Boyden, Verrette, Uyemura, McFarland, Ross, Aslikyan win both styles at U15 Pan American Trials with their freestyle wins

U15 Pan American Team Trials double champion Terrell McFarland of Pennsylvania. Photo by Greg Kaup.


BOYS TOWN, Neb. – The U.S. Pan American Team Trials for boys completed on Sunday at Boys Town High School, with some outstanding action in all weight divisions.


Earning double titles with victories in both styles this weekend, after freestyle titles today, were Henry Aslikyan of California (44 kg), Josiah Boyden of Georgia (52 kg), Thomas Verrette of Colorado (57 kg), Mikel David Uyemura of California (68 kg), Terrell McFarland of Pennsylvania (75 kg) and Dreshaun Ross of Iowa (85 kg).


Henry Aslikyan of California won the 44 kg title uncontested in both styles. Aslikyan was second at the 2022 U15 Nationals in freestyle at 41 kg.


All of the double champions have clinched the team spot for the USA at the 2022 Pan American U15 Championships in Apartado, Colombia, November 4-6.


Boyden won a three-athlete round robin, defeating runner-up Declan Koch of Wisconsin, 4-2, and edging Mattthew Orbeta of California, 8-6.


Verrette won a close 2-0 decision over Jesse Grajeda of California in the freestyle finals.


Uyemura stopped U15 Nationals freestyle champion Owen McMullen of Pennsylvania in the finals, 7-0.


McFarland also won a tight finals match, emerging with a 5-4 win over Isai Fernandez of California in the finals. Fernandez was third in the Greco-Roman division on Friday.


McFarland was a champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the 2021 Pan American U17 Championships, and will attempt to win another set of Pan American titles at the U15 level. McFarland won a U15 Greco-Roman national title in 2022.


Ross won a best-of-three championship series against Adonis Bonar II of Nebraska, scoring 10-0 technical falls in both matches. Ross won national freestyle titles this year at both the U15 and 16U levels.


The boys who qualify for the U.S. U15 Pan American team are determined by the highest point value (of both styles combined) from the tournament. Based upon the points earned, as set in the U15 Pan American Team Procedures, a team member is determined. The boy who makes the team in each weight class will wrestle both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the competition in Colombia.


In the five weight classes where an athlete did not win both styles in Boys Town, USA Wrestling will calculate the points and notify the winners next week.


Two of the U15 Pan American Team Trials Greco-Roman champions were beaten in the finals and were unable to sweep their weight class.


At 38 kg, U15 Nationals freestyle champion Samuel Sanchez defeated U15 Pan American Trials Greco-Roman champion Liam Collins of Minnesota in a 14-4 technical fall. Sanchez was second in the Greco-Roman division, after winning a true second bout yesterday.


At 41 kg, Cameron Sontz of New Jersey stopped U15 Pan American Trials Greco-Roman champion Jensen Boyd of Indiana in the finals, with a 19-8 technical fall.


At 48 kg, 16U Nationals freestyle champion Michael Romero of California earned the gold medal, beating Lincoln Sledzianowski of Florida in the finals, with a 14-4 technical fall. Sledzianowski was second and Romero was third in yesterday’s Greco-Roman division.


At 62 kg, Emmitt Sherlock of Maryland was dominant in his 11-0 technical fall over Nathaniel Askew of Georgia in the finals. Sherlock was seventh in the 16U Freestyle Nationals in Fargo this year, and was a Northeast 16U Regional Greco-Roman champion.

U15 PAN AMERICAN TEAM TRIALS

At Boys Town, Neb., August 5, 2022


Boys Freestyle results


38 kg

1st Place Match - Samuel Sanchez (CA) tech fall Liam Collins (MN), 14-4

2nd Place Match - Liam Collins (MN) tech. fall Cruzer Dominguez (NE), 10-0

3rd Place Match - Cruzer Dominguez (NE) tech. fall Tristan Pino (CO), 12-0


41 kg

1st Place Match - Cameron Sontz (NJ) tech. fall Jensen Boyd (IN), 19-8

3rd Place Match - Caleb Noble (WI) tech. fall over Brighton Karvoski (CT), 10-0

5th Place - Daniel Green (MT)


44 kg

1st Place - Henry Aslikyan (CA)


48 kg

1st Place Match - Michael Romero (CA) tech. fall Lincoln Sledzianowski (FL), 14-4

3rd Place Match - Hudson Loges (NE) dec. Amari Vann (NJ), 8-2

5th Place - Che Jenkins (AZ)


52 kg

1st Place - Josiah Boyden (GA)

2nd Place - Declan Koch (WI)

3rd Place - Matthew Orbeta (CA)

Declan Koch (WI) pin Matthew Orbeta (CA), 3:22

Josiah Boyden (GA) dec. Declan Koch (WI), 4-2

Josiah Boyden (GA) dec. Matthew Orbeta (CA), 8-6


57 kg

1st Place Match - Thomas Verrette (CO) dec. Jesse Grajeda (CA), 2-0

3rd Place Match - Maximus Riggins (IA) dec. Travis Cardenas (AZ), 13-12

5th Place Match - Jacob Herm (WI) by forfeit over Ned Kauffman (PA)


62 kg

1st Place Match - Emmitt Sherlock (MD) tech fall Nathaniel Askew (GA), 11-0

3rd Place Match - Nolan Fellers (IA) dec. Blue Stiffler (SC), 10-4

5th Place Match - Joseph Schinder (NJ) tech. fall Zack Aquila (OH), 12-2

7th Place - Brandon Dean (NJ)


68 kg

1st Place Match - Mikel David Uyemura (CA) dec. Owen McMullen (PA), 7-0

3rd Place Match - Christopher Acuna (MT) dec. Liam Fox (WY), 14-12

5th Place - Victor MarksJenkins (MD)


75 kg

1st Place Match - Terrell McFarland (PA) dec. Isai Fernandez (CA), 5-4

3rd Place Match - Daniel Patrick (OR) tech. fall Liam Crook (WI), 10-0

5th Place - Miguel Rojas (IN)


85 kg

1st Place - Dreshaun Ross (IA)

2nd Place - Adonis Bonar II (NE)

Round 1 - Dreshaun Ross (IA) tech fall Adonis Bonar II (NE), 10-0

Round 2 – Dreshaun Ross (IA) tech fall Adonis Bonar II (NE), 10-0