Horror Week for NCAA Wrestlers as Two Top-Ranked Wrestling Champions Suffer Surprising Losses to High-School Opponents

Upsets are a big and very frequent part of the world of sports. Despite this, both fans and players just never get used to them, especially in wrestling. While upsets are commonplace in this sport, the 125-pound weight class always emerges as its most potent and fertile breeding ground.

The most recent episode of an upsetting victory in the chaotic 125lbs division saw the top-ranked NCAA wrestler Luke Stanich suffer an overwhelming defeat. Moreover, the grappler who defeated him was a sophomore in high school. A video of their wrestling bout showcased how Stanich, who maintained the perfect stalemate till the end, brutally lost in the final moments of the match.

Jax Forrest dominates another collegiate grappler 

A video titled “Mat Town Open 2- Jax Forrest, Unattached vs Luke Stanich, Lehigh 125 lb Finals” was uploaded on YouTube showcasing Stanich’s match. Both grapplers maintained optimum defense and didn’t allow each other to score any points. But, after wrestling for almost the entirety of the match with a 1-1 score, Forrest flipped everything with some quick maneuvers.

Before Luke Stanich knew it, he had lost the bout with a whopping 8-1 difference. This was a grand win for Forrest, who recently won the U-17 world team silver medal. However, it was a big crushing defeat for Stanich. The Lehigh wrestling star attained rank one in the 125 after winning against All-Americans Eric Barnett and Cooper Flynn. 

Lately, high school wrestling stars have been showcasing their talent and stepping up to the competition against NCAA giants. This isn’t something new, especially for Forrest, who was recently praised for his wins against college wrestlers by the Clash of Combat podcast. In fact, the fall of college grapplers is also visible in the women’s division.

High school wrestling with an all-around demolition of college stars

Women’s high school wrestling star Jaclyn Bouzakis recently stomped over not one, but two first-ranked 101 lbs collegiate wrestlers. Holding the second rank nationally in her weight class among high schoolers, Bouzakis flattened all five grapplers who faced her at the Warrior Open. 

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NAIA’s first ranker Erin Hikiji of Providence and NCAA’s first ranker Sterling Dias fell against her as she won the event. Just like Forrest, Bouzakis also earned big wins as she dismantled Hijiki for 14-4 and Dias for 7-1. Will high schoolers keep bridging this gap with their collegiate counterparts in lower-weight classes? 

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