Florida's Sawyer Bartelt Wins the Dave Schultz SE Award

Press Release from National Wrestling Hall of Fame via USA Wrestling

STILLWATER, Okla. - The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA).

The winners are:

Central Region - Gage Walker, Bixby, Oklahoma, Bixby High School, University of Missouri

Midwest Region - Aeoden Sinclair, Edgerton, Wisconsin, Milton High School, University of Missouri

Northeast Region - Carter Neves, Dayton, Ohio, Blair Academy, Ohio State University

Southeast Region - Sawyer Bartelt, Coral Gables, Florida, South Dade Senior High School, Iowa State University

West Region - Cash Henderson, Bountiful, Utah, Woods Cross High School, Cornell University

The national winner will be announced on May 8. The national winner will be chosen from the regional winners.

The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.

The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.

DSHSEA winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.

The regional winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award were announced on Wednesday. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The TSHSEA national winner will be announced on May 7.

The TSHSEA and DSHSEA national winners will be honored during the 47th Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on May 31 and June 1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. To purchase tickets for Honors Weekend, visit https://bit.ly/2024NWHOFHonorsWeekendTickets.

The regions and the states that they are comprised of are:

West (11) - Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming

Midwest (10) - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin

Central (7) - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas

Southeast (11) - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia

Northeast (11) - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont

2024 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award Regional Winners

Central Region: Gage Walker of Bixby, Oklahoma was a four-time Oklahoma state champion for Bixby High School. The son of Matt and Whitney Walker, he will continue his wrestling career at the University of Missouri. Walker became Oklahoma’s 46th four-time state wrestling champion, finishing with a career record of 155-11 while also winning four regional titles. He also had a fifth-place finish at the Ironman Wrestling Tournament and a third-place finish at the Doc Buchanan Invitational. He finished seventh in freestyle at Junior Nationals in 2023 and seventh in 16U Greco-Roman Nationals in 2022. Walker was a two-time academic all-conference and a two-time academic state champion team member. He is a member of the National Honor Society, student council and Fellowship of Christian Students. He hosted and participated in Operation Gratitude, a fundraiser to gather cold weather gear for homeless veterans while also hosting, cooking, serving and cleaning at the Veterans Day luncheon, parade and community assembly. Walker hosted, shopped, wrapped and delivered gifts for Christmas Angel Trees, benefitting children and nursing home residents, and hosted, shopped, packed and delivered baskets for the Christmas Food Basket Challenge, a fundraiser to provide Christmas dinner to students enrolled in the Backpack Program. He hosted and participated in the Easter Egg Houses fundraiser to raise money to host a prom for the Delaware County Friendship Homes, which provides residential and vocational opportunities for developmental disabled adults, and also volunteered to assist with cleanup when a tornado destroyed homes and yards in the local community. A member of the Cherokee Nation, he was a Cherokee National Trail of Tears Award recipient.

Midwest Region: Aeoden Sinclair of Edgerton, Wisconsin was a three-time Wisconsin state champion with a career record of 144-4 for Milton High School. After going 14-3 and finishing third at the state tournament as a freshman, he went 48-1 as a sophomore, 45-0 as a junior and 37-0 as a senior while capturing regional, sectional and state championships. The son of Michael and Abigail Sinclair, he will continue his wrestling career at the University of Missouri. Sinclair recently won the U20 Freestyle Nationals and also won the 2023 Journeyman World Classic, including a victory over world champion Sandro Kurashvili of Georgia in the semifinals. He also captured Super 32 and Who's #1 titles in 2023, and went 1-1 at the 2023 U17 World Championships. He was the 2022 USA Wrestling U16 Nationals champion and went 8-0 to help his team to a second-place finish at the 2022 U16 National Duals. Sinclair finished second at the 2022 Super 32, due to injury, and had a third-place finish at the United States Open. Sinclair was a Fargo champion in 2022 and went 8-0 to help his team finish fifth at the Junior National Duals in 2022. He performed community service with the National Honor Society and also volunteered as an instructor and coach with the Milton Youth wrestling program and the Askren Wrestling Academy. Fluent in reading, speaking and writing Spanish, Sinclair was a four-time Academic All-State wrestler and also a 2023-24 Academic All-American. Sinclair is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society, the Student Council, the History Club, the Spanish Club, and was a co-captain of the Financial Literacy Team. He was named Rock County Rotary Student of the Month in December 2023 while also making the honor roll every trimester of his high school career and being a Badger Boys State selection in 2023.

Northeast Region: Carter Neves of Dayton, Ohio was a National Prep champion in 2024 and a National Prep runner-up in 2023 for Blair Academy after being an Ohio state champion in 2022 and a state finalist in 2021 for Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio. The son of Paul and Holly Neves, he will continue his wrestling career at Ohio State University. Neves won the Walsh Ironman, the Beast of the East and the Escape the Rock tournaments, and did not surrender a single offensive point during the 2023 season. He finished third in freestyle at the U20 UWW Junior Nationals and the U.S. Open Juniors in 2023 after a runner-up finish at the U17 World Team Trials in 2021. He also played football at Blair and earned second-team all-state honors as a linebacker. Neves served as a prefect at Blair and was also the girls lacrosse team manager. He received the Stephen Curry Prize for Most Impactful New Junior at Blair.

Southeast Region: Sawyer Bartelt of Coral Gables, Florida was an undefeated four-time Florida state champion for South Dade Senior High School. He finished his high school career with a 139-0 record and was only taken down once, and that didn’t come until the final match of his high school career when Dr. Krop High School’s Nathan Adras did so early in the first period of the Class 3A 215-pound championship for an early 2-0 lead. Bartelt’s response? He pinned Adras at the 2:40 mark for the state title. The son of Douglas and Michelle Bartelt, he will continue his wrestling career at Iowa State University. Bartelt won the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title in 2023 and was the 16U Greco-Roman national champion in 2021. He also won the U.S. Open U20 and U20 World Team Trials titles in 2023 and wrestled for the United States in the 2023 U20 World Championships. Bartelt was a four-time Miami Dade County Wrestler of the Year and was named Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Wrestling and the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade Wrestler of the Year in 2024. Also a standout as a defensive end on the football team, he was named South Dade Football Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Miami-Dade in 2024. Bartelt was a member of the “Best Buddies” club, spending time each week bonding with the special needs students at South Dade, and he also spent time reading and interacting with elementary school students. He also served as a guest speaker at local schools, emphasizing the importance of respect and being responsible, particularly with school work, and encouraging students to become well-rounded students before becoming athletes.

West Region: Cash Henderson of Bountiful, Utah was a three-time Utah state champion for Woods Cross High School. The three-time divisional champion and four-time state place-winner had a career record of 158-11, including 126-3 the last three seasons, and was named Outstanding Wrestler at both the division and state tournaments as a senior. The son of Jayson and Cicily Henderson, he will continue is career at Cornell University. He was a Fargo freestyle champion and finished fourth in Greco-Roman in 2022 and finished fourth in Greco-Roman and freestyle in 2023. Also a standout on the football field as a running back and middle linebacker, Henderson was all-state as a junior and senior, region MVP as a senior, and all-region as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was also the team captain for football and wrestling for three years. Henderson was a student diversity representative and a member of the National Honor Society and student council. He was a member of the speech and debate team, which finished second in the region and state, and played trumpet in the orchestra. He volunteered at the Utah Food Bank and at the University of Utah Huntsman Race while also being a member of the peer support group and the school’s food donation drive.

The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners.

Coleman Scott (2004) and Logan Stieber (2010) will become the first DSHSEA national winners to be Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame when they are inducted in the Class of 2024 during Honors Weekend.

Cael Sanderson, who was the Utah and West Region winner of the DSHSEA in 1997, and Jake Varner, who was the California winner of the DSHEA in 2005, are also Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame.

National winners of the DSHSEA have combined to win 20 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners David Carr (2018), Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009), Teyon Ware (2002) and Zahid Valencia (2015).

2024 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners

State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending

Alabama - Cole Carter, Jasper High School, Jasper

Florida - Sawyer Bartelt, South Dade Senior High School, Coral Gables, Iowa State University

Georgia - Seth Larson, Flowery Branch High School, Flowery Branch, Campbell University

Mississippi - Gabrial Shanks, Ocean Springs High School, Ocean Springs, Gannon University

North Carolina - Cameron Stinson Jr., Mallard Creek High School, Charlotte, University of North Carolina

South Carolina - Jermaine (JJ) Peace, Cane Bay High School, Summerville, American University

Tennessee - Logan Fowler, Cleveland High School, Cleveland, United States Air Force Academy

Jason FulmoreMay 2, 2024Comment

Georgia's Genevieve An Wins the Tricia Saunders Award for the SE Region

Press Release from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling

STILLWATER, Okla. - The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced the regional winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA).

The winners are:

Central Region - Persaeus Gomez, Arvada, Colorado, Pomona High School, Oklahoma State University

Midwest Region - Naomi Simon, Decorah, Iowa, Decorah High School, University of Iowa

Northeast Region - Nebi Tsarni, Montgomery Village, Maryland, Watkins Mill High School, United States Air Force Academy

Southeast Region - Genevieve An, Marietta, Georgia, Kennesaw Mountain High School, Lehigh University

West Region - Audrey Jimenez, Sunrise, Arizona, Sunnyside High School, Lehigh University

The national winner will be announced on May 7. The national winner will be chosen from the regional winners.

First presented in 2014, the award is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women’s wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.

The award recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.

TSHSEA winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.

The regional winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award will be announced on Thursday. The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The DSHSEA national winner will be announced on May 8.

Regional winners for both awards are selected from state winners, and the national winners will be chosen from the regional winners.

The regions and the states that they are comprised of are:

West (11) - Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming

Midwest (10) - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin

Central (7) - Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas

Southeast (11) - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia

Northeast (11) - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont

2024 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award Regional Winners

Central Region: Persaeus Gomez of Arvada, Colorado, became the first and only true undefeated four-time Colorado girls state wrestling champion with a career record of 108-0 for Pomona High School. She was also the first Colorado High School Activities Association sanctioned girls wrestling champion at 105 pounds. The daughter of Victor and Sabrina Gomez, she will continue her wrestling career with the women’s wrestling club at Oklahoma State University. Gomez was a Junior Nationals champion in 2022 after finishing third in 2021, and was a finalist at Women’s Nationals in 2022. She was a U17 Pan-American champion in 2022 and was a two-time Colorado Sportswoman of the Year honoree. Gomez was student council treasurer and helped raise money for children battling critical illnesses. She also was a leader and mentor for Link Crew and worked to help grow wrestling by working with youth wrestlers. Gomez was academic all-conference and academic all-state.

Midwest Region: Naomi Simon of Decorah, Iowa became the first and only undefeated four-time Iowa girls state wrestling champion with a career record of 150-0 for Decorah High School. The daughter of Matthew and Melissa Simon, she will continue her wrestling career at the University of Iowa. She is the 2024 recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum’s Iowa High School Female Wrestler of the Year and was also named the Dan Gable Ms. Wrestler of the Year by Fareway Stores, Inc., IAwrestle, and Iowa Corn in coordination with the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Simon won the Junior Nationals and finished seventh in the U20 Nationals in 2023 after All-America finishes in 2022 at the U16, U17 and Junior Nationals. She won Who’s #1 in 2023 and was a back-to-back winner at both the Dan Gable Donnybrook and Brian Keck Preseason Nationals in 2022 and 2023. Simon won both the freestyle and the Greco-Roman titles at the Southern Plains tournament and was member of Team Iowa for the Tulsa National Duals in 2022 and 2023. She also lettered in cross country as a freshman and in swimming as a senior, where she also earned academic all-conference honors. Simon was a member of the school band for four years, including as a band section leader for brass large and small ensemble, and was a member of the National Honor Society as a junior and senior.

Northeast Region: Nebi Tsarni of Montgomery Village, Maryland was a three-time Maryland state champion and varsity team captain for Watkins Mill High School. The daughter of Ruslan and Zalina Tsarni, she will attend the United States Air Force Academy to pursue aerospace engineering and become a pilot. Tsarni received the Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Interscholastic Athletics and was named Outstanding Female Wrestler by MCPS. Tsarni won the 144-pound title and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2023 Junior Nationals after finishing fourth in 2022 and eighth in 2021. Tsarni was the 16U Fargo Nationals champion in 2021 and 2022 and a seven-time All-American. Tsarni won the Who’s #1 championship at 144 pounds in 2023 and was the top-ranked wrestler at 144 pounds. She was a Principal Leadership Council member and founder and creative director of “The Mill,” a school spirit group. Tsarni designed t-shirts, posters, banners and other items pertaining to her school and events. She received the Principal Leadership Council Award, the Principal’s Student Engagement Award, and the Principal’s 4.0 GPA Award with a 4.84 GPA. She was also a member of the National Art Honors Society and volunteered as a coach and instructor for girls wrestling across Maryland.

Southeast Region: Genevieve An of Marietta, Georgia was a three-time Georgia state champion and four-time state finalist for Kennesaw Mountain High School. The daughter of Michael and Melissa An, she will continue her wrestling career at Lehigh University. An is currently doing an internship at Kuraoka Clinic, researching the efficacy of STP on eradicating H. pylori in Japanese men and women. She was team captain all four years and was a three-time regional and sectional champion. An won the Cobb County Invitational tournament as a junior and as a senior, earning Most Outstanding Wrestler both years. She was a two-time Super 32 Nationals All-American as well as a Princeton Open and Preseason Nationals All-American. As a freshman, An was runner-up at the U15 World Team Trials and a USA National Team member. She was named Outstanding Wrestler at Grappler Nationals, winning the folkstyle competition and reaching the finals in freestyle, while again being a member of the USA National Team as a sophomore. An is principal cellist, playing at recitals, school events and more, while also instructing younger students. She is a member of the National Honor Society and was Triple Play Student of the Year (AP biology, Honors anatomy and Post-AP DNA genetics). An also owns her own baking business and interns in finance and is a medical volunteer.

West Region: Audrey Jimenez of Sunrise, Arizona, was a three-time Arizona girls state champion and a one-time boys state champion for Sunnyside High School. After winning girls high school titles as a freshman, sophomore and junior, she won an appeal with the Arizona Interscholastic Association to compete against boys and made history by becoming the first Arizona girl to win a state wrestling title against boys, capturing the Division I title at 106 pounds. The daughter of Guillermo and Denise Jimenez, she will continue her career at Lehigh University. Ranked #1 in the pound-for-pound and at 130 pounds in the National Girls High School Rankings, she recently finished second at the U.S. Olympic Trials – Wrestling, becoming a member of the 2024-25 U.S. Senior National Team. Jimenez was a two-time U17 World Championships team member, winning a bronze medal in 2021, and a two-time U20 World Championships team member, earning silver medals in 2022 and 2023. She won a silver medal at the U23 World Championships in 2023 and a bronze medal at the Pan-American Championships in 2024. Jimenez has done motivational speeches for youth wrestlers and the Sunnyside School District staff while also volunteering at local nursing homes. A member of the National Society of High School Seniors, she has worked as a commentator during the Reno Tournament of Champions and did a podcast with the Sunnyside School District Superintendent.

Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports with participation growing by more than 292 percent from 16,562 in 2018 to 65,000 in 2024.

Forty-six state high school athletic associations have voted to approve girls wrestling as an official sport, and 44 held official girls high school state wrestling championships in 2023-24. Hawaii was the first state to host a girls state championship in 1998 while Texas began its girls tournament in 1999. The number grew to six states by 2015 and has exploded in recent years to 46 states.

States that hosted state-sanctioned girls' wrestling championships in 2023-24 are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

There are over 170 intercollegiate women’s wrestling teams competing at the NCAA, NAIA, junior college and community college level. Women’s wrestling is an NCAA Emerging Sport, and earlier this year the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics voted to recommend Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a national collegiate women's wrestling championship, which could be achieved as early as the 2025-26 season. The NAIA recognizes women’s wrestling as an official varsity sport and held their first official championship in 2023.

2024 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award State Winners

State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending

Alabama - Emily Smith, Daphne High School, Daphne

Florida - Gabriele Tedesco, Lake Gibson High School, Lakeland, McKendree University

Georgia - Genevieve An, Kennesaw Mountain High School, Marietta, Lehigh University

Mississippi - Kayleigh Savage, St. Martin High School, Ocean Springs, Huntingdon College

North Carolina - Caleigh Suddreth, Lake Norman High School, Mooresville

South Carolina - June Welch, Woodruff High School, Greer, North Central College

Tennessee - Ella Murphey, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville, Oklahoma City University

Jason FulmoreMay 1, 2024Comment

Girls Showcase

SE Registered as of 4.20.24

100 lbs

Sophie Booe Florida

110 lbs

Keana Bush Florida

115 lbs

Evelyn Holmes-Smith Alabama
Clare Booe Florida
Alanna Garner Georgia
Gianna Slusser North Carolina

120 lbs

Milana Borrelli Florida
Zao Estrada South Carolina

125 lbs

Taimane Benemerito Alabama
Mary Manis Florida

135 lbs

Tessa Lopardo Georgia
Kennedie Snow North Carolina

140 lbs

Hailie Misplay North Carolina

155 lbs

Katherine Stewart Florida

170 lbs

Megan Preston Florida

190 lbs

Ella Murphey Tennessee

Who to Watch (Based on PIN Ratings from USA Wrestling … not sure what PIN is? Check out my interview with Coach Mathews - starts at 16:36). PIN Ratings are listed for each wrestler below. Keep in mind that a wrestler may not have a PIN rating (I don’t know why that would be the case … just going by USA Wrestling’s information).

NOTE: The weight listed below is the weight they registered … don’t be surprised if they weigh-in at a different weight class.

155 lbs. is easily the weight to watch with 3 hammers all with PIN ratings at 1200 or above. 125 lbs. is a close second with a ton of hammers registered there as well including Florida’s Mary Manis and Alabama’s Taimane Benemerito.