Team Lloyd Keaser and Team Simon Roberts win their pools to reach America’s Cup semifinals

Photo of Mike Macchiavello of Team Lloyd Keaser by Joe Wedra.

CONCORD, N.C. – Pool action of the America’s Cup, presented by the Sunkist Kids, Titan Mercury WC and the New York AC, featured plenty of exciting men’s freestyle action on Wednesday.

After the first day of competition, Team Lloyd Keaser and Team Simon Roberts advanced to tomorrow’s semifinals after winning their pool competition.

The other four teams will compete in a quarterfinal round on Thursday, with two advancing to face the pool champions in the semifinals. Medal matches will follow. All of the action is live on FloWrestling.

Team Lee Kemp will face Team Carl Adams in one quarterfinal, while Team Bobby Douglas will battle Team Kenny Monday in the other quarterfinal.

POOL A RECAP

Pool A began the day’s wrestling as Team Kenny Monday, Team Lloyd Keaser and Team Lee Kemp took the mat, each wrestling the other two teams.

In the first match of the event, Team Keaser was led by the duo of past NCAA champions from NC State, Mike Macchiavello (97kg) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125kg), to post a team win on matches, 4-2. Gwiazdowski and Chris Foca (86 kg) both notched technical fall wins, with Foca beating Ryan Epps, 10-0, and Gwiazdowski stopping Shawn Streck 10-0. The other winner for Team Keaser was Evan Henderson (65 kg). Team Monday wins were from Frank Perrelli (57 kg) and Quincy Monday (74 kg)

In the next match, led by technical fall wins from Max Dean (86kg) and Hayden Zillmer (97kg), Team Kemp defeated Team Monday in a match that went to fourth criteria – technical points, 35-32. Team Monday was led by Perrelli and Monday, who both posted 2-0 records on the day. Tanner Hall scored a 6-0 win over Shawn Streck at 125kg to secure the win for Team Kemp. Two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Team Monday scored a technical fall over Junior World silver medalist Mitch McKee, 11-0.

Pool A action wrapped up with Team Keaser knocking off Team Kemp, 3-2 on matches – no official match was recorded at 86 kg. In the Team Keaser win, both Henderson (65kg) and Chad Walsh (74kg) won via fall, while Gwiazdowski scored an 11-1 technical fall win over Tanner Hall to seal the dual meet. The other win for Team Kemp came from Zach Sanders (57 kg).

Henderson, who took second at the 2020 Senior Nationals, was trailing in both of his matches before securing his pair of victories. Against McKee, he worked out of a cradle and found his way on top to secure the fall.

POOL A STANDINGS

1: Team Lloyd Keaser, 2-0
2: Team Lee Kemp, 1-1
3: Team Kenny Monday, 0-2

Team Lloyd Keaser defeats Team Kenny Monday on matches, 4-2
57 kg: Frank Perrelli (Team Monday) TF Guesseppe Rea Villarroel (Team Keaser), 10-0
65 kg: Evan Henderson (Team Keaser) df. Josh Saunders (Team Monday), 9-7
74 kg: Quincy Monday (Team Monday) TF Chad Walsh (Team Keaser), 13-3
86 kg: Chris Foca (Team Keaser) TF Ryan Epps (Team Monday), 10-0
97 kg: Mike Macchiavello (Team Keaser) df. Austin Schafer (Team Monday), 5-0
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Team Keaser) TF Shawn Streck (Team Monday), 10-0

Team Lee Kemp defeats Team Kenny Monday on technical points, 35-32
57 kg: Frank Perrelli (Team Monday) TF Zach Sanders (Team Kemp), 10-0
65 kg: Yianni Diakomihalis (Team Monday) TF Mitch McKee (Team Kemp), 11-0
74 kg: Quincy Monday (Team Monday) df. Jasmit Phulka (Team Kemp), 9-6
86 kg: Max Dean (Team Kemp) TF Ryan Epps (Team Monday), 10-0
97 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Team Kemp) TF Austin Schafer (Team Monday), 13-2
125 kg: Tanner Hall (Team Kemp) df. Shawn Streck (Team Monday), 6-0
Criteria:
Matches tied 3-3
Most falls tied 0-0
Most tech falls tied 2-2
Technical points Team Kemp 35-32

Team Lloyd Keaser defeats Team Lee Kemp on matches, 3-2
57 kg: Zach Sanders (Team Kemp) df. Guesseppee Rea Villarroel (Team Keaser), 6-4
65 kg: Evan Henderson (Team Keaser) fall Mitch McKee (Team Kemp), 2:05
74 kg: Chad Walsh (Team Keaser) fall Jasmit Phulka (Team Kemp), 5:33
86 kg: No Match
97 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Team Kemp) df. Mike Macchiavello (Team Keaser), 3-1
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Team Keaser) TF Tanner Hall (Team Kemp), 11-1

POOL B RECAP

Pool B featured Team Bobby Douglas, Team Simon Roberts and Team Carl Adams.

Starting the Pool B action, Team Roberts used a 4-2 advantage against Team Douglas to notch the first win of the pool. Vito Arujau (57 kg) began the action for Team Douglas with a 10-0 technical fall win over Daniel DeShazer, but Team Roberts rolled to four straight wins in the middle of the dual meet to secure a victory.

At 65kg for Team Roberts, Pat Lugo defeated Nahshon Garrett in one of the night’s more entertaining matches, a back-and-forth 10-7 victory. Other winners for Team Roberts were Canadian Jevon Balfour (74 kg), two-time Junior World champion Mark Hall (86 kg) and past U.S. Open runner-up Ben Honis. Veteran Dom Bradley was the other winner for Team Douglas.

In the second dual meet of Pool B’s action, Team Douglas returned to the mat with a 4-2 win of its own. Arujau won another 10-0 technical fall over Sean Russell, while Garrett bounced back with an impressive 13-4 win over Ethan Lizak. At 86 kg, Brett Pfarr used late dramatics – a last-second takedown and turn - to score a 6-5 win over Muhamed McBryde. The other winner for Team Douglas was Bradley, who finished with a 2-0 record on the day.

Two-time World champion J’den Cox did not wrestle in this contest for Team Adams, as he won via forfeit at 97kg.

In the final dual meet of the day, Team Roberts posted a 3-2 win on matches with no match being contested at 57 kg. Lugo impressed yet again with a 10-0 tech fall over Lizak, while teammates Evan Wick (74kg) and Hall (86kg) kept the winning ways rolling.

Cox saw mat time in this dual meet, cruising to a 10-0 technical fall win over Honis. Two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson (125kg) wrapped up the day’s action for Team Adams with a 6-0 victory over Garrett Ryan.

Competition continues tomorrow with quarterfinal action kicking off at 1:00 p.m. EST.

POOL B STANDINGS

1: Team Simon Roberts, 2-0
2: Team Bobby Douglas, 1-1
3: Team Carl Adams, 0-2

Team Simon Roberts defeats Team Bobby Douglas on matches, 4-2
57 kg: Vito Arujau (Team Douglas) TF Daniel DeShazer (Team Roberts), 10-0
65 kg: Pat Lugo (Team Roberts) df. Nahshon Garrett (Team Douglas), 10-7
74 kg: Jevon Balfour (Team Roberts) df. Elroy Perkin (Team Douglas), 8-4
86 kg: Mark Hall (Team Roberts) df. Brett Pfarr (Team Douglas), 6-2
97 kg: Ben Honis (Team Roberts) TF Scott Boykin (Team Douglas), 14-3
125 kg: Dom Bradley (Team Douglas) df. Garrett Ryan (Team Roberts), 3-1

Team Bobby Douglas defeats Team Carl Adams on matches, 4-2
57 kg: Vito Arujau (Team Douglas) TF Sean Russell (Team Adams), 10-0
65 kg: Nahshon Garrett (Team Douglas) df. Ethan Lizak (Team Adams), 13-4
74 kg: Josh Shields (Team Adams) TF Elroy Perkin (Team Douglas), 13-3
86 kg: Brett Pfarr (Team Douglas) df. Muhamed McBryde (Team Adams), 6-5
97 kg: J’den Cox (Team Adams) wins by forfeit
125 kg: Dom Bradley (Team Douglas) df. Tony Nelson (Team Adams), 2-1

Team Simon Roberts defeats Team Carl Adams on matches, 3-2
57 kg: No Match
65 kg: Pat Lugo (Team Roberts) TF Ethan Lizak (Team Adams), 10-0
74 kg: Evan Wick (Team Roberts) df. Josh Shields (Team Adams), 8-2
86 kg: Mark Hall (Team Roberts) TF Muhamed McBryde (Team Adams), 10-0
97 kg: J’den Cox (Team Adams) TF Ben Honis (Team Roberts), 10-0
125 kg: Tony Nelson (Team Adams) df. Garrett Ryan (Team Roberts), 6-0