Finalists set for USMC 16U Greco-Roman Nationals; Peterson seeks to repeat
by Adam Engel, USA Wrestling
Tristan Steldt is one of five Wisconsin wrestlers in Thursday afternoon's finals. Photo by Jenni Peterson.
FARGO, N.D. — Championship dreams continued at the Fargodome.
Thirty-four wrestlers reached the finals of the USMC 16U Greco-Roman Nationals at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, on Thursday morning.
Five of these guys earned All-American status in this tournament last summer.
Wisconsin 88-pounder Caleb Noble became the first wrestler to make his second 16U final of the week with a 10-8 win over Illinois’ James Hemmila. Earlier in the week, Noble finished as 16U freestyle runner-up in the same weight.
Haakon Peterson of Wisconsin, the tournament’s only returning champion, found the finals at 94 with a 4-2 victory over Idaho’s Rider Seguine. On Monday, Peterson snagged a 16U freestyle national championship. He is a four-time finalist and will begin high school in the fall. Cole Welte of Nebraska, who finished fifth at 88 in 2021, will see Peterson in the final.
At 106, Iowa’s Ryker Graff continued a terrific tournament with an 11-1 tech over Kody Tanimoto of Texas. Graff will meet Jeremiah Wachsmuth of Oregon in the final. In 2021, Graff placed seventh at 94.
Similar to Peterson, Jayden Raney of Kentucky, a 16U freestyle champion at 106, advanced to the Greco-Roman finals at 113. He teched Iowa’s Connor Fiser in 63 seconds. Wisconsin’s Declan Koch will wrestle Raney in the final. Koch is one of five Wisconsin wrestlers in Thurdsay’s finals.
His brother, Jordyn Raney, made the finals at 120. Jordyn will wrestle Amryn Nutter of Wisconsin who is a member of a Greco-Roman family. His brothers, Alston and Aidan wrestle at the Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site.
At 138, Rhode Island’s Gabriel Bouyssou continues to rep his coastal state well with a finals appearance. Last summer, he finished seventh at this event. It’ll be Bouyssou and Alex Braun of Minnesota for the national championship.
Nicholas Sahakian, a returning All-American wrestler at 220, finished off Nevada’s Melvin Whitehead with an 8-0 tech in the semifinals. He’ll scrap with Missouri’s Rylan Kuhn in the final.
The 16U Greco-Roman tournament will conclude with the finals and placement matches at 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.
Finalist pairings:
88 - Tanner Tran of Tennessee vs Caleb Noble of Wisconsin
94 - Cole Welte of Nebraska vs Haakon Peterson of Wisconsin
100 - Hudson Loges of Nebraska vs Lincoln Sledzianowski of Florida
106 - Ryker Graff of Iowa vs Jeremiah Wachsmuth of Oregon
113 - Declan Koch of Wisconsin vs Jayden Raney of Kentucky
120 - Jordyn Raney of Kentucky vs Amryn Nutter of Wisconsin
126 - Thomas Verrette of Colorado vs Elias Navida of California
132 - Nathaniel Askew of Georgia vs Billy Greenwood of Colorado
138 - Gabriel Bouyssou of Rhode Island vs Alex Braun of Minnesota
145 - Hunter Sturgill of Tennessee vs Aliaksandr Kikiniou of California
152 - Kaleb Shine of Montana vs Tristin Greene of Ohio
160 - Angelo Posada of California vs Tristan Steldt of Wisconsin
170 - Bryce Burkett of Minnesota vs Jarrel Miller Jr of Ohio
182 - Coby Merrill of California vs Adam Waters of Pennsylvania
195 - Brennan Carey of Missouri vs Michael Mocco of Florida
220 - Nicholas Sahakian of California vs Rylan Kuhn of Missouri
285 - Sampson Stillwell of Missouri vs Wyatt Schmitt of Illinois
Semifinal results
88
Tanner Tran (Tennessee) tech-fall Christopher Swann (Georgia), 13-4 3:00
Caleb Noble (Wisconsin) dec. James Hemmila (Illinois), 10-8
94
Haakon Peterson (Wisconsin) dec. Rider Seguine (Idaho), 4-2
Cole Welte (Nebraska) tech-fall Kole Davidheiser (Pennsylvania), 8-0 1:05
100
Lincoln Sledzianowski (Florida) tech-fall Lawson Eller (Minnesota), 10-1 2:48
Hudson Loges (Nebraska) tech-fall Revin Dickman (Indiana), 11-0 2:54
106
Jeremiah Wachsmuth (Oregon) tech-fall Vincent Luttrell (New Mexico), 11-2 2:56
Ryker Graff (Iowa) tech-fall Kody Tanimoto (Texas), 11-1 3:49
113
Declan Koch (Wisconsin) dec. Edwin Sierra (California), 5-3
Jayden Raney (Kentucky) tech-fall Connor Fiser (Iowa), 9-0 1:03
120
Jordyn Raney (Kentucky) tech-fall Christian Fretwell (Florida), 9-0 1:26
Amryn Nutter (Wisconsin) tech-fall Elijah Cortez (California), 9-0 3:44
126
Thomas Verrette (Colorado) dec. Phoenix Contos (Ohio), 4-4
Elias Navida (California) dec. Kaden Allen (Kansas), 4-2
132
Nathaniel Askew (Georgia) dec. Draven Mccall (Florida), 5-1
Billy Greenwood (Colorado) pin Nolan Fellers (Iowa), 3:21
138
Gabriel Bouyssou (Rhode Island) dec. Tucker Stangel (Iowa), 12-6
Alex Braun (Minnesota) tech-fall Kane Naaktgeboren (Iowa), 12-4 2:26
145
Hunter Sturgill (Tennessee) tech-fall Gabriel Delgado (Nevada), 8-0 1:47
Aliaksandr Kikiniou (California) dec. Benjamin Smith (Maryland), 3-1
152
Kaleb Shine (Montana) tech-fall Claudio Torres (Florida), 8-0 2:50
Tristin Greene (Ohio) dec. Banks Love (Utah), 7-6
160
Angelo Posada (California) dec. Bekhruz Sadriddinov (Pennsylvania), 3-2
Tristan Steldt (Wisconsin) dec. Anthony Gutierrez (Illinois), 13-8
170
Bryce Burkett (Minnesota) tech-fall Gavin Blondeaux (Nevada), 8-0 1:18
Jarrel Miller jr (Ohio) dec. Nicholas Ronchetti (Illinois), 8-7
182
Coby Merrill (California) dec. De'alcapon Veazy (Indiana), 1-1
Adam Waters (Pennsylvania) dec. Cittadino Tuttle (Minnesota), 8-4
195
Brennan Carey (Missouri) dec. Cole Carter (Alabama), 7-1
Michael Mocco (Florida) tech-fall Behlen Waugh (Ohio), 8-0 0:54
220
Nicholas Sahakian (California) tech-fall Melvin Whitehead (Nevada), 10-0 2:20
Rylan Kuhn (Missouri) dec. Mason Ellis (Alabama), 3-1
285
Sampson Stillwell (Missouri) tech-fall Brayden Hill (Kansas), 8-0 1:14
Wyatt Schmitt (Illinois) dec. Evan Gratz (Wisconsin), 1-1
How the remaining returning All-Americans fared in session three:
94
Haakon Peterson of Wisconsin (Champion at 88 in 2021): 3-0 (Finalist)
Cole Welte of Nebraska (Fifth at (88 in 2021): 4-0 (Finalist)
Kole Davidheiser of Pennsylvania (Seventh at 88 in 2021): 3-1 (Lost in semifinals, onto third place match)
100
Lawson Eller of Minnesota (Fourth at 88 in 2021): 3-2 (Lost in semifinals, lost in consolation semifinals, will wrestle for fifth)
Revin Dickman of Indiana (Sixth at 88): 4-2 (Lost in semifinals, lost in consolation semifinals, will wrestle for fifth)
106
Ryker Graff of Iowa (Seventh at 94): 6-0 (Finalist)
126
Phoenix Contos of Ohio (Seventh at 120): 5-2 (Lost in semifinals, lost in consolation semifinals, will wrestle for fifth)
132
Garrett Reece of Colorado (Fourth at 120): 7-2 (Lost in round of 128, lost in consolation of four, onto seventh place match)
138
Gabriel Bouyssou of Rhode Island (Seventh at 132): 5-0 (Finalist)
145
Gabriel Delgado of Nevada (Fourth at 132): 4-1 (Lost semifinals, won in consolation semifinals, will wrestle for third
182
De’Alcapon Veazy of Indiana (Third at 182): 4-1 (Lost semifinals, won in consolation semifinals, will wrestle for third)
220
Nicholas Sahakian of California (Seventh at 220): 5-0 (Finalist)