Defending national champion Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) begins 2016-17 as the No. 1 team in the USA TODAY/National High School Coaches Association Preseason Super 25 wrestling rankings.
The Buccaneers enter the season with four wrestlers who won National Prep School Wrestling individual championships last year as Blair won its 35th national prep championship in the last 36 years.
RANKINGS: Click for the full Super 25
Blair’s top wrestler is Chase Singletary, who committed to Ohio State last month. Singletary is considered the nation’s top-ranked 220-pounder.
Blair’s other returning national prep champs are Michael Colaiocco (106 pounds), Chris Cannon (113 pounds) and Andrew Merola (145 pounds).
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) check in at No. 2 in the preseason Super 25. The Eagles are coming- ff their 32nd Ohio state wrestling championship and were No. 7 in the final 2015-16 rankings.
Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), No. 11 in the final rankings last season, is No. 3, followed by Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.) and Clovis (Calif.) to round out the Top 5.
RELATED: Final 2015-16 Super 25 wrestling rankings
Graham (St. Paris, Ohio, led by 2015-16 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Coach of the Year Jeff Jordan, is No. 6.
Pennsylvania teams occupy three of the next four slots: No. 7 Malvern Prep No. 8 Bethlehem Catholic and No. 10 Nazareth. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) is No. 9.
RELATED: 2015-16 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Wrestling Teams
In all, 12 states are represented, led by four teams each from Ohio and Pennsylvania, three each from California and Illinois and two each from New Jersey, Oklahoma and Colorado.
The season kicks off with the Walsh Ironman at Walsh Jesuit High School (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) on Dec. 9-10.
The first in-season rankings will be published Dec. 14
*Editor’s Note: High School Football America co-produces the NHSCA/USA TODAY Preseason Super 25 High School Wrestling Rankings in partnership with the National High School Coaches Association.
NHSCA/USA TODAY Preseason Super 25 High School Wrestling Rankings
#1 Blair Academy
Blairstown, New Jersey
15-16 Ranking: #1
#2 St. Edward
Lakewood, Ohio
15-16 Ranking: #7
#3 Lake Highland Prep
Orlando, Florida
15-16 Ranking: #11
#4 Buchanan
Clovis, California
15-16 Ranking: #6
#5 Clovis
Clovis, California
15-16 Ranking: #9
#6 Graham (14-0)
St. Paris, Ohio
15-16 Ranking: #3
#7 Malvern Prep (14-1)
Malvern, Pennsylvania
15-16 Ranking: #23
#8 Bethlehem Catholic
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
15-16 Ranking: #5
#9 Bergen Catholic
Oradell, New Jersey
15-16 Ranking: #4
#10 Nazareth
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
16-17 Ranking: #21
#11 Detroit Catholic Central
Detroit, Michigan
15-16 Ranking: NR
#12 Olentangy Liberty
Powell, Ohio
15-16 Ranking: NR
#13 Brownsburg
Brownsburg, Indiana
15-16 Ranking: NR
#14 Elyria
Elyria, Ohio
15-16 Ranking: #18
#15 Wyoming Seminary
Kingston, Pennsylvania
15-16 Ranking: #2
#16 Oak Park River Forest
Oak Park, Illinois
15-16 Ranking: #8
#17 Poway
Poway, California
15-16 Ranking: #13
#18 Allen
Allen, Texas
15-16 Ranking: NR
#19 Choctaw
Choctaw, Oklahoma
15-16 Ranking: NR
#20 Washington Community
Washington, Illinois
15-16 Ranking: #15
#21 Pueblo County
Pueblo, Colorado
15-16 Ranking: NR
#22 Tuttle
Tuttle, Oklahoma
15-16 Ranking: #12
#23 Pomona
Arvada, Colorado
15-16 Ranking: NR
#24 Lockport
Lockport, Illinois
15-16 Ranking: NR
#25 Valley
West Des Moines, Iowa
15-16 Ranking: NR
Honorable Mention
Anoka, Minnesota
Apple Valley, Minnesota
Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Ohio
Camden County, Georgia
Gilroy, California
Goddard, Kansas
Kasson-Mantorville, Minnesota
Long Beach, New York
Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Southeast Polk, Iowa
