Three past age-group World medalists highlight 2018 U23 Freestyle World Team

AKRON, Ohio - The U23 Freestyle World Team was determined Sunday afternoon, comprised of seven All-Americans as well as three past World Team members, all of who are also World medalists.

After battling against his teammate in the quarterfinals and advancing to the finals off of an 11-0 technical fall, 2017 All-American Jack Mueller went 2-0 against Rayvon Foley. He regrouped after a first-round 8-6 decision to return for a first-period technical fall in the second round of the 57 kg finals to secure his spot on the U23 World Team.

2016 Cadet silver medalist Vitali Arujau dominated his 60 kg best-of-three series against past World Team member Roman Bravo-Young, racking up two technical falls in under six minutes total, outscoring Bravo-Young 25-4.

2017 Junior World silver medalist Mitch McKee started off his series with a 9-6 decision over past Cadet and Junior Greco-Roman World Team member and 2018 Junior Freestyle World Team member Dominick Demas. McKee then came back in the second round to pin Demas to claim his seat as the 65 kg U23 World Team member.

2018 NCAA runner-up and U.S. Open runner-up Hayden Hidlay was slated to take on Ryan Deakin. Deakin, a 2017 Junior World silver medalist, answered his first-round loss to Hidlay with an 11-0 technical fall. Hidlay, who also came up short at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, scored a last-second takedown in the third match to make his first World Team.

And he did it at the 70 kg weight class, a bracket that started with 129 athletes.

An upset rocked the 74 kg finals with Alex Smythe making a return from a first-round loss to Evan Wick to win two-consecutive matches by decision to make his first World Team.

The 79 kg finals featured a face-off between two multiple-time All-Americans. David McFadden, a two-time All-American, defeated Daniel Lewis, a three-time All-American, two matches to none. McFadden picked up a second-period fall in addition to a first-period technical fall to make his first World Team while wrestling up a weight from his college weight class.

2016 NCAA champion and three-time All-American Myles Martin came out on top at 86 kg in his second attempt at making the U23 World Team after finishing second at last year’s Trials. Martin took down two-time All-American and past Cadet World Team member Chandler Rogers with a 13-9 decision, followed by a first-period fall.

Michael Macchiavello topped off his breakout year by making his first World Team. The sitting NCAA champion at 197 pounds finished the U23 Trials with three technical falls, a fall, and a win by decision at 92 kg. Macchiavello overcame Hunter Ritter by way of a 5-3 decision and a 15-5 second-period technical fall in the finals.

2017 Junior World bronze medalist and two-time All-American Kollin Moore avenged his two losses at this year’s NCAA Tournament to Kyle Conel, evening out the record between the two in just six minutes and 12 seconds. In the 97 kg finals, Moore controlled both matches, posting a 12-2 technical fall, followed by a 13-3 technical fall for the World Team spot.

2018 All-American and last year’s U23 Trials runner-up Youssif Hemida racked up consecutive wins in his best-of-three set against Matt Stencel at heavyweight. Hemida advanced to his first World Team via victory by 14-7 decision, as well as an 11-0 first-period technical fall.

This year’s highly decorated U23 World Team will travel to Bucharest, Romania, this November to represent the United States at the 2018 U23 World Championships.

2018 UWW CADET AND U23 WORLD TEAM TRIALS
at Akron, Ohio, June 1-3

U23 Freestyle

57 kg
1st – Jack Mueller (CWC) def. Rayvon Foley (MSU), two matches to none
Bout one – Mueller dec. Foley, 8-6
Bout two – Mueller TF Foley, 10-0

3rd – Austin Assad (MRTC) TF Gabe Townsell (Stanford), 10-0
5th – Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh Valley WC) def. Skyler Petry (Minnesota Storm), by injury default
7th – Alex Mackall (Cyclone RTC) def. Dominic La Joie (FLWCP) by injury default

61 kg
1st – Vitali Arujau (FLWCP) def. Roman Bravo-Young (SWC), two matches to none
Bout one – Arujau TF Bravo-Young, 15-4
Bout two – Arujau TF  Bravo-Young, 10-0

3rd – Chas Tucker (Cornell) dec. Sean Fausz (WWC), 9-2
5th – Josh Kramer (Sunkist Kids) def. Nick Piccininni (CRTC/TMWC), by injury default
7th – Jens Lantz (Wisconsin) dec. Steve Polakowski (Minnesota Storm), 5-2

65 kg
1st – Mitch Mckee (GWC) def. Dominick Demas (OKRTC), two matches to none
Bout one – Mckee dec. Demas, 6-1
Bout two – Mckee fall Demas

3rd – Colton McCrystal (Nebraska) fall Brock Zacherl (Clarion), 10-6
5th – Kaid Brock (CRTC/TMWC) def. Kevin Jack (WWC), by injury default
7th – Luke Pletcher (tOSU) def. Kaden Gfeller (CRTC/TMWC), 15-9

70 kg
1st – Hayden Hidlay (WWC) def. Ryan Deakin (NU), two matches to one
Bout one – Hidlay dec. Deakin, 8-4
Bout two – Deakin TF Hidlay, 11-0
Bout three – Hidlay dec. Deakin, 3-2

3rd – Tyler Berger (Nebraska) dec. Paul Fox (Stanford), 8-4
5th – Pat Lugo (Iowa) TF Alfred Bannister (TWC), 13-3
7th – Matthew Kolodzik (NJRTC) TF Ryan Blees (SERTC-VT), 10-0

74 kg
1st – Alex Smythe (Bulls WC) def. Evan Wick (Wisconsin), two matches to one
Bout one – Wick dec. Smythe, 7-1
Bout two – Smythe dec. Wick, 7-3
Bout three – Smythe dec. Wick, 6-5

3rd – Kaleb Young (Iowa) dec. Kennedy Monday (THWC), 11-4
5th – Carson Brolsma (Minnesota Storm) dec. Josh Shields (Sunkist), 6-4
7th – Austin Kraisser (Campbell) def. Larry Early (VBRTC) by injury default

79 kg
1st – David McFadden (SERTC-VT) def. Daniel Lewis (MWRTC), two matches to none
Bout one – McFadden fall Lewis
Bout two – McFadden TF Lewis, 15-5

3rd – Kimball Bastian (UVRTC) dec. Joe Smith (CRTC/TMWC), 8-4
5th – Connor Flynn (MWRTC) fall Cole Walter (Lehigh Valley WC)
7th – Te’Shan Campbell (tOSU) dec. Gregg Harvey Jr. (Pittsburgh), 6-2

86 kg
1st – Myles Martin (tOSU) def. Chandler Rogers (CRTC/TMWC), two matches to none
Bout one – Martin dec. Rogers, 13-9
Bout two – Martin fall Rogers

3rd – Taylor Venz (Nebraska) dec. Max Dean (Cornell), 15-12
5th – Cash Wilcke (Iowa) dec. Alec Schenk (BBWC), 4-2
7th – Austin Fores (Stanford) def. Garrett Lineberger (Unattached) by injury default

92 kg
1st – Michael Macchiavello (WWC) def. Hunter Ritter (Wisconsin), two matches to none
Bout one – Macchiavello dec. Ritter, 5-
Bout two – Macchiavello TF Ritter, 15-5

3rd – Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. Christian Brunner (BRTC), 9-0
5th – Jakob Woodley (OKRTC) TF Landon Pelham (Chippewa WC), 10-0
7th – Greg Bulsak (Clarion) TF Anthony Perrine (Bulldog Elite WC), 14-4

97 kg
1st – Kollin Moore (tOSU) def. Kyle Conel (GPWC), two matches to none
Bout one – Moore TF Conel, 12-2
Bout two – Moore TF Conel, 13-3

3rd – Ben Honis (Cornell) TF Malik McDonald (WWC), 13-1
5th – Kyle Gentile (LVWC) TF John Borst (SERTC-VT), 10-0
7th – Kevin Snyder (tOSU) dec. Andrew Lee (IRTC), 5-2

125 kg
1st – Youssif Hemida (TWC) def. Matt Stencel (CWC), two matches to none
Bout one – Hemida dec. Stencel, 14-7
Bout two – Hemida TF Stencel, 11-0

3rd – David Jensen (Nebraska) dec. David Orndorff (UVRTC), 10-9
5th – Garrett Ryan (NYCRTC) def. Michael Hughes (B&G) by injury default.
7th – Matthew Voss (Patriot Elite WC) def. Christian Colucci (NJRTC)