Men's Freestyle U23 World Team Trials Tournament concludes

Unseeded Muhamed McBryde won the 79 kg U23 Men's Freestyle World Team Trials Tournament. Photo by Sam Janicki

Five of the ten spots for the U23 men’s freestyle World Team were claimed Sunday afternoon in Akron. However, it is unknown which five spots they will be. Five of the trials tournament winners can still be challenged by U23 eligible wrestlers that are competing for a Senior World Team spot in Final X.

The wrestlers eligible to challenge include Daton Fix, Yianni Diakomihalis, Ryan Deakin, Bo Nickal, and Gable Steveson. While the aforementioned wrestlers are penciled in for Final X at, 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 92 kg, and 125 kg respectively, they have the ability to challenge whichever U23 weight they are inclined to.

The U23 World Team will compete at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, this October.

The first wrestler to win a bracket in a weight class currently clear of a Final X contestants was Cornell’s Chas Tucker at 61 kg. He defeated Pittsburgh’s Micky Phillippi in the finals, two-matches-to-none. Tucker said that he did not intend to compete at U23s due his rigorous course load as a Computer Engineering Major. The spot would then fall to the runner up, Phillippi.

The next wrestler to win the bracket at a currently clear weight class was Brady Berge at 74 kg. Berge earned technical falls over every wrestler he faced, including in two straight finals matches against Philip Conigliaro. Berge competed for Penn State at 149 pounds during the NCAA season, which is 14 pounds lighter then he competed at this tournament.

At 79 kg, unseeded Muhamed McBryde made strides towards claiming his first World Team spot by defeating Anthony Mantanona in the finals, two-matches-to-none. McBryde was home-schooled in high school and graduated from the University of Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree at the age of 18. He earned his master’s degree last year, at 21, and continues to train out of the Buffalo room.

Max Dean earned Cornell’s second U23 World Team Trials Tournament Title at 86 kg. In the best-of-three finals he defeated Minnesota’s Devin Skatzka, two-matches-to-none. Unlike his teammate, Tucker, Dean stated he does intend to compete at the World Championships.

Chase Singletary wrestled heavyweight for Ohio State this past NCAA season but dropped to 97 kg to win the trials tournament. He defeated Michael Boykin two-matches-to-none to get a step closer to earning the opportunity to wrestle in Budapest.

The other five wrestlers that won the trials tournament were Stanford’s Gabe Townsell at 57 kg, Missouri’s Jaydin Eierman at 65 kg, the tournament’s outstanding wrestler, and recent Michigan graduate, Alec Pantaleo at 70 kg, Oklahoma’s Jake Woodley at 92 kg, and incoming Ohio State freshman, Greg Kerkvliet at 125 kg.

Kerkvliet was eligible to compete in the Junior World Team Trials but was unable due to injury

Finals Results

57 kg

Gabe Townsell (CARTC-Stanford) DEF Danny Vega (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) 2-1

Match 1: Vega TF Townsell 10-0

Match 2: Townsell TF Vega 12-2

Match 3: Townsell TF Vega 10-0

61 kg

Chas Tucker (Cornell) DEF Micky Phillippi (PWC) 2-0

Match 1: Tucker dec Phillippi 4-0

Match 2: Tucker TF Phillippi 10-0

65 kg

Jaydin Eierman (TMWC) DEF Luke Pletcher (TMWC/ORTC) 2-1

Match 1: Eierman dec Pletcher 8-5

Match 2: Pletcher dec Eierman 12-11

Match 3: Eierman dec Pletcher 9-6

70 kg

Alec Pantaleo (TMWC/Michigan) DEF Jimmy Hoffman (LVWC) 2-0

Match 1: Pantaleo dec Hoffman 7-2

Match 2: Pantaleo TF Hoffman 11-0

74 kg

Brady Berge (NLWC)) DEF Philip Conigliaro (Unattached) 2-0

Match 1: Berge TF Conigliaro 11-0

Match 2: Berge TF Conigliaro 16-4

79 kg

Muhamed McBryde (Buffalo) DEF Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) 2-0

Match 1: McBryde dec Mantanona 6-6

Match 2: McBryde TF Mantanona 12-2

86 kg

Max Dean (3 Style) DEF Devin Skatzka (MN Storm) 2-0

Match 1: Dean TF Skatzka 10-0

Match 2: Dean TF Skatzka 14-2

92 kg

Jake Woodley (Oklahoma/OKRTC) DEF Christian Brunner (BRTC) 2-0

Match 1: Woodley TF Brunner 10-0

Match 2: Woodley dec Brunner 7-4

97 kg

Chase Singletary (TMWC/ORTC) DEF Michael Boykin (Wolfpack WC) 2-0

Match 1: Singletary dec Boykin 8-5

Match 2: Singletary dec Boykin 10-10

125 kg

Greg Kerkvliet (TMWC) DEF Jordan Wood (LVWC) 2-0

Match 1: 6-5

Match 2: 6-3

Placement Matches
57 kg
Third
Michael Colaiocco Sparta Township, NJ (PRTC) TF Paxton Rosen Edmond, OK (Campbell), 14-4 4:16
Fifth
Nicolas Aguilar San Jose, CA (NJRTC) DEC Tommy Hoskins Norman, OK (Oklahoma), 12-7
Seventh
Jakob Campbell Lewisburg, PA (Buffalo Valley RTC) TF Benyamin Kamali Lansing, MI (Cavalier Wrestling Club), 10-0 2:58
61 kg
Third
Louie Hayes Charlottesville, VA (Cavalier Wrestling Club) TF Josh Kramer Tempe, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 33-22 5:56
Fifth
Drew Mattin Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan Regional Training Center) dec Jake Gliva Inver Grove Heights, MN (Minnesota Storm), 13-6
Seventh
Anthony Madrigal Norman, OK (Oklahoma) TF Zach Price Johnston, IA (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club), 10-0 0:48
65 kg
Third
Joshua Saunders St. Louis, MO (TMWC) TF Cole Matthews Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club), 10-0 3:51
Fifth
Kanen Storr Ames, IA (Michigan Regional Training Center) TF Cody Trybus MD (Navy- Marine Corps RTC), 15-4 5:15
Seventh
Parker Filius West Lafayette, IN (Boilermaker RTC) TF Alex Madrigal Norfolk, VA (George Mason), 10-0 0:37
70 kg
Third
Matthew Kolodzik Princeton, NJ (NJRTC) TF Jake Keating Charlottesville, VA (Cavalier Wrestling Club), 12-0 2:04
Fifth
Kendall Coleman Chicago, IL (Boilermaker RTC) TF Mike Dangelo NJ (NJRTC), 17-6 5:01
Seventh
Brett Kaliner Hoboken, NJ (New York City Regional Training Center) TF Colston Diblasi Fairfax, VA (George Mason), 19-9 6:00
74 kg
Third
Quentin Perez Buies Creek, NC (Campbell) dec Elijah Cleary Orlando, FL (TMWC/Ohio RTC), 9-0
Fifth
Taleb Rahmani Marysville, OH (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club) Fall Justin Thomas Norman, OK (Oklahoma), 10-8 4:45
Seventh
Anthony Artalona Seffner, FL (PRTC) dec Anthony Wokasch Washington, DC (DCAC), 6-4
79 kg
Third
Connor Flynn Columbia, MO (Mizzou) dec Kaleb Romero Columbus, OH (TMWC/Ohio RTC), 9-3
Fifth
Ben Harvey West Point, NY (West Point RTC) TF Jacob Oliver Huntingdon, PA (Edinboro), 12-2 1:20
Seventh
Cael Mccormick Yorktown, IN (West Point RTC) FALL Austin Murphy Cincinnati, OH (Campbell), 4-2 2:53
86 kg
Third
Lou Deprez Hilton, NY (Bearcat Wrestling Club) TF Hunter Bolen Christiansburg, VA (SERTC-VT), 11-0 0:58
Fifth
Nino Bonaccorsi Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club) TF Cameron Caffey Carbondale, IL (Michigan State), 15-4 4:35
Seventh
Max Lyon Dyersville, IA (Boilermaker RTC) dec Jonathan Loew Ithaca, NY (Finger Lakes RTC), 8-6
92 kg
Third
Drew Phipps Lewisburg, PA (Buffalo Valley RTC) dec Jackson Striggow Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan Regional Training Center), 7-6
Fifth
Kaden Russell Kent, OH (Blue Blood Wrestling Club) TF Colin Mccracken Waynesburg, PA (Kent State), 17-6 5:36
Seventh
Antonio Mccloud Cincinnati, OH (Barbarian Wrestling Club) DEF Kyle Lightner Stockton, NJ (NJRTC) No Contest
97 kg
Third
Jonathan Aiello Charlottesville, VA (Cavalier Wrestling Club) FALL Sam Schuyler Buffalo, NY (Unattached), 2-0 0:57
Fifth
Jeremiah Imonode West Point, NY (West Point RTC) DEF Benjamin Honis Ithaca, NY (Cornell)No Contest
Seventh
Ethan Laird Waterford, PA (Rider) dec Matthew Rudy Gaffney, SC (Limestone College), 9-0
130 kg
Third
Anthony Cassioppi Iowa City, IA (IOWA) TF Youssif Hemida College Park, MD (Terrapin Wrestling Club), 13-2 4:26
Fifth
Jeric Kasunic Washington, DC (DCAC) Fall Aj Nevills Clovis, CA (Valley RTC), 8-2 4:32
Seventh
Christian Lance NE (Nebraska) dec Tate Orndorff Orem, UT (Utah Valley RTC), 3-1