Land, Knopick, Perez, Picklo and Mikesell receive draws for 2019 Cadet World Championships

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The first five U.S. Greco-Roman athletes received their draws for Friday’s action of the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Wrestling for the Red, White and Blue tomorrow is Cory Land at 48 kg, Conor Knopick at 55 kg, Robert Perez III at 65 kg, Tate Picklo at 80 kg and Braxton Mikesell at 110 kg.

Perez and Mikesell enter the tournament as 2019 Cadet Pan American champions in Greco-Roman and freestyle.

To begin his first World Championships, Perez will face Kristjian Bosnjak of Croatia at 65 kg. Bosnjak was fifth at the 2018 Cadet Balkan Championships.

Mikesell drew 2019 Cadet European champion Mate Gokadze of Georgia in his first round at 110 kg. Gokadze also was a 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist.

2018 16U Freestyle Fargo champion and 2019 16U Greco Fargo runner-up Picklo will go head-to-head with Robyn Paulberg from Estonia at 80 kg. Paulberg won a Cadet Nordic freestyle bronze medal and took fifth in the 2018 Cadet Nordic Greco tournament.

To open his tournament at 55 kg, Knopick, a 2017 16U Greco Fargo runner-up, will do battle against 2018 U15 European gold medalist Oliver Skrzypczak from Poland.

Land, who was first in the Greco Trials and second in the freestyle Trials, will begin the day at 45 kg, taking on Berat Keskin of Turkey. Keskin was 14th at the 2019 U15 European Championships.

Greco wrestling begins on Friday at 10:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) live on Trackwrestling. Follow @USAWrestling on Twitter for live updates.

2019 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Sofia, Bulgaria, July 28-Aug. 4

U.S. Greco-Roman draws

48 kg: Cory Land (Moody, Ala./Ironclad WC)
vs. Berat Keskin (Turkey), 14th at 2019 U15 European Championships

55 kg: Conor Knopick (Omaha, Neb./MWC Wrestling Academy)
vs. Oliver Skrzypczak (Poland), gold at 2018 U15 European Championships

65 kg: Robert Perez III (Long Beach, Calif./American Born Grappler)
vs. Kristjian Bosnjak (Croatia), fifth at 2018 Cadet Balkan Championships

80 kg: Tate Picklo (Mustang, Okla./Matrix Grappling)
vs. Robyn Paulberg (Estonia), bronze at 2018 Cadet Nordic Freestyle Championships, fifth at 2018 Cadet Nordic Greco-Roman Championships

110 kg: Braxton Mikesell (Spokane, Wash./Central Valley WC)
vs. Mate Gokadze (Georgia), gold at 2019 Cadet European Championships, bronze at 2018 Cadet European Championships