Top men's freestyle talent to attend UWW Junior World Team Trials in Texas this weekend
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
| UWW Junior Nationals champion Mark Hall hits an inside trip on Logan Massa at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Photo: Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com. |
The winners in each weight class earn the right to represent the U.S. at the 2016 UWW Junior World Championships in Macon, France this August. Athletes competing in the UWW Junior World Team Trials were born 1996-1998.
The 2015 edition of the U.S. Junior World Team brought four men’s freestyle medals back to the States, one gold and three bronze. Three 2015 Junior World medalists, Spencer Lee, Stevan Micic and Aaron Pico, have the opportunity to defend their Junior World Team spot should they elect to compete this weekend.
The champions of World Championship weights at the 2016 UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals held three weeks ago in Las Vegas, Nev. earned automatic berths to the best-of-three championship series and await the winner of the challenge tournaments.
A year after teching his way through the Junior Worlds, one of the most dominant U.S. high school wrestlers in recent memory, Lee returns at 50 kg and will look to take the next step to defend his World title.
Lee recently committed to the University of Iowa to wrestle for Tom Brands and company. He currently owns three Pennsylvania state championships and a UWW Cadet World gold medal in addition to his Junior World title from last year which he won as a cadet aged wrestler.
Sitting in the finals at 55 kg is 2015 Cadet World bronze medalist and UWW Junior National champion Daton Fix. He finished as runner-up to Micic, who is currently not registered to compete, at the UWW Junior World Team Trials last year.
Fix topped fellow Cadet World Team member Gavin Teasdale, 6-5, in the UWW Junior Nationals finals out in Las Vegas.
One of the more hotly contested weight classes at the UWW Junior Nationals was 60 kg, won by two time Junior Nationals champion and future University of Minnesota wrestler Mitchell McKee.
McKee will await the winner of a tough field that includes 2015 Cadet World champion Yianni Diakomihalis, three-time Fargo champion Taylor Lamont, three-time Fargo champion Seth Gross and past Cadet Nationals All-American Jaydin Eierman.
Last month, it was McKee over Gross by first period fall in the UWW Junior Nationals finals.
With Olympic Trials runner-up Pico not expected to compete, NCAA All-American for the University of Michigan Alec Pantaleo is the front runner at 66 kg after a superb gold medal performance at the UWW Junior Nationals. He topped 2015 Junior Nationals champion Matthew Kolodzik, 5-1, in the finals three weeks ago.
Also in contention at 66 kg is 2015 Cadet World champion Jarod Verkleeren, 2015 Junior Nationals champion Fredy Stroker and UWW Junior Nationals third place finisher Griffin Parriott.
The award for deepest weight in the field is unquestionably 74 kg.
Sitting in the finals after a navigating the gauntlet in Las Vegas is 2015 Junior World Team member Mark Hall. Among his many credentials are six high school state championships, a Grand Prix of Spain bronze medal and multiple Fargo championships in both international styles.
Hall recently committed to wrestle in college for Cael Sanderson and Penn State, and could potentially see a future Nittany Lion teammate in the finals. 2015 NCAA runner-up Jason Nolf and UWW Junior Nationals third place finisher Vincenzo Joseph round out the Penn State trio of contenders at 74 kg.
Additionally, 2014 Junior World Team member Anthony Valencia, 2016 NCAA All-American Joe Smith and UWW Junior Nationals runner-up Logan Massa all have the potential to make a championship run.
In the UWW Junior Nationals finals, Hall defeated Massa by fall in 1:39. The two also met at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April with Hall emerging the victor, 13-11.
2015 Junior World Team member Zahid Valencia awaits the winner of the 84 kg challenge field that could see a potential rematch of the wild 174-pound NCAA finals between Bo Nickal and Myles Martin, won by Martin, 11-9.
UWW Junior Nationals champion at 79 kg Beau Breske and third place finisher at 84 kg Bobby Steveson are major players to watch out for in this weight class.
Valencia, a redshirt freshman at Arizona State, defeated Martin for the second-straight year in the UWW Junior Nationals finals last month, 7-0.
Penn State product Anthony Cassar will look to repeat as the Junior World Team member at 96 kg. Standing in his way are the likes of UWW Junior Nationals champion Jacob Seely and 2013 Cadet World Team member Lance Benick.
Seely sits in the finals courtesy of his performance in Las Vegas where he defeated Benick, 9-2, in the championship bout.
Minnesota big man Rylee Streifel will await the winner of the 120 kg challenge bracket. He topped Patrick Grayson, 10-8, in the UWW Junior Nationals finals. Also entering the fold at 120 kg is 2014 Cadet World silver medalist Jordan Wood.
Saturday’s competition will feature 50 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg and 120 kg. The remaining weights of 55 kg, 60 kg, 74 kg and 84 kg will be wrestled on Sunday.
There are four UWW Junior National champions who will be competing against Iran in Times Square on May 19: Daton Fix (55 kg), Mitchell McKee (60 kg), Mark Hall (74 kg) and Zahid Valencia (84 kg). They will have the right to delay their best-of-three Championship Series for the UWW Junior World Team to a later date for any reason.
For the first time, the UWW Junior World Team Trials in men’s freestyle will be held alongside the Body Bar Women’s National Championships that will feature the UWW Cadet World Team Trials, UWW Junior World Team Trials and age group national tournaments in women’s freestyle.
Those unable to attend can view every match from the UWW Junior World Team Trials live on Flowrestling.com.
UWW JUNIOR WORLD TEAM TRIALS
May 21-22 at Irving, Texas
Event Schedule
Saturday, May 21
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Session I - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle (50 KG, 66 KG, 96 KG and 120 KG)
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Session II - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle – Round 1 of best of 3
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Session III - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle – Round 2 of best of 3
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Session IV - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle – Round 3 of best of 3
Sunday, May 22
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Session I - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle (55 KG, 60 KG, 74 KG, and 84 KG)
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Session II - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle – Round 1 of best of 3
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Session III - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle – Round 2 of best of 3
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Session IV - UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle – Round 3 of best of 3
2015 UWW Junior World Team Trials Champions
50 kg/110 lbs. – Spencer Lee (Young Guns)
55 kg/121.25 lbs. – Stevan Micic (Chicago RTC)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Joey McKenna (Lehigh Valley AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Aaron Pico (Titan Mercury WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Mark Hall (Minnesota Storm)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Anthony Cassar (Nittany Lion WC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Nathan Butler (Stanford WC)
2016 UWW Junior Nationals Champions
50 kg/110 lbs. – Spencer Lee (Young Guns)
55 kg/121.25 lbs. – Daton Fix (Team BIG)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Mitchell McKee (Minnesota Storm)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Cole Martin (Badger WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Alec Pantaleo (Michigan RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs. – Michael Kemerer (Iowa)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Mark Hall (Minnesota Storm)
79 kg/174 lbs. – Beau Breske (Ringers)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado RTC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Rylee Streifel (Minnesota Storm)
