Howe, Oliver among stars to win FILA Junior World Team Trials in freestyle
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by Gary Abbott
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - It was a highly competitive final round at the 2009 FILA Junior World Team Trials in freestyle wrestling at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, May 23.
FILA Junior athletes are from 17-20 years old. This includes many of the nation's top college underclassmen, as well as the most talented high school athletes. Champions from the FILA Junior World Team Trials earn the right to represent the USA at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Ankara, Turkey, August 4-9.
Among the winners of close battles in the finals series were college freshmen Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Andrew Howe (Cedar Lake, Ind./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Oliver, who took a redshirt year as a freshman at Oklahoma State this year, defeated two-time Junior World Team member Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./New York AC) in two straight matches. Graff took a redshirt year as a freshman at the Univ. of Wisconsin this year.
Oliver won the first match 2-0, 1-0 and the second match 2-0, 2-0 to sweep the series.
Howe competed as a true freshman for the Univ. of Wisconsin and was second at the NCAA Championships. He defeated another freshman on redshirt at Oklahoma State, Alex Meade (Camden, Del/Gator WC) in two straight matches.
Howe won the first match, 0-2, 2-1, 1-0, and closed out the series with a 2-0, 1-0 victory.
Howe placed sixth at the U.S. Senior Nationals, which automatically moved him into the best-of-three finals series. Meade, the 2009 FILA Junior Nationals champion, had to win a Special Match against the Challenge Tournament champion to earn the spot in the finals against Howe.
One of the bigger upsets came at 55 kg/121 lbs., where Tony Ramos (Carol Stream, Ill. (Izzy Style) dec. Logan Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio/New York AC) in two straight matches.
Stieber, a high school junior, placed third at the U.S. Nationals, which placed him directly into the best-of-three finals. Ramos, a three-time FILA Cadet Nationals champion who is a high school senior, had to win the Challenge Tournament, then a Special Match against FILA Junior Nationals champion Justin Forrest to earn his spot in the finals against Stieber.
Only one championship series was a rematch from the FILA Junior Nationals finals. At 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Jason Chamberlain (Springville, Utah/Bronco WC) dec. Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J./Minnesota Storm) won two matches to none. Chamberlain, who competes for Boise State, stopped Mason, who wrestles for Minnesota, 5-1, 1-0 and 3-0, 1-0. It was a turn-around from earlier in the year, when Mason won the FILA Junior Nationals finals, 1-0, 1-0.
Other college students winning titles were Ryland Geiger (Portland, Ore./Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo./Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/ 264.5 lbs. Geiger competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, and Bradley wrestles for the Univ. of Missouri.
Geiger defeated Univ. of Iowa wrestler Brode Ambrose (Long Grove, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), 7-2, 2-1 in the first match and 3-0, 1-0 in the second match.
Bradley needed three matches to defeat Lehigh wrestler Zach Rey (Hopatcong, N.J./Lehigh Valley AC). Rey won the first match, 1-0, 2-0, but Bradley came back strong in the next two bouts. In the second match, he won 4-0, 1-0 and clinched the team berth with a 3-1, 3-0 victory in match three.
At 84 kg/185 lbs., high school senior Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) defeated Kirk Smith (Boise, Idaho/Bronco WC). In the first match, Smith was injured in the third period and lost by injury default. Smith was unable to wrestle in the second match.
Perry was the 2009 FILA Junior Nationals champion, and will attend Oklahoma State in the fall. It was tough luck again for Smith, who qualified for the 2008 FILA Junior World Team but could not compete because of injury.
To make the finals, Smith defeated 2008 Junior World bronze medalist Quentin Wright (Bellefonte, Pa./Penn State). Wright competed at 74 kg last year.
The other individual champion was 16-year-old Carson Kuhn (Sandy, Utah/Vandit) who stopped Joe Gomez (Maricopa, Ariz./Arizona Elite WC) in two bouts at 50 kg/110 lbs.
FILA JUNIOR FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Colorado Springs, Colo., May 23
Championship Series results
50 kg/110 lbs. - Carson Kuhn, Sandy, Utah (Vandit) dec. Joe Gomez, Maricopa, Ariz. (Arizona Elite WC), 2 matches to 0
Kuhn dec. Gomez, 3-0, 6-0
Kuhn tech. fall Gomez, 6-0, 7-0
55 kg/121.25 lbs. - Tony Ramos, Carol Stream, Ill. (Izzy Style) dec. Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Ramos pin Stieber, 3-5, 1:59
Ramos dec. Stieber, 0-1, 4-1, 6-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Gator WC) dec. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Oliver dec. Graff, 2-0, 1-0
Oliver dec. Graff, 2-0, 2-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jason Chamberlain, Springville, Utah (Bronco WC) dec. Mario Mason, Moorestown, N.J. (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0
Chamberlain dec. Mason, 5-1, 1-0
Chamberlain dec. Mason, 3-0, 1-0
74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind. (New York AC) dec. Alex Meade, Camden, Del. (Gator WC), 2 matches to 0
Howe dec. Meade, 2-0, 1-0
Howe dec. Meade, 0-2, 2-1, 1-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) dec. Kirk Smith, Boise, Idaho (Bronco WC), 2 matches to 0
Perry inj. dft over Smith, 1-0, 0-1, 0:45
Perry inj. dft. over Smith, 0:00
96 kg/211.5 lbs.- Ryland Geiger, Portland, Ore. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Brode Ambrose, Long Grove, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 2 matches to 0
Geiger dec. Ambrose, 7-2, 2-1
Geiger dec. Ambrose, 3-0, 1-0
120 kg/ 264.5 lbs. - Dominique Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) dec.
Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), 2 matches to 1
Rey dec. Bradley, 1-0, 2-0
Bradley dec. Rey, 4-0, 1-0
Bradley dec. Rey, 3-1, 3-0
FILA Junior athletes are from 17-20 years old. This includes many of the nation's top college underclassmen, as well as the most talented high school athletes. Champions from the FILA Junior World Team Trials earn the right to represent the USA at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Ankara, Turkey, August 4-9.
Among the winners of close battles in the finals series were college freshmen Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Andrew Howe (Cedar Lake, Ind./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Oliver, who took a redshirt year as a freshman at Oklahoma State this year, defeated two-time Junior World Team member Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./New York AC) in two straight matches. Graff took a redshirt year as a freshman at the Univ. of Wisconsin this year.
Oliver won the first match 2-0, 1-0 and the second match 2-0, 2-0 to sweep the series.
Howe competed as a true freshman for the Univ. of Wisconsin and was second at the NCAA Championships. He defeated another freshman on redshirt at Oklahoma State, Alex Meade (Camden, Del/Gator WC) in two straight matches.
Howe won the first match, 0-2, 2-1, 1-0, and closed out the series with a 2-0, 1-0 victory.
Howe placed sixth at the U.S. Senior Nationals, which automatically moved him into the best-of-three finals series. Meade, the 2009 FILA Junior Nationals champion, had to win a Special Match against the Challenge Tournament champion to earn the spot in the finals against Howe.
One of the bigger upsets came at 55 kg/121 lbs., where Tony Ramos (Carol Stream, Ill. (Izzy Style) dec. Logan Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio/New York AC) in two straight matches.
Stieber, a high school junior, placed third at the U.S. Nationals, which placed him directly into the best-of-three finals. Ramos, a three-time FILA Cadet Nationals champion who is a high school senior, had to win the Challenge Tournament, then a Special Match against FILA Junior Nationals champion Justin Forrest to earn his spot in the finals against Stieber.
Only one championship series was a rematch from the FILA Junior Nationals finals. At 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Jason Chamberlain (Springville, Utah/Bronco WC) dec. Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J./Minnesota Storm) won two matches to none. Chamberlain, who competes for Boise State, stopped Mason, who wrestles for Minnesota, 5-1, 1-0 and 3-0, 1-0. It was a turn-around from earlier in the year, when Mason won the FILA Junior Nationals finals, 1-0, 1-0.
Other college students winning titles were Ryland Geiger (Portland, Ore./Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo./Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/ 264.5 lbs. Geiger competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, and Bradley wrestles for the Univ. of Missouri.
Geiger defeated Univ. of Iowa wrestler Brode Ambrose (Long Grove, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), 7-2, 2-1 in the first match and 3-0, 1-0 in the second match.
Bradley needed three matches to defeat Lehigh wrestler Zach Rey (Hopatcong, N.J./Lehigh Valley AC). Rey won the first match, 1-0, 2-0, but Bradley came back strong in the next two bouts. In the second match, he won 4-0, 1-0 and clinched the team berth with a 3-1, 3-0 victory in match three.
At 84 kg/185 lbs., high school senior Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) defeated Kirk Smith (Boise, Idaho/Bronco WC). In the first match, Smith was injured in the third period and lost by injury default. Smith was unable to wrestle in the second match.
Perry was the 2009 FILA Junior Nationals champion, and will attend Oklahoma State in the fall. It was tough luck again for Smith, who qualified for the 2008 FILA Junior World Team but could not compete because of injury.
To make the finals, Smith defeated 2008 Junior World bronze medalist Quentin Wright (Bellefonte, Pa./Penn State). Wright competed at 74 kg last year.
The other individual champion was 16-year-old Carson Kuhn (Sandy, Utah/Vandit) who stopped Joe Gomez (Maricopa, Ariz./Arizona Elite WC) in two bouts at 50 kg/110 lbs.
FILA JUNIOR FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Colorado Springs, Colo., May 23
Championship Series results
50 kg/110 lbs. - Carson Kuhn, Sandy, Utah (Vandit) dec. Joe Gomez, Maricopa, Ariz. (Arizona Elite WC), 2 matches to 0
Kuhn dec. Gomez, 3-0, 6-0
Kuhn tech. fall Gomez, 6-0, 7-0
55 kg/121.25 lbs. - Tony Ramos, Carol Stream, Ill. (Izzy Style) dec. Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Ramos pin Stieber, 3-5, 1:59
Ramos dec. Stieber, 0-1, 4-1, 6-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Gator WC) dec. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Oliver dec. Graff, 2-0, 1-0
Oliver dec. Graff, 2-0, 2-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jason Chamberlain, Springville, Utah (Bronco WC) dec. Mario Mason, Moorestown, N.J. (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0
Chamberlain dec. Mason, 5-1, 1-0
Chamberlain dec. Mason, 3-0, 1-0
74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind. (New York AC) dec. Alex Meade, Camden, Del. (Gator WC), 2 matches to 0
Howe dec. Meade, 2-0, 1-0
Howe dec. Meade, 0-2, 2-1, 1-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) dec. Kirk Smith, Boise, Idaho (Bronco WC), 2 matches to 0
Perry inj. dft over Smith, 1-0, 0-1, 0:45
Perry inj. dft. over Smith, 0:00
96 kg/211.5 lbs.- Ryland Geiger, Portland, Ore. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Brode Ambrose, Long Grove, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 2 matches to 0
Geiger dec. Ambrose, 7-2, 2-1
Geiger dec. Ambrose, 3-0, 1-0
120 kg/ 264.5 lbs. - Dominique Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) dec.
Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), 2 matches to 1
Rey dec. Bradley, 1-0, 2-0
Bradley dec. Rey, 4-0, 1-0
Bradley dec. Rey, 3-1, 3-0
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