Finals set for U17 Freestyle World Team Trials; three looking to compete in Worlds in both styles

Photo of Bo Bassett driving to a finish in the U17 Freestyle Nationals. Photo by Tony Rotundo/WrestlersAreWarriors

SOUTH POINT ARENA, Nev.– U17 Freestyle World Team Trials kicked off today, with athletes earning their place in tomorrow’s best-of-three series for the chance to go to Rome, Italy as a representative of the USA. The U17 World Championships will take place on July 25-31. 

Athletes who registered for both styles can earn the opportunity to compete at the U17 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 10 representatives for the Pan Ams will be based on the best-combined result between the two styles over the course of the week. 

America’s Greco-Roman team was set on Thursday. Nine of the 10 Greco-Roman representatives registered for freestyle as well, with the ultimate goal of becoming a double-champion and earning the right to represent the USA in both styles in Italy. 

The field also featured three 2021 U17 freestyle champions, as well as eight U15 freestyle champions from a year ago. Add in two returning U17 Greco-Roman champions with seven returning U15 Greco-Roman champions, and it was safe to say that the division was loaded with talent. 

After a full day of wrestling, the 20 winners from the action packed semifinal round will be in contention for a World Team spot tomorrow, with three of them looking to earn their places on both teams. Finals are set to begin at 5 pm PT. 

In a rematch of the Greco-Roman final series from a few days ago, Joel Adams of The Best Wrestler earned another win over Pierson Manville of Pennsylvania by a score of 5-3. If Adams is going to be a double representative, he’ll have to beat another Pennsylvanian, Tyler Kasak, who was very solid all day, earning three techs, two falls, and then a tight 4-4 decision on criteria to reach the 65 kg finals. 

Koy Hopke has not wrestled for longer than a minute in any of his matches this weekend. That is including both the Greco-Roman tournament and the four matches he competed in today. He’ll look to become a double representative tomorrow when he squares up against Carter Neves of Ohio. Neves also hasn’t spent much time on that mat with two techs and a fall, all in under two minutes. 

Christian Castillo of Thorobred WC won the Greco-Roman World Team spot at 48 kg a few days ago. At the same weight, he’ll have a shot to represent the USA in Italy in both styles after punching his ticket to the championship series. He’ll face Seth Mendoza of Region Wrestling Academy, who won by technical fall over this year’s Greco-Roman runner-up Mack Mauger of Team Idaho in the semifinals. 

Bo Basset of Pennsylvania was a double champ last year in the U17 division. He was upset in the Greco-Roman tournament, but he was perfect today in freestyle to set up the most enticing matchup of the finals at 51 kg. He’ll face fellow 2021 World Team member Luke Lilledahl of Xtreme Training. Lilledahl gave up only four points all day to reach the finals. Basset held the 45 kg spot in 2021, while Lilledahl was up a weight at 48 kg. 

In a loaded 45 kg weight class, 2021 U15 Greco-Roman champion Domenic Munaretto of Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy went up in age and in weight and still placed himself in the best-of-three series tomorrow. He took out the U15 Freestyle champion from a year ago, Slater Hicks of Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage, in the semis 3-0. 

His opponent will be Haakon Peterson, a double-champion at U15 41 kg last year. While he wasn’t able to repeat in Greco-Roman, Peterson did take out this year’s Greco-Roman representative Davis Motyka in the quarterfinals by a 5-3 decision. 

Returning World Team member Nate Jesuroga of Sebolt Wrestling Academy is back in the best-of-three series, this time up at 55 kg. He will face Jax Forrest of Pennsylvania in the finals. Forrest took out last year’s U15 champion at 52 kg Ben Davino of St. Charles WC by a 10-6 score in the quarterfinals. 

At 60 kg, Landon Robideau of MN Elite WC was looking to repeat his first place finish from a year ago in the U15 division. Instead, he was upended by Dalton Perry of Pennsylvania in a fantastic 10-8 decision. Perry will face Kyler Larkin of Arizona. He took out this year’s Greco-Roman representative Zan Fugitt of Missouri in the quarterfinals by technical fall. 

KJ Evans of Oklahoma Regional Training Center placed himself in the 71 kg best-of-three series when he bested 2021 U15 double-champion Ladarian Lockett of Cowboy WC in a back-and-forth 22-14 decision. He’ll be met by Joseph Sealey of North Carolina in the finals.  Sealey only gave up four points all day, and they were during his semifinals match where he still earned the technical fall. 

At 80 kg, another former U15 double champion fell in the semifinals. Zack Ryder of KD Training Center notched a big 5-3 win over Aeoden Sinclair of Askren Wrestling Academy to place himself in the final series. He’ll be met by another member of Akren’s Wrestling Academy, Connor Mirasola, tomorrow evening for a shot at a World Team. 

At 92 kg, Max Mcenelly of Waconia Wrestling Club earned three early technicall falls, followed  by a narrow 6-5 decision over Sawyer Bartelt of Gladiator Wrestling to place himself in the finals. His opponent will be Camden McDanel of Ohio, who dominated his matches with four technical falls, while only allowing three points throughout the day. 

The U17 freestyle tournament will continue tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. with consolations. Watch the finals and medal matches at 5 p.m. on FloWrestling. Full results for the U17 Freestyle semifinals are below, along with the final pairings in the division. 

UWW U17 FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS

At Las Vegas, Nev. April 30, 2022

U17 Freestyle Finals Pairing

45 - Domenic Munaretto (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy) vs Haakon Peterson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) 

48 - Christian Castillo (Thorobred WC) vs Seth Mendoza (Region Wrestling Academy)

51 - Bo Bassett (Pennsylvania) vs Luke Lilledahl (Xtreme Training)

55 - Nathanael Jesuroga (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) vs Jax Forrest (Pennsylvania)

60 - Dalton Perry (Pennsylvania) vs Kyler Larkin (Arizona) 

65 - Joel Adams (The Best Wrestler) vs Tyler Kasak (Pennsylvania)

71 - Kj Evans (Oklahoma Regional Training Center) vs Joseph Sealy (North Carolina)

80 - Connor Mirasola (Askren Wrestling Academy) vs Zack Ryder (KD Training Center) 

92 - Camden Mcdanel (Ohio) vs Max Mcenelly (Waconia WC)

110 - Koy Hopke (Pinnacle WC) vs Carter Neves (Ohio)

U17 Freestyle Semifinal Results 

45 KG

Domenic Munaretto (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy) dec Slater Hicks (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage), 3-0

Haakon Peterson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec Dominic Deputy (Pennsylvania), 3-1

48 KG

Christian Castillo (Thorobred WC) tech Dru Ayala (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 11-0 1:30

Seth Mendoza (Region Wrestling Academy) tech Mack Mauger (Team Idaho WC), 10-0 1:34

51 KG

Bo Bassett (Pennsylvania) tech Edwin Sierra (Poway Wrestling), 13-2 3:05

Luke Lilledahl (Xtreme Training) tech Nathan Carrillo (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage), 12-2 2:56

55 KG

Nathanael Jesuroga (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec Kael Lauridsen (The Best Wrestler), 5-3

Jax Forrest (Pennsylvania) tech Kale Petersen (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 10-0 0:39

60 KG

Dalton Perry (Pennsylvania) dec Landon Robideau (MN Elite WC), 10-8

Kyler Larkin (Arizona) dec Tanner Frothinger (Team Idaho WC), 17-11

65 KG

Joel Adams (The Best Wrestler) dec Pierson Manville (Pennsylvania), 5-3

Tyler Kasak (Pennsylvania) dec Zach Hanson (Pinnacle WC), 4-4

71 KG

Kj Evans (Oklahoma Regional Training Center) tech Ladarion Lockett (Cowboy WC), 22-14

Joseph Sealey (North Carolina) tech Zane Licht (Askren Wrestling Academy), 14-4 2:55

80 KG

Connor Mirasola (Askren Wrestling Academy) dec Daschle Lamer (Mat Sense Wrestling), 6-1

Zack Ryder (KD Training Center) dec Aeoden Sinclair (Askren Wrestling Academy), 5-3

92 KG

Camden Mcdanel (Ohio) tech Mccrae Hagarty (Waverly Area WC), 13-0 3:02

Max Mcenelly (Waconia WC) dec Sawyer Bartelt (Gladiator Wrestling), 6-5

110 KG

Koy Hopke (Pinnacle WC) fall Parker Ferrell (Virginia Elite WC), 6-0 0:50

Carter Neves (Ohio) tech Nicholas Sahakian (St. John Bosco High School Wrestling), 10-0 1:40