Lee, Pico, Hall power to titles at UWW Junior World Team Trials
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
2014 Cadet World champion Spencer Lee earned his first Junior World Team berth on Friday afternoon. John Sachs photo.
MADISON, Wis. – Spencer Lee did exactly what championship-level athletes know how to do.
Bounce back from adversity.
And in a big way.
Two weeks after falling in the United World Wrestling Cadet Nationals finals, Lee turned in a dominant showing to win the UWW Junior World Team Trials on Friday afternoon at the Alliant Energy Center.
Lee, a 2014 Cadet World freestyle champion, swept Danny Vega 10-0 and 10-0 in the UWW Junior finals at 50 kg/110 lbs.
Lee turned in a phenomenal day, outscoring his opponents by a combined 40-0 in his four technical fall wins. He earned a pair of 10-0 techs to win the Challenge Tournament.
The champions advance to the UWW Junior World Championships on Aug. 11-16 in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.
“It’s amazing,” Lee said with a smile. “It’s awesome. I get to go to Brazil and my whole family gets to go now – they all want to go. They get a vacation while I got to wrestle, but that’s all right. That was the idea.”
Lee had lost two closely contested bouts to fellow 2014 Cadet World Teamer Daton Fix in the UWW Cadet finals at 54 kg/119 lbs. two weeks ago in Akron, Ohio.
“I learned that I had some weaknesses – not to stop wrestling and focus on just keep scoring,” Lee said. “I was up in both of those matches and I stopped wrestling. I just have to learn from that and just keep going on.
“When adversity punches you in the face, instead of falling backward you fall forward. You keep moving on and punch adversity right back in the face.”
Fix’s quest to make Cadet and Junior World Teams came up short when he fell to Northwestern’s Stevan Micic in two straight bouts in the finals at 55 kg/121 lbs. Fix won the UWW Junior Nationals last month in Las Vegas.
Micic, a past Cadet World Team member, fell to Fix by a 10-0 technical fall in the UWW Junior finals in Las Vegas.
“I was a little unprepared in Vegas,” Micic said. “I really wasn’t focused and mistakes happened. Hat’s off to Daton Fix though – he’s a tough wrestler. I came here with a purpose. I have my goals of being a Junior World champion. I’ve been working really hard. I wanted to make a statement.”
Aaron Pico earned a pair of hard-fought victories, 5-2 and 6-2, over fellow Cadet World champion Zain Retherford in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Pico was second at the 2014 Junior World Championships.
“Zain’s a great competitor and a tough opponent – I think he’s good enough to win a World title at this level,” Pico said. “Now I need to focus on winning Worlds. This is what I’ve been working for. I want to win a Junior World title. Guys can win a Junior World title and then go win the Olympics the next year.
“I’m excited to get another chance at Junior Worlds. I’m not going to blow it this time.”
2014 Cadet World champion Mark Hall turned in a dominant performance in sweeping past Cadet World Team member Chance Marsteller in the finals at 74 kg/163 lbs.
“I just love to wrestle and love these types of matches,” Hall said. “I’m excited to be on the Junior World Team, but making the team is only half the goal. I want to win a World championship in Brazil with the seven other guys on our team.”
Arizona State recruit Zahid Valencia powered to back-to-back wins over Chandler Rogers in the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs.
Clarion wrestler Brock Zacherl took two straight from UWW Junior Nationals champion Gary Wayne Harding at 60 kg/132 lbs.
“It’s awesome,” Zacherl said. “A lot of people have supported me and it means the world to me to make them proud.”
Stanford heavyweight Nathan Butler swept Jake Gunning to make the Junior World Team.
Penn State’s Anthony Cassar earned a pair of technical fall wins over Jacob Seely in the finals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Past Junior World medalists Joey McKenna and Kyle Snyder are eligible to challenge in a final wrestle-off for spots on the Junior World Team if they participate in the Senior World Team Trials here in Madison.
McKenna earned a wild card to the Senior Trials at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Snyder won the U.S. Open at 97 kg/213 lbs.
The UWW Juniors are comprised of athletes 17-20 years old.
2015 UWW Junior World Team Trials
June 12, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.
50 kg/110 lbs.
Spencer Lee (Young Guns) def. Danny Vega (Tucson Cyclones), 2 matches to 0
Lee won by tech. fall over Vega, 10-0
Lee won by tech. fall over Vega, 10-0
55 kg/121 lbs.
Stevan Micic (Chicago RTC) def. Daton Fix (Team Big), 2 matches to 0
Micic dec. Fix, 7-4
Micic dec. Fix, 10-4
60 kg/132 lbs.
Brock Zacherl (Clarion WC) def. Gary Wayne Harding (Cowboy WC), 2 matches to 0
Zacherl won by tech. fall over Harding, 11-0
Zacherl won by tech. fall over Harding, 10-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Aaron Pico (Titan Mercury WC) def. Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC), 2 matches to 0
Pico dec. Retherford, 5-2
Pico dec. Retherford, 6-2
74 kg/163 lbs.
Mark Hall (Minnesota Storm) def. Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC), 2 matches to 0
Hall won by tech. fall over Marsteller, 10-0
Hall pinned Marsteller, 3:44
84 kg/185 lbs.
Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids) def. Chandler Rogers (Titan Mercury WC), 2 matches to 0
Valencia won by tech. fall over Rogers, 10-0
Valencia pinned Rogers, 2:49
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Anthony Cassar (Nittany Lion WC) def. Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado WC), 2 matches to 0
Cassar won by tech. fall over Seely, 12-2
Cassar won by tech. fall over Seely, 10-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Nathan Butler (Stanford WC) def. Jake Gunning (Buffalo RTC), 2 matches to 0
Butler won by tech. fall over Gunning, 11-0
Butler won by tech. fall over Gunning, 11-0
MADISON, Wis. – Spencer Lee did exactly what championship-level athletes know how to do.
Bounce back from adversity.
And in a big way.
Two weeks after falling in the United World Wrestling Cadet Nationals finals, Lee turned in a dominant showing to win the UWW Junior World Team Trials on Friday afternoon at the Alliant Energy Center.
Lee, a 2014 Cadet World freestyle champion, swept Danny Vega 10-0 and 10-0 in the UWW Junior finals at 50 kg/110 lbs.
Lee turned in a phenomenal day, outscoring his opponents by a combined 40-0 in his four technical fall wins. He earned a pair of 10-0 techs to win the Challenge Tournament.
The champions advance to the UWW Junior World Championships on Aug. 11-16 in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.
“It’s amazing,” Lee said with a smile. “It’s awesome. I get to go to Brazil and my whole family gets to go now – they all want to go. They get a vacation while I got to wrestle, but that’s all right. That was the idea.”
Lee had lost two closely contested bouts to fellow 2014 Cadet World Teamer Daton Fix in the UWW Cadet finals at 54 kg/119 lbs. two weeks ago in Akron, Ohio.
“I learned that I had some weaknesses – not to stop wrestling and focus on just keep scoring,” Lee said. “I was up in both of those matches and I stopped wrestling. I just have to learn from that and just keep going on.
“When adversity punches you in the face, instead of falling backward you fall forward. You keep moving on and punch adversity right back in the face.”
Fix’s quest to make Cadet and Junior World Teams came up short when he fell to Northwestern’s Stevan Micic in two straight bouts in the finals at 55 kg/121 lbs. Fix won the UWW Junior Nationals last month in Las Vegas.
Micic, a past Cadet World Team member, fell to Fix by a 10-0 technical fall in the UWW Junior finals in Las Vegas.
“I was a little unprepared in Vegas,” Micic said. “I really wasn’t focused and mistakes happened. Hat’s off to Daton Fix though – he’s a tough wrestler. I came here with a purpose. I have my goals of being a Junior World champion. I’ve been working really hard. I wanted to make a statement.”
Aaron Pico earned a pair of hard-fought victories, 5-2 and 6-2, over fellow Cadet World champion Zain Retherford in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Pico was second at the 2014 Junior World Championships.
“Zain’s a great competitor and a tough opponent – I think he’s good enough to win a World title at this level,” Pico said. “Now I need to focus on winning Worlds. This is what I’ve been working for. I want to win a Junior World title. Guys can win a Junior World title and then go win the Olympics the next year.
“I’m excited to get another chance at Junior Worlds. I’m not going to blow it this time.”
2014 Cadet World champion Mark Hall turned in a dominant performance in sweeping past Cadet World Team member Chance Marsteller in the finals at 74 kg/163 lbs.
“I just love to wrestle and love these types of matches,” Hall said. “I’m excited to be on the Junior World Team, but making the team is only half the goal. I want to win a World championship in Brazil with the seven other guys on our team.”
Arizona State recruit Zahid Valencia powered to back-to-back wins over Chandler Rogers in the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs.
Clarion wrestler Brock Zacherl took two straight from UWW Junior Nationals champion Gary Wayne Harding at 60 kg/132 lbs.
“It’s awesome,” Zacherl said. “A lot of people have supported me and it means the world to me to make them proud.”
Stanford heavyweight Nathan Butler swept Jake Gunning to make the Junior World Team.
Penn State’s Anthony Cassar earned a pair of technical fall wins over Jacob Seely in the finals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Past Junior World medalists Joey McKenna and Kyle Snyder are eligible to challenge in a final wrestle-off for spots on the Junior World Team if they participate in the Senior World Team Trials here in Madison.
McKenna earned a wild card to the Senior Trials at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Snyder won the U.S. Open at 97 kg/213 lbs.
The UWW Juniors are comprised of athletes 17-20 years old.
2015 UWW Junior World Team Trials
June 12, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.
50 kg/110 lbs.
Spencer Lee (Young Guns) def. Danny Vega (Tucson Cyclones), 2 matches to 0
Lee won by tech. fall over Vega, 10-0
Lee won by tech. fall over Vega, 10-0
55 kg/121 lbs.
Stevan Micic (Chicago RTC) def. Daton Fix (Team Big), 2 matches to 0
Micic dec. Fix, 7-4
Micic dec. Fix, 10-4
60 kg/132 lbs.
Brock Zacherl (Clarion WC) def. Gary Wayne Harding (Cowboy WC), 2 matches to 0
Zacherl won by tech. fall over Harding, 11-0
Zacherl won by tech. fall over Harding, 10-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Aaron Pico (Titan Mercury WC) def. Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC), 2 matches to 0
Pico dec. Retherford, 5-2
Pico dec. Retherford, 6-2
74 kg/163 lbs.
Mark Hall (Minnesota Storm) def. Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC), 2 matches to 0
Hall won by tech. fall over Marsteller, 10-0
Hall pinned Marsteller, 3:44
84 kg/185 lbs.
Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids) def. Chandler Rogers (Titan Mercury WC), 2 matches to 0
Valencia won by tech. fall over Rogers, 10-0
Valencia pinned Rogers, 2:49
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Anthony Cassar (Nittany Lion WC) def. Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado WC), 2 matches to 0
Cassar won by tech. fall over Seely, 12-2
Cassar won by tech. fall over Seely, 10-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Nathan Butler (Stanford WC) def. Jake Gunning (Buffalo RTC), 2 matches to 0
Butler won by tech. fall over Gunning, 11-0
Butler won by tech. fall over Gunning, 11-0
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