Cadet World champions Diakomihalis, Steveson on track to repeat at UWW Cadet Nationals

Cadet World champion Yianni Diakomihalis advanced to the 63 kg finals at the UWW Cadet Nationals on Sautrday. Photo: Sam Janicki.

AKRON, Ohio – Cadet World champions Yianni Diakomihalis and Gable Steveson both advanced to the men’s freestyle finals of the UWW Cadet Nationals with dominant showings on Saturday in Akron, Ohio.


Now a four-time New York high school state champion, Diakomihalis began his UWW Cadet World title defense with five superlative wins, four by technical fall and one by 9-0 decision. He scored a grand total of 50 points today while holding all five of his opponents scoreless.


Diakomihalis is competing at 63 kg/138 lbs. this weekend, one weight up from where he won his World gold medal in 2015. He will square off against two-time Cadet Freestyle All-American Jamie Hernandez of Illinois, best two-of-three, tomorrow morning for a place on the U.S. Cadet World Team.


Owning two Minnesota state titles on top of his World gold from last year, Steveson finds himself in the UWW Cadet finals once again. His finals opponent, Noah Adams, hails from West Virginia and was a double Cadet All-American in Fargo, N.D. last summer.


Steveson passed a stiff test in the 100 kg/220 lbs. semifinals as he bested Colorado state champion Cohlton Schultz, 7-1. This was a rematch of the 2015 Cadet Nationals freestyle finals, also won by Steveson.


Also seeking a return trip to the Cadet World Championships is 2015 Cadet World Team member and Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion Dylan D’Emilio. The Ohio standout started the day off slow with a pair of 6-5 decisions, but opened it late to win by technical fall in both the quarters and semis.


D’Emilio will battle Aaron Cashman in the 50 kg/119 lbs. finals tomorrow. Cashman was a Minnesota high school state runner-up this season and earned All-American status at the Cadet Nationals in freestyle last July.


Many are clamoring for tomorrow’s 58 kg/127 lbs. finals series between a pair of 2015 Cadet Nationals champions, Sammy Sasso of Pennsylvania and Vitali Arujau of New York. Sasso won his Fargo crown at 126 pounds and Arujau at 120 pounds. Arujau also boasts three New York high school state titles.


Both Diakomihalis and Arujau are committed to wrestle at the next level in their home state of New York at Cornell University.


Four-time Fargo champion Roman Bravo-Young roasted the 54 kg/119 lbs. field to make his way to the finals. It was five matches, five technical falls and a 52-0 combined score for the two-time Arizona high school state champion on Saturday. He will face fellow 2015 Fargo champion Jordan Decatur of Ohio in the championship series.


Champions in every weight class except 125 kg/275.5 lbs. qualify for the U.S. Cadet Men’s Freestyle World Team that will compete at the Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sept. 13-18.


Wrestlers eligible to compete in the UWW Cadet age group were born from 1999 to 2001.


The UWW Cadet Nationals will conclude on Sunday with day two of the men’s freestyle competition. This event will be held alongside the University Nationals. Both events are U.S. World Team qualifiers.


The remaining action from Akron can be viewed live on Flowrestling.com tomorrow at 9 a.m. (ET). 


For complete brackets and results from the UWW Cadet and University Nationals visit Trackwrestling.com.

ASICS Men’s Freestyle UWW Cadet Nationals

June 4 in Akron, Ohio

Finals Match-ups

42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Kurt McHenry (Virginia) vs. Jeremiah Reno (Missouri)

46 kg/101 lbs. – Malik Heinselman (Colorado) vs. Eric Faught (Iowa)

50 kg/110 lbs. – Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio) vs. Aaron Cashman (Minnesota)

54 kg/119 lbs. – Jordan Decatur (Ohio) vs. Roman Bravo-Young (Arizona)

58 kg/127 lbs. – Sammy Sasso (Pennsylvania) vs. Vitali Arujau (New York)

63 kg/138 lbs. – Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) vs. Jamie Hernandez (Illinois)

69 kg/152 lbs. – Joe Lee (Indiana) vs. David Carr (Ohio)

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Jack Jessen (Illinois) vs. Travis Wittlake (Oregon)

85 kg/187 lbs. – Jacob Warner (Illinois) vs. Michael Beard (Pennsylvania)

100 kg/220 lbs. – Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. Noah Adams (West Virginia)

125 kg/275.5 lbs. – Tony Cassioppi (Illinois) vs. Kayne Hutchison (Kansas)

Semifinal Results
42 kg/92.5 lbs.

Kurt McHenry (Virginia) tech. fall Dylan Ragusin (Illinois), 12-1

Jeremiah Reno (Missouri) tech. fall Andrew Chambal (Michigan), 11-1

46 kg/101 lbs.

Malik Heinselman (Colorado) tech. fall Ridge Lovett (Idaho), 10-0

Eric Faught (Iowa) dec. Steele Dias (Nevada), 6-2


50 kg/110 lbs.

Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio) dec. Patrick McKee (Minnesota), 11-2

Aaron Cashman (Minnesota) dec. Matthew Cardello (Ohio), 2-1

54 kg/119 lbs.

Jordan Decatur (Ohio) dec. Real Woods (New Mexico), 12-7

Roman Bravo-Young (Arizona) tech. fall Nick Raimo (New Jersey), 11-0

58 kg/127 lbs.

Sammy Sasso (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Kyran Hagan (Missouri), 12-2

Vitali Arujau (New York) tech. fall Max Murin (Pennsylvania), 10-0

63 kg/138 lbs.

Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) dec. Will Lewan (Illinois), 9-0

Jamie Hernandez (Illinois) forfeit Jason Renteria (Illinois)

69 kg/152 lbs.

Joe Lee (Indiana) dec. Andrew Merola (New Jersey), 9-7

David Carr (Ohio) tech. fall Trevell Timmons (Illinois), 16-5


76 kg/167.5 lbs.

Jack Jessen (Illinois) fall Jake Allar (Minnesota), 0:46

Travis Wittlake (Oregon) dec. Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania), 7-3

85 kg/187 lbs.

Jacob Warner (Illinois) tech. fall Andrew Davidson (Indiana), 10-0

Michael Beard (Pennsylvania) fall Jacob Raschka (Wisconsin), 1:13

100 kg/220 lbs.

Gable Steveson (Minnesota) dec. Cohlton Schultz (Colorado), 7-1

Noah Adams (West Virginia) dec. Brady Daniel (Maryland), 8-2

125 kg/275.5 lbs.

Tony Cassioppi (Illinois) fall Ronald Tucker (Illinois), 0:44

Kayne Hutchison (Kansas) tech. fall Brendan Furman (Pennsylvania), 10-0