Young stars Lee and Fix set for showdown in UWW Cadet Nationals finals on Sunday
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Pennsylvania's Spencer Lee (left) and Oklahoma's Daton Fix will meet in a much-anticipated showdown in the UWW Cadet Nationals freestyle finals. USA Wrestling file photos.
AKRON, Ohio – Pennsylvania standout Spencer Lee won't celebrate his 17th birthday until the middle of October.
But he's already established himself as one of the top young wrestlers on the planet.
Lee steamrolled to a Cadet World freestyle championship in 2014 and he is determined to repeat his magical feat this year.
Standing in Lee's way for a spot on this year's Cadet World Team is another young phenom, 17-year-old Daton Fix of Oklahoma.
Lee and Fix both turned in dominant performances Saturday at the University of Akron to set up a much-anticipated showdown in the United World Wrestling Cadet Nationals finals at 54 kg/119 lbs.
"What I love about this is it shows this is really a World Trials," Lee said. "It's a very tough weight class. There were four World Team members in this weight class and only two remain."
Fix is coming off a championship performance in the UWW Junior Nationals at 55 kg/121 lbs. earlier this month in Las Vegas.
"I love great competition," Fix said. "That's one of the reasons I want to wrestle Spencer Lee. He's one of the best kids in the world. So why not wrestle the best? That's the only way I'm going to get to be the best."
Champions in all the weight classes, except 125 kg, qualify for the FILA Cadet World Championships on Aug. 25-30 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The UWW Cadet Nationals finals are set for 10 a.m. Sunday with a best-of-3 format.
Lee was asked about facing opponents like Fix who are now gunning to knock off a Cadet World champion.
"I love it – I like having a target on my back," Lee said. "It makes you keep working hard. He's been wanting me for a long time, so I will try and give him what I've got and have fun with it."
Lee beat Fix by a 13-2 technical fall in the finals to make the 2013 Cadet World Team. Both wrestlers made the Cadet World Team in 2014. Lee won the Cadet World title at 50 kg/110 lbs. and Fix placed 10th at 54 kilos.
"He pretty much just dominated everybody at Cadet Worlds last year," Fix said of Lee. "He's the type of kid who scores a bunch of points really fast. I'm going to have to be ready off the whistle. He's really aggressive right out of the gate. I'm just going to go out there and wrestle the way I wrestle."
So what does Lee see as the key in the match against Fix?
"I have no idea," Lee said. "I'm just going to stay in good position and do what I've been doing. Stay aggressive and just have fun."
Fix has made major gains as was evident when he won the UWW Junior Nationals at 55 kg/121 lbs. He knocked off a number of top athletes to win the title despite being one of the youngest competitors in the weight class.
"That gave me a bunch of confidence coming into here," Fix said. "I'm just hoping to keep it rolling.
"I'm really ready to wrestle Spencer. We wrestled a couple years ago and it didn't go my way. Hopefully, this time around I can change the outcome."
Pennsylvania's Jordan Wood, a 2014 Cadet World silver medalist, dropped an 8-1 decision to top young prospect Gable Steveson of Minnesota in the semifinals at 100 kg/220 lbs.
Wood won a UWW Cadet Greco-Roman title here on Friday.
Ohio's Kevin Vough advanced to the UWW Cadet freestyle finals at heavyweight. He won a Greco title here on Friday.
2014 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner Keegan Moore of Minnesota advanced to the finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Athletes from this event will be considered for the U.S. team for the Cadet Pan American Championships on July 3-5 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
UWW CADET NATIONALS
Freestyle
May 31, 2015 Akron, Ohio
Finals matchups
42 kg/92.5 lbs.
Malik Heinselman (Colorado) vs. Mosha Schwartz (Colorado)
46 kg/101 lbs.
Rhett Golowenski (Oklahoma) vs. Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio)
50 kg/110 lbs.
Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) vs. Drew Mattin (Ohio)
54 kg/119 lbs.
Spencer Lee (Pennsylvania) vs. Daton Fix (Oklahoma)
58 kg/127.5 lbs.
Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) vs. Vito Arvjav (New York)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Kanen Storr (Michigan) vs. Jarod Verkleeren (Pennsylvania)
69 kg/152 lbs.
Brady Berge (Minnesota) vs. David Carr (Ohio)
76 kg/167 lbs.
Jelani Embree (Michigan) vs. Joseph Grello (New Jersey)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Keegan Moore (Minnesota) vs. Owen Webster (Minnesota)
100 kg/220 lbs.
Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. Kobe Woods (Indiana)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Christian Rebottaro (California) vs. Kevin Vough (Ohio)
AKRON, Ohio – Pennsylvania standout Spencer Lee won't celebrate his 17th birthday until the middle of October.
But he's already established himself as one of the top young wrestlers on the planet.
Lee steamrolled to a Cadet World freestyle championship in 2014 and he is determined to repeat his magical feat this year.
Standing in Lee's way for a spot on this year's Cadet World Team is another young phenom, 17-year-old Daton Fix of Oklahoma.
Lee and Fix both turned in dominant performances Saturday at the University of Akron to set up a much-anticipated showdown in the United World Wrestling Cadet Nationals finals at 54 kg/119 lbs.
"What I love about this is it shows this is really a World Trials," Lee said. "It's a very tough weight class. There were four World Team members in this weight class and only two remain."
Fix is coming off a championship performance in the UWW Junior Nationals at 55 kg/121 lbs. earlier this month in Las Vegas.
"I love great competition," Fix said. "That's one of the reasons I want to wrestle Spencer Lee. He's one of the best kids in the world. So why not wrestle the best? That's the only way I'm going to get to be the best."
Champions in all the weight classes, except 125 kg, qualify for the FILA Cadet World Championships on Aug. 25-30 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The UWW Cadet Nationals finals are set for 10 a.m. Sunday with a best-of-3 format.
Lee was asked about facing opponents like Fix who are now gunning to knock off a Cadet World champion.
"I love it – I like having a target on my back," Lee said. "It makes you keep working hard. He's been wanting me for a long time, so I will try and give him what I've got and have fun with it."
Lee beat Fix by a 13-2 technical fall in the finals to make the 2013 Cadet World Team. Both wrestlers made the Cadet World Team in 2014. Lee won the Cadet World title at 50 kg/110 lbs. and Fix placed 10th at 54 kilos.
"He pretty much just dominated everybody at Cadet Worlds last year," Fix said of Lee. "He's the type of kid who scores a bunch of points really fast. I'm going to have to be ready off the whistle. He's really aggressive right out of the gate. I'm just going to go out there and wrestle the way I wrestle."
So what does Lee see as the key in the match against Fix?
"I have no idea," Lee said. "I'm just going to stay in good position and do what I've been doing. Stay aggressive and just have fun."
Fix has made major gains as was evident when he won the UWW Junior Nationals at 55 kg/121 lbs. He knocked off a number of top athletes to win the title despite being one of the youngest competitors in the weight class.
"That gave me a bunch of confidence coming into here," Fix said. "I'm just hoping to keep it rolling.
"I'm really ready to wrestle Spencer. We wrestled a couple years ago and it didn't go my way. Hopefully, this time around I can change the outcome."
Pennsylvania's Jordan Wood, a 2014 Cadet World silver medalist, dropped an 8-1 decision to top young prospect Gable Steveson of Minnesota in the semifinals at 100 kg/220 lbs.
Wood won a UWW Cadet Greco-Roman title here on Friday.
Ohio's Kevin Vough advanced to the UWW Cadet freestyle finals at heavyweight. He won a Greco title here on Friday.
2014 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner Keegan Moore of Minnesota advanced to the finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Athletes from this event will be considered for the U.S. team for the Cadet Pan American Championships on July 3-5 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
UWW CADET NATIONALS
Freestyle
May 31, 2015 Akron, Ohio
Finals matchups
42 kg/92.5 lbs.
Malik Heinselman (Colorado) vs. Mosha Schwartz (Colorado)
46 kg/101 lbs.
Rhett Golowenski (Oklahoma) vs. Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio)
50 kg/110 lbs.
Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) vs. Drew Mattin (Ohio)
54 kg/119 lbs.
Spencer Lee (Pennsylvania) vs. Daton Fix (Oklahoma)
58 kg/127.5 lbs.
Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) vs. Vito Arvjav (New York)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Kanen Storr (Michigan) vs. Jarod Verkleeren (Pennsylvania)
69 kg/152 lbs.
Brady Berge (Minnesota) vs. David Carr (Ohio)
76 kg/167 lbs.
Jelani Embree (Michigan) vs. Joseph Grello (New Jersey)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Keegan Moore (Minnesota) vs. Owen Webster (Minnesota)
100 kg/220 lbs.
Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. Kobe Woods (Indiana)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Christian Rebottaro (California) vs. Kevin Vough (Ohio)
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