Junior and 16U Folkstyle Nationals finals set, highlighted by Hopke-Schunke, Mauger-Ayala bouts

Photo: Koy Hopke competing on the raised mat at the 2023 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals. (Richard Immel/USA Wrestling)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – With 20 mats dispersed across its floor, the UNI Dome was ablaze with young talent as the first day of competition at the 2023 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals concluded on Friday evening.

The championship finals have been determined in both the Junior and 16U divisions with a pair of nationally ranked matchups highlighting the set list.

In a clash of top contenders at 285 pounds, U17 World freestyle champion Koy Hopke of Wisconsin is set to do battle against double Fargo champion Navarro Schunke of South Dakota in the Junior division finals. Both men are coming off high school state championship seasons and are ranked among the top three in the FloWrestling national high school rankings at heavyweight.

Hopke and Schunke have been considerably dominant thus far in Cedar Falls, combining for five pins through six matches wrestled. Their meeting on Saturday will be the first between the two in national competition.

Returning Junior Triple Crown winner Mack Mauger of Idaho, who is ranked No. 9 in the country by FloWrestling, is one win away from notching his second-straight title run in Cedar Falls. He will Iowa high school state runner-up and No. 16 ranked Dru Ayala in the 113-pound finals.

Mauger is 3-0 against Ayala in national competition, but this will be the first time the duo will compete in folkstyle. Their last encounter came in the Junior Nationals freestyle semifinals with Mauger edging his Iowa counterpart, 7-6. Mauger went on to take home the Fargo stop sign, while Ayala battled back for third place.

Two additional nationally ranked wrestlers navigated to tomorrow’s finals. No. 14 Cael Nasdeo of Pennsylvania went 4-0 at 126 pounds, picking up two pins, one technical fall and a major decision en route to the finals. Indiana’s 16th-ranked Orlando Cruz scored three bonus point wins in four matches on his way to the 182-pound finals.

75% of the No. 1 seeds will compete for top prize in the morning. 11 of the 15 top seeds in the Junior division made the finals, while 13 of 17 did so in the 16U division.

Illinois’ Anthony Bauer leads the Junior division with four pins in 15:59, which he accrued at 160 pounds. Similarly, Jase Jaspers of Iowa holds the 16U lead with four pins in 9:41 while competing at 132 pounds.

The fastest fall of the day goes to Easton Cooper of Wisconsin, who recorded a 12-second pin in his opening match in the Junior 120-pound bracket.

The event schedule was adjusted due to inclement weather hitting the Cedar Falls area and has been updated on the USA Wrestling events website.

The competition will resume tomorrow at 9 a.m. (CT) with the championship finals and remaining consolation matches in the Junior and 16U divisions. Wrestlers in the 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U divisions will also take the mats throughout the day tomorrow.

Watch the upcoming action from the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals live or on-demand on FloWrestling.com. Brackets and live updates are available on Trackwrestling.com.

2023 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals
March 31 – April 2, UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Junior Finals Matchups
100 lbs. - Saxton Scott (ID) vs. William Jakeway (SC)
106 lbs. - Ezekiel Witt (KS) vs. Brayden Teunissen (IL)
113 lbs. - Mack Mauger (ID) vs. Dru Ayala (IA)
120 lbs. - Talen Eck (ID) vs. Benjamin DeForest (ND)
126 lbs. - Jake Castagneto (ID) vs. Cael Nasdeo (PA)
132 lbs. - Kale Petersen (IA) vs. Teegan Vasquez (MT)
138 lbs. - Chase Van Hoven (VA) vs. Dorian Olivarez (TX)
145 lbs. - Alex Braun (MN) vs. Jason Mara (ID)
152 lbs. - Jaydon Robinson (IL) vs. Leandro Araujo (ND)
160 lbs. - Thor Michaelson (WA) vs. Damarion Ross (IA)
170 lbs. - Hudson Rogers (ID) vs. Jacob Fistler (IA)
182 lbs. - Wyatt Ingham (WI) vs. Orlando Cruz (IN)
195 lbs. - Karson Tompkins (TX) vs. Chase Matthias (WI)
220 lbs. - Mason Christian (MT) vs. Cy Kruse (MN)
285 lbs. - Koy Hopke (WI) vs. Navarro Schunke (SD)

Junior Semifinals Results
100 lbs. - Saxton Scott (ID) fall Wyatt Eddy (AZ), 0:35
100 lbs. - William Jakeway (SC) maj. dec. Wyatt Chavez (AL), 20-7
106 lbs. - Ezekiel Witt (KS) dec. Daniel Guerrero (AZ), 7-4
106 lbs. - Brayden Teunissen (IL) dec. Kiyan Simon (AL), 5-2
113 lbs. - Mack Mauger (ID) dec. Jacob Fitzpatrick (MN), 5-1
113 lbs. - Dru Ayala (IA) dec. Brodie Christmas (AL), 5-1
120 lbs. - Talen Eck (ID) dec. Drew Davis (IL), 3-1
120 lbs. - Benjamin DeForest (ND) dec. Anthony Lopez (NM), 4-0
126 lbs. - Jake Castagneto (ID) dec. Brunson (ID), 5-2
126 lbs. - Cael Nasdeo (PA) fall Irie Jackson (WI), 1:37
132 lbs. - Kale Petersen (IA) maj. dec. Carter Schmidt (MT), 11-3
132 lbs. - Teegan Vasquez (MT) fall Jackzen Rairdon (CO), 1:45
138 lbs. - Chase Van Hoven (VA) dec. Dresden Grimm (IL), 2-1
138 lbs. - Dorian Olivarez (TX) dec. Evan Gosz (IL), 9-4
145 lbs. - Alex Braun (MN) dec. McKinley Robbins (IA), 9-6
145 lbs. - Jason Mara (ID) fall Alexander Smith (IN), 3:01
152 lbs. - Jaydon Robinson (IL) forfeit Vincent Robinson (IL)
152 lbs. - Leandro Araujo (ND) dec. Xerarch Tungjaroenkul (KS), 3-0
160 lbs. - Thor Michaelson (WA) dec. Paolo Salminen (MT), 8-7
160 lbs. - Damarion Ross (IA) dec. Samuel Richardson (MO), 4-3
170 lbs. - Hudson Rogers (ID) inj. def. Caden Young (WI), 0:04
170 lbs. - Jacob Fistler (IA) dec. Lars Michaelson (WA), 7-5 SV-1
182 lbs. - Wyatt Ingham (WI) dec. Anders Thompson (MT), 6-2
182 lbs. - Orlando Cruz (IN) dec. Shamon Handegan (IL), 7-2
195 lbs. - Karson Tompkins (TX) fall Nathan Fury (KS), 1:00
195 lbs. - Chase Matthias (WI) maj. dec. Carson Gooley (ID), 15-2
220 lbs. - Mason Christian (MT) dec. Joseph Lewis (IA), 3-1
220 lbs. - Cy Kruse (MN) fall Alex Hamrick (IL), 3:58
285 lbs. - Koy Hopke (WI) fall Wyatt Smith (IA), 1:01
285 lbs. - Navarro Schunke (SD) dec. Shilo Jones (ID), 6-3

16U Finals Matchups
88 lbs. - Landon Thoennes (MN) vs. Kellen Downing (MT) 
94 lbs. - Kaison Schreier (MO) vs. Cason Craft (OK)
100 lbs. - Caleb Noble (IL) vs. Saxton Scott (ID)
106 lbs. - Henry Aslikyan (CA) vs. Alex Rozas (LA)
113 lbs. - Linden Phetxoumphone (IA) vs. Tyler Turzinski (MN)
120 lbs. - Austin Collins (CO) vs. Isaiah Jones (OK)
126 lbs. - Kameron Luif (IL) vs. Christian Jelle (MN)
132 lbs. - Drake Morrison (ID) vs. Dean Anderson (AZ)
138 lbs. - Donavon Allen (IL) vs. Tyler Traves (VA)
145 lbs. - Brody Sendele (IL) vs. Tyler Harrill (NE)
152 lbs. - Bradley Rodriguez-Little (MN) vs. Royce Lopez (IL)
160 lbs. - Aaron Stewart (IL) vs. Kyler Knaack (IA)
170 lbs. - Broedy Collins Hendricks (IA) vs. Eli Larson (IL)
182 lbs. - Max Matthias (WI) vs. Brice Henry (MO)
195 lbs. - Dreshaun Ross (IA) vs. Deangelo Sardina (WI)
220 lbs. - Garett Kawczynski (WI) vs. Hayden Smith (IN)
285 lbs. - Milan Colvin (KS) vs. Luke Fierke (IA)

16U Semifinals Results
88 lbs. - Landon Thoennes (MN) fall over Zander Manz (IA), 1:07
88 lbs. - Kellen Downing (MT) dec. Onofre Gonzales (CO), 5-3 
94 lbs. - Kaison Schreier (MO) fall Peyton Van Hoven (VA), 0:26
94 lbs. - Cason Craft (OK) dec. William Du Chemin (WI), 7-2
100 lbs. - Caleb Noble (IL) tech. fall Ethan Sharp (UT), 19-4
100 lbs. - Saxton Scott (ID) dec. Camden Rugg (WI), 7-1
106 lbs. - Henry Aslikyan (CA) maj. dec. Zaiyahn Ornelas (NE), 11-3
106 lbs. - Alex Rozas (LA) dec. Brett Swenson (MN), 5-1
113 lbs. - Linden Phetxoumphone (IA) dec. Jeremiah Gonzalez (ID), 10-4
113 lbs. - Tyler Turzinski (MN) dec. Carter Wallis (MO), 6-0
120 lbs. - Austin Collins (CO) dec. Braylon Reynolds (IN), 10-7
120 lbs. - Isaiah Jones (OK) dec. Legend Ellis (OK), 5-1 SV-1
126 lbs. - Kameron Luif (IL) maj. dec. Julio Aguirre (KS), 9-0
126 lbs. - Christian Jelle (MN) dec. Presley Johnson (MO), 4-3
132 lbs. - Drake Morrison (ID) dec. Maximus Dhabolt (IA), 6-5
132 lbs. - Dean Anderson (AZ) dec. Davis Parrow (MN), 6-4
138 lbs. - Donavon Allen (IL) dec. Jacob Bell (CA), 5-2
138 lbs. - Tyler Traves (VA) fall Connor Peterson (MN), 2:43
145 lbs. - Brody Sendele (IL) maj. dec. Auston Eudaly (CO), 11-3
145 lbs. - Tyler Harrill (NE) dec. Nolan Fellers (IA), 7-6
152 lbs. - Bradley Rodriguez-Little (MN) dec. Brandon Dean (NJ), 8-4
152 lbs. - Royce Lopez (IL) dec. Kale Baumann (MT), 7-2
160 lbs. - Aaron Stewart (IL) maj. dec. Luke Hayden (MO), 16-5
160 lbs. - Kyler Knaack (IA) dec. Eli Leonard (WI), 10-6
170 lbs. - Broedy Collins Hendricks (IA) dec. Braeden Simoneaux (LA), 10-6
170 lbs. - Eli Larson (IL) dec. Luke Hoag (MN), 9-7
182 lbs. - Max Matthias (WI) dec. William Ward (ND), 5-1 SV1
182 lbs. - Brice Henry (MO) dec. Joseph Muhlstein (MN), 3-2 TB-1
195 lbs. - Dreshaun Ross (IA) med. for. Brody Sardina (WI)
195 lbs. - Deangelo Sardina (WI) fall Theodore Pax Jr. (MN), 6:00
220 lbs. - Garett Kawczynski (WI) fall Heindel (ID), 1:38
220 lbs. - Hayden Smith (IN) dec. Nehemiah Lendobeja (WI), 3-1
285 lbs. - Milan Colvin (KS) maj. dec. Rony Enamorado (TN), 8-0
285 lbs. - Luke Fierke (IA) fall Dominic Infelise (IL), 1:48