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50th Junior Nationals Greco-Roman fantasy bracket championship finals set: Brent Metcalf (MI) vs. Dennis Hall (WI)
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Metcalf photo by Tony Rotundo. Hall photo a USA Wrestling file photo
The fan vote is in, and the finals have been set for USA Wrestling’s interactive 32-athlete bracket featuring the best Greco-Roman competitors of the last 50 years of the Junior Nationals.
This voting is based upon their Junior National freestyle careers only, and should not reflect their successes in Greco-Roman, nor how well they did in college and the international levels.
The winner of the top half-bracket is Brent Metcalf of Michigan, a three-time Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion, who will face the bottom half-bracket winner Dennis Hall of Wisconsin, a three-time Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion.
Vote on the 50th Junior Greco-Roman Nationals - Fantasy Bracket
The voting begins today, and will continue for four days, closing the evening of July 13.
Here is how each advanced to the finals:
Brent Metcalf (Davison, Mich.)
Round of 32 – Brent Metcalf (MI) over Matt Goldstein (IL), 95%-5%
Round of 16 - Brent Metcalf (MI) over Kendrick Sanders (FL), 55%-45%
Quarterfinals - Brent Metcalf (MI) over Justin Ruiz (UT), 60%-40%
Semifinals - Brent Metcalf (MI) over Sam Henson (MO), 72%-28%
Metcalf won the round of 32 overwhelmingly with a 95%-5% triumph over two-time champion Matt Goldstein of Illinois. He had much tougher competition in the next two rounds, defeating three-time champion Kendrick Sanders of Florida by a 55%-45% margin, then getting past two-time champion Justin Ruiz of Utah by a 60%-40% ratio. His semifinals win over two-time champion Sam Henson of Missouri was by a strong 72%-28% margin.
Dennis Hall (Hartford, Wis.)
Round of 32 - Dennis Hall (WI) over Mitchell McKee (MN), 82%-18%
Round of 16 - Dennis Hall (WI) over Matt Nagel (MN), 82%-18%
Quarterfinals - Dennis Hall (WI) over Brandon Paulson (MN), 59%-41%
Semifinals – Dennis Hall (WI) over Garrett Lowney (WI), 83%-17%
Hall did not have a close contest in his four rounds of wins, with the closest being his quarterfinal win over two-time champion Brandon Paulson of Minnesota, 59%-41%. He had more than 80% of the votes in all of his other rounds, stopping two-time champ Mitchell McKee of Minnesota in the opener, 82%-18%, then beating three-time champion Matt Nagel of Minnesota by the same 82%-18%. His semifinal win was by an even bigger margin, 83%-17% over two-time champion Garrett Lowney of Wisconsin.
Dennis Hall became a Greco-Roman specialist after high school. He was a 1996 Olympic silver medalist, 1995 World champion and 1994 World bronze medalist. Hall made three U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman teams. He went to Wisconsin as a college freshman, then switched completely to focus on Greco-Roman the rest of his career.
Metcalf became a freestyle specialist after high school. His college career started at Virginia Tech, and he followed coach Tom Brands to Iowa, where he won two NCAA titles and was a three-time finalist. Metcalf made four U.S. Senior World Freestyle teams.
Here are the years the finalists were Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champions
Brent Metcalf, Michigan (2003, 2004, 2005)
Dennis Hall, Wisconsin (1987, 1988, 1989)
The rest of the voting schedule follows:
• Voting on the Finals will begin on Saturday, July 9
The first USA Wrestling Junior Nationals was held in the Fieldhouse at the University of Iowa in 1971, and contested only in men’s freestyle. Greco-Roman was added in 1972. With the 2020 event cancelled due to the pandemic, this year’s version will be the 50th time our nation’s best high school Greco-Roman wrestlers have come together to battle for national titles and All-American honors. Numerous World and Olympic champions and medalists have competed in this prestigious event.
The 2022 USA Wrestling USMC Junior and 16U National Championships will be held at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D., July 16-22, with competition in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle.
HOW TO VOTE
50th Junior Greco-Roman Nationals - Fantasy Bracket
When you click, you will see the bracket. To vote, click the “Cast Vote Now” button on the top of the bracket. You will be taken to a screen where you see each pairing and you can click a box to vote on the winner. You must enter your email to vote.
The fan vote is in, and the finals have been set for USA Wrestling’s interactive 32-athlete bracket featuring the best Greco-Roman competitors of the last 50 years of the Junior Nationals.
This voting is based upon their Junior National freestyle careers only, and should not reflect their successes in Greco-Roman, nor how well they did in college and the international levels.
The winner of the top half-bracket is Brent Metcalf of Michigan, a three-time Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion, who will face the bottom half-bracket winner Dennis Hall of Wisconsin, a three-time Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion.
Vote on the 50th Junior Greco-Roman Nationals - Fantasy Bracket
The voting begins today, and will continue for four days, closing the evening of July 13.
Here is how each advanced to the finals:
Brent Metcalf (Davison, Mich.)
Round of 32 – Brent Metcalf (MI) over Matt Goldstein (IL), 95%-5%
Round of 16 - Brent Metcalf (MI) over Kendrick Sanders (FL), 55%-45%
Quarterfinals - Brent Metcalf (MI) over Justin Ruiz (UT), 60%-40%
Semifinals - Brent Metcalf (MI) over Sam Henson (MO), 72%-28%
Metcalf won the round of 32 overwhelmingly with a 95%-5% triumph over two-time champion Matt Goldstein of Illinois. He had much tougher competition in the next two rounds, defeating three-time champion Kendrick Sanders of Florida by a 55%-45% margin, then getting past two-time champion Justin Ruiz of Utah by a 60%-40% ratio. His semifinals win over two-time champion Sam Henson of Missouri was by a strong 72%-28% margin.
Dennis Hall (Hartford, Wis.)
Round of 32 - Dennis Hall (WI) over Mitchell McKee (MN), 82%-18%
Round of 16 - Dennis Hall (WI) over Matt Nagel (MN), 82%-18%
Quarterfinals - Dennis Hall (WI) over Brandon Paulson (MN), 59%-41%
Semifinals – Dennis Hall (WI) over Garrett Lowney (WI), 83%-17%
Hall did not have a close contest in his four rounds of wins, with the closest being his quarterfinal win over two-time champion Brandon Paulson of Minnesota, 59%-41%. He had more than 80% of the votes in all of his other rounds, stopping two-time champ Mitchell McKee of Minnesota in the opener, 82%-18%, then beating three-time champion Matt Nagel of Minnesota by the same 82%-18%. His semifinal win was by an even bigger margin, 83%-17% over two-time champion Garrett Lowney of Wisconsin.
Dennis Hall became a Greco-Roman specialist after high school. He was a 1996 Olympic silver medalist, 1995 World champion and 1994 World bronze medalist. Hall made three U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman teams. He went to Wisconsin as a college freshman, then switched completely to focus on Greco-Roman the rest of his career.
Metcalf became a freestyle specialist after high school. His college career started at Virginia Tech, and he followed coach Tom Brands to Iowa, where he won two NCAA titles and was a three-time finalist. Metcalf made four U.S. Senior World Freestyle teams.
Here are the years the finalists were Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champions
Brent Metcalf, Michigan (2003, 2004, 2005)
Dennis Hall, Wisconsin (1987, 1988, 1989)
The rest of the voting schedule follows:
• Voting on the Finals will begin on Saturday, July 9
The first USA Wrestling Junior Nationals was held in the Fieldhouse at the University of Iowa in 1971, and contested only in men’s freestyle. Greco-Roman was added in 1972. With the 2020 event cancelled due to the pandemic, this year’s version will be the 50th time our nation’s best high school Greco-Roman wrestlers have come together to battle for national titles and All-American honors. Numerous World and Olympic champions and medalists have competed in this prestigious event.
The 2022 USA Wrestling USMC Junior and 16U National Championships will be held at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D., July 16-22, with competition in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle.
HOW TO VOTE
50th Junior Greco-Roman Nationals - Fantasy Bracket
When you click, you will see the bracket. To vote, click the “Cast Vote Now” button on the top of the bracket. You will be taken to a screen where you see each pairing and you can click a box to vote on the winner. You must enter your email to vote.