We are nearing the start of the 2016 Walsh Ironman tournament, but before we get to the action, here is a reminder of everything you should keep an eye on throughout the weekend along with the picks for each weight made by the FloWrestling team.

And as always, make sure you don't miss any of the action.

First # - seed
Second # - ranking

106

Contenders
1. Mosha Schwartz - Wyoming Seminary, PA
2. No. 10 Ryan Chauvin - Lake Highland, Prep
3. No. 12 Lucas Byrd - LaSalle, OH
4. No. 15 Julian Tagg - Brecksville, OH
5. Jacob Decatur - CVCA, OH
8. Jacob Allen - Poway, CA
9. Dylan Ragusin - Montini Catholic, IL
11. Wyatt Yapoujian - Pomona, CO

Commentary: Pretty tough group of lightweights here. Top-seeded Mosha Schwartz may not be ranked, but he is no slouch. Schwartz was a placer here last year and is coming off a summer where he focused on Greco so this will be a big test for him to prove he's deserving of the top seeding. Chauvin, Byrd and Tagg each have what it takes to be the last man standing in the end, but the guy to keep an eye on is Wyatt Yapoujian. Don't be fooled by his low seed, he's definitely a formidable opponent. Lastly, Ragusin can scrap so look for him to be in the mix too.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Tagg  2. Chauvin  3. Byrd  4. Yapoujian
CP: 1. Chauvin  2. Tagg  3. Byrd  4. Schwartz
Bratke: 1. Chauvin  2. Byrd  3. Tagg  4.Yapoujian
Willie:  1. Yapoujian  2. Tagg   3. Byrd   4. Chauvin

Julian Tagg wins his Fargo title.

113

Contenders
1. Nate Keaton - Circleville, OH
2. No. 13 (at 126) Dylan D'Emilio - Genoa Area, OH
3. No. 5 Joey Melendez - Montini Catholic, IL
4. No. 17 Michael Colaiocco - Blair Academy, NJ
5. Brakan Mead - Olentangy Liberty, OH
6. Gabriel Tagg - Brecksville, OH
8. Jacob Dunlop - Belle Vernon Area, PA
10. No. 13 Matthew Cardello - CVCA, OH
11. Shane Hanson-Ashworth - Malvern Prep, PA
12. Beau Bayless - Reynolds, PA
13. PJ Ogunsanya - Oak Park-River Forest, IL
Andrew Cerniglia -- Nazareth, PA

Commentary: Could we see an Ironman finals rematch? Keaton was able to edge out D' Emilio last year in the finals (even though a no-call on some back points helped him out) and I could see these two meeting once again. However, if it happens I'm putting my money on D'Emilio this year in another close one. Though I think we could get that rematch, I am looking at Melendez or Colaiocco to come between the two returning finalists. Melendez is a scrapper and Colaiocco is a long and lanky guy that can be tough to handle. There will also be an up and comer looking to prove himself here as, Andrew Cerniglia, tries to step up to this tough competition. But looking down the line of competitors, there are going to be a ton of close matches here.

Picks
Holmes: 1. D'Emilio 2. Colaiocco 3. Cardello 4. Keaton
CP: 1. D'Emilio 2. Colaiocco 3. Melendez 4. Cardello
Bratke: 1. D'Emilio 2. Colaiocco 3. Keaton 4. Melendez
Willie:  1. D'Emilio   2. Melendez   3. Colaiocco  4. Cardello

Nate Keaton edges Dylan D'Emilio in last year's Ironman finals.

120

Contenders
1. No. 12 Beau Bartlett - Wyoming Seminary, PA
2. No. 20 Mike Madara - Blair Academy, NJ
3. No. 7 (at 113) Colton Yapoujian - Pomona, CO
4. Lukus Stricker - Archbishop Hoban, OH
5. Dack Punke - Washington, IL
6. No. 15 Ryan Anderson - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
10. Ronnie Pietro - Butler, OH
15. Bryce Andonian - St. Edward, OH
16. Christian Nunez - St. John Bosco, CA
Colton Camacho -- Franklin Regional, PA

Commentary: Time to get our first look at the top-ranked incoming freshman, Beau Bartlett. There are certainly high expectations for Bartlett, so this will be a great proving ground for him. In his way will be Madara and Yapoujian. Yapoujian is a bit of a defensive wrestler so if Madara can get his offense going early I can see him getting passed him in the semis. Even though there is a lot of anticipation for Bartlett, I am most looking forward to seeing how things shake out for Punke, Anderson and Stricker, who will be looking to impress upon his 5th place finish from a year ago. Each one of them has what it takes to out place their seeds.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Bartlett 2. Madara 3. Stricker 4. Yapoujian
CP: 1. Bartlett 2. Madara 3. Punke 4. Yapoujian
Bratke: 1. Bartlett 2. Madara 3. Yapoujian 4. Stricker
Willie: 1. Anderson  2. Bartlett  3. Yapoujian  4. Madara

Beau Bartlett defeats Tommy Cox last year at Eastern States.

126

Contenders
1. No. 1 Spencer Lee - Franklin Regional, PA
2. No. 5 Joe Silva - Lake Highland Prep, FL
3. No. 1 (at 120) Jordan Decatur - CVCA, OH
4. No. 9 Real Woods - Montini Catholic, IL
5. No. 8 Anthony Madrigal - Oak Park-River Forest, IL
6. No. 18 Jack Davis - Wyoming Seminary, PA
7. Chris Cannon - Blair Academy, NJ
8. No. 20 Jaden Abas - Rancho Bernardo, CA
11. Chase Zollman - Poway, CA
13. Matt Kazimir - St. Edward, OH

Commentary: Oh baby, get yo popcorn ready. This is going to be fun to watch. Spencer Lee is the obvious favorite here. That's no secret. But the contenders here trying to knock off the No. 1 pound-for-pound top dog, are incredible. This weight comes with the most attitude. Decatur, who is ranked No. 1 at 120, is fresh off a football season and this tournament can expose him a bit in his transition period like it did last year at this tournament. The addition of Lake Highland Prep to this year's tournament makes things so much more interesting because it means that scrappy, slick dude Joey Silva is coming in hot. I like Silva to make the finals against Spencer in an epic battle. But his match with Decatur in the semis will be one for the ages as well. Real Woods will be on the other side looking to give Spencer all he wants. But like I said, a Lee vs Silva final is certainly brewing here. But all that means is that Decatur and Woods will be getting a rematch. They met last year here and that match went in Woods' favor in a big way, but then Decatur got the best of him in Akron in a heated battle. Just know that this is the weight to watch.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Lee 2. Silva 3. Decatur 4. Woods
CP: 1. Lee 2. Silva 3. Decatur 4. Woods
Bratke: 1. Lee 2. Silva 3. Decatur 4. Madrigal
Willie: 1. Lee  2. Silva  3. Decatur  4. Madrigal

Spencer Lee's comeback world championship win at Junior Worlds.

132

Contenders
1. No. 3 Mitch Moore - Graham, OH
2. No. 5 Jason Renteria - Oak Park-River Forest, IL
3. No. 12 Zachary Sherman - Blair Academy, NJ
4. Allan Hart - St. Edward, OH
6. No. 15 Grant Willits - Pueblo County, CO
7. No. 11 Zackary Donathan - Mason, OH
8. Mason Wohltman - Lake Highland Prep, FL
9. Chris Deloza - Clovis North, CA

Commentary: Before we discuss anything, let's go back to October when there was a little trash talking on Twitter between Mitch Moore and J. Rent. Now it's time to put that talking to bed and get with the action. After Silva vs Lee, this is a match I'm most looking forward to. Now with that said I know that Sherman and Hart will not just concede here. But I think that Moore has too much horse power for just about anyone. I think J Rent will get tested a bit by Sherman in the semis. Also, let's not forget, the last time that J. Rent and Moore met was in the finals of Ironman a few years back. It's one of Moore's first signature wins that pushed him up the rankings. It's going to be fun to watch so make sure you don't miss it.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Moore 2. J. Rent  3. Sherman  4. Willits
CP: 1. Moore  2. Renteria  3. Sherman  4. Joint
Bratke: 1. Moore  2. Renteria  3. Hart  4. Sherman
Willie:  1. Moore  2. Renteria  3. Sherman  4. Donathon

Mitch Moore scrambles to a win over Brian Courtney at Super 32.

138

Contenders
1. No. 15 Cole Matthews - Reynolds, PA
2. No. 8 Corey Shie - LaSalle, OH
3. No. 11 Grant Aronoff - St. Thomas Aquinas, FL
4. Anthony Cheloni - Marmion Academy, IL
5. Jacob Greenwood - Poudre, CO
6. No. 19 (at 126) Malcolm Robinson - Blair Academy, NJ
7. Moises Guillen - Perrysburg, OH
8. Sam Dover - St. Edward, OH
13. P.J. Crane - Malvern Prep, PA

Commentary: Can Cole Matthews cement mix his way to a title? Matthews will be in the hunt to make it back to the finals and get over the hump as plenty of guys will be looking to knock him off. A pair of guys that stick out to me are Malcom Robinson and Grant Aranoff. I can see both guys coming away with favorable finishes.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Matthews 2. Aronoff 3. Robinson 4. Shie
CP: 1. Matthews 2. Shie 3. Arnoff 4. Robinson
Bratke: 1. Matthews 2. Aranoff 3. Shie 4. Guillen
Willie:  1. Aronoff  2. Matthews  3. Shie   4. Guillen

Matthews punches his ticket to the Powerade finals last year.

145

Contenders
1. No. 3 Dom Demas - Dublin Coffman, OH
2. No. 3 (at 138) Sammy Sasso - Nazareth, PA
3. No. 8 Will Lewan - Montini Catholic, IL
4. No. 4 Josiah Rider - Grand Junction, CO
5. Augusten Solomon - Franklin Regional, PA
6. No. 13 Jake Brindley - Lake Highland Prep, FL
8. Quinn Devaney - McDonogh, MD
11. Zach Hartman - Belle Vernon Area, PA

Commentary: Yes, Sasso and Demas are the guys to watch. However, Josiah Rider should not be overlooked. Rider notched a big win over Joe Lee at Super 32, where he cradled Lee for the win. Lewan is also tough and will be looking to return to the finals once again this year and get the title that eluded him a season ago. My darkhorse pick is Jake Brindley. He should not be taken lightly at all. Lastly, it will be great to see Gus Solomon back on the mat and healthy.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Sasso 2. Rider 3. Demas 4. Brindley
CP: 1. Sasso 2. Demas 3. Rider 4. Lewan
Bratke: 1. Sasso 2. Demas 3. Solomon 4. Brindley
Willie: 1. Sasso  2. Rider  3. Demas  4. Lewan

Sasso dominates in the Super 32 finals.

152

Contenders
1. No. 1 David Carr - Massillon Perry, OH
2. No. 3 Quentin Hovis - Poway, CA
3. No. 5 Anthony Artalona - Tampa Prep, FL
4. No. 10 (at 160) Julian Ramirez - Blair Academy, NJ
5. No. 10 Rocky Jordan - St. Paris Graham, OH
6. No. 17 Hunter Willits - Pueblo County, CO
7. Connor Brady - Olentangy Liberty, OH
8. Jason Romero - Pomona, CO
9. Nick Giantonio - Christiansburg, VA
10. Bryce Marcus - St. Thomas Aquinas, FL
11. Brock Wilson - Nazareth, PA

Commentary: This right here is the second deepest weight after 126. The Carr vs Hovis match-up was close when they met last year at the Beast of the East, and if they meet again it will be just as close. But I won't say that that match is destined to happen. This is a very deep field. Outside of the Hovis and Carr there are three guys just waiting for their chance to pounce. Julian Ramirez is tough, and I think that this will be a good test for him. He's beaten some top level guys, but he will have to really pull out the big guns to get the job done here. Artalona is another Florida boy ready to do damage, but my eyes are on Rocky Jordan. All I'll say when it comes to him is watch out. This weight is going to be nothing but flames.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Carr  2. Hovis  3. Jordan  4. Ramirez
CP: 1. Carr  2. Hovis  3. Jordan  4. Artalona
Bratke: 1. Carr  2. Hovis  3. Ramirez  4. Jordan
Willie:  1. Carr   2. Hovis   3. Brady   4. Willits

David Carr claims the Ironman title in OT over Cadet World Champ Jarod Verkleeren.

160

Contenders
1. No. 4 Max Wohlabaugh - Winter Springs, FL
2. No. 6 Hunter Bolen - Christiansburg, VA
3. No. 14 Luke Troy - Martin Luther King, CA
4. No. 13 (at 152) Andrew Merola - Blair Academy, NJ
5. No. 17 Nick Kiussis - Brunswick, OH
6. Georgio Poullas - Canfield, OH
7. No. 20 (at 152) Erich Byelick - Lake Highland Prep, FL
11. Mason Smith - Walton Verona, KY
12. Caleb Wise - Broken Arrow, OK

Commentary: With top-seed Kyle Lawson now out things change a little. But even before Lawson was taken out, for some reason, when I look at this list of contenders, Hunter Bolen sticks out like a sore thumb for me. He's got some big bullets in the chamber and I can see him in the finals against Luke Troy. Darkhorse pick: Andrew Merola. I know, I know. He's a legit guy, so why is he my darkhorse? Because I think that as a five seed he's properly placed to do some low key damage  and maybe sneak up on someone.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Bolen  2. Troy  3. Merola  4. Kiussis
CP: 1. Bolen  2. Troy  3. Wohlabaugh  4. Merola
Bratke: 1. Bolen  2. Wohlabaugh   3. Merola  4. Troy
Willie:  1. Wohlabaugh   2. Bolen  3. Merola  4. Byelick

Hunter Bolen punches his ticket to the FloNational finals.

170

Contenders
1. No. 1 Mikey Labriola - Bethlehem Catholic, IL
2. No. 3 Ryan Karoly - Malvern Prep, PA
3. No. 5 Bryce Rogers - Lake Highland Prep, FL
4. Casey Cornett - Simon Kenton, KY
6. No. 18 Joey Baughman - Wadsworth, OH
8. David Crawford - Canfield, OH
9. Trevor Lawson - Olentangy Liberty, OH
12. Jake Hendricks - Wyoming Seminary, PA

Commentary: For me it's a three horse race with Mikey Labs, Karoly and Brown-bound Bryce. Rogers really opened some eyes at Super 32 where he won the title and looked very smooth doing it. Karoly will have his hands full with Rogers in the semis for sure. Labriola has a pace that is going to be tough for these guys to keep up with. It's going to be fun to watch them scrap.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Labriola  2. Rogers  3. Karoly  4. Lawson
CP: 1. Rogers  2. Labriola  3. Karoly  4. Cornett
Bratke: 1. Labriola  2. Rogers  3. Karoly  4. Cornett
Willie: 1. Labriola  2. Karoly  3. Rogers  4. Tarantino

Mikey Labriola defends his number one ranking at Who's #1.

182

Contenders
1. No. 1 Michael Beard - Malvern Prep, PA
2. No. 13 (at 182) Chasen Blair - Rancho Bernardo, CA
3. No. 6 Travis Stefanik - Nazareth, PA
4. J.T. Brown - Elyria, OH
7. Tyler Stepic - St. Edward, OH
10. Carter Davis - St. Christopher's, VA

Commentary: This weight is deeper than it looks. It may not have the huge cast of characters, but what it does have are some serious competitors. If Beard wrestles like he did at Who's #1, it's going to be incredibly hard to keep up with him. I think this will be a good way to gauge where Princeton commit Travis Stefanik is at early in the year. Stefanik has put on some legit size since placing third in the state last year at 160 and winning FloNationals. So it will be a good way to see how he handles the weight jump. Tyler Stepic will certainly out place his seed. He's got the tools to maybe even pull some big upsets.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Beard  2. Stefanik  3. Blair  4. Stepic
CP: 1. Beard  2. Stefanik  3. Blair  4. Brown
Bratke: 1. Beard  2. Stefanik  3. Blair  4. Brown
Willie: 1. Beard  2. Stefanik  3. Blair  4. Brown

Michael Beard dominates at Who's #1.

195

Contenders
1. No. 1 Jacob Warner - Washington, IL
2. No. 19 (at 220) Nick Mosco - Blair Academy, NJ
3. Aaron Naples - Brunswick, OH
4. Danny Salas - St. John Bosco, CA
5. Tony Banister - Wauseon, OH
7. Josiah Gittman - St. Thomas Aquinas, FL
14. Jody Crouse - Bethlehem Catholic, PA

Commentary: This is Warner's world. He's in a class all his own here. Last year he gave Nick Reenan a run for his money in the finals at 182 and after watching him at Worlds this past summer it's pretty apparent that he has made some serious improvements. Salas will be a tough opponent for Warner in the semis, but in the end it will be all about the future Hawkeye.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Warner  2. Naples  3. Salas  4. Mosco
CP: 1. Warner  2. Mosco  3. Salas  4. Naples
Bratke: 1. Warner  2. Mosco  3. Salas  4. Banister
Willie: 1. Warner  2. Mosco  3. Naples  4. Salas

Jacob Warner claims Cadet World bronze.

220

Contenders
1. No. 1 Chase Singletary - Blair Academy, NJ
2. No. 3 Cohlton Schultz - Ponderosa, CO
3. No. 4 Jared Campbell - St. Edward, OH
4. No. 6 Ben Sullivan - National Trail, OH
5. No. 15 Ben Goldin - Lake Highland Prep, FL
6. No. 19 Brady Daniel - Good Counsel, MD
7. Jeffrey Allen - Amherst County, VA
9. Jace Punke - Washington, IL

Commentary: Two of my favorite big men, Chase Singletary and Cohlton Schultz, are on a collision course for one another like a pair of freight trains, and when they hit in the finals expect to see an explosion. Schultz already owns a pretty convincing win over Campbell, and if you know Campbell, you know he's coming hard. But I still see it going Schultz's way. Sulivan isn't being overlooked and shouldn't be by anyone, but he's going to need his A plus plus plus game to beat Singletary. Also, expect Golden, Daniel and Allen to do some good things too. Allen didn't have the outing he was hoping for at S32 so he'll be looking to get on the right track here for sure.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Singletary  2. Schultz  3. Campbell  4. Sullivan
CP: 1. Singletary  2. Schultz  3. Campbell  4. Allen
Bratke: 1. Singletary  2. Schultz  3. Campbell  4. Goldin
Willie: 1. Singletary  2. Schultz   3. Daniel   4. Campbell

Chase Singletary defeats Jared Campbell at Junior Duals.

285

Contenders
1. No. 5 Kevin Vough - Elyria, OH
2. No. 12 (at 220) Seth Janney - Malvern Prep, PA
3. No. 11 Niko Camacho - Bethlehem Catholic, PA
4. Trenton Lieurance - Broken Arrow, OK
5. Wade Wheeler - Amherst County, VA
6. Jake Levengood - Vacaville, CA

Commentary: Vough has returned. Last year he was still pretty banged up from a rough football season and missed Ironman along with a good portion of the regular season. There is a good crop of big men here that will be looking to get the job done against Vough, who has made it to the finals here before. Honestly, Vough is the obvious front runner, but it's anyone's game. I do like the potential match-up between Janney and Camacho, though. I feel like that one will be won late.

Picks
Holmes: 1. Vough  2. Camacho  3. Lieurance  4. Janney
CP: 1. Vough  2. Janney  3. Camacho  4. Lieurance
Bratke: 1. Vough  2. Janney  3. Camacho  4. Lieurance
Willie:  1. Vough  2. Camacho  3. Janney   4. Lieurance

Kevin Vough pins in the 2014 Ironman finals.

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