Wittlake, Cashman, Dias repeat as Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champions in Cedar Falls, Iowa

Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champion at 160 lbs., Travis Wittlake (Team Bucs) at the 2015 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

VIDEO: Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champion interviews


CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – 17 wrestlers were crowned champions at the Cliff Keen/USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in the Cadet division on Saturday afternoon at the UNI Dome.


The Folkstyle Nationals competition in Cedar Falls, Iowa serves as the first-of-three legs in the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown series. 


Three wrestlers were able to repeat as Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champions this year.


Two-time Oregon state champion Travis Wittlake (Team Bucs) was virtually untouchable this weekend as he posted three technical falls and one fall en route to the 160-pound title. He topped Oszkar Kasch (Region Wrestling Academy), 18-3, in the first place match.


Last season Wittlake won the first two legs of the USAW Triple Crown by securing a Cadet Greco-Roman championship in Fargo, N.D. in addition to his Cadet Folkstyle Nationals title. He wound up in third place in the Cadet Freestyle Nationals to narrowly miss out on the Triple Crown.


Coming off a second place finish at the Minnesota State Championships, Aaron Cashman (Pinnacle) was able to edge Kyle Burwick (Hettinger), 3-1, in the 113-pound finals to claim his second-straight Folkstyle Nationals title.


Also picking up his second-consecutive Cadet Folkstyle Nationals championship was 100-pound Nevada star Steele Dias who edged Eric Faught (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 6-4, in the finals. Dias finished with All-American status at the UWW Cadet Nationals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman last year. He also placed fifth at the Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, N.D.


Seeing immediate success in his first season at the Cadet level was Beau Bartlett (Sunkist Kids) who won the USAW Triple Crown last season as a Schoolboy.


Bartlett pinned every opponent he faced at 126 pounds prior to a highly anticipated championship finals against Joshua Sanders (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage). Bartlett and Sanders traded blows early on, but a couple explosive moves by Bartlett proved to be the difference in the 11-6 finale.


“It was pretty tough. I’ve never wrestled [Sanders] before. It was a highly expected match between everyone, so the match finally happened for the first time and today all my training really pulled through,” said Bartlett.


Utah state champion Brock Hardy bested a tough 138-pound field to claim his first Cadet Folkstyle Nationals title. He defeated Fidel Mayora (Epic Wrestling) by major decision, 9-0, in the finals.


Hardy finished in second place at the Cadet Nationals in both Greco-Roman and freestyle last summer in Fargo, N.D.


“He was really strong, way stronger than me. I actually couldn’t get to my stuff, so I just, kind of, had to slowly work and work and work and keep chipping away. A lot of it is just confidence and knowing I can do it. Just not thinking about it too hard, who the other opponent is, and just going out and doing what I can do,” said Hardy.


Picking up pins in the Cadet Folkstyle finals were Sebas Swiggum (Apple Valley) at 132, Devin Winston (Greater Heights) at 170 and Lucas Davison (Chesterton WC) at 182.


285 pounds saw the only championship match go to overtime as Ronald Tucker Jr. (Bolingbrook Junior Raiders) took down Spencer Trenary (Team Valley), 4-2, in the ultimate tiebreaker round to earn the heavyweight stop sign.


Cullan Schriever (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) scathed past a feisty Emilio Haynes (Dirty Eagles WC), 3-2 in the 88-pound finals. Haynes secured a potential match winning takedown right as the clock hit zero in the third period, but after video review the takedown was not confirmed and Schriever picked up the title.


Also winning their first Cadet Folkstyle Nationals championships were Andrew Chambal (Team Donahoe) at 94, Jace Koelzer (Kansas) at 106, Jesse Vasquez (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage) at 120, Jared Franek (Tech Team WC) at 145, Tyler Dow (Stoughton) at 152, Andrew Salemme (Marquette) at 195 and Sergio Villalobos (Suburban Sprawl) at 220.


Complete results for the Cliff Keen/USA Wrestling Cadet Folkstyle Nationals can be viewed on Trackwrestling.com.

CLIFF KEEN/USA WRESTLING FOLKSTYLE NATIONALS

April 1-3 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa

Cadet Folkstyle Finals Results

88: Cullan Schriever (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Emilio Haynes (Dirty Eagles WC), 3-2

94: Andrew Chambal (Team Donahoe) maj dec. Evan Yant (Waverly Area WC), 13-2

100: Steele Dias (Nevada) dec. Eric Faught (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 6-4

106: Jace Koelzer (Kansas) dec. Jonathan Prata (California), 4-3

113: Aaron Cashman (Pinnacle) dec. Kyle Burwick (Hettinger), 3-1

120: Jesse Vasquez (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage) maj. dec. Drake Doolittle (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 12-4

126: Beau Bartlett (Sunkist Kids) dec. Joshua Sanders (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage), 11-6

132: Sebas Swiggum (Apple Valley) fall Harlan Steffensmeier (Eastern Iowa WC), 3:15

138: Brock Hardy (Utah United) maj. dec. Fidel Mayora (Epic Wrestling), 9-0

145: Jared Franek (Tech Team WC) dec. Kasper McIntosh (Portage WC), 7-2

152: Tyler Dow (Stoughton) dec. Jordan Komac (North Montana WC), 9-3

160: Travis Wittlake (Team Bucs) tech. fall Oszkar Kasch (Region Wrestling Academy), 18-3

170: Devin Winston (Greater Heights) fall Logan Hutcherson (Nevada), 0:58

182: Lucas Davison (Chesterton WC) fall Daniel Kerkvliet (Pinnacle), 2:58

195: Andrew Salemme (Marquette) dec. Eli Pokorney (Chesterton WC), 8-4

220: Sergio Villalobos (Suburban Sprawl) dec. Maverick McPeek (Dakota WC), 9-4

285: Ronald Tucker Jr. (Bolingbrook Junior Raiders) dec. Spencer Trenary (Team Valley), 4-2 OT