Four wrestlers seek to repeat as Cadet freestyle champions this year -- Brent Fleetwood (Delaware), Ronnie Bresser (Oregon), Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania), and Mitch Sliga (Indiana). InterMat assesses their prospects of repeating, as well as all the weight classes of the Cadet National Freestyle Championships that start on Wednesday.
Weight class entries subject to change
84:
The favorite: Jabari Moody (Illinois) -- Cadet National folkstyle champion at 84 pounds this year, and went a combined 10-0 in contested matches at last month's Cadet National Duals.
Others to watch: Returning Cadet National double All-American Hunter Wright (Virginia) and Luke Karam (Pennsylvania).
91:
The favorite: Tyler Casamenti (New Jersey) was runner-up in Cadet freestyle last year at 84 pounds, and also finished sixth in last year's Cadet Greco-Roman tournament.
Others to watch: Gannon Volk (Minnesota) was Cadet National folkstyle champion at 91 pounds this year, Cadet National double All-American at 84 pounds last year, and a FILA Cadet freestyle champion this past spring at 92 pounds. FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up Lincoln Olson (Michigan); returning Cadet National double All-American Sam Phillips (Iowa); and Carlos Fuentez (Illinois), a returning Cadet freestyle All-American at 84 pounds and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American at 92 pounds.
98:
The favorite: Dante Rodriguez (Nebraska), who was a Schoolboy Triple Crown winner last year; and also went a combined 12-0 in contested matches at the Junior Duals last month.
Others to watch: Brent Fleetwood (Delaware) seeks back-to-back Cadet freestyle titles, having won the 84-pound title last year; he also was a high school state champion this year, and a Walsh Ironman placer. Aaron Dick (Minnesota), Skyler Petry (Minnesota), and Armando Torres (Ohio) were Cadet freestyle All-Americans last summer. Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma), also Cadet freestyle All-American, is ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2015; and is one of seven high profile incoming freshmen in this weight. Four others join Jeffries in the rankings -- No. 6 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Missouri), No. 9 Fredy Stroker (Pennsylvania), No. 23 Vincenzo Joseph (Pennsylvania), and No. 24 Markus Simmons (Oklahoma); the others being AC Headlee (Pennsylvania) and Austin Assad (Ohio). Rounding out the list of notables is FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Stevan Micic (Indiana); high school state runner-up Ethan Lizak (Pennsylvania); and Kyle Norstrem (Florida), who is ranked No. 8 in the Class of 2016
105:
Darion Cruz (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)
The favorite: Darian Cruz (Pennsylvania) was a runner-up last year in the Cadet freestyle 98-pound competition, a Super 32 champion this past October at 103 pounds, and is ranked No. 41 in the Class of 2013.
Others to watch: Ronnie Bresser (Oregon) is after a repeat Cadet freestyle title, having won last year at 91 pounds; and seeks a Cadet Triple Crown, having already won the Cadet folkstyle tournament at 98 pounds. Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) joins Bresser as a Cadet folkstyle champion, his title coming at 105 pounds; he also took fourth last year in Cadet freestyle at 91 pounds, was a FILA Cadet freestyle champion this year at 101 pounds, and is ranked No. 26 in the Class of 2014. Zac Hall (Michigan) joins Thorn in the Class of 2014 rankings in the No. 32 position, as he took seventh last year in Cadet freestyle at 98 pounds. Matthew Kolodzik (Ohio) joins Thorn as FILA Cadet freestyle All-American, having taken third at 101 pounds; and he is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2015. No. 11 Michael Kemmerer (Pennsylvania) and No. 14 Cody Karstetter (Oklahoma) join Kolodzik as ranked incoming freshmen in this weight bracket. Rounding out the notables are returning Cadet double All-American at 98 pounds Dalton Macri (Pennsylvania), who finished sixth in the FILA Cadet freestyle 110-pound weight class; and returning Cadet freestyle third-place finisher at 91 pounds Zach Siegle (Minnesota).
112:
The favorite: Joey McKenna (New Jersey), who is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2014, finished third at 110 pounds in freestyle at the FILA Cadet Nationals this past April. He also went undefeated in both styles at the Cadet Duals, and suffered just one loss at the Junior Duals in freestyle.
Others to watch: Barlow McGhee (Illinois) won the Cadet folkstyle championship at 112 pounds, and finished sixth last year in Cadet freestyle at 112 pounds. Other returning Cadet freestyle All-Americas include Sebastian Pique (Illinois), Mason Pengilly (California), and Kyle Gliva (Minnesota). Additional notable wrestlers that were in-season state champions include Brendan Calas (New Jersey), Josh Alber (Illinois), James Flint (Florida), Zac Gentzler (Kansas), and Daniel Lewis (Missouri). Rounding out the list of notables is InterMat JJ Classic champion Tristan Manderfeld (Minnesota) and No. 16 in the Class of 2015 Brandon James (Indiana).
119:
The favorite: Gary Wayne Harding (Oklahoma) is ranked No. 17 in the Class of 2014.
Others to watch: Along with Harding, there are four other wrestlers ranked in the Class of 2014 appearing in this bracket -- No. 14 Colton Adams (Nebraska), No. 24 Tate Robinson (Tennessee), No. 27 PJ Klee (California), and No. 34 Will Steltzen (Oklahoma). Robinson was fifth at last year's Cadet freestyle Nationals in the 112-pound weight class, Steltzen took seventh in the same bracket, while Klee was seventh at 105 pounds and this year took fourth at 119 pounds in the FILA Cadet freestyle Nationals. Aaron Pico (California) is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2016, just earned Triple Crown honors at the Western Cadet Regional last month, and was both a Tulsa Nationals and Tulsa Kickoff Classic champion in the 15U division this calendar year. The other ranked wrestler in this weight is Isaac Dulgarian (Kansas), who is No. 13 in the Class of 2015. Rounding out the notables are state champions Micah Hight (Delaware) and Justin Oliver (Michigan).
125:
The favorite: Anthony Ashnault (New Jersey), who is undefeated through two years of his high school career, and earned a Super 32 Challenge title this past fall. Ranked No. 13 in the Class of 2013, he finished fifth in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle last summer as a Cadet at 105 pounds.
Others to watch: Zain Retherford (Pennsylvania) and Russell Coleman (Missouri) placed at the Super 32 Challenge along with Ashnault; Retherford earned a state title in 2010 and is ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2014, while Coleman has twice finished as a state runner-up at 130 pounds. Anthony Gonzales (Michigan) was a Cadet folkstyle champion this April, and a high school state champion in 2010. Joining Gonzales as a 2010 state champion is Dennis Gustafson (Virginia). Also meriting attention are state champions George Fisher (Illinois) and Geordan Martinez (Colorado), Ali Nasser (California), and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York).
130:
The favorite: Hayden Tuma (Idaho) seeks to improve upon a sixth place finish in Cadet freestyle last year (he was champion in Greco-Roman). This past April, he was a double All-American at the FILA Cadet Nationals in the 127-pound weight class, champion in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle. Tuma is ranked No. 7 in the Class of 2014.
Others to watch: High school teammates Edgar Bright (Ohio) and Colin Heffernan (Ohio) both went undefeated at the Cadet freestyle Duals last month in Daytona Beach, Florida; Bright is also ranked No. 35 in the Class of 2013. Also meriting attention is Jake O'Mara (Illinois), who went a combined 13-1 at the Cadet National Duals last month, including an undefeated mark in freestyle. Joe Nelson (Wisconsin) is the other ranked wrestler in this weight, No. 25 in the Class of 2015.
135:
The favorite: Bo Nickal (Texas) went a combined 23-4 between the Cadet and Junior National Duals last month; that included a 15-1 mark at the Cadet Duals, with a 9-1 record in freestyle. Ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2014, he also was fifth at the Preseason Nationals and a Cadet folkstyle champion.
Others to watch: Joining Nickal as ranked wrestlers in the Class of 2014 are No. 31 Tyler Berger (Oregon) and No. 35 Ryan Blees (North Dakota), both of whom won state titles during their high school seasons this year. Blees was eighth in Cadet freestyle last year and went 6-1 in part-time duty at the Junior Duals across both styles, including a win over Nickal in freestyle. Fox Baldwin (Florida), who is ranked No. 2 in the class of 2015, went a combined 13-1 at the Cadet Duals with a 6-1 record in freestyle (the loss was to Nickal). The other ranked wrestler in this weight is Darick Lapaglia (Missouri), No. 47 in the Class of 213, who did have a win over Nickal at the Cadet freestyle Duals and finished fifth at 125 pounds last summer in Cadet freestyle. Grant LaMont (Utah) finished third at the FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle this April at 138 pounds, and was second in Junior Greco-Roman last summer at 125 pounds (Due to religious beliefs, he is unable to compete on Sunday; therefore has to wrestle up in the Junior division for Greco-Roman). Joe Grable (Washington) and Mitch Berenz (Wisconsin) both finished eighth in Cadet freestyle last year, while Markus Scheidel (Ohio) and Devin Vasquez (Texas also merit attention).
140:
Jack Clark
The favorite: Jack Clark (New Jersey) -- ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2014 -- has navigated multiple and different injuries over the last couple of years, which includes missing out on Fargo last summer. However, when Clark is actually on the mats, he is very good; as a FILA Cadet freestyle title at 119 pounds in April 2010, and going undefeated at the Cadet freestyle Duals last month bears out.
Others to watch: Along with Clark, there are four others ranked in the Class of 2014 in this weight -- No. 25 Niko Villareal (California), No. 28 Aaron Hartman (Florida), No. 36 Logan Marcicki (Michigan), and No. 46 Toby Hague (New Jersey). However, of the group, Hague is the only returning Fargo All-American, having finished fifth last summer in Cadet freestyle at 135 pounds.
145:
The favorite: Colin Holler (Illinois) is a two-time state placer (third this year, fifth last year), and ranked No. 34 in the Class of 2013.
Others to watch: Dylan Milonas (Illinois) and Javaughn Perkins (Nebraska) are ranked No. 18 and No. 40 respectively in the Class of 2014. Anthony Cimorosi (Maryland) and Garrett Hammond (Pennsylvania) were state runners-up this past year, while Kyle Perrault (California) and Bryan Salinas (California) were Cadet National All-Americans last year. Also meriting mention is Eddie Gonzalez (Illinois).
152:
The favorite: Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania) is the No. 1 wrestler in the Class of 2014, and one of the best wrestlers in the whole country regardless of grade. He is seeking a repeat Cadet freestyle title, after winning the 145-pound weight class last year to bounce back from a fourth place finish in Cadet Greco. This past scholastic season, Marsteller dominated his way to an undefeated state championship at 152 pounds, and went a combined 16-0 in contested matches at the Cadet Duals.
Others to watch: If this wasn't Marsteller's world with the rest of us living in it, Kellan Torres (Oklahoma) would have a legit chance to win a Cadet National freestyle title. Ranked No. 37 in the Class of 2013, Torres is a two-time state finalist, winning at state title this past year. Three other ranked Class of 2014 wrestlers are in the field here as well -- No. 23 Josh Llopez (Maryland) and No. 37 Chandler Rogers (Washington), both who won state titles this past year; and No.39 Andrew Garcia (Michigan), who was a state runner-up, but won the Cadet folkstyle championship in April.
160:
Domenic Abounader (Photo/BuckeyeWrestling.com)
The favorite: Domenic Abounader (Ohio) -- ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2013 -- seeks to improve upon a fifth place finish in Cadet freestyle last summer at 160 pounds, and was very impressive in finishing third at the FILA Cadet freestyle Nationals in April at 167.5 pounds.
Others to watch: Likewise, last year's Cadet freestyle runner-up at 152 Eric Morris (Pennsylvania) also seeks to improve upon his finish in 2010. Ranked No. 14 in the Class of 2013, Morris finished fourth in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals in the 167.5-pound weight class this past April and is also now a two-time National Prep runner-up. Two other ranked wrestlers appear in this weight -- Cadet folkstyle champion Zach Beard (Oklahoma) is ranked No. 48 in the Class of 2013, while Cadet folkstyle runner-up Adam Drain (Iowa) is ranked No. 50 in the Class of 2014. Ricky Robertson (Illinois) went 14-1 across styles at the Cadet Duals last month in Daytona Beach, Florida.
171:
The favorite: State runner-up Jadaen Bernstein (New Jersey) went 16-2 across styles at the Cadet National Duals last month.
Others to watch: Cadet folkstyle champion Aaron Rothwell (Wisconsin) went a combined 14-1 last month at the Cadet Duals. Keystone State placewinners Raymond O'Donnell (Pennsylvania) and Troy Hembury (Pennsylvania) had impressive Cadet Dual tournaments last month; O'Donnell was 8-1 in each style, while Hembury went 14-3 across styles. Additional notable wrestlers include Joey Dedick (Illinois), Nick Corba (Ohio), and Tommy Longendyke (Minnesota).
189:
Three wrestlers stand out ahead of the field in this weight class. The most credentialed of those wrestlers is Mitch Sliga (Indiana). Despite finishing fourth in Cadet folkstyle at 189 pounds this past April, Sliga enters this week as the defending champion in both Cadet National styles contested in Fargo. In addition, he is ranked No. 31 in the Class of 2013, a two-time state third-place finisher, and took home fifth place at 187 pounds in the FILA Cadet freestyle Nationals last month. Jordan Ellingwood (Illinois) was the Cadet folkstyle champion this past April, but was just a state qualifier; while Matthew McClimmens (Missouri) was runner-up at the Cadet folkstyle Nationals and a state placer this past year.
215:
The favorite: Kyle Snyder (Maryland) is ranked No. 2 in all the Class of 2014 after completing an undefeated season, which included championships at the Beast of the East, Mount Mat Madness, and National Preps.
Others to watch: Though Snyder is the listed favorite, there are many very formidable challengers, and that group is led by J'Den Cox (Missouri) who is ranked No. 28 in the Class of 2013. Cox went 15-1 across styles at the Cadet National Duals with just the one loss in Greco-Roman. Nick Cobb (Texas) joins Cox as an in-season state champion in this weight class. Cadet folkstyle champion Brian Moran (Michigan) was a state runner-up this past high school season.
285:
The favorite: Sam Stoll (Minnesota) was a state runner-up this past year, and is ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2014. He was also a 2010 InterMat JJ Classic champion.
Others to watch: Michael Johnson (Illinois) is ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2015. Jake Scanlan (Iowa) won the Cadet folkstyle title th
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