Lee, who won his World title last year down at 50 kilos, entered the tournament as the nation's top-ranked wrestler in the Class of 2017. This year, he moved up to 54 kilos, a weight class that featured three other wrestlers with Cadet World freestyle experience. 2013 World Team member Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.) beat 2014 World Team member at 46 kilos Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 4-4 on last point scored criteria in the quarterfinals. In the semifinal, Lee earned a 10-0 technical fall over Gomez, which was his fourth technical fall victory in four matches of the event.
Daton Fix won the title at 54 kilos and was named Outstanding Wrestler (Photo/Tyler Gonzales)"Going to (UWW) Junior Nationals in Vegas, and dominating as I did, created further confidence," said Fix about believing he could beat returning World champion Lee. Lee beat Fix by 10-0 technical fall in the 2013 final at 50 kilos.
Both matches of the best-of-three final followed a similar script. Lee jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one period in each bout with a pair of takedowns. In the first bout, Lee would add a push out early in the second period to make it a 5-0 advantage. Fix then responded with a counter-exposure and a push out to cut the deficit to 5-3, which set up the last thirty second sequence of the match. Lee would initiate a shot, Fix would counter it for a takedown to tie the score 5-5.
While in par terre defense, Lee ended up behind Fix for what could be best described as a folkstyle reversal. However, Lee would have to get his opponent down to his knees before time was up to score the two points. That did not happen by a number of inches, and Fix had the win on criteria.
The second match had a more decisive turn-around for Fix from his 4-0 end of first period deficit. This time Fix would rally back more crisply and promptly. It started with a push out to cut the deficit to 4-1, continuing with a four point feet-to-back takedown followed up by a pair of turns right off the takedown to make it a 9-4 advantage. Lee would shrink the deficit with a late takedown, but could not get a turn in his par terre offense. Fix won the match 9-6, and the series in two bouts.
"No matter what the score is, I'm going to wrestle to the end," said Fix. "There's always time to score."
Last year at the World tournament, Fix won his opening match, before losing to the eventual bronze medalist. He finished in 10th place with a 1-1 record, and seeks an improved finish this year. "I think I can win it all. Spencer (Lee) dominated the tournament last year, and I intend to dominate this year."
Returning World silver medalist Wood was derailed at 100 kilos in the semifinal round by Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), who is the nation's second-ranked Class of 2018 prospect. One day before his 15th birthday, Steveson knocked off Wood by an 8-1 decision.
"I looked (Wood) up on YouTube, figured out what he was going to do," said Steveson. "He did what I saw on video, and I had counter-attacks for them."
Then on Sunday, the day of his 15th birthday, Steveson upended Kobe Woods (Penn, Ind.) with a pair of technical fall victories; 11-1 and 10-0, both coming in the first minute of the second period. Before enrolling at Apple Valley in eighth grade, Steveson lived in northwest Indiana (older brother Bobby placed fifth as a freshman and won a state title for Merrillville).
"I had not faced (Kobe) in a relevant match setting before," said Steveson about facing fellow South Bend area native Woods. "However, we have practiced together before."
Fix is joined in repeating as a UWW Cadet World Team member by Pittsburgh area natives Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan) and Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon). Teasdale moved up two weight classes to 50 kilos this year, while it is a second World Team bid for Verkleeren at 63 kilos.
The quarterfinal, semifinal, and both finals matches for Teasdale were all decisions. In fact each match was within a two-point margin or less with less than 30 second remaining. This was in direct contrast to last year's tournament, which featured five technical falls prior to the final, and a very one-sided decision in the final.
The championship matches for Teasdale were 4-1 and 4-2 decision victories over now three-time UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio).
"The opponents were a lot tougher than last year," Teasdale said. "I had to work a lot harder for the points."
He added that the trip to Slovakia last year was a great experience, and preparation for this year in Bosnia. "Now I know how the wrestlers are, the Russians and the Iranians. This year I hope to win."
Verkleeren shut out the four opponents he faced on the way to the final. It was three 10-0 technical fall victories, prior to a 6-0 decision victory in the semifinal. The first match of the championship series against Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) started out in a one-sided fashion. A takedown and three lace turns off of that created an 8-0 advantage. Storr then hit a cement mixer type turn two times to cut the deficit to 8-4 before the first period was done. The move was so tight that it choked out Verkleeren and momentarily disoriented him.
After finding himself, somewhat, the match continued and the wrestlers traded second period push outs in a 9-5 Verkleeren win. The second match was a decisive 11-0 technical fall for Verkleeren at the 2:30 mark. It started with a takedown and two lace turns for a 6-0 lead. A push out made it 7-0 before the end of the first period, while a takedown and a turn in the second period ended the bout.
"To give up no points other than that one sequence was great," Verkleeren said. "That extra year of experience (from last year) helps, and will for sure at Worlds."
The lone championship series to go to a third match occurred at 85 kilos, where Owen Webster (Shakopee) upset top ten Class of 2016 prospect Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central) in an all-Minnesota matchup.
Moore won the first bout 7-5 with a pair of second period takedowns to rally back from a 4-3 deficit (all on a late four-point counter-exposure throw from Webster) at the break. The second match saw Moore open up to a 6-1 advantage after one period. However, Webster rallied back to tie it at 6-6 within a minute. A late takedown would give him an 8-6 win and force the third match.
In that match, Webster would score the opening four-point move on a headlock toss. Moore countered with a takedown and a pushout before the first period was done. With a 4-3 deficit, Moore could only muster a pushout during the second period. Unable to score again, Webster won by a 4-4 criteria decision, and earned the World Team spot; on Friday, Webster was third in the Greco-Roman tournament down a weight class at 76 kilos.
Three others from the Class of 2017 join No. 4 Fix and No. 6 Verkleeren on the World Team: No. 5 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) at 58 kilos, No. 3 Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) at 69 kilos, and No. 27 Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.) at 76 kilos.
Diakomihalis, who was just a runner-up at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo last summer, dominated his way to the championship series on Saturday. It was four shutout technical falls followed by an 11-5 decision in the semifinal round. This created a championship match on Sunday against very good friend Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), who like Diakomihalis is a Class of 2017 commit to Cornell.
"There was some tension," said Diakomihalis about the potential of facing Arujau during the tournament. "We weren't going to let it interfere with the friendship. The mentality was that somebody has got to win, and we'll see who is better."
The first match of the series was certainly an opening salvo from Diakomihalis. An opening takedown finished into a cradle for the pin at the 1:14 mark. Arujau did open the second match with a takedown. However, four points off a Diakomihalis inside trip, and a caution-and-two against Arujau in the subsequent sequence created a 6-2 lead after one period. Even though Arujau got a takedown in the second period, Diakomihalis won 6-4 to earn the World spot.
"Last year I was pretty new to freestyle," said Diakomihalis. "This year, I wanted to make the Cadet World Team, and see what I could do in that platform. Pretty much since Flo Nationals was done, I've been doing everything I could (freestyle-wise) to prepare."
Berge showed his superiority at 69 kilos, against a rather formidable finals opponent in top ten Class of 2018 prospect David Carr (Dayton Christian, Ohio). Berge won the series in two matches, 5-2 and 8-4 decisions.
Embree did the same at 76 kilos, scoring a 13-2 technical fall at 3:09 over Joe Grello (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) in the first match, with the second match ending in a 7-1 victory.
Rounding out the UWW Cadet World freestyle team are Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) at 42 kilos and Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) at 46 kilos.
Heinselman, who won a Cadet freestyle title last summer at 88 pounds in Fargo, beat fellow Colorado native Mosha Schwartz in both matches of the championship series. Those wins came by 8-2 and 9-6 decisions respectively.
D'Emilio, a Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer at 94 pounds in Fargo, entered the event ranked fourth overall among Junior High wrestlers (Class of 2019 and younger). His championship victories over Rhett Golowenski (Tuttle, Okla.) were decisive; 8-2 in the first match, and a 10-0 technical fall in 2:44 during the second match.
Last of the champions on Sunday was Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) in the 125-kilo weight class, one that is not contested at the World Championships in Bosnia. Vough, runner-up last year in this competition, won both of his matches by technical fall on Sunday afternoon; 17-7 in 3:34 and 10-0 in 3:20 over Christian Rebottaro (Monta Vista Christian, Calif.).
42 kilos:
Malik Heinselman (Colorado) def. Mosha Schwartz (Colorado), 2 matches to 0
Heinselman dec. Schwartz, 8-2
Heinselman dec. Schwartz, 9-8
46 kilos:
Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio) def. Rhett Golowenski (Oklahoma), 2 matches to 0
D'Emilio dec. Golowenski, 8-2
D'Emilio won by tech. fall over Golowenski, 10-0
50 kilos:
Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) def. Drew Mattin (Ohio), 2 matches to 0
Teasdale dec. Mattin, 4-1
Teasdale dec. Mattin, 4-2
54 kilos:
Daton Fix (Oklahoma) def. Spencer Lee (Pennsylvania), 2 matches to 0
Fix dec. Lee, 5-5 criteria
Fix dec. Lee, 9-6
58 kilos:
Yianni Diakomihalis (New York) def. Vito Arvjav (New York), 2 matches to 0
Diakomihalis pinned Arvjav, 1:15
Diakomihalis dec. Arjav, 8-4
63 kilos:
Jarod Verkleeren (Pennsylvania) def. Kanen Storr (Michigan), 2 matches to 0
Verkleeren dec. Storr, 9-6
Verkleeren won by tech. fall over Storr, 11-0
69 kilos:
Brady Berge (Minnesota) def. David Carr (Ohio), 2 matches to 0
Berge dec. Carr, 5-2
Berge dec. Carr, 8-4
76 kilos:
Jelani Embree (Michigan) def. Joseph Grello (New Jersey), 2 matches to 0
Embree won by tech. fall over Grello, 13-0
Embree dec. Grello, 7-1
85 kilos:
Owen Webster (Minnesota) def. Keegan Moore (Minnesota), 2 matches to 1
Moore dec. Webster, 7-5
Webster dec. Moore, 8-6
Webster dec. Moore, 4-4
100 kilos:
Gable Steveson (Minnesota) def. Kobe Woods (Indiana), 2 matches to 0
Steveson won by tech. fall over Woods, 11-1
Steveson won by tech. fall over Woods, 10-0
125 kilos:
Kevin Vough (Ohio) def. Christian Rebottaro (California), 2 matches to 0
Vough won by tech. fall over Rebottaro, 17-7
Vough won by tech. fall over Rebottaro, 10-0
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now