Photo of Joel Adams by Ryan Cummings/Matfocus.com

Fargo, N.D. — Idaho’s Mack Mauger (94) and Wisconsin’s Koy Hopke (220) both won individual titles in Thursday’s 16U Greco-Roman finals to win USA Wrestling Triple Crown awards. Team Pennsylvania wrapped up the team race title with 197 team points and three individual champions. Nebraska’s Joel Adams (138), who won his second Fargo title of the week, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Two other athletes won their second Fargo titles of the weekend: Minnesota’s Zach Hanson (132) and South Dakota’s Navarro Schunke (285).

Mauger completed the first Triple Crown performance of the tournament, posting a 6-0 win in the finals over Illinois’ Brady Phelps. Mauger went into the break with a 2-0 lead and used a significant four-point throw in the second period to lock up the win. This year, Mauger has won both Fargo titles, the 2021 Western Regional 16U championship in freestyle and Greco-Roman, the 16U Folkstyle Nationals and the 2021 Idaho State 16U Championships in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Mauger is the first wrestler from Idaho to ever double up at Fargo.

Hopke’s Triple Crown award was secured with his 9-4 finals win over Pennsylvania’s Austin Johnson. Hopke opened up early and scored consistently, rolling to his second 16U title of the week. The 16-year-old, who also won the 2021 Wisconsin 16U state title in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, is a rising senior at Amery High School.

Adams was able to double up and win his championship in style, using a five-point throw and four-point throw to wrap up a flashy 10-0 victory over Colorado’s Brady Collins. The Omaha native started on top in par terre after a passivity call on Collins and took advantage of the momentum to post the two highlight-reel moves and win his second title of the weekend.

Hanson doubled up at Fargo with a 12-1 tech fall win over Colorado’s Dmitri Alarcon. Hanson trailed 1-0 at the break, but locked up a strong championship-sealing gut wrench in the second period to earn the win at 132 pounds. Hanson, 16, is a rising junior at Lakeville North High School. He also won the 2019 Folkstyle Nationals and 14U Nationals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Schunke wrapped up the competition on Thursday with an impressive 9-2 win over Louisiana’s Spencer Lanosga. The South Dakota standout locked up a tight gut wrench in the first period to head to the break 9-0 and held tough through the second period to notch another 2021 Fargo championship. Schunke, 16, will be a sophomore at Brandon Valley High School.

Wisconsin’s Haakon Peterson, a 2021 U15 Nationals champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, held off a late push in a finals rematch with 16U freestyle champion Jaavon Yarbrough late to finish up a 3-2 win to begin the finals action. A second-period score at the edge proved to be enough for the 14-year-old champion. Peterson will be a high school freshman in the fall. Yarbrough’s impressive Fargo tournament wrapped up with the runner-up finish. He will be a sophomore at Copley High School in Copley, Ohio.

In a match that helped headline Thursday’s slate, Pennsylvania’s Mason Gibson (126) won a wild 12-9 bout over his in-state opponent, Kamdyn Williams. In an impressive comeback, Gibson was down 9-0 in the first period before storming back. After Williams locked up an early gut and then used a four-point move to take a commanding lead, Gibson scrapped his way back and eventually won the bout following two leg fouls by Williams. Gibson, who finished third in the 16U freestyle division, is ranked No. 5 nationally by FloWrestling at 120 pounds. Williams has a No. 19 ranking at the weight.

Another premier match came at 145 pounds, where two USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champions battled for the title. Pennsylvania’s Pierson Manville knocked off Wisconsin’s Brett Back, a 6-1 decision that was marked by hard back-and-forth action throughout the bout. Manville finished second in the 16U Freestyle tournament earlier this week.

California’s Cody Merrill (182) followed his runner-up 16U freestyle performance with a Fargo title in Greco-Roman, defeating Minnesota’s Soren Herzog in a 6-0 decision. Merrill, who took third at the 2021 UWW Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman, allowed just two points against in six bouts throughout the tournament.

At 100 pounds, Layne Kleimann of Utah was dominant in his finals bout against Pennsylvania’s Trey Wagner. Kleimann, who took fifth in the 16U freestyle tournament this week, needed just 1:44 to post the win, which was capped off by a four-point score to end the match. The 15-year-old will be a freshman in high school this fall.

Anthony Ruzic, who took second at the 2021 National Showcase Wisconsin qualifier, defeated 2021 Folkstyle Nationals champion Matthew Martino (Idaho) in the 106-pound final. Ruzic trailed 3-1 late in the match, but used a steady fight to get the match within striking distance. With two seconds left, he forced Martino to the edge and posted a step-out point for the win. Ruzic, 15, will be a sophomore at Auburn High School this fall.

Minnesota’s Austin Laudenbach used a four-point score late in the first period to highlight a 4-3 win over Nick Treaster of Kansas in the 113-pound final. Laudenbach, a member of the Minnesota 16U National Dual team and 2021 16U Minnesota Greco-Roman state champion, used tough defense to hold off a late push from Treaster, a two-time Kansas state champion.

At 120, it did not take long for Nebraska’s Kael Lauridsen (ranked No. 12 at 113 pounds by FloWrestling) to lock up the 16U Greco-Roman title. The two-time Nebraska state champion scored early against Idaho’s Tanner Frothinger and cruised to the 10-0 win in just 1:07. Lauridsen dominated his bracket, outscoring his opponents 63-0. Lauridsen took second at the 2021 UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle.

California’s Arvin Khosravy earned the title at 152 pounds, a 9-6 win over Iowa’s Nicholas Fox. After a 7-0 start from Khosravy, Fox tightened the match and got the score within one point late. However, a late takedown at the edge helped Khosravy, a 2021 California 16U National Duals team member, pick up the decision. Khosravy is going into his sophomore year at Chaminade College Prep.

It was Liam Scrivanich (Pennsylvania) at 160 pounds who took home the title with a finals victory over Minnesota’s Jed Wester. Scrivanich found himself down early after a four-point throw from Wester, but he quickly countered with an impressive five-point throw to go into the break with the lead. That’s ultimately all it would take, as a strong second period secured an 11-4 win for the Hellertown, Pennsylvania native.

Oscar Williams of Oklahoma posted the championship win at 170 pounds, knocking off Virginia’s Toby Schoffstall in a 6-4 bout. Williams, a 2021 Western Regionals 16U champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, went ahead on a four-point throw early in the match and used tough defense in the second period to collect the Fargo title.

Florida gained an individual champion at 195 pounds when Sawyer Bartelt, a rising sophomore at Dade High School, notched an 8-2 finals win over Utah’s William McCleary. Bartelt locked up a tight gut wrench in the first, working three turns to carry an 8-0 lead into the break, which proved to be enough for the Fargo title. Bartelt took fifth in the 16U freestyle tournament.

Action continues immediately after the finals with Junior Greco-Roman. Watch on FloWrestling

16U Greco-Roman Nationals
Fargo, N.D., July 22

88 LBS

1st Haakon Peterson (Wisconsin) dec. Javaan Yarbrough (Ohio), 5-2

3rd Griffin Rial (Colorado) dec. Lawson Eller (Minnesota), 9-7

5th Cole Welte (Nebraska) tech fall Revin Dickman (Indiana), 13-0 1:59

7th Kole Davidheiser (Pennsylvania) tech. fall William Jakeway (South Carolina), 15-4 3:14

94 LBS

1st Mack Mauger (Idaho) dec. Brady Phelps (Illinois), 6-0

3rd Ezekiel Witt (Kansas) dec. Cadyn Coyle (Nebraska), 10-3

5th Davis Motyka (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Josef Garshnick (Pennsylvania), 11-0 3:34

7th Ryker Graff (Iowa) tech. fall Devin Bobzien (California), 13-0 1:35

100 LBS

1st Layne Kleimann (Utah) tech fall Trey Wagner (Pennsylvania), 13-0 1:44

3rd Aaron Seidel (Pennsylvania) dec. Jaxton Packer (Idaho), 7-5

5th Gage Singleton (Oregon) tech. fall Cole Gentsch (Illinois), 10-0 0:58

7th Jared Johnston (Ohio) dec. Colin Martin (Virginia), 9-6

106 LBS

1st Anthony Ruzic (Illinois) dec. Matthew Martino (Idaho), 4-3

3rd Sloan Johannsen (South Dakota) dec. Carter Nogle (Maryland), 11-9

5th Noah Nininger (Virginia) pin Nathan Desmond (Pennsylvania), 2:50

7th Adam Butler (Ohio) tech. fall Sean Campbell (New York), 11-0 3:45

113 LBS

1st Austin Laudenbach (Minnesota) dec. Nick Treaster (Kansas), 4-3

3rd Marcello Milani (Michigan) dec. Drew Gorman (Georgia), 5-3

5th Logan Swensen (Minnesota) forfeit Miles Anderson (Nebraska), 0-0

7th Treygen Morin (Idaho) tech fall Sam Herring (Pennsylvania), 11-0 1:15

120 LBS

1st Kael Lauridsen (Nebraska) tech. fall Tanner Frothinger (Idaho), 11-0 1:07

3rd Zan Fugitt (Missouri) tech fall Garrett Reece (Colorado), 12-1 3:51

5th Ruben Lorenzana (Ohio) dec. Jax Forrest (North Carolina), 13-13

7th Phoenix Contos (Ohio) dec. Marcos Torrez (Washington), 10-8

126 LBS

1st Mason Gibson (Pennsylvania) disq. Kamdyn Williams (Pennsylvania), 12-9, cautions

3rd Ayson Rice (South Dakota) dec. Aaron Lucio (Michigan), 17-10

5th Daniel Zepeda (California) dec. Adrian Meza (Arizona), 14-6

7th Rhett Koenig (Wisconsin) dec. Joshua Neiwert (Washington), 4-1

132 LBS

1st Zach Hanson (Minnesota) tech fall Dmitri Alarcon (Colorado), 12-1 3:38

3rd Casper Stewart (New York) tech. fall Gabriel Delgado (Nevada), 15-4 3:46

5th Laird Root (California) dec. JJ Mccomas-Rogers (Oklahoma), 4-3

7th Gabriel Bouyssou (Rhode Island) dec. Alex Mentzer (South Dakota), 12-6

138 LBS

1st Joel Adams (Nebraska) tech. fall Brady Collins (Colorado), 12-0 1:24

3rd Noah manuel Tapia (Illinois) dec. Jude Randall (Oklahoma), 12-5

5th Brandon Cody (Florida) VFA Cade White (Idaho), 14-3 3:46

7th Justin Avila (Iowa) VPO1 Yannis Charles (South Carolina), 15-13

145 LBS

1st Pierson Manville (Pennsylvania) dec. Brett Back (Wisconsin), 6-1

3rd Dylan Evans (Pennsylvania) dec. Ethan Mojena (Florida), 5-3

5th Duncan Christensen (Virginia) dec. Layton Schneider (Oklahoma), 5-3

7th Mike Baker (Iowa) dec. Hudson Rogers (Idaho), 9-3

152 LBS

1st Arvin Khosravy (California) dec. Nicholas Fox (Iowa), 9-6

3rd Zachary Eliszewski (Wisconsin) dec. Kj Evans (Oklahoma), 15-5 3:28

5th Lars Michaelson (Washington) dec. Dominic Bambinelli (Georgia), 7-2

7th Gavin Fernandez (California) tech. fall Braxton Strick (Missouri), 10-0 2:00

160 LBS

1st Liam Scrivanich (Pennsylvania) dec. Jed Wester (Minnesota), 11-4

3rdRoman Garcia (Florida) dec. Travis Smith (Minnesota), 14-5)

5th Talon Mccollom (Oklahoma) tech. fall Luis Mendoza (Washington), 10-0 0:20

7th Gavin Ricketts (Kentucky) dec. Tyler Martinez (Illinois), 8-3

170 LBS

1st Oscar Williams (Oklahoma) dec. Toby Schoffstall (Virginia), 6-4

3rd Noah Poe-hatten (Montana) dec. Hoke Poe hogan (Georgia), 17-11

5th Harvey Ludington (New Jersey) dec. Nick Nosler (Illinois), 13-8

7th Maximus Hanson (Minnesota) pin David Malin (Wisconsin), 2:38

182 LBS

1st Cody Merrill (California) dec. Soren Herzog (Minnesota), 6-0

3rd De'alcapon Veazy (Indiana) tech. fall Kingsley Menifee (Virginia), 15-4 4:00

5th Ian Smith (Wisconsin) forfeit Hudson Davis (Oregon),

7th Erik Mccown (Oklahoma) pin Adrian Gacek (Pennsylvania), 3:02

195 LBS

1st Sawyer Bartelt (Florida) dec William Mccleary (Utah), 8-2

3rd Mccrae Hagarty (Iowa) dec.Max Agresti (Delaware), 5-3

5th Richard Thomas (Oklahoma) dec. Dai'mont Mucker (Missouri), 12-6

7th Hunter Tibodeau (Washington) tech. fall William Caneer (Alabama), 18-6 2:18

220 LBS

1st Koy Hopke (Wisconsin) dec. Austin Johnson (Pennsylvania), 9-4

3rd Erick Brothers (West Virginia) pin Vaun Halstead (Oregon), 0:59

5th Parker Ferrell (Virginia) dec. Samuel Murphy (Missouri), 10-5

7th Nicholas Sahakian (California) forfeit Jacob Walker (Iowa)

285 LBS

1st Navarro Schunke (South Dakota) dec. Spencer Lanosga (Louisiana), 9-2

3rd Sebastian Lopez (Kansas) dec. Aidan Fockler (Ohio), 8-1

5th Aidan Trujillo (Colorado) forfeit Wyatt Smith (Iowa)

7th Cameron Groncki (New York) pin Willie Cox (Alabama), 0:57

Team Standings

1 – Pennsylvania 197

2 - Minnesota128

3 – Wisconsin 101

4 - Idaho 91

5 - Oklahoma 86

6 – California 80

7 - Nebraska 78

8 (tie) Colorado and Illinois 76

10 (tie) Florida and Virginia 61

12 – Iowa 59

13 - South Dakota 57

14 - Ohio 56

15 - Kansas 50

16 - Utah 45

17 (tie) Georgia and Missouri 31

19 - Oregon 28

20 – Michigan 27

21 - Washington 25

22 (tie) Indiana and New York 22

24 - Louisiana 20

25 (tie) Montana and West Virginia 15

27 (tie) Delaware, Maryland and Nevada 12

30 - New Jersey 9

31 (tie) Arizona and North Carolina 7

33 (tie) Kentucky and Rhode Island 5

35 (tie) Alabama and South Carolina 4

Mauger and Hopke win Triple Crown awards in 16U Greco-Roman finals; Team Pennsylvania wins team title; Nebraska’s Adams named Outstanding Wrestler

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