Taina Fernandez (MD) controls opponent at U15 Pan American Team Trials.

Taina Fernandez (MD) controls opponent at U15 Pan American Team Trials. Greg Kaup photo.

BOYS TOWN, Neb. – The first session has completed at the U15 Pan American Team Trials at Boys Town High School on Saturday morning. All 10 weight classes for the boys freestyle competition are held today, as well as the final five girls weight classes.

The semifinals have been held in the weight classes which are contested in brackets, and the round-robins have begun in the other weight classes.

Note: The schedule has changed, with the finals and medal matches now at 1:10 p.m.

Boys freestyle update

Five athletes who won U15 Pan American Team Trials titles in Greco-Roman on Friday have advanced to the freestyle finals on Saturday, with victories during the morning session.

Looking to win a double title this weekend are Liam Collins of Minnesota (38 kg), Jensen Boyd of Indiana (41 kg), Thomas Verrette of Colorado (57 kg), Mikel David Uyemura of California (68 kg) and Terrell McFarland of Pennsylvania (75 kg).

Collins will battle Samuel Sanchez, a U15 Nationals champion, in the finals. Sanchez was second in the Greco-Roman division, after winning a true second bout.

Boyd has drawn Cameron Sontz of New Jersey in the finals series. Sontz was second in the 2022 U15 Nationals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Verrette will face Jesse Grajeda of California in the finals. Grajeda beat 14U Nationals champion Travis Cardenas of Arizona in the semifinals in a 10-0 technical fall. Grajeda was third at the U15 Nationals in freestyle.

Uyemura will face U15 Nationals freestyle champion Owen McMullen of Pennsylvania in the finals.

McFarland has drawn Isai Fernandez of California in the finals. Fernandez was third in the Greco-Roman division on Friday.

There were two other weight classes where finals pairings have been set.

At 48 kg, 16U Nationals champion Michael Romero of California will battle Lincoln Sledzianowski of Florida in the finals. Romero defeated the U15 Pan American Trials Greco-Roman champion Hudson Loges of Nebraska in the semifinals. Sledzianowski was second and Romero was third in yesterday’s Greco-Roman division.

At 62 kg, Nathaniel Askew of Georgia will face Emmitt Sherlock of Maryland. In the opening round, Askew beat U15 Pan American Trials Greco-Roman champion Nolan Fellers of Iowa, and in the semifinals, he stopped Greco-Roman runner-up Blue Stiffler of South Carolina.

There are two round robin competitions that will be finished at the 1:00 p.m. session.

The 52 kg weight class is a round robin. Yesterday’s Greco-Roman champion Josiah Boyden of Georgia is the only athlete without a loss, with a 1-0 record. Boyden wrestles again in the 1:00 p.m. session.

The 85 kg weight class is a two-athlete best-of-three series. Dreshaun Ross of Iowa, who won national freestyle titles at the U15 and 16U levels this year, also on the U15 Pan American Team Trials yesterday in Greco-Roman. He leads his best-of-three series against Adonis Bonar II of Nebraska, one match to none, after a 10-0 technical fall in session one. Their second match will be held at the 1:00 p.m. session.

Henry Aslikyan of California won the 44 kg title uncontested. Aslikyan was second at the 2022 U15 Nationals in freestyle at 41 kg. Aslikyan also won the Greco-Roman tournament on Friday uncontested, which means he has secured the U15 Pan American Team berth.

Girls Freestyle update

The best-of-three championship finals has been determined at five weight classes.

At 50 kg, 2022 14U Nationals champion Charlie Wylie of New York will battle Jayden Keller of Missouri in the championship series. Wylie had a technical fall win in the semifinals over another 14U Nationals champion, Stevie Joyce Martin of California. Keller upset 2022 U15 National champion Julianna Ocampo of Indiana in the semifinals, 3-0. Keller was a 14U Folkstyle Nationals champion in 2021, and won the 2021 Preseason Nationals Middle School title.

U15 National champions Isabella Marie Gonzales of California will battle Evelyn Holmes-Smith of Alabama in the 54 kg championship series. In Fargo, Gonzales was second and Holmes-Smith was sixth at the 16U Nationals.

At 58 kg, Taina Fernandez of Maryland, who won 14U and U15 National titles this year, will face Timberly Martinez of Colorado in the finals series. Martinez was third in the 14U Nationals and fouth in the U15 Nationals.

At 62 kg, U15 Nationals champion Isis France of Arizona will compete against Aleksandra Bastaic of Indiana in the finals series. Bastaic was fourth in the U15 Nationals.

At 66 kg, Sklyar Slade of Iowa and Jahlia Miguel of Hawaii placed first and second in their three-athlete round robin and are in the Championship Series. During the round robin, Slade pinned Miguel in 3:09, and leads their series one match to none. They will compete in the second round of the series at the 1:00 p.m. session.

U15 PAN AMERICAN TEAM TRIALS
At Boys Town, Neb., August 5, 2022

Boys Freestyle Championship Series pairings
38 kg - Liam Collins (MN) vs. Samuel Sanchez (CA)
41 kg - Cameron Sontz (NJ) vs. Jensen Boyd (IN)
44 kg - Henry Aslikyan (CA), champion
48 kg - Lincoln Sledzianowski (FL) vs. Michael Romero (CA)
57 kg - Thomas Verrette (CO) vs. Jesse Grajeda (CA)
62 kg - Nathaniel Askew (GA) vs. Emmitt Sherlock (MD)
68 kg - Owen McMullen (PA) vs. Mikel David Uyemura (CA)
75 kg - Terrell McFarland (PA) vs. Isai Fernandez (CA)

Girls freestyle Championship Series pairings
50 kg - Jayden Keller (MO) vs. Charlie Wylie (NY)
54 kg - Isabella Marie Gonzales (CA) vs. Evelyn Holmes-Smith (AL)
58 kg - Taina Fernandez (MD) vs. Timberly Martinez (CO)
62 kg - Isis France (AZ) vs. Aleksandra Bastaic (IN)

66 kg – Skylar Slade (IA) leads Jahlia Miguel (HI), one match to none
Bout One – Slade dec. Miguel, 3:09
Bout Two – at 1:00 p.m. session
Other Round robin matches

Semifinals results

Boys freestyle semifinals results

38 kg
Liam Collins (MN) won by fall over Tristan Pino (CO) Fall 1:33
Samuel Sanchez (CA) won by fall over Cruzer Dominguez (NE) Fall 1:06

41 kg
Cameron Sontz (NJ) won by decision over Caleb Noble (WI) Dec 7-4
Jensen Boyd (IN) won by tech fall over Brighton Karvoski (CT) TF 10-0

44 kg
1st Place - Henry Aslikyan (CA)

48 kg
Lincoln Sledzianowski (FL) won by fall over Amari Vann (NJ) Fall 0:56
Michael Romero (CA) won by decision over Hudson Loges (NE) Dec 11-2

57 kg
Thomas Verrette (CO) won by decision over Maximus Riggins (IA) Dec 16-7
Jesse Grajeda (CA) won by tech fall over Travis Cardenas (AZ) TF 10-0

62 kg
Nathaniel Askew (GA) won by decision over Blue Stiffler (SC) Dec 8-0
Emmitt Sherlock (MD) won by tech fall over Zack Aquila (OH) TF 11-0

68 kg
Owen McMullen (PA) won by decision over Christopher Acuna (MT) Dec 7-6
Mikel David Uyemura (CA) won by decision over Victor MarksJenkins (MD) Dec 8-6

75 kg
Terrell McFarland (PA) won by tech fall over Daniel Patrick (OR) TF 10-0
Isai Fernandez (CA) won by decision over Liam Crook (WI) Dec 10-4

Girls freestyle semifinals results

50 kg
Jayden Keller (MO) won by decision over Julianna Ocampo (IN) Dec 3-0
Charlie Wylie (NY) won by tech fall over Stevie Joyce Martin (CA) TF 12-1

54 kg
Isabella Marie Gonzales (CA) won by decision over Kaylyn Harrill (NE) Dec 8-2
Evelyn Holmes-Smith (AL) won by decision over Amaya Hinojosa (CO) Dec 6-2

58 kg
Taina Fernandez (MD) won by tech fall over Dealya Collins (WI) TF 10-0
Timberly Martinez (CO) won by decision over Audrey Rogotzke (MN) Dec 6-4

62 kg
Isis France (AZ) won by injury default over Jordyn Fouse (PA) Inj. 0:28
Aleksandra Bastaic (IN) won by decision over Mackenzie Pratt (IL) Dec 4-2

Boys Round robins

52 kg
Bout One – Declan Koch (WI) pin Matthew Orbeta (CA), 3:22
Bout Two – Josiah Boyden (GA) dec. Declan Koch (WI), 4-2
Bout Three - at 1:00 p.m. session

85 kg
Round 1 - Dreshaun Ross (IA) tech fall Adonis Bonar II (NE), 10-0
Round 2 – at 1:00 p.m. session

Finals series and last round robin bouts set for boys freestyle and five girls weights at U15 Pan American Team Trials

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