Extra youth matches to be showcased alongside Miracle, Rogers World Team wrestle-off in Lancaster, Pa., August 13
by Ellen Paddock, USA Wrestling
Taina Fernandez pictured at the U15 Trials. Photo by Greg Kaup.
In conjunction with the 2022 U.S. Women’s World Team wrestle-off at 62 kg in women’s freestyle between Kayla Miracle and Jennifer Rogers, there will be extra matches featuring top local wrestlers on Aug. 13 at J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa.
The extra matches start at 12:30 p.m., with four being wrestled between the first two rounds of the Miracle and Rogers best-of-three series, which begins at 2 p.m. ET. Tickets are $5 at the door. Doors open at 12 p.m. ET. All the action will be streamed live on FloWrestling.org.
The line-up highlights athletes from Lancaster Alliance Wrestling (LAW) and Beat the Streets Lancaster against opponents from Pennsylvania and Maryland. Among those competing are four wrestlers who earned USMC Junior/16U National All-American status in Fargo, North Dakota.
In women’s freestyle, Jayleah Pletz of Steel Mat Club, placed seventh at Fargo in 2021 in addition to taking first at PAUSAW Freestyle States in June. The Shillngton, Pennsylvania native will take on Journie Rodriguez of LAW at 117 pounds, who placed second at PAUSAW freestyle states. Pletz won 8-6 the last time they met at the Phil Portuguese Northeast Regionals in May.
At 127 pounds, Haylie Jaffe, a two-time Fargo All-American representing LAW, will wrestle Taina Fernandez of Bowie, Maryland. Jaffe was third at the 2022 16U Nationals and fifth at the 2022 Junior Nationals. Fernandez placed first at the 2022 Women’s Nationals in both the U15 and 14U age-levels, and won the U15 Pan American Trials last week.
Brock Weiss and Ben Smith round out the wrestlers in the mix who made the podium at Fargo, both in Greco-Roman.
Weiss, wrestling at 135 pounds, hails from Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania and wrestles for the M2 Training center. He was fourth at the 2022 16U Nationals in Greco-Roman. He takes on Seamus Mack of Landisville, Pennsylvania.
A native of Clarksburg, Maryland, Smith will represent LAW in Lancaster in his match against Griffin Walizer of Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. Smith was third in the 2022 16U Nationals in Greco-Roman. Walizer placed fourth at PAUSAW freestyle states this year.
The remaining matchups are listed below.
Girl’s Matches:
98 lbs: Alysiana Ierley (LAWW/BTS/York, Pa.) vs. Emma Grimes (Wyoming Seminary WC/ Plains, Pa.)
106 lbs: Kylee Trostle (LAWW/BTS/Richland, Pa.) vs. Tiffany Stoshak (Wyoming Seminary WC/ West Wyoming, Pa.)
117 lbs: Journie Rodriguez (LAWW/BTS/Lancaster, Pa.) vs. Jayleah Pletz (Steel Mat Club/Shillington, Pa.)
127 lbs: Haylie Jaffe (LAWW/BTS/Avondale/Pa.) vs. Taina Fernandez (Headhunters W/Bowie, Md.)
Boy’s Matches:
135 lbs: Seamus Mack (LAWW/BTS/Landisville, Pa.) vs. Brock Weiss (M2 Training Center, Jersey Shore, Pa.)
152 lbs: Ben Smith (LAWW/BTS) vs. Griffin Walizer (Central Mountain HS WC/Mill Hall, Pa.)
140 lbs: Jared Fulton (LAWW/BTS/Nottingham, Pa.) vs Eli Long (Compound York WC/York, Pa.)
220 lbs: Jose Garcia (LAWW/BTS/Lancaster, Pa.) vs. Brody Kline (Richland, Pa.)
105 lbs: Sam Wolford (LAWW/BTS/Lebanon, Pa.) vs. Bradley Wagner (Millmont, Pa.)
165 lbs: Brett Barbush (LAWW/BTS/Manheim, Pa.) vs. Macon Myers (York, Pa.)
163 lbs: Griffin Gonzalez (LAWW/BTS/Lebanon, Pa) vs. Ryan Garvick (Team Nauman WC/Dauphin, Pa.)