World Championship Preview: U.S. Cadets head to Croatia for World Championships, July 2-8

The U.S. Cadet World Team heads out this week for the first World Championships of the season, July 2-8 in Zagreb, Croatia.

The tournament kicks off with men’s freestyle July 2-4, followed by women’s freestyle July 4-6 with Greco-Roman closing out the event on July 6-8.  Each weight in each style will be contested over two days.

USA’s rosters in all three styles are full of talent. Below is a breakdown of the American representatives.

MEN’S FREESTYLE
Heading to Croatia in men’s freestyle are two past Cadet World Team members, including Robert Howard and Daniel ‘Greg’ Kerkvliet.

Kerkvliet, wrestling next week at 110 kg, was one of four Cadet freestyle champions for the Red, White and Blue and is the only one returning to the Cadet-level Worlds. After a dominant season in both folkstyle and freestyle, Kerkvliet, a Minnesota native, looks to defend his World title. He will also represent the U.S. at the Junior World Championships in Slovakia in September.

Roberts went 2-1 at last year’s Worlds. In order to make the 2018 squad, Howard took out 2017 World teammate Julian Tagg in two bouts in the Cadet Trials best-of-three finals in early-June at 55 kg.

When it comes to others with international experience, Carson Manville, a first-time World Teamer, owns four Cadet Pan-American Championships gold medals, winning in both Greco and freestyle in back-to-back years. Manville, who will wrestle for the U.S. at 65 kg, was also a double champion at Fargo in 2017.

There are five other Fargo champions in the lineup, including Chance Lamer (45 kg), Joshua Saunders (60 kg), Alex Facundo (71 kg), Abe Assad (80 kg) and Albert ‘AJ’ Ferrari (92 kg).

After winning the Cadet World Team Trials in both styles, Assad elected to only compete in freestyle at the World Championships.

Completing the freestyle team are Fargo All-Americans Richard Figueroa (48 kg) and Matthew Ramos (51 kg).

The men’s freestyle team will be coached by U.S. Freestyle National Development Coach Kevin Jackson, Arizona State assistant coach Lee Pritts and Michigan assistant coach Kellen Russell.

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE
This lineup features two wrestlers from last year’s team—Emily Shilson and Olivia Shore—as well as a 2016 Cadet World Teamer in Macey Kilty.

Shilson and Kilty are both World medalists, while Shore got critical World experience, wrestling two matches at the World Championships in 2017.

Shilson buzzsawed through the bracket last year in Athens, Greece, advancing to the finals but was stopped just short of gold, taking home a silver medal in her first World-level event. In addition to her World silver medal, Shilson is a two-time Pan American champion and has claimed four Fargo titles, two in Cadet and two in Junior.

In 2016, Kilty put up an impressive performance, grabbing a bronze medal. This year, she aims for the top of the podium not only in Cadets but also in Juniors as she also made the Junior World Team this summer.

At only 17 years old, Kilty already has a long, impressive resume as a two-time Cadet World Team member, a 2017 Pan American champion and a three-time Fargo champion, winning both the Cadet and Junior divisions last summer.

Shore heads into her second-consecutive World Championships with valuable international experience. She has also excelled on the domestic scene, winning a Fargo Cadet title in 2017 and taking the crown in the 2018 Junior Folkstyle Nationals.

While a young age-group, several members of this team have international experience with five other wrestlers winning Pan American medals, including Tiare Ikei (49 kg), Cheyenne Bowman (57 kg), Sterling Dias (40 kg), Tristan Kelly (73 kg) and Kiana Pugh (65 kg).

Ikei and Bowman snagged gold earlier this year at the 2018 Cadet Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Ikei knocked off 2017 Cadet World bronze medalist Lucia Yepez Guzman of Ecuador with an early second-period fall.

Also winning medals in Guatemala were silver medalist Kelly and bronze medalist Pugh. Kelly also owns a bronze from the 2016 Schoolboy/girl Pan American Championships in Medellin, Colombia. At that same event, Dias captured gold.

Rounding out the team is 2017 Cadet Fargo champion Leilah Castro (53 kg) and Morgan Norris (61 kg).

The women’s freestyle team will be coached by U.S. National Assistant Coach Emma Randall, Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith and McKendree women’s coach Sam Schmitz.

GRECO-ROMAN
All 10 members of the Greco Team will compete in their first World Championships next week.

Highlighting this squad is 2017 Cadet Fargo Greco-Roman champion and 2018 Cadet Pan American champion in Greco and freestyle, Hunter Lewis, who will represent the U.S. at 55 kg.

Also holding international experience in this group is 45 kg representative Cale Anderson, who competed at the Estonian Wrestling Festival earlier this year in Tallin, Estonia, and won a silver in Greco and a bronze in freestyle.

Dominic Damon, who will wear the Red, White and Blue at 65 kg, traveled to Vasteras, Sweden, last November, where he claimed bronze in the Cadet Greco division of the Malar Cup.

In addition to Lewis, there are two other Fargo champs in this group, including Phillip Moomey at 60 kg and Jonathon Fagen at 80 kg.

Fagen, who took second at Cadet Trials, was awarded the spot after Abe Assad, the Cadet Trials champion in freestyle and Greco, elected to compete in only freestyle at the World Championships.

Additionally, four Fargo All-Americans make up the team.

U.S. rep at 48 kg Brenden Chaowanapibool is a five-time Fargo All-American, placing second in the Cadet and Junior Greco divisions in 2016. He is accompanied by three-time AA Luke Luffman (110 kg) and two-timers Jakason Burks (51 kg) and Jacob Kaminski (92 kg).

There is actually more than one Burks on the team as Jakason’s brother, James, will join him in Zagreb, wrestling for USA at 71 kg.

Coaching the Greco-Roman team is USA Wrestling’s Manager of Greco-Roman Programs Gary Mayabb, Buena Vista head coach Mark Rial and Combat Wrestling Club head coach Lucas Steldt.

The tournament starts Monday, July 2, at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET). Fans can watch all the action live on Trackwrestling.com and stay updated by following @USAWrestling on Twitter.

2018 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Zagreb, Croatia, July 2-8 (6 hours ahead of ET)


Schedule
Monday, July 2 
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
6 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
Tuesday, July 3
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
5:30 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (MFS 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
Wednesday, July 4
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 43 kg, 49 kg, 57 kg, 65 kg, 73 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
5:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 43 kg, 49 kg, 57 kg, 65 kg, 73 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (MFS 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
Thursday, July 5
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 40 kg, 46 kg, 53 kg, 61 kg, 69 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 43 kg, 49 kg, 57 kg, 65 kg, 73 kg)
5:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 40 kg, 46 kg, 53 kg, 61 kg, 69 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (WFS 43 kg, 49 kg, 57 kg, 65 kg, 73 kg)
Friday, July 6
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 40 kg, 46 kg, 53 kg, 61 kg, 69 kg)
5:30 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (WFS 40 kg, 46 kg, 53 kg, 61 kg, 69 kg)
Saturday, July 7
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (GR 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
5:30 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (GR 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg, 110 kg)
Sunday, July 8
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-in
4 p.m. – Repechage (GR 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (GR 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg, 92 kg)
U.S. Cadet men’s freestyle roster
42 kg/92 lbs. – Chance Lamer, Corvallis, Ore. (Orange Crush WC)
46 kg/101 lbs. – Richard Figueroa, Sanger, Calif. (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage)
50 kg/110 lbs. – Matthew Ramos Lockport, Ill. (Colt Wrestling)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Robert Howard, Cranford, N.J. (Titan Mercury/Bitetto Trained)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Joshua Saunders, St. Louis, Mo. (Titan Mercury)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Carson Manville, Shakopee, Minn. (Banditos WC)
71 kg/157 lbs. – Alex Facundo, Davison, Mich. (Team Donahue)
80 kg/176 lbs. – Abe Assad, Carol Stream, Ill. (Izzy Style WC)
92 kg/202 lbs. – Albert “AJ” Ferrari, Allen, Texas (Best Trained WC)
110 kg/242 lbs. – Daniel “Greg” Kerkvliet, Inver Grove, Minn. (Titan Mercury/Pinnacle)
U.S. Freestyle Developmental Coach– Kevin Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Lee Pritts, Tempe, Ariz.
Coach – Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
U.S. Cadet women’s freestyle roster
40 kg/88 lbs. – Sterling Dias, Las Vegas, Nev. (Slam WC)
43 kg/95 lbs. – Emily Shilson, Maple Grove, Minn. (Titan Mercury)
46 kg/101 lbs. – Olivia Shore, St. Paris, Ohio (Shore Sports Club)
49 kg/108 lbs. – Tiare Ikei, Honolulu, Hawaii (Grapplers Hawaii)
53 kg/117 lbs. – Leilah Castro, New Lexington, Ohio (Shore Sports Club)
57 kg/125 lbs. – Cheyenne Bowman, La Habra, Calif. (Pounders WC)
61 kg/134 lbs. – Morgan Norris, Sparks, Nev. (AGA Wolfpack WC)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Kiana Pugh, Mosinee, Wisc. (Mosinee WC)
69 kg/152 lbs. – Macey Kilty, Stratford, Wisc. (Sunkist Kids)
73 kg/161 lbs. - Tristan Kelly, Erie, Colo. (Betterman Elite)
U.S. Women’s Freestyle National Assistant Coach – Emma Randall, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – John Smith, Stillwater, Okla.
Coach – Sam Schmitz, Lebanon, Ill.  
U.S. Cadet Greco-Roman roster
45 kg/100 lbs. – Cale Anderson, Viroqua, Wisc. (Combat WC)
48 kg/106 lbs. – Brenden Chaowanapibool, Auburn, Wash. (Team Aggression)
51 kg/112 lbs. – Jakason Burks, Omaha, Neb. (MWC Wrestling Academy)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Hunter Lewis, Stoughton, Wisc. (Stoughton HS)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Phillip Moomey, Kearney, Neb. (MWC Wrestling Academy)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Dominic Damon, Seatlle, Wash. (Vandit Wrestling Academy)
71 kg/156 lbs. – James Burks III, Omaha, Neb. (MWC Wrestling Academy)
80 kg/176 lbs. – Jonathon Fagan, Fruitland, Idaho (Suples WC)
92 kg/202 lbs. – Jacob Kaminski, Riverdale, Ill. (Unattached)
110 kg/242 lbs. – Luke Luffman, Urbana, Ill. (Illinois RTC/Illini WC)
U.S. Director of Greco-Roman Programs – Gary Mayabb, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Mark Rial, Fort Dodge, Iowa
Coach – Lucas Steldt, Blue River, Wisc.
Support Staff
Referee – Jim Speelman
Referee – Josh Grube
Medical – Dr. David Haight
Medical – Bruce Ferratt
Team leader - Frank Popolizio