The lone Cadet Triple Crown winner this year was Travis Wittlake (Oregon). He won the folkstyle title in April at 160 pounds, and swept the Greco and freestyle events this week at 170 pounds. All six matches in freestyle ended in shutout technical fall victories, including 10-0 in the final over Tyler Barnes (New York), whom he beat by decision in the Greco final. Wittlake is ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2018, and will represent the United States in freestyle at the Cadet Worlds competing in the 76 kilo (167 pound) weight class.
Four other wrestlers swept the tournaments this week in Fargo, including Nick Raimo (New Jersey) who did so for a second straight year. Raimo, ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2019, won the 126 pound title with a 3-1 victory in the final over Jaden Abas (California); Abas is ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2019.
Additional double champions were Aaron Brooks (Maryland) at 160 pounds, Ryan Karoly (New Jersey) at 182, and Braxton Amos (West Virginia/Ohio) at 195. Brooks upended Julian Ramirez (Florida), who is ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2019, by a 6-2 decision in the championship bout. Karoly, ranked No. 25 in the Class of 2018, repeated as Cadet freestyle champion with a 4-1 victory over Cadet folkstyle champion Lucas Davison (Indiana) in the final. Amos, ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2020, upended Cadet folkstyle champion Sergio Villalobos (Illinois) by 17-7 technical fall in the final.
Joining Raimo and Decatur as repeat champions in Cadet freestyle was Jordan Decatur (Ohio) at 120 pounds. Ranked No. 5 overall in the Class of 2019, Decatur earned a fifth technical fall from seven bouts in a 13-0 finals victory over Brody Teske (Iowa).
The 138 pound final was a rematch of last year's 132 pound Cadet freestyle final, with Brock Hardy (Utah) gaining revenge in a 10-9 decision victory over Sammy Sasso (Pennsylvania); Hardy is ranked No. 26 in the Class of 2018, while Sasso is ranked No. 6 overall. It was Hardy's first Fargo title in four finals appearance, having advanced to the final in both styles in both Cadet eligible years.
The other wrestler in contention for a Cadet Triple Crown entering the finals on Friday afternoon was Jace Koelzer (Kansas). However, Corey Gamet (Michigan) derailed that plan with an 11-2 victory in the 106 pound final.
Joining No. 5 Amos as incoming freshmen to win Cadet National freestyle were No. 25 Cullan Schriever (Iowa) at 88 pounds, No. 6 Jeremiah Reno (Missouri) at 94, and No. 18 Julian Tagg (Ohio) at 100. Cadet folkstyle champion Schriever beat Greco champon Sam Latona (Alabama) by 8-5 decision in the final; UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Reno scored a 10-0 technical fall over Justin Bierdumpfel (New Jersey), ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2020; while Tagg beat Cadet Greco champion Ridge Lovett (Idaho) 10-2 in the final, which relegated him to a second straight runner-up finish in Cadet freestyle.
A pair of Colorado natives joined Decatur and Raimo as nationally ranked Class of 2019 wrestlers to win Cadet freestyle titles on Friday. No. 22 Colton Yapoujian (Colorado) upended Travis Ford-Melton (Illinois) 3-1 in the 113 pound final; it was a second straight Cadet freestyle runner-up finish for the No. 11 overall Class of 2019 wrestler. No. 1 Cohlton Schultz (Colorado) used a fourth consecutive technical fall to beat Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania) 16-4 in the 220 pound final; Hoffman is ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2018.
Rounding out the Cadet freestyle champions are a pair of nationally ranked Class of 2018 wrestlers from New York, along with Montana Phillips (Oklahoma) and Jared Franek (North Dakota). Phillips, state medalist this past season as a freshman, pinned Cadet folkstyle champion Ronald Tucker (Illinois), who is ranked No. 25 overall in the Class of 2019, in the 285 pound final. Cadet folkstyle champion Franek upended Markus Hartman (Illinois) 15-12 at 145.
Jacori Teemer, ranked No. 29 in the rising junior group, used a late reversal to upended Cadet Greco champion Mason Phillips (Washington) 12-10 at 132 pounds. Frankie Gissendanner, ranked No. 10 in that same group, beat Michael O'Malley (New Jersey) by 9-2 decision at 152.
Results:
88: Cullen Schriever (IA) dec. Sam Latona (AL), 8-5
94: Jeremiah Reno (MO) tech. fall Justin Bierdumpfel (NJ), 10-0
100: Julian Tagg (OH) dec. Ridge Lovett (ID), 8-2
106: Corey Gamet (MI) dec. Jace Koelzer (KS), 11-2
113: Colton Yapoujian (CO) dec. Travis Ford-Melton (IL), 3-1
120: Jordan Decatur (OH) tech. fall Brody Teske (IA), 13-0
126: Nicholas Raimo (NJ) dec. Jaden Abas (CA), 3-1
132: Jacori Teemer (NY) dec. Mason Phillips (WA), 12-10
138: Brock Hardy (UT) dec. Sam Sasso (PA), 10-9
145: Jared Franek (ND) dec. Markus Hartman (IL), 15-12
152: Frankie Gissendanner (NY) dec. Michael O'Malley (NJ), 9-2
160: Aaron Brooks (MD) dec. Julian Ramirez (FL), 6-2
170: Travis Wittlake (OR) tech. fall Tyler Barnes (NY), 10-0
182: Ryan Karoly (NJ) dec. Lucas Davison (IN), 4-1
195: Braxton Amos (OH) tech. fall Sergio Villalobos (IL), 17-7
220: Cohlton Schultz (CO) tech. fall Gavin Hoffman (PA), 16-4
285: Ronald Tucker (IL) fall Montana Phillips (OK), 5:28
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