion Greg Kerkvliet. 

The United States has won 34 World and Olympic heavyweight titles across all men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions during the last 90 years. Eight of those golds — Steveson also won three age-group World titles — belong to the top five guys in the current heavyweight rankings. 

What’s more, the USA men’s freestyle program has collected 25 World and Olympic heavyweight titles in the last 90 years and a quartet responsible for 28 percent of those — Steveson, Parris, Cassioppi and Kerkvliet — will compete this season in the Big Ten. 

Aiello's Steady Climb

Jay Aiello was a 197-pound fixer-upper three years ago. He lost seven of his last eight matches during his first year in the Virginia lineup, got bounced from the ACC tournament after two straight defeats to end his season and then he needed a shoulder repair. 

It’s been a steady climb for Aiello since then. He reached the NCAA Championships in 2019, won an ACC title in 2020, reeled off 24 straight victories at one point and now he’s a U23 World bronze medalist. 

How did the turnaround happen?

“This is going to sound so cliche, but truly, 100-percent, it was mental,” Virginia coach Steve Garland said at the 2018 South Beach Duals after Aiello got off to a 13-3 start. “Last year, it was nothing different. He’s doing all the same shots. Actually, last year he was doing a better job on top. He’s just mentally a different person.”

How did Jay Aiello become a U23 World bronze medalist today?
By first digging himself out of "a pit" after a 13-15 freshman season at Virginia. Here's a clip from a 2018 interview with @stevegarland125. pic.twitter.com/LsQJEWCSnP

— Andy Hamilton (@Andy_Hamilton) November 6, 2021