Chavez downs Rogers in featured bout as 15 champs crowned in Junior Nationals Greco tourney

Idaho’s Jon Jay Chavez (in red) rolled to a finals win over Oklahoma’s Chandler Rogers. John Sachs photo. 

FARGO, N.D. – Idaho’s Jon Jay Chavez took all of the suspense out of his much-anticipated finals bout with Oklahoma’s Chandler Rogers.

Chavez stormed out quickly, hitting a five-point throw and a pair of turns to roll past Rogers 10-0 in just 80 seconds in the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman finals at 170 pounds. 

The powerful Chavez was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament on Tuesday afternoon at the Fargo Dome.

Chavez and Rogers both won Junior Greco titles here in 2013. 

Chavez won a bronze medal at the 2013 Cadet World Championships and will compete at the Junior World Championships early next month. He was named USA Wrestling Junior Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year.

“Winning a Cadet World medal gives me a lot of confidence, but I can’t get a big head and I need to keep working hard,” Chavez said. “I want to win a gold medal at Junior Worlds.” 

Two wrestlers – California’s Randon Miranda (100 pounds) and Arizona’s Danny Vega (106) – remain alive for coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crowns after winning Junior Nationals Greco titles on Tuesday.

Miranda, second in this event last year, earned a 14-4 technical fall over Connecticut’s Zack Murillo in the finals. 

“I wanted to go out and dominate that match,” Miranda said. “I’ve worked hard on my technique, staying in good position and keeping up the pace. I’m motivated to win the Triple Crown.”

Vega overcame an early deficit to control Georgia’s Todd Small 7-2 in the finals. Vega was second in Cadet Greco last year and is a returning Fargo champion in Cadet freestyle. 

“It would be amazing to win the Triple Crown,” Vega said. “Freestyle is one of my best styles, so it’s exciting to have the opportunity to do this. I’ve been thinking about winning the Triple Crown for a while.”

Miranda and Vega captured Junior Folkstyle Nationals crowns earlier this year in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Junior Nationals freestyle tournament, will be held later this week in Fargo. 

Illinois repeated as team champion with 69 points. Minnesota was second with 51 points and Utah third with 38.

Minnesota’s Sam Stoll, a 2013 Junior World bronze medalist, won the title at heavyweight with a 2-0 win over Adarios Jones of Illinois. Stoll won his third Fargo title after being a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2011. He is a University of Iowa recruit. 

Utah’s Roy Nash earned his fifth stop-sign shaped plaque from Fargo by defeating Wisconsin’s Tyler Schmidt 13-8 in the 220 finals. Nash was a double Junior champion here in 2013 and a double Cadet champion in 2012.

Powerful Samuel Colbray of Oregon used a strong second period, including a spectacular throw, to defeat Oklahoma’s Joel Dixon 8-0 in the finals. Colbray earned his third Greco title in Fargo after earning Cadet Nationals titles in 2012 and 2013. 

Two-time Cadet World Team member Taylor LaMont of Utah took command early en route to defeating Kegan Calkins of Illinois 7-2 in the 126 finals. LaMont won a Cadet Nationals title in freestyle last year.

Utah’s Brooks Robinson overcame a 4-0 deficit to grab the lead before pinning Colorado’s Nick Tarpley late in the first period of the 152 finals. 

Minnesota’s Skyler Petry scored early in the bout before downing New Jersey’s Anthony Cefolo 2-1 in the 120 finals.

New York’s William Koll looked impressive in winning by technical fall over New Jersey’s William Kui in the 132 finals. Koll is the son of Cornell coach Rob Koll. 

New York added a second champion when Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer put on a show with a technical fall win over Sir Romeo Howard of Illinois in the 145 finals.

New York crowned a third champion when Burke Paddock earned a quick technical fall over Minnesota’s Jake Deutschlander in the 160 finals. 

Missouri’s Blake Clevenger, second in this event last year, reached the top step of the podium after defeating Georgia wrestler Rudy Guillen 8-1 in the 138 finals.

Idaho’s Dorian Sapien capped a superb tournament by defeating Corbin Nirschl of Kansas 12-6 in an action-packed bout in the 113 finals. 

Georgia’s Justan Rivera came from behind to beat Ohio’s Andrew Kowal 4-2 in the 182 finals. Rivera won Cadet Nationals in freestyle last year and was second in Greco.

There were 869 wrestlers, an increase of 52 from last year, competing in the Junior Nationals Greco tournament. There were 45 states represented in the Junior Greco field.

Junior Nationals Greco-Roman

Fargo Dome, Fargo, N.D.


Finals results


100 pounds

Randon Miranda (California) won by tech. fall over Zack Murillo (Connecticut), 14-4


106 pounds

Danny Vega (Arizona) dec. Todd Small (Georgia), 7-2


113 pounds

Dorian Sapien (Idaho) dec. Corbin Nirschl (Kansas), 12-6


120 pounds

Skyler Petry (Minnesota) dec. Anthony Cefolo (New Jersey), 2-1


126 pounds

Taylor LaMont (Utah) dec. Kegan Calkins (Illinois), 7-2


132 pounds

William Koll (New York) won by tech. fall over William Kui (New Jersey), 11-0


138 pounds

Blake Clevenger (Missouri) dec. Rudy Guillen (Georgia), 8-1


145 pounds

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) won by tech. fall over Sir Romeo Howard (Illinois), 16-5


152 pounds

Brooks Robinson (Utah) pinned Nick Tarpley (Colorado), 2:09


160 pounds

Burke Paddock (New York) won by tech. fall over Jake Deutschlander (Minnesota), 10-0


170 pounds

Jon Jay Chavez (Idaho) won by tech. fall over Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma), 10-0


182 pounds

Justan Rivera (Georgia) dec. Andrew Kowal (Ohio), 4-2


195 pounds

Samuel Colbray (Oregon) dec. Joel Dixon (Oklahoma), 8-0


220 pounds

Roy Nash (Utah) dec. Tyler Schmidt (Wisconsin), 13-8


285 pounds

Sam Stoll (Minnesota) dec. Adarios Jones (Illinois), 2-0