ORDER GAME PHOTOS

The National Wrestling Hall-of-Fame in Oklahoma recently announced the 2023 state winners of the Dave Schultz (Boys) and Tricia Saunders (Girls) High School Excellence Awards. The Excellence Awards are presented annually to the top senior from each of the fifty states based on outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement, and citizenship or community service. Additionally, regional winners for both awards are selected from state winners, and the national winners will be chose from the regional winners.

The 50 states are represented within the following regions:

• 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.

The list of past state award winners from Idaho is impressive and consists of several outstanding wrestlers that went on to earn collegiate level national titles and All-American honors. They include Jared Lawrence (Sandpoint H.S./Minnesota) Jake Rosholt (Sandpoint H.S./Oklahoma St.), Adam Hall (Bonners Ferry H.S./Boise St.), Casey Randles (Coeur d’ Alene/Grand View), and more recently Ridge Lovett (Post Falls H.S./Nebraska) and Cierra Foster (Post Falls H.S./Oklahoma City) to name a few. The 2023 winners for the state of Idaho include two of the nation’s top ranked wrestlers in Borah’s Aden Attao and Alyssa Randles of Coeur d’ Alene High School.

Ranked #11 in the national prep rankings by FLO Wrestling (285s), Aden Attao has had quite an impressive wrestling career since first taking the mat at the young age of 7. A longtime member of the Suples Wrestling Club in Boise, Attao has earned four national level titles, numerous All-American honors, Pan American Gold, and a Bronze medal at the U20 World Greco-Roman Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2022. Only competing two of his four years at Borah High School in Boise, Attao took the prep scene by storm and made an immediate impact in Idaho and across the nation. During this past season, Attao won every high school level competition he entered, including the tough Reno Tournament of Champions, Districts, and a second individual title at the Idaho State Championships in the 5A division. An honor student, Attao is committed to compete for Oregon State University next season. I wish Aden the best in the years to come and congratulations for earning the recognition as the 2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award recipient for the state of Idaho. Well deserved!

Alyssa Randles of Coeur d’ Alene High School is the youngest sibling in a family that has made a significant impact to the sport of wrestling in Idaho and across the nation for the last several decades. Ranked #2 in the nation, Randles dominated her competition this season and became the second wrestler in Idaho history to win four individual state titles in the girl’s division. Competing in the 127 pound weight division, Randles is also the first in the girl’s division to win four titles at the competitive Rollie Lane Invitational and was the Outstanding Wrestler this season. Additionally, she has earned two District III titles, two titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions, and has earned six All-American honors overall during her prep career. Moreover, Randles is the fourth wrestler from Coeur d’ Alene High School to earn an excellence award, which includes her brother, Casey in 2017.

In the classroom, Randles is an exceptional student and has recently committed to continue her academic and wrestling career at the University of Providence in Montana. I wish Alyssa the best in the years to come and congratulations for earning the recognition as the 2023 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award recipient for the state of Idaho. Well deserved!

Below is a comprehensive list of the high level accolades earned by Aden and Alyssa during their respective prep careers followed by a list of past recipients of these prestigious awards since the late 1990s.

ADEN ATTAO (Borah, 12)

• Dave Schultz H.S. Excellence Award Winner (Idaho) ’23

• Oregon State Commit (NCAA Division I)

• 2x Idaho State Junior Champion (FS/GR) ’23
• 2x Idaho State Champion (5A) ’22
• 2x District III Champion (5A)
• Reno TOC Champion/ALL-AMERICAN ‘22
• U20 World Championships – Bronze Medalist (GR) ‘22
• Pan American Gold Medalist (GR) ‘22
• USAW Triple Crown Winner ’22
• Fargo Junior National Champion (GR)/ALL-AMERICAN ’22
• Fargo Junior National Champion (FS)/ALL-AMERICAN ’22
• USAW HS National Recruiting Showcase Champion/ALL-AMERICAN ’22
• US Open U20 National Champion (GR)/ALL-AMERICAN ’22
• US Open U20 Freestyle ALL-AMERICAN ’22
• Idaho State Junior Champion (GR) ‘22
• Idaho State Junior Champion (FS) ‘22
• Fargo Junior Finalist (GR)/ALL-AMERICAN ’21
• UWW Cadet World Team Trials – 2^nd Place (GR)/ALL-AMERICAN ’21
• UWW Cadet World Team Trials – 4^TH (FS)/ALL-AMERICAN ’21
• Western Regionals Junior Champion (FS) ‘21
• Western Regionals Junior – 2^nd Place (GR) ‘21
• Reno Tournament of Champions Finalist/ALL-AMERICAN ’21
• Idaho State Cadet Champion (GR) ‘20
• Idaho State Junior Champion (GR) ‘20

ALYSSA RANDLES (Coeur d’ Alene, 12)

• Tricia Saunders HS Excellence Award Winner (Idaho) ’23

• University of Providence Commit (NAIA)
• 4x Idaho State Champion, 2020 – ’23

• 2x Idaho District I-II Champion, 2022 – ’23
• 2x Junior Fargo ALL-AMERICAN, 2021-’22
• US Open Championships – 3^rd Place/ALL-AMERICAN ‘22
• 2x Reno TOC Champion/2x ALL-AMERICAN, 2021 – ‘22
• Cadet Freestyle ALL-AMERICAN ‘21
• 4x Rollie Lane Invitational Champion, 2020 – ’23 (OW)
• 2x Idaho Freestyle State Champion, ’20, ‘22
• 2x Idaho Greco-Roman State Champion, ’20, ‘22
• USA Western States Middle School Champion ‘19
• Western Regionals – 2^nd Place ‘19
• Idaho Middle School State Champion ’18

PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FROM IDAHO

DAVE SCHULTZ EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

• ADEN ATTAO – BORAH, 2023
• Rylan Rogers – Coeur d’ Alene, 2022
• Drew Roberts – Coeur d’ Alene, 2021
• Sawyer Hobbs – South Fremont, 2020
• Ridge Lovett – Post Falls, 2019 *NCAA ALL-AMERICAN
• Joseph Rice – New Plymouth, 2018
• Casey Randles – Coeur d’ Alene, 2017 *NAIA CHAMPION/2x ALL-AMERICAN
• Tucker Leavitt – Highland, 2016
• Seth McLeod – Post Falls, 2015
• Hayden Tuma – Centennial, 2014
• Jared Johnshoy – Melba, 2013
• Raymond Evans – New Plymouth, 2012
• Tanner Hall – Meridian, 2011 *NCAA ALL-AMERICAN (DI)
• Trevor Rupp – Pocatello, 2010
• Kyle Johnshoy – Melba, 2009
• Jacob Scharbrough – Weiser, 2008
• Kirk Smith – Centennial, 2007 *2x NCAA ALL-AMERICAN (DI)
• Adam Hall – Bonners Ferry, 2006 *2x NCAA ALL-AMERICAN (DI)
• Luke Smith – Idaho Falls, 2005
• Nicholas Smith – Centennial, 2004
• Jordan Johns – Aberdeen, 2003
• Tony Hook – Sandpoint, 2002
• Jake Rosholt – Sandpoint, 2001 *3x NCAA CHAMPION (DI)/4x ALL-AMERICAN
• Lex Case – North Fremont, 2000
• Jonathan Padgett – Fruitland, 1999
• Jared Lawrence – Sandpoint, 1998 *NCAA CHAMPION (DI)/4x ALL-AMERICAN

TRICIA SAUNDERS EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

• Alyssa Randles – Coeur d’ Alene, 2023

• Marissa Jimenez – Caldwell, 2022
• Hannah Dupay – Meridian, 2021
• Payton Lanningham – Columbia, 2020
• Hannah Harvey – St. Maries, 2019
• Lana Hunt-Waddoups – Blackfoot, 2018
• Cierra Foster – Post Falls , 2017 *NAIA ALL-AMERICAN