2011 Super 32 Challenge Recap

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GREENSBORO, N.C. -- There was lots of hype about the 2011 Super 32 Challenge, and upon reflection, it was justified, as the competition was phenomenal. There were some dominating performances, and many tightly contested matches, during the championship finals. The first five matches of the finals were decided by a one score or less margin.

Wrestling in the championship round opened at 106 pounds, where two of the nation's top freshmen hit the mats. No. 9-ranked Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) upended No. 2-ranked Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley School, Ohio) using a late third period escape to eke out a 3-2 victory, after the wrestlers traded takedowns in the first two periods. The second match saw yet another Buckeye State wrestler suffer a defeat, when Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Indiana) used a first period takedown to secure a 3-2 victory over Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio). The result relegated Tomasello to a second straight Super 32 runner-up finish.

At 120 pounds, yet another Ohio native fell to defeat, when Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.) defeated FloNationals champion George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio), 4-2. The wrestlers traded takedowns in the first two periods, while Diehl used escapes in the second and third periods and excellent defense of multiple shots by DiCamillo to procure the victory.

Anthony Ashnault defeated Joey Dance to win his second straight Super 32 Challenge title (Photo/Rob Preston)

The much-hyped 126-pound weight class had a championship match which was reflective of that hype. Two of the nation's best juniors, both of whom are two-time state champions and had a Super 32 championship on the resume prior to this year, wrestled an action packed final that was not decided until the final horn. No. 20 Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) won a second consecutive title with the 4-3 victory over No. 14 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.). Dance opened a 3-0 second period lead after an escape and a takedown midway through that period. Ashnault scored an escape in the second period -- and another escape early in the third period -- to set up the rip-roaring finish in which he scored a very late takedown, and prevented Dance from getting an escape right at the end. The result relegated Dance to a second straight runner-up finish after winning a title in 2009.

Ashnault was the lone defending champion to repeat, but at 132 pounds, Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) joined him as a returning champion to win another Super 32 title. Cisneros added to his 2008 championship belt with a tiebreaker rideout victory over Devon Jackson (Yorktown, Indiana). The match was tied at 2-2 in regulation and at the end of overtime, and was one in which Cisneros was in deep on multiple attacks, but excellent defense by Jackson kept him in the match.

After five tightly-contested matches, the 138 pound weight class title match between talented juniors had a clear domination. Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.) -- ranked No. 2 in that class -- capped off a two day show of domination with a 13-3 major decision over Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.). His other six matches involved five pins and a 19-3 technical fall. Whitford's teammate, Taylor Massa -- the No. 1 ranked senior in the country -- was similarly dominant at 170 pounds. In the final, he upended Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) with a 16-6 major decision. In his other five matches, Massa earned four pins along with a convncing 12-5 decision.

The other blowout of the finals came at 220 pounds, where Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) earned a 13-0 major decision over Ray Stone (Akron SVSM, Ohio). Haines scored five point moves on takedown to the back in the first and second periods to cap off a dominant showing.

In a battle of 2011 NHSCA Junior Nationals champions, Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, Va.) upended Alenick Richardson (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), 4-2, at 145 pounds. After giving up the first takedown, and almost getting turned, Crawford -- a runner-up in the event in 2008 -- answered back strong with an escape and takedown of his own in the first period. After riding Richardson out in the second period, Crawford finished off the scoring with a third period escape.

Another pair of NHSCA grade level champions met in the 152-pound final, as sophomore Josh Llopez (La Plata, Md.) upended Nick Kee (Scotland, N.C.), 5-4. Llopez scored a pair of takedowns in the second period to open up a 5-1 lead, and despite giving up a third period escape and late takedown to Kee, had done the damage necessary to secure the championship.

After a sophomore won the title at 152 pounds, it was another sophomore winning the title at 160 pounds. No. 1-ranked in that grade, Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) lived up to his robust resume and reputation with a thorough 5-2 victory over Cody Allala (Hopewell, Va.) in the final. Marsteller used takedowns in the first and third periods to secure the victory.

A pair of seniors went after the championship at 182 pounds, as Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.) upset defending champion Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.), 8-1, in the final. Dudley scored a first period takedown, then the wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third period to make it 3-1; finally late in the third period, Dudley scored a takedown, and then secured a turn at the end of the match to separate the margin.

A duo of juniors met in the 195-pound final, as Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.) beat Brooks Climmons (Pope, Ga.) 2-1 in the tiebreaker. The wrestlers traded escapes in regulation, but could not score other points during regulation or overtime. Since McCutcheon escaped first, in the second period, he chose the down position in the tiebreaker and scored the winning escape.

Finally, a pair of Florida seniors did battle at 285 pounds, where No. 14 Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian) defeated No. 98 John Dreggors (Springstead) on the strength of a third period takedown after the wrestlers had traded escapes to be tied at 1-1.

Finals Results:
106: Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley School, Ohio), 3-2
113: Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) dec. Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio), 3-2
120: Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.) dec. George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio), 4-2
126: Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) dec. Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), 4-3
132: Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) dec. Devon Jackson (Yorktown, Ind.), 2-2 TB
138: Ben Whitford (St. John's, Michigan) maj. dec. Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), 13-3
145: Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, Va.) dec. Alenick Richardson (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), 4-2
152: Josh Llopez (La Plata, Md.) dec. Nick Kee (Scotland, N.C.), 5-4
160: Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) dec. Cody Allala (Hopewell, Va.), 5-2
170: Taylor Massa (St. John's, Mich.) maj. dec. Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 16-6
182: Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.) dec. Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.), 8-1
195: Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.) dec. Brooks Climmons (Pope, Ga.), 2-1 TB
220: Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) maj. dec. Ray Stone (Akron SVSM, Ohio), 13-0
285: Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) dec. John Dreggors (Springstead, Fla.), 3-1

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