David Carr (Photo/Jim Thrall)That loss, according to Carr, humbled him and prepared him to compete in Fargo.
On Tuesday, Carr capped off a dominant run through the Junior National freestyle competition in Fargo with a 13-3 technical fall in the finals at 160 pounds over Wisconsin's Tyler Dow.
Carr was named Outstanding Wrestler of the competition after finishing the tournament with five technical falls in six matches. The lone match in which he didn't record a technical fall was an 8-6 win in the semifinals over Indiana's Joe Lee
Carr, the son of 1988 Olympic bronze medalist Nate Carr, is the nation's No. 7 overall senior recruit. He is the highest ranked wrestler in the Class of 2018 who remains uncommitted to a college.
Florida's Anthony Artalona was the lone repeat champion in the Junior freestyle competition. He came from behind to defeat four-time undefeated state champion Kaden Gfeller of Oklahoma 6-4 in the finals at 145 pounds. Gfeller jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Artalona turned it up and scored six points in the opening period, which was enough to take the victory.
Illinois ran away with the Junior freestyle team title, scoring 82 points and crowning three champions. Winning titles for Illinois were Will Lewan (152), Jacob Warner (195) and Anthony Cassioppi (285).
Lewan, a member of this year's Cadet World Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, topped North Dakota's Jared Franek 6-2 in the finals at 152 pounds. Franek led 2-1 with under a minute remaining in the match, but Franek used a step out to take the lead on criteria and added a late takedown and turn to seal the victory.
Warner, a Cadet world bronze medalist last year, was unchallenged throughout the tournament, recording six technical falls in six matches. In the finals he blanked Miles Lee of Pennsylvania 11-0. Warner was the nation's No. 7 senior recruit in the Class of 2017 and will be a freshman at the University of Iowa.
Cassioppi, who recently committed to Iowa, defeated local favorite Brandon Metz of North Dakota 4-1 in the finals at 285 pounds. Metz held a criteria lead with a minute left before Cassioppi picked up a takedown on the edge of the mat. Metz would get a late point off a step out, but Cassioppi held on for the narrow victory.
Patrick McKee with his coach Brandon Paulson (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Patrick McKee of Minnesota grabbed his first Junior freestyle title with a second-period fall over Joey Melendez of Illinois. McKee raced out to a 4-0 lead, but Melendez battled back to make the score 4-4 after the opening period. McKee came out strong in the second period, scoring off an exposure and then securing the fall.
Maryland's Aaron Brooks turned in an impressive performance in the finals as he claimed a 13-3 technical fall victory over Trent Hidlay of Pennsylvania.
Two graduated seniors headed to the University of Michigan won titles: Drew Mattin of Ohio (126) and Ben Freeman of Michigan (138).
Drew Mattin and Ben Freeman with Michigan assistant coaches Sean Bormet and Josh ChurellaFreeman shut out Wisconsin's Jeremy Schoenherr 10-0 in the finals at 138 poounds. Freeman, the nation's No. 37 senior recruit in the Class of 2017, had five technical falls in six matches in Fargo.
Will Guida of New Jersey kicked off the finals in grand fashion with a first-period fall over Jackson Cockrell (Oklahoma) at 100 pounds. Guida trailed 1-0 two minutes into the match before getting a takedown and stepping over to pick up the fall.
Sam Latona became Alabama's first-ever Junior National champion with a 12-2 technical fall over Christopher Trelli of Connecticut.
Nevada's Ty Smith overcame a 6-0 deficit, scoring 17 unanswered points, to defeat Washington's Brandon Kaylor 17-6. Smith becomes only the second Nevada wrestler ever to win a Junior National freestyle title, and the first since 1988.
Atilano Escobar of Arizona was dominant in picking up a 10-0 first-period technical fall over Alexander Cruz of Washington at 132 pounds.
Max Lyon of Iowa earned the title at 182 pounds with a 10-3 win over Jack Jesson of Illinois. Lyon, who is headed to Purdue, won a Junior National folkstyle title in the spring.
Missouri's Zach Elam, a two-time state champion, captured the title at 220 pounds with a 14-4 technical fall victory in the finals over Haydn Maley of Oregon.
Results:
100: Wil Guida (New Jersey) pinned Jackson Cockrell (Oklahoma), 2:13
106: Samuel Latona (Alabama) tech. fall Christopher Trelli (Connecticut), 12-2
113: Ty Smith (Nevada) tech. fall Brandon Kaylor (Washington), 17-6
120: Patrick McKee (Minnesota) pinned Joey Melendez (Illinois), 3:59
126: Drew Mattin (Ohio) dec. Paul Konrath (Indiana), 8-1
132: Atilano Escobar (Arizona) tech. fall Alexander Cruz (Washington), 10-0
138: Ben Freeman (Michigan) tech. fall Jeremy Schoenherr (Wisconsin), 10-0
145: Anthony Artalona (Florida) dec. Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma), 6-4
152: Will Lewan (Illinois) dec. Jared Franek (North Dakota), 6-2
160: David Carr (Ohio) tech. fall Tyler Dow (Wisconsin), 13-3
170: Aaron Brooks (Maryland) tech. fall Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania), 13-3
182: Max Lyon (Iowa) dec. Jack Jessen (Illinois), 10-3
195: Jacob Warner (Illinois) tech. fall Miles Lee (Pennsylvania), 11-0
220: Zach Elam (Missouri) tech. fall Haydn Maley (Oregon), 14-4
285: Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) dec. Brandon Metz (North Dakota), 4-1
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