Photo of Outstanding Wrestler Joel Adams throwing his opponent in the finals of U17 Greco-Roman World Team Trials. Photo by Jenni Peterson

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – After a long day of wrestling, the U17 Greco-Roman World Team has officially been formed. Ten athletes claimed their spot on the team after winning their best-of-three series this afternoon. The U17 World Championships will take place in Rome, Italy on July 25th-31. The Trials began this morning, with the finals taking place at 3 pm PT.

The athletes who also registered for the Freestyle tournament this weekend can earn the right to compete at Pan-Ams in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The representatives of that team will be determined based on the best-combined result between the two competitions.

All 10 members of the World Team are brand new faces, as none of the returning World Team members reached the finals this year. It was a wild day with a lot of upsets and it finished up with some fantastic wrestling in the finals. Seven of the 10 weights were decided in only two matches, with the other three needing to break the 1-1 tie.

2021 double-Fargo champion Joel Adams of The Best Wrestler put on a show all weekend notching multiple five-point moves, including one in match one of the finals. Adams was the runner-up in the Trials tournament last year, and took out Pierson Manville of Pennsylvania in two straight matches this year. Adams was awarded as Outstanding Wrestler of the division.

Elyle Francisco of Anchorage Youth Wrestling Academy traveled all the way from Alaska to earn his World Team spot. He was third at last year’s World Team Trials, but he made sure he would finish higher today. Two straight tech falls over Edwin Sierra of Poway Wrestling in the championship series finished off a perfect tournament for the Alaskan.

Koy Hopke of Pinnacle Wrestling Club spent no more than 58 seconds on the mat in each of his five matches today. He earned the 110 kg spot after a dominant weekend two straight tech falls over Sampson Stillwell of Kobra Kai Training. Hopke was third at the Trials a year ago.

At 60 kg, Zan Fugitt of Missouri won a tight 4-2 decision over Tanner Frothinger of Team Idaho Wrestling Club in match one. He found a way to open the scoring up in the second match for a 12-2 tech fall and the World Team spot at 60 kg. Fugitt was third a year ago at the 55 kg Trials.

Cody Merrill of Daniel Cormier Wrestling Club was impressive all day and he kept that standard in the finals series. Merrill earned the fall over Soren Herzog of Pinnacle Wrestling Club in match one off of a little bit of a scramble. However, he was in complete control in match two, winning a comfortable 7-0 decision to earn his trip to Italy as America’s 92 kg representative.

Cole Han-Lindemyer of Pinnacle Wrestling Club gave up just one point in his best-of-three series. He faced Omaury Alvarez of Level Up Wrestling Center for the title at 80 kg. Alvarez did hit an impressive throw right after time expired in the first bout. Han-Lindemyer used that throw to his knowledge to control match number two and earn a 7-1 decision.

Arvin Khosravy of California earned the World Team spot at 71 kg. He tangled with Cordell White of Gladiator Wrestling in the finals. White was forced to medically forfeit the second bout after sustaining an injury in the first match of the finals. Khosravy used a tight gut wrench in bout one to earn a technical fall right before the intermission.

The championship round began with a 3-2 win from Hudson Loges of MWC Wrestling Academy over Davis Motyka of XCalibur Athletics at 45 kg. However, Motyka won two straight close decisions to wind up earning the World Team spot. Motyka’s pace was the difference, as he used a caution point in the last 15 seconds to get the crucial match three win.

Christian Castillo of Thorobred WC also found himself in a hole after losing to Mack Mauger of Team Idaho Wrestling Club in the first of their finals matches by a score of 6-5. Castillo made some big adjustments and would earn two back-to-back technical falls and the World Team spot at 48 kg.

The final World Team spot was grabbed by Nick Treaster of Newton Wrestling Club. Like the other two wrestlers who won in three matches, Treaster lost the first bout in the series. Austin Laudenbach of Apple Valley Wrestling Club earned the decision over Treaster, 5-0. Treaster responded, however, with a narrow 4-1 victory in the second round, before opening up a quick technical fall in the third bout to secure his place as America’s 55 kg World Team member in Italy.

Below are the full results of all medal matches.

U17 GRECO-ROMAN WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Las Vegas, Nev. April 28, 2022

U17 Greco-Roman World Team Trials Champions
45 - Davis Motyka (XCalibur Athletics)
48 - Christian Castillo (Thorobred WC)
51 - Elyle Francisco (Anchorage Youth Wrestling Academy)
55 - Nick Treaster (Newton WC)
60 - Zan Fugitt (Missouri)
65 - Joel Adams (The Best Wrestler)
71 - Arvin Khosravy (California)
80 - Cole Han-Lindemyer (Pinnacle WC)
92 - Cody Merrill (Daniel Cormier)
110 - Koy Hopke (Pinnacle WC)

Outstanding Wrestler
65 kg Joel Adams of The Best Wrestler

U17 Greco-Roman Final Results

45 kg
Championship series – Davis Motyka (XCalibur Athletics) over Hudson Loges (MWC)
Bout 1 - Loges dec Motyka, 3-2
Bout 2 - Motyka dec Loges, 5-1
Bout 3 - Motyka dec Loges, 2-2

3rd - Domenic Munaretto (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy) dec Ryker Graff (Big Game Wrestling Club), 5-0
5th - Keanu Dillard (Pennsylvania) dec Griffin Rial (Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 7-2
7th - Lawson Eller (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) tech Revin Dickman IN (Brownsburg Wrestling Club), 8-0 2:46

48 kg
Championship series – Christian Castillo (Thorobred WC) over Mack Mauger (Team Idaho WC)
Bout 1 - Mauger dec Castillo, 6-5
Bout 2 - Castillo tech Mauger, 8-0
Bout 3 - Castillo tech Mauger, 9-1

3rd - Isaiah Cortez CA (California) dec Gage Singleton (Roseburg Mat Club /Umpqua Valley Wrestling Associaction), 5-1
5th - Ezekiel Witt KS (Junction City High School Wrestling) tech Gavin Weichelt (Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 11-2 1:00
7th - Kody Tanimoto (Spartan Mat Club) tech Hunter Sanchez (Team Prestige), 9-0 2:00

51 kg
Championship series – Elyle Francisco (Anchorage Youth Wrestling Academy) over Edwin Sierra (Poway Wrestling)
Bout 1 - Francisco tech Sierra, 9-1
Bout 2 - Francisco tech Sierra, 10-1

3rd Carter Nogle (HeadHunters Wrestling Club) dec Elijah Cortez (California), 7-0
5th Reid Spurley (Wisconsin) tech Cooper Hilton (Pennsylvania), 8-0 1:47
7th Bo Bassett (Pennsylvania) forfeit Jaxton Packer (Team Idaho Wrestling Club), 0-0

55 kg
Championship series – Nick Treaster (Newton WC) over Austin Laudenbach (Apple Valley WC)
Bout 1 - Laudenbach dec Treaster, 5-0
Bout 2 - Treaster dec Laudenbach, 4-1
Bout 3 - N. Treaster tech Laudenbach

3rd - Kael Lauridsen (The Best Wrestler) dec Otto Black (Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 5-2
5th - Amryn Nutter (Combat W.C. School of Wrestling) dec Sam Herring (Pennsylvania), 22-18
7th - Manuel Saldate (Gold Rush Wrestling) VSU1 Anthony Ruzic (Illinois), 13-4 1:49

60 kg
Championship series – Zan Fugitt (Missouri) over Tanner Frothinger (Team Idaho WC)
Bout 1 - Fugitt dec Frothinger, 4-2
Bout 2 - Fugitt tech Frothinger, 12-2

3rd Rhett Koenig (Combat W.C. School of Wrestling) tech Garrett Reece (Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 9-0 1:24
5th Landon Drury (Betterman Elite Wrestling) dec Matthew Beem (MWC Wrestling Academy), 8-7
7th Tucker Cell (Abilene Kids Wrestling Club) tech Ayson Rice (Legends of Gold), 11-0 1:12

65 kg
Championship series – Joel Adams (The Best Wrestler) over Pierson Manville (Pennsylvania)
Bout 1 - Adams tech Manville, 10-1
Bout 2 - Adams dec Manville, 7-6

3rd - Zach Hanson (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) tech Smokey Mcclure (Ascend Wrestling Academy), 11-2 1:22
5th - Gabriel Bouyssou (Mayo Quanchi Wrestling Club) dec Casper Stewart (Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club), 7-6
7th - Joshua Neiwert (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center) inj August Hibler (NJ Scorpions Wrestling School ,llc)

71 kg
Championship series – Arvin Khosravy (California) over Cordell White (Gladiator Wrestling)
Bout 1 - Khosravy tech White, 9-0
Bout 2 - Khosravy inj White

3rd - Brett Back (Wisconsin) caution Kj Evans (Oklahoma Regional Training Center), 14-2
5th - Jed Wester (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) fall Ammar Khan (California), 10-4 3:12
7th - Justin Avila (Big Game Wrestling Club) forfeit Gavin Fernandez (California), 0-0

80 kg
Championship series – Cole Han-Lindemyer (Pinnacle WC) over Omaury Alvarez (Level Up WC)
Bout 1 - Han-Lindemyer dec Alvarez, 6-0
Bout 2 - Han-Lindemyer dec Alvarez, 7-1

3rd - Jude Correa (X-Calibur Athletics Wrestling Club) fall Oscar Williams (Husky Wrestling Club), 6-5 1:43
5th - De'alcapon Veazy (Legends of Gold) tech Noah Poe-hatten (Flathead Valley Wrestling Club), 10-2 1:55
7th - Justin Rademacher (All-Phase Wrestling Club) fall Toby Schoffstall (Bulldog Wrestling Club), 6-3 2:42

92 kg
Championship series – Cody Merrill (Daniel Cormier) over Soren Herzog (Pinnacle WC)
Bout 1 - Merrill dec Herzog, 4-2
Bout 2 - Merrill dec Herzog, 7-0

3rd - Sawyer Bartelt (Gladiator Wrestling) dec Kingsley Menifee (Birds of Prey Wrestling Club), 7-0
5th - Thomas Edinger (MWC Wrestling Academy) inj Max Agresti (Delaware Wrestling)
7th - Noah Wenzel (Izzy Style Wrestling) dec Torin Forsyth (Lawrence Elite Wrestling Club), 7-6

110 kg
Championship series – Koy Hopke (Pinnacle WC) over Sampson Stillwell (Kobra Kai Training)
Bout 1 - Hopke tech Stillwell, 8-0
Bout 2 - Hopke tech Stillwell, 8-0

3rd - Peter Ralon Macchione (Interior Grappling Academy) dec Dominic Burgett (Legends of Gold), 4-1
5th - Nicholas Sahakian (St. John Bosco High School Wrestling) tech Dirk Morley (Black Fox Wrestling Academy), 11-0 2:46
7th - Cameron Geuther (Big Game Wrestling Club) dec Connor Aney (Ascend Wrestling Academy), 10-6

U17 Greco-Roman World Team is set; Adams impresses and wins Outstanding Wrestler

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