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Four 2022 U20 Freestyle World Team medalists advance to U20 Freestyle Nationals finals
by Adam Engel, Special to TheMat.com
Max McEnelly takes down Brayden Thompson in the U20 Nationals freestyle semifinals. Photo by Robbert Wijtman.
Four 2022 U20 Freestyle World Team medalists need one more win for a title at the U20 Freestyle Nationals finals at the 2023 Pritchard Companies U.S. Open, presented by FloWrestling on Saturday in Las Vegas.
2022 U17 World Freestyle champion No. 2 Luke Lilledahl of X-Calibur Athletics Wrestling Club teched Cael Nasdeo of Central Pennsylvania RTC, 11-0, to schedule an all Age-Group World medalist final at 57 kg. Jore Volk of Wyoming Wrestling Regional Training Center, a 2022 U20 World Champion, will battle Lilledahl.
No. 5 Tyler Kasak of Pennsylvania, a Penn State commit, stopped defending national champion Vince Cornella, 4-3, at 65 kg. That creates a future Big Ten final with No. 2 Kannon Webster of Illinois, a future Illinois wrestler.
2022 U20 World Team members No. 1 Nic Bouzakis of Pennsylvania at 61 kg and No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink of 74 kg rolled to the finals.
Bouzakis needed 100 seconds to tech Jace Rhodes of Hawkeye Wrestling Club, 10-0. Mesenbrink, won in identical fashion, 12-1, over Nick Fea of New York. Mesenbrink, who recently announced his transfer commitment to Penn State, won this event last year.
No. 1 Bennett Berge of Jackrabbit Wrestling Club, a 2022 U20 World silver medalist will challenge Max McEnelly of Waconia Wrestling Club, a 2022 U17 World bronze medalist, in the 86 kg final. Berge beat No. 4 Clayton Whiting Tiger Style Wrestling Club, 9-4, while McEnelly stopped No. 2 Brayden Thompson of Cowboy RTC, a 2022 U20 World Team member, 3-1, in the semifinals.
At 70 kg, No. 1 Meyer Shapiro of Spartan Combat RTC, a 2021 Cadets World champion, draws No. 10 Antrell Taylor of MWC Wrestling Academy in the finals.
Another top seed, Rocco Welsh of Young Guns Wrestling Club rolled to the 79 kg finals. He will wrestle No. 3 Gabriel Arnold of Level Up Wrestling Center. This is another future all Big Ten final as Welsh will compete for Ohio State and Arnold will wrestle for Iowa.
No. 5 Stephen Little of Arkansas Regional Training Center upset No. 1 Gavin Nelson of Minnesota, 11-4, in a 92 kg semifinal. No. 3 Jack Darrah of Missouri will see Little in the final.
No. 6 Christian Carroll of Cowboy RTC, a 2022 U20 Greco-Roman World Team member crashed his bracket with several tech falls and gets No. 9 Bradley Hill of Hawkeye Wrestling Club in the final.
The finals begin at 5 p.m. Sunday night and can be streamed live on FloWrestling.
2023 U20 Freestyle Nationals
Las Vegas, Nev. — April 29
Finalists pairings
57 kg
No. 1 Jore Volk (Wyoming Wrestling Regional Training Center) vs No. 2 Luke Lilledahl (X-Calibur Athletics Wrestling Club)
61 kg
No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) vs No. 6 Kale Peterson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
65 kg
No. 5 Tyler Kasak (Pennsylvania) vs No. 2 Kannon Webster (Illinois)
70 kg
No. 1 Meyer Shapiro (Spartan Combat RTC) vs No. 10 Antrell Taylor (MWC Wrestling Academy)
74 kg
No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Askren Wrestling Academy) vs No. 3 Hunter Garvin (Iowa)
79 kg
No. 1 Rocco Welsh (Young Guns Wrestling Club) vs No. 3 Gabriel Arnold (Level Up Wrestling Center)
86 kg
No. 1 Bennett Berge (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) vs No. 3 Max McEnelly (Waconia Wrestling Club)
92 kg
No. 5 Stephen Little (Arkansas Regional Training Center) vs No. 3 Jack Darrah (Missouri)
97 kg
No. 4 Camden Mcdanel (Ohio) vs Joey Braunagel (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC)
125 kg
No. 9 Bradley Hill (Hawkeye Wrestling Club) vs No. 6 Christian Carroll (Cowboy RTC)
Semifinal results
57 kg
No. 2 Luke Lilledahl (X-Calibur Athletics Wrestling Club) tech fall Cael Nasdeo (Central Pennsylvania RTC), 11-0, 2:40
No. 1 Jore Volk (Wyoming Wrestling Regional Training Center) dec. No. 5 Adrian Meza (Arizona), 5-3
61 kg
No. 6 Kale Peterson IA (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) pin No. 2 Nasir Bailey IL (Harvey Twisters WC), 4:07
No. 1 Nick Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) tech fall Jace Rhodes IA (Hawkeye Wrestling Club), 10-0, 1:40
65 kg
No. 5 Tyler Kasak PA (Pennsylvania) dec. No. 1 Vince Cornella CO (Spartan Combat RTC), 4-3
No. 2 Kannon Webster IL (Illinois) dec. No. 3 Jesse Mendez IN (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club), 5-3
70 kg
No. 1 Meyer Shapiro MD (Spartan Combat RTC) tech fall No. 4 Daniel Cardenas CO (Colorado), 11-0 3:40
No. 10 Antrell Taylor NE (MWC Wrestling Academy) tech fall No. 6 Paniro Johnson PA (Pennsylvania), 12-1 5:34
74 kg
No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink WI (Askren Wrestling Academy) tech fall Nick Fea NY (New York), 12-1 2:42
No. 3 Hunter Garvin IA (Iowa) dec. No. 2 Joseph Sealey PA (Pennsylvania), 14-11
79 kg
No. 3 Gabriel Arnold IA (Level Up Wrestling Center) dec. No. 15 Luca Augustine PA (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club), 8-1
No. 1 Rocco Welsh PA (Young Guns Wrestling Club) dec. No. 4 Noah Mulvaney WI (Askren Wrestling Academy), 6-0
86 kg
No. 1 Bennett Berge MN (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) dec. No. 4 Clayton Whiting WI (Tiger Style Wrestling Club), 9-4
No. 3 Max McEnelly MN (Waconia Wrestling Club) dec. No. 2 Brayden Thompson OK (Cowboy RTC), 3-1
92 kg
No. 5 Stephen Little KY (Arkansas Regional Training Center) dec. No. 1 Gavin Nelson MN (Minnesota), 11-4
No. 3 Jack Darrah MO (Missouri) dec. No. 10 Mac Stout PA (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club), 3-2
97 kg
Joey Braunagel IL (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC) fall Colden Dorfman NY (Cavalier Wrestling Club), 4-4 2:01
No. 4 Camden Mcdanel OH (Ohio) dec. No. 1 Sawyer Bartelt FL (Gladiator Wrestling), 8-2
125 kg
No. 9 Bradley Hill IA (Hawkeye Wrestling Club) dec. No. 12 Harley Andrews OK (Tuttle Wrestling Club), 13-11
No. 6 Christian Carroll TX (Cowboy RTC) tech fall No. 10 Carter Nev