10 2022 14U National Champs reach USMC 16U Nationals round of 16

Photo: Dawson Youngblut of Iowa against Alex Rozas of Lousiana in the round of 32 at 113 pounds. (Randi Yeager, IA Wrestle)

FARGO, N.D.—The third session of men’s freestyle competition at the 2023 USMC 16U National Championships saw action with just 272 athletes remaining in contention to win the title at their respective weight classes.
There are several 2022 14U National champions moving up into 16U Nationals still unbeaten: Hudson Chittum of Tennessee (88), Kavin Muyleart of Pennsylvania (100), Zaiyahn Ornelas of Nebraska (106), Will Detar of Pennsylvania (113), Dawson Youngblut of Iowa (113), Travis Cardenas of Arizona (126), Noah Bull of Utah (138), Yandro Soto-Rivera of Florida (132), Aaron Stewart of Illinois (160) and Denarii Mickel of Pennsylvania (250).
Thirteen athletes remain eligible to win the triple crown in Kellen Downing of Montana (88), Kaison Schreier of Missouri (94), Caleb Noble of Illinois (100), Alex Rozas of Louisiana (now at 113) , Isaiah Jones of Oklahoma (now at 126), Dean Anderson of Arizona (132), Tyler Traves of Virginia (138), Bradley Rodriguez-Little of Minnesota (160), Kyler Knaack of Iowa (now at 152), Broedy Collins Hendricks of Iowa (170), Max Matthias of Wisconsin (182), Dreshaun Ross of Iowa (195) and Milan Colvin of Kansas (285).
Two athletes are no longer eligible to win the Triple Crown award following the round of 32 in Alex Rozas of Louisiana (113) and Tyler Traves of Virginia (138). Rozas fell in a 5-2 decision to 2022 14U National Champion Youngblut of Iowa. Traves dropped an 8-8 decision to Mason Wagner of Pennsylvania to move to the consolation bracket.
The 88-pound weight class features several athletes with high achievements. Hudson Chittum of Tennessee is a 2022 14U National Champion that made the jump up to the 16U division this year. Chittum defeated Jackson Thorn of Minnesota by 10-0 technical fall in his first match yesterday and faces Bryson Busler of Wisconsin in the round of 16. Due to the small size of the 88 pound bracket, five athletes did not wrestle in the first sessions. Eight of the eleven wins that took place in the round of 32 were by technical fall.
Kellen Downing of Montana, a Triple Crown eligible athlete, defeated Devin McCarty of Oklahoma in the round of 32 by 12-2 technical fall at 94 pounds and matches up against Michael Rusinko in the next session. Three athletes from Iowa are onto the next round of competition in the 94-pound bracket.
At 100 pounds, returning champion Mac Crosson of Iowa highlights the group of 16. Crosson bested Deacon Morgan of Michigan in the first session of day two and will see Braedyn Tammarine of Ohio in the next session. Illinois’s Caleb Noble cruised into the round of 16 with a 10-0 technical fall against Ethan Busby of California. Noble remains eligible to win the Triple Crown award and sees Kaleb Pratt of Illinois in the next round of action.
The 113-pound weight class saw Dawson Youngblut of Iowa defeat Rozas of Louisiana by 5-2 decision, ending Rozas’s run at winning the Triple Crown award. Will Detar, a 2022 14U National Champion that made the jump to the 16U division, bested Dominic Way of West Virginia in a tight 2-0 decision, moving ahead in the championship bracket.
At 120 pounds, returning champion Michael Romero of California used a 10-0 technical fall against Bobby Duffy of New Jersey to send himself to the round of 16. Returning champion Jayden Raney of Kentucky pinned his opponent Hayden Wright of Oklahoma 45 seconds into the match during the morning session. Justyce Zuniga of Washington will face Ryan DeGeorge of New Jersey in the round of 16 after bringing down Aiden Serrano of Iowa in an 8-3 decision during the first session of action.
Travis Cardenas of Arizona and Isaiah Jones of Oklahoma have done well in the 126-pound bracket. Cardenas is a 2022 14U National Champion and defeated Alan Salguero Jr. of Washington in the first session of the day. Jones remains eligible to win the Triple Crown award with a strong 11-0 technical fall in the first session of the day.
There are two athletes, Dean Anderson of Arizona and Yandro Soto-Rivera of Florida, that reached the round of 16 at 132 pounds. Anderson is a Triple Crown eligible competitor and defeated Sammy Spaulding of New Jersey by fall at 2:41. Prior to the pin, Anderson had tallied 17 points against Spaulding. Soto-Rivera is the 2022 14U National Champion at 132 pounds.
At 138 pounds, Thomas Verrette of Colorado and Noah Bull of Utah improved to the round of 16. Verrette defeated Dane Renick of Arkansas in a high-scoring 14-6 decision. Bull is another 2022 14U National Champion that moved up to the 16U division for this event. He picked up a win in a tight 6-4 decision over Cavin Carlson of Minnesota.
The 152-pound weight class featured Kyler Knaack of Iowa who is eligible for the Triple Crown award. Knaack took the win in 56 seconds as he bested Bryan Picallo of Florida by 10-0 technical fall in his first match of the day.
At 160 pounds, Bradley Rodriguez-Little of Minnesota, a Triple Crown eligible competitor, defeated Achilles Evans of Colorado by 10-0 technical fall at 44 seconds, moving into the round of 16.
Broedy Collins Hendricks of Iowa remains eligible to win the Triple Crown award at 170 pounds. Collins Hendricks was victorious in his first session match, earning the win by 14-7 decision against Breyson Kelley of Wisconsin.
The 182-pound weight class saw Max Matthias of Wisconsin win his match in the first session by Hunter Smith of Oklahoma by 10-0 technical fall in the first period. Matthias joins the athletes that are still eligible to win the Triple Crown award.
At 195 pounds, a weight that saw several athletes compete in the tournament for the first time, Dreshaun Ross of Iowa picked up a commanding 10-0 technical fall win in just 26 seconds. Ross is eligible to win the Triple Crown and is also a returning champion from the 16U National Championships in 2022. David Calkins of California is also in the round of 16 and is a 2022 14U National Champion that moved up to the 16U division.
The 285 pound weight class features Milan Colvin of Kansas, another athlete aiming to win the Triple Crown award. Colvin used a 10-0 technical fall for the win in the round of 32.
Following the first session of the day, 12 states have at least 10 wrestlers that remain on the championship side of the brackets. The states are Pennsylvania (25), Iowa (24), Illinois (20), Ohio (20), New Jersey (17), Minnesota (14), Michigan (13), California (11), Indiana (11), Utah (11), Oklahoma (10), Tennessee (10).
Action resumes at 3 p.m. central time for the next session that will feature Championship & Quarterfinals (2 rounds) and Consolation (3 rounds). Session nine of the 2023 USMC 16U National Championships can be followed at FloWrestling.