Cadet World champion Steveson headlines list of USAW Junior Folkstyle Nationals champions

220-pound Junior Folkstyle Nationals champion Gable Steveson. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

VIDEO: Junior Folkstyle Nationals champion interviews


CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Star power was aplenty at the UNI Dome on Saturday as 15 wrestlers were crowned Cliff Keen/USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals champions and took the first steps towards becoming a 2016 Triple Crown winner.


2014 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner Danny Vega (Tucson Cyclones) picked up his second-straight Folkstyle Nationals championship in the Junior division with a decisive 20-5 technical fall over Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee) at 113 pounds.


Vega, a senior at Arizona’s Ironwood Ridge High School, is fresh off winning his third Arizona state championship. In 2015, he won the UWW Junior Nationals and was runner-up at the UWW Junior World Team Trials.


“This one’s great because if you win you get a stop sign. I love stop signs, so it was a great tournament. I felt great. Now, at the level I’m at, I guess, I don’t really get too nervous. I just go out there, have fun and wrestle my best, so I just keep that in my head,” said Vega.


Fellow multiple-time Arizona high school state champion Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson Cyclones) won his first Junior Folkstyle Nationals title edging Brenden Baker (Elite Takedown Club), 3-1, in the 120-pound finals.


Bravo-Young has won the USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in Fargo, N.D. the past two seasons, but he had never before claimed the folkstyle portion in the USA Wrestling Triple Crown series.


“It feels good. I’ve been training for it. Actually, I’ve never won this tournament before, so this is the first time and I’m trying to get that Triple Crown this year. It was a good season this year. I went undefeated. Everything went as planned. I just wanted to cap it off with this, so that’s good,” said Bravo-Young.


2015 Cadet World champion Gable Steveson (Minnesota Elite) dominated the Junior Folkstyle Nationals even though he is still age-eligible to compete in the Cadet division.


Steveson, a two-time Minnesota state champion, bruised his way to a 22-6 technical fall over Evan Ellis (Central Indiana) in the 220-pound finals. In all, Steveson posted two falls, two technical falls and a major decision on his road to first place.


“My brother was doing last chance and that’s how I ended up here and he said ‘why not just wrestle together?’ and I just bumped up to Juniors that’s to do what I normally do, just keep wrestling hard. It’s another good accomplishment for me and going to keep rolling from here,” said Steveson.


The only Junior competitor to repeat as Folkstyle Nationals champion was Navonte Demison (Bakersfield) at 138 pounds. Demison wowed the crowd with a 13-5 major decision over Corey Shie (Golden Cross) to claim top-prize.


2015 Cadet Triple Crown winner Mosha Schwartz continued his run of success in his first year competing on the Junior level. Schwartz scored a second period fall over Cody Holms (X-Factor Elite) in the 100-pound finals to keep the hopes of a second Triple Crown alive for the Colorado native.


The Wick twins, Zander and Evan, of California both picked up Junior Folkstyle titles on Saturday. Zander took the 152-pound final with a 12-4 major decision over Hunter Marko (Pinnacle) while Even topped Bailee O’Reilly (Cannon Falls Mat Rats), 6-1, at 160 pounds.


Also picking up Junior Folkstyle national championships were Ty Smith (Nevada) at 106, Paul Konrath (Maurer Coughlin WC) at 126, Christopher Sandoval (Windsor) at 132, Alexander Lloyd (Pinnacle) at 145, Drew Hughes (Region Wrestling Academy), Kyle Betourne (Bishop Mac) at 182, Andrew Davison (Chesterton WC), at 195 and Carter Isley (Youngbucks).


Complete results for the Cliff Keen/USA Wrestling Junior 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

Junior Folkstyle Finals Results

100: Mosha Schwartz (SOT Academy) fall Cody Holmes (X-Factor Elite), 2:40

106: Ty Smith (Nevada) dec. Kade Lincoln (Idaho), 7-5

113:  Danny Vega (Tucson Cyclones) tech. fall Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee), 20-5

120: Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson Cyclones) dec. Brenden Baker (Elite Takedown Club), 3-1

126: Paul Konrath (Maurer Coughlin WC) dec. Tucker Sjomeling (Delano), 5-1

132: Christopher Sandoval (Windsor) dec. Chris Deloza (Wrestling Prep), 4-2

138: Navonte Demison (Bakersfield) maj. dec. Corey Shie (Golden Cross), 13-5

145: Alexander Lloyd (Pinnacle) dec. Jake Rando (Bayou Elite), 13-10

152: Zander Wick (California) maj. dec. Hunter Marko (Pinnacle), 12-4

160: Evan Wick (California) dec. Bailee O`Reilly (Cannon Falls Mat Rats), 6-1

170: Drew Hughes (Region Wrestling Academy) fall Colton Clingenpeel (SWIFT), 1:15

182: Kyle Betourne (Bishop Mac) dec. Max Lyon (DC Elite), 7-4

195: Andrew Davison (Chesterton WC) fall Samuel Grove of (Tech Team WC), 4:00

220: Gable Steveson (Minnesota Elite) tech. fall Evan Ellis (Central Indiana), 22-6

285: Carter Isley (Youngbucks) dec. Aaron Costello (Basement Boys WC), 3-1