Colin Rutlin achieved some milestone markers during his trip to Fargo.
The CBC standout was named the 16U outstanding wrestler for freestyle at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals.
Rutlin scored all seven of his matches by technical fall on his way to the 150-pound title in the freestyle division. He won 10-0 versus Dylan Villers of Tennessee in 2:46 in the finals.
In Greco, Rutlin took second, also at 150 pounds.
“I wasn’t really expecting anything. I didn’t really have a goal,” he said. “I was just focused on wrestling how I should and just trusting in my training and doing all the right things. I was not really worried about anything I can’t control.”
Rutlin was fourth in last year’s 16U Nationals in freestyle. This year, he gave up only two points on his way to the freestyle title.
He said he suffered a torn meniscus last year but still wrestled in Fargo with that injury. This year, healed up, he said he was able to focus better.
His path to the freestyle crown included:
- 10-0 TF vs. Jayden Hawkins, Georgia
- 10-0 TF vs. Carter Franklin, Michigan
- 10-0 TF vs. Croix Gundenkauf, Iowa
- 10-0 TF vs. Braden Shoemaker, South Dakota
- 12-2 TF vs. Kaygen Roberts, Kentucky
- 11-0 TF vs. Gregory Torosian, California
- 10-0 TF vs. Dylan Villers, Tennessee
The hardest match, according to Rutlin? That would’ve been the 10-point win in the quarterfinals against Roberts.
“He knew how to wrestle,” Rutlin said. “Everybody’s going to shut down your No. 1 move, so you always have to have a backup. If you’re relying on your No. 1 move, then it’s going to be really easy to beat that.”
Rutlin adjusted and turned a 2-0 lead after the first period into a 12-2 win.
He said one of the keys to his success at Fargo was his speed and pace, something he was focusing on working out with Team Missouri Select this summer.
“I was making sure I’d be able to make it through those four minutes without stopping,” he said. “So I feel my pace and my ability to change from slow to fast and slow it down and keep them guessing was a key factor.”
Rutlin had three tech falls and two decisions on his way to the Greco finals.
He survived a close match with Marcus Kilgore from Arizona in the quarterfinals, winning 7-6.
In the finals, he faced off with Torosian again and was tied 1-1 after the first period. The Californian scored two at the 1:42 mark for the title-winning points.
Rutlin said he is taking a small break before getting back to working out ahead of the 2025-26 season.
He’s been a runner-up in both of his first two seasons with the Cadets. He was second at 138 pounds in 2024 and was second at 144 pounds in March. He’s 89-12 in his short high school career.
Going into his junior year, he’s posted 11 schools he’s considering for college, asking, “Where is home?” That list includes Air Force, Northwestern, Missouri and Army, to name a few.
“I think the success (at Fargo) was a very big mark in my wrestling career,” he said. “It’s maybe one of my best accomplishments I’ve made. I think it will propel me pretty far. It’ll definitely help with college coaches and recruiting.”
