Fargo Cadet freestyle finals set for Friday

Travis Wittlake, Jr. of Oregon will wrestle for the Triple Crown tomorrow. Photo: John Sachs, tech-fall.com

FARGO, N.D. – Jace Koelzer of Kansas and Travis Wittlake, Jr. of Oregon both advanced to the finals of their respective weight classes of the 2016 ASICS/Vaughan Cadet Freestyle National Championships on Thursday night, keeping them in the hunt for the USA Wrestling Triple Crown.

Koelzer took on Joseph Heilmann from New Jersey in an exciting 106-pound semifinal. Heilmann scored first but Koelzer was able to tie it up, 2-2, at the break. Heilmann took a 4-2 lead halfway through the second period, which he held onto until the final four seconds of the bout when Koelzer scored on a single leg for a 4-4 win. The Kansan is set to match up against Corey Gamet of Michigan in the finals.

Wittlake is one win away from securing his fifth Triple Crown after finishing off Devin Winston of Missouri in less than two minutes with a 12-2 tech fall in the 170-pound semifinals. Thus far, Wittlake has teched all five of his opponents without giving up a single point.

After a dominant semifinal win at 126 pounds, New Jersey’s Nick Raimo looks to become only the 14th wrestler in history to win Cadet Greco-Roman and freestyle national championships in back-to-back years. Roman Bravo-Young, a 2016 Cadet World Team member, most recently accomplished the feat in 2015.

At 120 pounds, returning champion Jordan Decatur of Ohio was pitted against newly crowned Cadet Greco-Roman champ Theorius Robison of Colorado. Decatur controlled the match, defeating Robison with a 15-4 technical fall in 3:16. Decatur will wrestle Brody Jeske of Iowa in the finals as he looks to defend his 2015 title.

Two other wrestlers look to repeat as Junior freestyle champions.

Pennsylvania’s Sam Sasso defeated Gerard Angelo of New Jersey in the semifinals at 138 pounds. He is primed to take on Utah’s four-time Cadet Nationals finalist Brock Hardy tomorrow afternoon.

Ryan Karoly, one of four finalists from New Jersey, will face Lucas Davison of Indiana in the 182-pound finals after a decisive 8-4 victory over Nick Casperson of South Dakota in the semis.

Cohlton Schultz of Colorado redeemed himself in the 220-pound semis, taking out 2016 Greco-Roman champ Tyler Curd of Missouri by 12-1 tech fall. Schultz fell to Curd in the Greco-Roman quarterfinals earlier this week.

In a rematch of the 88-pound Greco-Roman national finals, Sam Latona, who became Alabama’s first Cadet Greco-Roman champion, surrendered a quick 4-0 deficit to Michigan’s Andrew Chambal, but went on to score 14 unanswered points for a 14-4 tech fall. He will face Cullan Schriever of Iowa, who defeated California’s Tim Levine with a 15-5 tech fall, for the title.

Four other Greco-Roman champions moved on to the finals, including Ridge Lovett (100), Mason Phillips (132), Aaron Brooks (160) and Braxton Amos (195).

The Cadet Freestyle Nationals finals will begin at 2 p.m. (CT) tomorrow.

All matches from the 2016 ASICS/Vaughan Cadet and Junior National Championships can be viewed live on Flowrestling.com with a FLO PRO account. Complete brackets, results and team scores can be found on Trackwrestling.com.

ASICS/VAUGHAN CADET FREESTYLE NATIONALS
At Fargo, N.D., July 21

Finals pairings
88 lbs. – Sam Latona (AL) vs. Cullen Schriever (IA)
94 lbs.– Jeremiah Reno (MO) vs. Justin Bierdumpfel (NJ)
100 lbs.– Ridge Lovett (ID) vs. Julian Tagg (OH)
106 lbs.– Jace Koelzer (KS) vs. Corey Gamet (MI)
113 lbs.– Travis Ford-Melton (IL) vs. Colton Yapoujihan (CO)
120 lbs.– Jordan Decatur (OH) vs. Brody Teske (IA)
126 lbs.– Nicholas Raimo (NJ) vs. Jaden Abas (CA)
132 lbs.– Jacori Teemer (NY) vs. Mason Phillips (WA)
138 lbs.– Sam Sasso (PA) vs. Brock Hardy (UT)
145 lbs.– Markus Hartman (IL) vs. Jared Franek (ND)
152 lbs.– Frankie Gissendanner (NY) vs. Michael O’Malley (NJ)
160 lbs.– Julian Ramirez (FL) vs. Aaron Brooks (MD)
170 lbs.– Travis Wittlake (OR) vs. Tyler Barnes (NY)
182 lbs.– Lucas Davison (IN) vs. Ryan Karoly (NJ)
195 lbs.– Sergio Villalobos (IL) vs. Braxton Amos (OH)
220 lbs.– Cohlton Schultz (CO) vs. Gavin Hoffman (PA)
285 lbs.– Ronald Tucker (IL) vs. Montana Phillips (OK)


Semifinals Results
88 pounds
Sam Latona (AL) tech fall Andrew Chambal (MI), 14-4
Cullan Schriever (IA) tech fall Tim Levine (CA), 15-5

94 pounds
Jeremiah Reno (MO) tech fall Josh Ogunsanya (IL), 10-0
Justin Bierdumpfel (NJ) tech fall Dylan Ragusin (IL), 13-3

100 pounds
Ridge Lovett (ID) dec. Eric Barnett (WI), 14-9
Julian Tagg (OH) dec. Matthew Ramos (IL), 10-3

106 pounds
Jace Koelzer (KS) dec. Joseph Heilmann (NJ), 4-4
Corey Gamet (MI) fall Angelo Rini (OH), 3:41

113 pounds
Travis Ford-Melton (IL) tech fall Adam Busiello (NY), 11-0
Colton Yapoujihan (CO) tech fall Malyke Hines (FL), 13-3

120 pounds
Jordan Decatur (OH) tech fall Theorius Robison (CO), 15-4
Brody Teske (IA) dec. Josh Saunders (MO), 9-7

126 pounds
Nicholas Raimo (NJ) tech fall Chris Cannon (NJ), 10-0
Jaden Abas (CA) dec. Peyton Robb (MN), 10-0

132 pounds
Jacori Teemer (NY) fall Nick Freeman (MI), 3:25
Mason Phillips (WA) tech. fall Kevon Davenport (MI), 11-0

138 pounds
Sam Sasso (PA) tech. fall Gerard Angelo (NJ), 11-0
Brock Hardy (UT) dec. Will Lewan (IL), 12-5

145 pounds
Markus Hartman (IL) dec. Baylor Fernandes (IL), 10-10
Jared Franek (ND) tech. fall Brian Meyer (NJ), 10-0

152 pounds
Frankie Gissendanner (NY) fall Sean Harman (OR), 0:16
Michael O’Malley (NJ) dec. Anthony Jackson (MN), 16-9

160 pounds
Julian Ramirez (FL) tech. fall Joshua Stillings (PA), 11-0
Aaron Brooks (MD) dec. Jake Hendricks (PA), 5-5

170 pounds
Travis Wittlake (OR) tech. fall Devin Winston (MO), 10-0
Tyler Barnes (NY) tech. fall William Janzer (NJ), 12-0

182 pounds
Lucas Davison (IN) tech.fall Austin Cooley (MA), 12-1
Ryan Karoly (NJ) dec. Nick Casperson (SD), 8-4

195 pounds
Sergio Villalobos (IL) dec. Eli Pokorney (IN), 5-5
Braxton Amos (OH) tech. fall Kaleb Reeves (IA), 10-0

220 pounds
Cohlton Schultz (CO) tech. fall Tyler Curd (MO), 12-1
Gavin Hoffman (PA) tech. fall Chase Trussell (UT), 11-0

285 pounds
Ronald Tucker (IL) dec. Austin Emerson (MI), 5-0
Montana Phillips (OK) fall Moses Jackson (OR); 2:56