In past years, at the Cadet level, this event has been vertically paired (i.e. two pools in a hybrid round-robin/double elimination format); while the University level was conducted in a line bracket format. Cadets placed six, while University placed eight. However, at present, Track Wrestling is suggesting that the Cadet level is going to have a line bracket format that places eight. Given the inconsistency of event formats for USA Wrestling events in the high school ages, check back this weekend for the format.
Six of the ten wrestlers that won this tournament last year at the Cadet level, and went on to compete at the World Championships last August, return this weekend in hopes of making a repeat appearance at the World level. This year, the event will be held in Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina) during late August. Included among the returnees are two of the four Americans that medaled at last year's tournament, Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) and Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.).
Here is what to watch this weekend at UWW Cadet Nationals:
Cadet World Team members Lee, Fix, Olivas entered at 54 kilos
Spencer Lee earned a techncial fall victory over Balazs Egyed of Hungary at the 2014 Cadet World Championships (Photo/Martin Gabor)Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) competed last year for the United States in this weight class, but failed to medal. The previous year, he was runner-up to Lee at the FILA Cadet Nationals in the 50 kilogram weight class. Presently ranked fourth overall in the Class of 2017, Fix is riding the momentum of a dominant run to the UWW Junior National title at 55 kilos earlier this month in which he beat a pair of NCAA Division I qualifiers as well as the highly accomplished Stevan Micic. Much has been bantered about a potential Lee vs. Fix final to say the least.
Also in this weight class is Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.), who is ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2018, and represented the United States last summer at 46 kilos (101 pounds) at the Cadet World freestyle tournament. Olivas ended the 2014-15 high school season ranked No. 1 at 106 pounds (Lee was No. 1 at 120 pounds). The other wrestler that has competed at Cadet Worlds in freestyle is Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.), who was the United States' representative at 42 kilos (92.5 pounds) in 2013. Gomez ended this most recent high school season ranked No. 1 nationally at 113 pounds, and is ranked No. 13 overall in the Class of 2017.
Among others to note in this extremely deep weight class include returning UWW/FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Bryce West (Highland Riverside, Iowa), returning FILA Cadet World representative in Greco-Roman Drew West (Highland Riversie, Iowa), two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.), Cadet National folkstyle champion Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), 2014 Cadet National freestyle champion Paul Konrath (Mount Vernon, Ind.), and No. 3 overall junior high prospect Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.).
Can the three other returning champions from the Keystone State repeat?
Joining Spencer Lee as Pennsylvania natives to win UWW/FILA Cadet National freestyle titles last spring were Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan), Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon), and Jordan Wood (Boyertown). Teasdale, ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2018, was last year's representative at 42 kilos (92 pounds) and is competing this weekend at 50 kilos; Verkleeren, ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2018, seeks a repeat berth at 63 kilos (138 pounds); while returning world silver medalist Wood, ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2016, seeks to repeat at 100 kilos (220 pounds).
The primary challenge for Teasdale is likely to come from fellow elite Class of 2018 prospect, Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.), who is ranked No. 15 overall in that grade level. Bravo-Young earned true second place in last year's event at 46 kilos (101 pounds), and was a Cadet National double champion at 100 pounds in Fargo last summer. Among the other notables include two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio) and 2014 Cadet National double finalist Ian Timmins (Wooster, Nev.).
Five wrestlers ranked in their grade levels are among the challengers to Verkleeren at 63 kilos. Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) is No. 39 overall in the Class of 2016; Quentin Hovis (Seton Catholic, Ariz.) and Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.) are ranked No. 30 and No. 44 respectively in the Class of 2017; while Alex Felix (Gilroy, Calif.) and Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) are No. 21 and No. 23 in the Class of 2018. Another key player in this weight class will be returning FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Corey Shie (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio).
Among the primary challengers to Wood are two wrestlers ranked second overall in their respective grade levels, Class of 2018 prospect Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Junior High athlete Cohlton Schultz (Colorado). Two other contenders at 100 kilos are returning Cadet National freestyle runners-up Kobe Woods (Penn, Ind.) and Lucas Ready (Brighton, Mich.).
Nick Lee tries to avoid "Buffalo Bills syndrome"
Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) is currently ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2017, and has lost championship bouts the last two years at the FILA Cadet National freestyle championships in the 58 kilogram (127 pounds) weight class. In each of the last two years at this event, Lee went 7-1 with five wins coming by technical fall. Last summer, he was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Cadet National Freestyle Championships in Fargo, N.D.
This weekend, Lee seeks to earn an elusive berth to the UWW Cadet freestyle World Championships. He is the favorite, though it will not be an easy road. Eight others in the field are also ranked in their respective grade levels. From the class of 2016, it is No. 37 Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) and No. 43 Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.); 2017 wrestlers include No. 5 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 20 Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak, Calif.), No. 21 Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), No. 31 Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, Okla.), and No. 39 Navonte Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.); while Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) is ranked no. 19 in the Class of 2018.
A showcase for megastars
Looking at the Class of 2017, the top six overall wrestlers in that grade level are all registered to compete in this event; as are 14 of the top 25, and 23 of the top 50. For the Class of 2016, seven from the top 50 are present; with many of the ranked wrestlers having 1997 birthdays, which makes them ineligible to compete. From the class of 2018, 13 of the top 25 are registered to compete, while it is a trio of the top 15 Junior High wrestlers (each is from the Class of 2019) entered in the field.
The following is a summary list of the top ten wrestlers in a grade level slated to compete:
2016: No. 4 Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) at 100 kilos (220 pounds), No. 9 Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.) at 76 kilos (167 pounds), and No. 10 Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) at 85 kilos (187 pounds)
2017: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) at 54 kilos (119 pounds), No. 2 Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) at 58 kilos (127 pounds), No. 3 Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) at 69 kilos (152 pounds), No. 4 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) at 54 kilos (119 pounds), No. 5 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) at 58 kilos (127 pounds), and No. 6 Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.) at 63 kilos (138 pounds)
2018: No. 1 Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) at 54 kilos (119 pounds), No. 2 Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) at 100 kilos (220 pounds), No. 3 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) at 50 kilos (110 pounds), No. 6 Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.) at 69 kilos (152 pounds), and No. 8 Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) at 85 kilos (187 pounds)
2019: No. 2 Cohlton Schultz (Colorado) at 100 kilos (220 pounds) and No. 3 Nick Raimo (New Jersey) at 54 kilos (119 pounds)
Predicting championship matchups
The following are projected championship matchups, presuming the pair of wrestlers in question are on opposite halves of the brackets (or in opposite pools).
42 kilos: Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) over Mosha Schwartz (Colorado)
46 kilos: Nicolas Aguilar (Gilroy, Calif.) over Travis Ford-Melton (Illinois)
50 kilos: Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) over Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.)
54 kilos: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) over Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.)
58 kilos: Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) over Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah)
63 kilos: Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.) over Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.)
69 kilos: Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) over Layne van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.)
76 kilos: Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.) over Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.)
85 kilos: Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) over Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah)
100 kilos: Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) over Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.)
*125 kilos: Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) over Jacob Lill (Archer, Ga.)
*This weight class is not contested at the UWW World Championships
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