Returning world champ Daniel "Greg" Kerkvliet is a strong favorite at 110 kilograms (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Each year the UWW (formerly FILA) Cadet National Championships serve as a testing ground for the wrestlers that will star during the upcoming season(s) of scholastic wrestling. This weekend's event -- Greco-Roman on Friday with freestyle to follow on Saturday and Sunday -- is no exception to that pattern. Based on the current grade rankings, the No. 1 overall wrestler for junior high, freshmen, and sophomores will be in the field. Also in the field are second-ranked wrestlers for the freshmen, sophomore, and junior groups.
Eligibility for this event is for wrestlers that turn 15, 16, or 17 during the 2018 calendar year; these competitors either were Cadets for USA Wrestling events last year, and/or are Cadet-eligible this year. The tournament serves as a qualifying trials event for the Cadet World Championships, which will be held July 2-8 in Zagreb, Croatia -- a date that is significantly earlier than in past years; with that being the case, the championship final will actually be a best-of-three series, though it should additionally be observed that all matches at this tournament are two two-minute periods in length.
While the normal consolation prize, a spot in the Pan-American Championships, is not an option -- as those were held this past week -- there are the Youth Olympic Games to be held in mid-October in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The following is a weight-by-weight overview of the freestyle tournament, based on entries available in FloArena as of Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
A significant item to note is the change in weight classes for the Cadet world level this year. The opening weight jumped up three kilograms to 45, which is a jump of almost seven pounds (up to 99). The second weight is up two kilos to 48, which is equivalent to 105.8 pounds; while the third and fourth weights only jumped up one kilo, to 51/112.4 and 55/121.25 respectively.
The fifth weight rose two kilos (about 3.5 pounds) to 60/132.25, as did the sixth and seventh weight classes (now at 65/143.3 and 71/156.5). The significant changes occurred with the back three weight classes at the world tournament. Instead of it being 76, 85, and 100 kilos, the back three weights are 80, 92, and 110 kilos (which are 176.4, 202.8, and 242.5 pounds respectively); the United States will no longer stage an unofficial "heavyweight" weight class.
45 kilograms (99 pounds): An incoming freshman that has won everything under the sun headed into high school, Jordan Williams (Oklahoma) is the probable favorite in this weight grouping. The Cadet folkstyle national champion this spring is ranked third overall among Junior High wrestlers, and was a Roller World of Wrestling triple crown winner this school year. Two of the primary contenders are last year's Cadet National freestyle finalists, Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa) and Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.). Ayala was runner-up to Williams at Cadet folkstyle this spring, and also was fifth at this tournament last year in the opening 42 kilo weight class; while Lamer was fifth in the 100 pound Cadet folkstyle weight that Williams won, and also was runner-up at 42 kilos in this event last year.
Other contenders in this weight include incoming freshman Alex Almeyda (New Jersey), fourth at 42 kilos in this event last year and third in Cadet folk at 100 pounds this spring; Junior folkstyle champion Eli Griffin (Cascia Hall, Okla.); 94 pound Cadet folkstyle champion Maxximus Martinez (California), an incoming freshman and Outstanding Wrestler of the Junior High Super 32 this fall; and Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), state champion during his freshman year of high school at 99 pounds.
48 kilograms (105.8): Cole Skinner (Ohio) was the world team representative for the United States last year at the opening 42 kilo weight class. He is ranked No. 22 overall in the Class of 2021, though he missed the vast majority of his high school freshmen season due to the combination of training in the international styles and an eligibility issue associated with his online school filing for bankruptcy. However, the favorite in this weight class is Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.), who is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2021; he was runner-up at the Super 32 in the preseason and champion at the Flo Nationals in the post-season, while freestyle exploits in 2017 included a third at 100 pounds in Cadet freestyle and a seventh at 46 kilos in this event last year.
Others to watch included Brenden Chaowanapibool (Bonney Lake, Wash.), a two-time state champion at 2016 Junior freestyle All-American; incoming freshman Daniel Wask (New Jersey); state champion Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.); state runners-up Jacob Mann (Ladue Horton Watkins, Mo.), third in Cadet folkstyle this spring, and Kyle Rowan (Perry, Ohio), fourth in Cadet freestyle last summer; two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Kase Mauger (Twin Falls, Idaho); and state medalist Sheldon Seymour (Troy, Pa.), third in Cadet freestyle last summer.
51 kilograms (112.4): Super 32 champion Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa), who was a Cadet National freestyle champion at 88 pounds in 2016 enters as the favorite based on the present field; ranked No. 31 overall in the Class of 2020, he also was fourth last year in this tournament at 46 kilos. That said, two-time state placer Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.), a Cadet runner-up last summer at 106 and a placer in this event two years ago, is prime among those to disagree with my first assertion.
Two other runners-up from Cadet freestyle last year in Fargo are in the field, Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.) and Carter Young (Sand Springs, Okla.); as are returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.), Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.), and Jakason Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.). Also in the field are Cadet folkstyle runner-up Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin), a talented incoming freshman; NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.); Super 32 Challenge placer Nick Babin (Emerson-Park Ridge, N.J.); and No. 12 overall Junior High wrestler Anthony Ferrari (Texas).
55 kilograms (121.25): An absolutely loaded weight class is anchored by two of the four Cadet World team members from last year that are eligible to return this year. Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic) and Julian Tagg (Brecksville) are ranked fifth and seventh respectively in the Class of 2020, and competed in last year's world championships at 54 and 50 kilos, though neither was able to medal. The last time the pair actually wrestled each other in competitive matches was 30 months ago when they split bouts between the Super 32 Junior High tournament and the Tulsa Kickoff Classic. Of interest was that Howard was able to make the world team last year as a first-year Cadet, the only wrestler to do so. It should be noted that no first-year Cadet made the team in 2016.
Given this field, it is obviously possible that neither wrestler will be the ultimate representative for the United States in this weight class; while it is also plausible that neither could be in the finals bout. One of the many highlights in the challenge pack is the nation's top overall Junior High wrestler, Ryan Crookham (Pennsylvaia), a high school division Super 32 Challenge champion this year at 113 pounds; last year he placed sixth in this event at 46 kilos.
Two additional challengers are also elite 2020 wrestlers: No. 8 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.). Mastrogiovanni is a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American and placed third in this event last year, his lone loss coming by one in the quarterfinal to Tagg; while Serrano was a Cadet National runner-up in Fargo last summer, and a Flo Nationals champion this spring. Another two challengers are returning Cadet National freestyle champions, Zeke Escalera (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and Noah Surtin (Edwardsville, Ill.); Escalera was champion at 106 and is No. 9 in the Class of 2021, while Surtin won the 113 title and is No. 50 in the Class of 2019.
Other grade level ranked wrestlers include three from the current Junior High group -- No. 4 Jesse Mendez (Indiana), No. 7 Joey Cruz (California), and no. 14 Gavin Brown (Ohio) -- along with two from the Class of 2021 in No. 11 Max Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) and No. 23 Vincent Zerban (Christian Brothers College, Mo.). Additional notables include Junior folkstyle champion Aaron Nagao (Esperanza, Calif.), 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), along with Cadet freestyle All-Americans Nick Masters (Woodward Academy, Ga.) and Caleb Rathjen (Ankeny, Iowa).
60 kilograms (132.25): No. 9 overall Class of 2020 wrestler Josh Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) is the favorite based on the present field. The two-time Super 32 Challenge placer was a Cadet National freestyle champion last summer after placing fourth in this event last year at 58 kilos; he also equated himself very well as a first-year Junior in Las Vegas last month.
Prime among the challenge pack is the Cadet freestyle runner-up last year to Saunders, Ryan Franco (Clovis North, Calif.), who is ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2021. Another notable in the contending group is Phillip Moomey (Kearney, Neb.), third in Cadet freestyle last year and a Cadet Greco-Roman champion. Also among those in consideration is two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.), ranked No. 28 in the Class of 2020.
Rounding out the ranked contingent in this field is two-time state champion Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.), No. 18 overall in the Class of 2021; and Damien Lopez (Illinois), who is No. 13 among Junior High wrestlers). Additional contenders include Cadet freestyle All-Americans Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) and Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), along with Flo Nationals placer Jordan Hamdan (Hudson, Mich.); Edmond had a couple of significant upset wins last year on the front side of this event, though he did not place, while Hamdan was a Cadet Greco-Roman champion in 2016.
65 kilograms (143.3): The nation's top overall Class of 2021 wrestler Carson Manville is the anchor of this weight class. Last year he was runner-up in this tournament at 58 kilos after upending two-time Fargo Cadet double champion Nick Raimo in the semifinal, and was a Cadet National double champion in Fargo. During the high school season, he picked up wins over Super 32 champions Joey Silva and Ryan Anderson.
Four wrestlers stand out as the challenge pack: No. 28 in the Class of 2019 Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio), No. 29 in the Class of 2019 Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), No. 4 in the Class of 2021 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio), and No. 21 in the Class of 2020 Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.). Davenport is a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American and placed fourth in this event last year at 63 kilos, while Mayora beat Davenport last year in the Fargo freestyle final after placing seventh at 63 kilos in this event. Voinovich failed to place in this tournament last year, losing to Davenport on the front side, and then placed third in the Fargo weight below Davenport and Mayora; while Andonian has emerged as a dynamo in the last 4-to-5 months, including a scholastic win over Davenport and a Junior freestyle regional final win over Voinovich.
However, those five but scratch the surface of high caliber wrestlers in this weight with four others having a grade level ranking. Aidan Medora (St. John's Military Academy, Wis.) is No. 42 in the Class of 2020 after a Cadet freestyle runner-up finish last summer, Luke Surber (Tuttle, Okla.) is No. 47 in the Class of 2020, Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.) is No. 21 in the Class of 2021 and a returning Cadet freestyle All-American, while Joseph Martin (California) is No. 5 overall among Junior High wrestlers having finished third in Cadet folkstyle at 152.
Four additional wrestlers in this weight class were Cadet freestyle All-Americans last summer in Fargo: Alex Mosconi (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.), Cade Devos (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Christian Hudson (Caldwell, Idaho), and Michael Weber (Forsyth, Mont.); Devos was a placer in this event last year, while Weber was runner-up in Fargo freestyle last year. A few other names to eye in this weight are Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio), Chance McLane (Bozeman, Mont.), and Matt Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.)
71 kilograms (156.5): Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.) is an absolute star for having just finished his freshman year of high school. Ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2021, he has won Junior and Cadet National folkstyle titles the last two springs, placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge this past fall, was a Cadet freestyle champion last summer, and beat a two-time state champion to earn state gold as a freshman this winter. However, there is another impact freshman in No. 7 overall Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) that will be among the prime challengers; Gallagher placed at 63 kilos in this tournament last year, and was also a Cadet freestyle All-American in Fargo last summer.
Also in this weight are a pair of grade level ranked Class of 2020 wrestlers: No. 25 Aaron Gandara (Cibola, Ariz.) and No. 34 Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.); Gandara was a Cadet National double runner-up last summer in Fargo. Another trio of higher-end rising seniors (Class of 2019) wrestlers were Cadet freestyle All-Americans last summer: state runner-up Trey Munoz (Trabucco Hills, Calif.), three-time state placer Lance Runyon (Southeast Polk, Iowa), along with state champion and Super 32 placer Joshua Otto (Arrowhead, Wis.)
Others to watch include Cadet folkstyle runner-up Amado Castellon (Cimarron Memorial, Nev.), Cadet double All-Americans Brett McIntosh (Harrison, Ohio) and Jace Luchau (Selma, Calif.), Junior folkstyle placers Bubba Wilson (Manhattan, Kansas) and Colby Njos (Anoka, Minn.), NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Donnell Washington (Portage, Ind.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.), and three-time state champion James Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.)
80 kilograms (176.4): In the argument for which weight is the "weight of the tournament", this one with four clear elite wrestlers has a legit case to be made. No. 2 overall Class of 2020 wrestlers Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) is the nominal favorite coming into the event having won the Super 32 Challenge and finishing third at this event in the 76 kilo weight class in the last year. Arguably a joint favorite is another placer from the 76 kilo weight class last year, No. 5 overall Class of 2019 wrestler Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.); of interest is that both wrestlers took Travis Wittlake to the brink during last year's tournament. Three other top 30 Class of 2019 wrestlers reside in this field: No. 13 Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), a Cadet National double champion in Fargo and fifth at 69 kilos in this event last year; No. 16 Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), Super 32 runner-up and Greco-Roman runner-up at 76 kilos in this tournament last year; along with No. 30 Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), double third in Fargo last summer.
Five other wrestlers are grade level ranked in this weight class. Three from the Class of 2020: No. 17 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 38 Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.), and No. 50 Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.); and a pair from the Class of 2021 in No. 10 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 14 Kyle Haas (Maize, Kansas).
Another pair in this robust -- a description that is putting it mildly -- weight class were Cadet freestyle runners-up last summer, David Key (Brookwood, Ga.) and Jake Logan (New Rochelle, N.Y.); Logan is also a two-time Fargo freestyle All-American and placed at the Super 32 last fall. Two others were Greco-Roman champions and freestyle All-Americans last summer, Abe Assad (Glenbard North, Ill.) and Jonathan Fagen (Fruitland, Idaho). Also meriting attention are state champion Isaiah Alford (Lincoln High, Neb.) and Zach Glazier (Albert Lea, Minn.), Glazier was also a Cadet freestyle All-American last summer.
92 kilograms (202.8): Even with the potential clash of returning world team members at 55 kilos, the showdown here is more anticipated. Part of it is that it is more likely to happen, while the other part is that this pair is just more talented. A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas) is the No. 1 overall wrestler in the Class of 2020, while Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) is No. 3 overall; both wrestlers were also champions at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman during the scholastic season. Ferrari was a Junior folkstyle champion this spring at 195 pounds and a Cadet freestyle champion last summer at 170, picking up wins over Kennedy, Nijenhuius, and Assad along the way; while Amos has twice swept to freestyle and Greco-Roman titles in Fargo (195 in 2016, beat Kerkvliet in freestyle in the first round, and then at 220 last year in his first event back after missing 2016-17 due to injury).
A third name to watch in this weight class is Flo Nationals champion Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2019. Also in this weight class are five other returning Cadet National double All-Americans from last summer: two-time Cadet folkstyle runner-up Gavin Carter (Topeka-Washburn Rural, Kansas), Cadet freestyle runner-up Matthew Cover (Bay Village, Ohio), state champion and Cadet Greco runner-up Peter Christensen (Montini Catholic, Ill.), two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Santos Cantu (Sprague, Ore.), and Junior folkstyle runner-up Wyatt Hendrickson (Newton, Kansas). Others to watch are incoming freshman Kolby Franklin (Pennsylvania) and two-time state placer Gabe Christenson (Southeast Polk, Iowa)
110 kilograms (242.5): Returning Cadet world freestyle champion Daniel "Greg" Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) is ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2019. He is also going to be the United States' representative at the UWW Junior World Championships at 97 kilos come mid-September in Trnava, Slovakia. The prime contender for runner-up is Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.), who has experience in this type of situation as he was the opponent for Amos in both styles last summer in Fargo; the two-time state champion is ranked No. 43 overall in the Class of 2019 and an Illinois verbal commit.
Others in this weight class include state champion Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.), ranked No. 35 overall in the Class of 2020; two-time state champion Andy Garcia (Pueblo East, Colo.); state champion Josh Heindselman (Piedmont, Okla.); and Louden Haga (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), last year's Cadet freestyle runner-up in Fargo.
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