Illinois and Missouri Wrestlers to Watch at Fargo 2026

Illinois and Missouri are two of the deepest wrestling states in the country, and both will send massive delegations to the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo this July. Illinois alone has more than 22,000 rostered wrestlers and over 500,000 matches in the database — the second-largest wrestling state by sheer volume. Missouri is right behind with more than 13,000 rostered wrestlers and a rapidly growing girls program. Together, these two Midwest neighbors produce a pipeline of talent that shows up every summer in Fargo. Here is who the data says to watch heading into 2026.

Illinois has something rare this season: four undefeated boys with elite ratings. Dom Munaretto of St. Charles East leads the state at 2558 on a perfect 57-0 record. Jimmy Mastny of Woodstock Marian (2517, 46-0), Jonathan Rulo of Belleville East (2499, 62-0), and Rocco Cassioppi of Hononegah (2455, 54-0) are all unbeaten as well. That kind of depth at the top is unusual even for a state as large as Illinois. Behind them, Justus Heeg of Providence Catholic (2425, 56-2) and Preston Waughtel of Vandalia (2411, 86-8) add further firepower, with Waughtel carrying a 1938 freestyle rating that suggests he could translate in Fargo's freestyle brackets. Michael Rundell of Oak Park-River Forest (2390, 87-13) is one of the few Illinois wrestlers rated above 2100 in both freestyle (2146) and Greco-Roman (2120), making him a legitimate dual-style threat.

Illinois is also building serious depth on the girls side. Riley Hanrahan (2476, 93-9) carries a 2190 freestyle rating — one of the highest freestyle marks of any wrestler from either state. Mackinzie Brewer of Fulton (2426, 86-5), Khloe Perez of Glenbard West (2392, 33-0), and Robert Ruscitti of The Wrestling Academy (2377, 94-17) round out the top tier. Ruscitti stands out for cross-style dominance with a 2062 freestyle rating and a 2138 Greco rating. Among the pipeline schools, Lombard Montini continues to produce: Erik Klichurov (2342, 83-14) carries a 2168 freestyle rating, and Bobby Ruscitti (2338, 63-7) adds depth from the same program. Aurora Marmion Academy (Zach Stewart, Ashton Hobson, Joseph Favia) and Oak Park-River Forest (Rundell, Jamiel Castleberry, Joseph Knackstedt) are three-deep with rated wrestlers.

Missouri's most interesting story might be the strength of its girls program. Four of the state's six highest-rated wrestlers are female. Jena Gumahin of Ft. Zumwalt South (2458, 77-2) leads the state's girls at a rating that would be competitive in most boys brackets. Lilly Breeden of Liberty (2439, 108-8) brings volume and a 1990 freestyle rating. Kendall Angelo of Oak Park (2435, 93-5) is right there with them, and Kailey Benson of Francis Howell Central (2368, 82-9) carries a 2115 freestyle rating that makes her a Fargo freestyle contender. On the boys side, Wyatt Medlin of Washington (2473, 113-12) is the state's top overall wrestler with genuine cross-style range: a 2039 freestyle rating and a 2275 Greco-Roman rating make him one of the most versatile wrestlers in the Midwest. Cruz Enderle of St. Pius X in Kansas City (2425, 25-1) and Kaison Schreier of Fort Osage (2424, 101-8) round out Missouri's boys elite.

The comparison between these two states highlights different paths to the same destination. Illinois wins on raw volume — more wrestlers, more matches, and an undefeated quartet at the top that few states can match. Missouri wins on balance, particularly with a girls program that puts four wrestlers above 2430 and has depth extending through Lexington Johnson (2353, 80-4), Lexi Wolk (2331, 56-2), and Brooklyn Graham (2320, 81-6). Both states have clear pipeline schools feeding talent upward: Montini and Marmion Academy in Illinois, St. Pius X and Liberty in Missouri. And both states have wrestlers with the cross-style ratings — Rundell, Medlin, Ruscitti — that tend to predict Fargo success, since Fargo rewards athletes who can wrestle freestyle and Greco at a high level.

For the full profiles on any of these wrestlers — including WPR scores, archetype breakdowns, rating trajectories, and complete match histories — click through to their MatMetrics profile. Qualifying events and summer training will shift some of these numbers, but the core is set: Illinois and Missouri are sending serious contenders to Fargo 2026.