Insider: Fargo Cadet Freestyle Preview

Jul 16, 2013 by Willie Saylor

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Insider: Fargo Cadet Freestyle Preview
Willie Saylor, Editor

And so it begins! Another year at Fargo.

Every year at Fargo when looking through the Cadet entries, many people aren’t very familiar with the names. But they will be by the end of the week. With out fail, the youngsters that compete well at Fargo Cadets go on to have some of the finest careers, to be nationally ranked, and to be the stars by the time they’re upper classmen.

Below, we’ll identify the contenders and make our picks. Be sure to watch live on FLO PRO all week. It’s going to be a dynamite production.

*Note: The contender list was compiled from the entry list available. Additional entries and/or scratches are possible.

88lbs - Entries: 35
Last Year’s Final: Devin Schnupp (Pennsylvania) over Michael Doetsch (Maryland) Dec 1-2,2-1,5-2
Contenders:
Alex Crowe (MN)
Sawyer Degen (MT)
Brady Koontz (WI)
Dylan Koontz (WI)
Vince Mancini (OH)
Cader Olivas (CA)
Will Moss (GA)
Brandon Meikel (UT)
Gavin Teasdale (PA)
Colby Winnett (OR)
Tanner Yenter (KY)

Commentary: The two big names here are Teasdale and Olivas. With Olivas being injured in Greco, his status is up in the air for FS.
Also watch for Crowe, who made the finals of GR, and Degen.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Teasdale (PA) 2. Crowe (MN) 3. Moss (GA) 4. Degen (MT

94lbs - Entries: 35
Last Year’s Final: Hunter Marko (Wisconsin) over Nick Lukanich (Illinois) Dec 1-0,4-0
Contenders:
Michael Bresser (OR)
Jakob Campbell (PA)
Jaxon Cole (UT)
Breandon Coughlin (MD)
Kaden Gfeller (OK) - FILA 3rd
Austin Gomez (IL) - FILA Champ
Louie Hayes (IL)
Brent Jones (MN) - FILA Runner-Up
Dom Lajoie (MI)
Cole Manley (PA)
Randon Miranda (CA) - FILA 5th
Jeremy Nygard (WA) - Returning 5th
Zach Sherman (FL)
Jet Tryon (MO) - Returning 8th

Commentary: Absolutely loaded bracket that includes some of the best future stars. Four of the kids were Top 5 in Akron. And four are ranked on the Big Boards. We saw Gfeller and Gomez meet in GR. Hopefully we get to see it again in FS, and under the spotlight.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Gomez (IL) 2. Gfeller (OK) 3. Miranda (CA) 4. Jones (MN)

100lbs - Entries: 52
Last Year’s Final: Miguel Silva (Illinois) over Kyle Bierdumpfel (New Jersey) Dec 4-1,1-5,3-1
Contenders:
Michael Doetsch (MD) - Returning Runner-Up
Paul Fitterer (MN)
Ben Freeman (MI) - FILA 5th
Joey Grass (WV) - Returning 7th
Ulises Jacobo (IL) - Returning 8th
Jimmy Pawelski (IL)
Ian Parker (MI) - FILA Runner-Up
Daniel Planta (MD)
Joey Prata (VA) - Returning 5th
Matt Schmitt (MO) - Returning 3rd
Zach Van Alst (AL)
Danny Vega (AZ)
Colton Williams (TX) - FILA 4th
Ty Agaisse (NJ)

Commentary: Eight former AA’s highlight this weight including last year’s Runner-Up in Doetsch. Parker lost to PA’s Devin Brown in FILA finals.
Prata just won GR where he beat Schmitt in an early round war. I expect those two to be major players in the FS portion as well. Also watch for Van Alst from Alabama. Tough kid.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Prata (MD) 2. Schmitt (MO) 3. Parker (MI) 4. Vega (AZ)

106lbs - Entries: 73
Last Year’s Final: Scott Parker (Pennsylvania) over Kaid Brock (Oklahoma) Dec 1-0,1-4,4-0
Contenders:
Jaren Chavez (ID)
Tanner Cox (UT) - Returning 6th
Daton Fix (OK)
Quentin Hovis (AZ)
Jacob Lizak (PA)
Jack Mueller (TX) - FILA 3rd
Michael Murphy (TN)
Andrew Nieman (OK) - 2012 Cadet World Team Member
Austin O’Connor (IL)
Vinny Vespa (NY)
Drew West (IA)

Commentary: Fix is looking for the last jewel in a Triple Crown summer. To get it he’ll have to go through a tough Jack Mueller and Nieman, who won FILA Cadets last year.
Jaren Chavez continues to impress. And Tanner Cox should be in play too. West was one of the pleasant surprises of the Greco portion. O’Connor is talented but young. I think he might be a year away.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Fix (OK) 2. Mueller 3. Chavez (ID) 4. Murphy (TN)

113lbs - Entries: 90
Last Year’s Final: Zahid Valencia (California) over Charles Tucker (New Jersey) Dec 1-0,1-0
Contenders:
Noah Baughman (OH) - FILA 6th
Kyle Bierdumpfel (NJ) - Returning Runner-Up
Dalton Duffield (OK)
Adam Flatt (GA)
Collin Glorioso (PA)
Beau Guffey (OK)
Eric Hong (PA)
Sean Hosford (MO)
Ryan Leisure (IA)
Trayton Libolt (OR) - Returning 6th
Mitchell McKee (MN)
TK Megonigal (VA)
Andrew Merholz (IL) - FILA 4th
Henry Pohlmeyer (IA) - Returning 7th
Chad Red (IN)
Jose Rodriguez (OH) - FILA 5th
Cameron Sykora (MN)
Kanen Storr (MI)
Taylor Venz (MN)
Bryce West (IA)

Commentary: A deep talent pool here, though without a true favorite. Bierdumpfel reached the finals in both styles last year. McKee was your Greco champ, but his FS results have been inconsistent. A first year Cadet, Hong should be in the mix. He’s one of the most talented incoming freshmen in the country.
In the end, I think it comes down to a mega matchup between Rodriguez and Red, which would be fireworks. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see multiple kids from MN and/or OK place.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Rodriguez (OH) 2. Red (IN) 3. Hong (PA) 4. Bierdumpfel (NJ)

120lbs - Entries: 90
Last Year’s Final: Matthew Kolodzik (Ohio) over Joe Smith (Oklahoma) Dec 3-0,6-0
Contenders:
Nick Casella (NY)
Dylan Chatterton (PA)
Evan Cheek (OH) - Returning 8th
Mason Daugherty (OH)
Chris Debien (TN)
Quinn Devaney (MD)
Paul Glynn (IA)
AJ Jaffe (IL)
Taylor LaMont (UT)
Isaiah Palamino (CA)
Gabe Townsell (IL)
Evan Wick (CA)

Commentary: A rather thin weight here, credentials-wise. Most of these kids are making their first trip to Fargo. But guys like Chatterton, Casella, Debien, etc., are stop-sign level and there is a host of same-tier talent behind them.
Townsell just won GR in impressive fashion. And Devaney is one of the top incoming freshmen in the country. Excited to see his debut.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Chatterton (PA) 2. Debien (TN) 3. Townsell (IL) 4. Casella (NY)

126lbs - Entries: 90
Last Year’s Final: Seth Gross (Minnesota) over Cole Weaver (Michigan) Dec 0-2,4-4,4-3
Contenders:
Devin Bahr (WI)
Jarrett Degen (MT)
Jaden Enriquez (CA)
Jacob Fontanez (OK)
Drake Foster (ID) - Returning 6th
Garrett Hancock (OH)
Hayden Hidlay (PA)
Nick Lee (IN) - FILA Runner-Up
Robert Lee (WI)
Alex Mackall (OH)
Richard Montoya (NM)
Chris Moreno (FL)
Matt Park (ID)
Jake Speiss (OH)
Corey Shie (OH)
Zahid Valencia (CA) - Returning Champion
Zander Wick (CA)

Commentary: A really strong group anchored by returning champ Valencia. Ohio brings in a strong contingent. Incoming freshmen Shie looked particularly impressive in GR. He’s a gamer.
I really like the way Hidlay is wrestling. I expect him to make a deep run along with Montoya, who is always overlooked by most prognosticators.
Do yourselves a favor and watch Nick Lee’s matches. The incoming freshmen is relentless.
There’s three guys in this group I really want to get a look at: Fontanez, Degen, and Robert Lee. They’re all young prospects that could shake things up.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Valencia (CA) 2. Hidlay (PA) 3. Nick Lee (IN) 4. Montoya (NM)

132lbs - Entries: 80
Last Year’s Final: Aaron Pico (California) over Cody LeCount (Indiana) Dec 4-0,4-0
Contenders:
Hayden Bates (OR)
Johnny Blankenship (MO)
Logan Kass (MN)
Creed Lump (VA)
Sam Martino (VA)
Leonard Merkin (NY)
Connor Noonan (OR)
Lucas Ortiz (PA)

Commentary: Well, this is for sure: somebody will make a name for themselves.
There isn’t a single wrestler currently registered that has level separation (previous national placings) or that is ranked. It’s like a whole weight full of darkhorses. Noonan and Merkin looked good in Greco earlier this week.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Merkin (NY) 2. Kass (MN) 3. Noonan (OR) 4. Martino (VA)

138lbs - Entries: 84
Last Year’s Final: Anthony Valencia (California) over Pat Duggan (Pennsylvania) Dec 1-0,5-1
Contenders:
Jake Adcock (GA)
Adam Blees (ND)
Liam Corbett (HI)
Jake Davis (IL)
Dom Demas (OH)
Cameron Harrell (MD)
Patrick Lugo (FL)
David McFadden (NJ)
Johnny O’Hearon (UT)
Brady O’Keefe (NV)
Dakota Wall (ID)
Sammy Ward (NY)
Isaiah White (IL)
Jacob Woodward (IA) - Returning 6th
Kaleb Young (PA)

Commentary: Like 132, returning Freestyle All Americans are scarce. But it differs from 132 in that it has some hammers that have performed well in other styles.
Isaiah White, another young hammer out of Oak Park-River Forest, is my pick to get the stop sign. Other leaders in the group should be McFadden and a host of GR AA’s in Corbett, Lugo, and Wall.
Pay attention to Kaleb Young. He could upset the apple cart.

Willie’s Picks: 1. White (IL) 2. McFadden (NJ) 3. Lugo (FL) 4. Adcock (GA)

145lbs - Entries: 78
Last Year’s Final: Fox Baldwin (Florida) over Mason Manville (Minnesota) Dec 0-3,5-1,5-3
Contenders:
Corbin Allen (VA)
Jose Champagne (IL) - Returning 8th
Larry Early (IL) - FILA 4th
James Handwerk (OH)
Austin Kraisser (MD)
Mason Manville (NJ) - Returning Runner-Up
Blake Monty (AZ)
Layne Van Anrooy (OR)
Owen Webster (MN)

Commentary: If Manville makes the finals, it will mark the second straight year he was a double finalist. Early is moving up after winning GR at 138. He and Manville should be on a collision course.
The wild card here is Allen, who’s had very good results in folk. He didn’t fare to well in GR. We’ll see if he rebounds. I think he will.
The fourth solid condenter is Handwerk, an incoming freshman who’s been wrestling great.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Early (IL) 2. Manville (NJ) 3. Allen (VA) 4. Handwerk (OH)

152lbs - Entries: 73
Last Year’s Finals: Mark Hall (Michigan) over Myles Martin (New Jersey) Dec 1-0,3-1
Contenders:
Chris Almony (MD)
Andrew Berreyesa (NV)
Braden Best (MO)
Domenic DeLaurentis (PA)
Luke Drugac (NJ)
Joey Gunther (IL)
Taylor Lujan (GA) - FILA 4th
Randy Meneweather (IL)
Jesse Porter (NY)
Nick Reenan (TX) - Returning 5th

Commentary: Plenty of good youngsters here. Let’s start with Reenan, who’s talent continues to skyrocket. He beat Porter in the GR finals earlier in the week. I like those two and the grinding Lujan to finish high.
Watch for Best and Meneweather to see how they do. They’re good up-and-comers.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Reenan (TX) 2. Lujan (GA) 3. Porter (NY) 4. Meneweather (IL)

160lbs - Entries: 55
Last Year’s Finals: Bo Nickal (Texas) over Kimball Bastian (Utah) Dec 1-1,1-0
Contenders:
Kamal Bey (IL)
Jared Bird (WI)
Brandon Dallavia (NJ)
Drew Doak (PA) - Returning 4th
Jelani Embree (MI)
Joe Grello (NJ)
Vicente Guerrero (AZ)
Mark Hall (CO) - Returning Champion

Commentary: It’s a race to get to the finals opposite of Hall, who is the clear favorite.
Although only Doak has a Fargo medal, Bey and Guerrero were particularly impressive in GR. And watch for Grello and Embree, who are both ranked on the Big Board.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Hall (CO) 2. Bey (IL) 3. Doak (PA) 4. Grello (NJ)

170lbs - Entries: 45
Last Year’s Final: Ryan Christensen (Washington) over Chandler Rogers (Washington) Dec 3-1,2-1
Contenders:
Beau Breske (WI) - FILA 4th
Dustin Gray (MO) - Returning 8th
Elijah Kerr-Brown (GA)
Wyatt Koelling (UT)
Jeremy McKinley (IN)
Keegan Moore (MN)
Dru Worker (IL)

Commentary: Beau Breske has emerged as new star. He beat Moore in the finals of Greco, and I expect the freestyle title to be decided between those two as well.
The rest of the group is rather young and, on a national stage, inexperienced. But watch for Worker and Kerr-Brown to play a part in the final placings.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Breske (WI) 2. Moore (MN) 3. Gray (MO) 4. Kerr-Brown (GA)

182lbs - Entries: 42
Last Year’s Final: Michael Pixley (Missouri) over Chip Ness (Georgia) Dec 2-1,5-3
Contenders:
Trevor Eicher (WA)
Andrew Fenton (OH) - FILA 6th
Jeremiah Imonode (AZ)
Andrew Marsden (IL) - FILA 3rd
Kevin Mulligan (NJ)
Drew Phipps (PA)
Hunter Ritter (MD)
Justin Rivera (GA) - Returning 3rd
Cash Wilke (IA)

Commentary: Ritter-Rivera-Marsden. That was your Top 3 order in GR. And they’ll be the major players here in FS as well.
There are several guys that came in just for FS that I think can do some damage. Wilcke won folk nationals, and Mulligan looked impressive at Journeyman.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Rivera (GA) 2. Ritter (MD) 3. Marsden (IL) 4. Wilcke (MO)

195lbs - Entries: 34
Last Year’s Final: Lance Benick (Minnesota) over Landon Pelham (Michigan) TF 7-0,6-0
Contenders:
Tevis Bartlett (WY)
Jake Cavins (IN)
Sammy Colbray (OR) - Returning 5th
Matt Correnti (NJ)
Jordan Evans (UT)
Isaac Florell (MN)
Emilio Fowler (KS)
Tyler Johnson (IL) - Returning 4th
Mike Rogers (PA)
Allen Stallings (IL)

Commentary: This is a very good group of legitimate national talent and future stars. Colbray won Greco and looked phenomenal doing it. I like him to meet Bartlett in the finals. If it hadn’t been for a risky throw attempt, I think Bartlett would have made the big stage in GR too. Instead he finished 3rd.
Like Bartlett, who didn’t place last year, Rogers has a lot of talent, but needs to limit mistakes to be more consistent. Evans, Fowler, Florell and Correnti. Any one of these guys has the ability to go deep here.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Colbray (OR) 2. Bartlett (WY) 3. Rogers (PA) 4. Correnti (NJ)

220lbs - Entries: 34
Last Year’s Final: Roy Nash (Utah) over Kyler Childers (Oklahoma) Dec 4-1,4-0
Lance Benick (MN) - Returning Champ, Cadet World Team Member
Kyler Childers (OK) - Returning Runner-Up
James Ford (OH)
Gannon Gremmel (IA)
Dallas Goodpaster (WA)
Bryce Town (PA)
Adam Treptau (MN)
Jordan Wood (PA)

Commentary: The list is short, but it’s full of rising talent.
Benick is a clear leader. He’s dominated everyone, including Childers in the finals last year and Wood in the GR finals on Monday.
The guy that no one knows, but everyone will on Friday, is Gannon Gremmel.
I thought Treptau and Goodpaster would have fared better than they did in GR. Let’s see if they rebound in FS. I tend to think they will.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Benick (MN) 2. Gremmel (IA) 3. Wood (PA) 4. Childers (OK)

HWT - Entries: 28
Last Year’s Final: Wyatt Spears (Oregon) over Nicky Allegretti (Illinois) Dec 2-0,4-0
Contenders:
Jeremy Boswell (GA)
Antonio James (IL)
Donte Jiovenetta (FL)
Adam Lemke-Bell (IL) - FILA Champ
Jake Marnin (IA) - Returning 5th
Tate Orndorff (WA)
Shawn Streck (IN)
Hunter Toppel (WI) - FILA 4th
Kevin Vough (OH) - FILA 5th

Commentary: With most of the Cadet placers from 2012 graduating to the Junior ranks, it leaves mostly a green group in Cadets.
Three FILA placers make the trek, including champ Lemke-Bell.
I had a hunch Jiovenetta would have a good GR tourney and he proved me right. While the bracket will be deeper in FS, I think he’ll be in the mix again.
Marnin won GR, and I’m going with him to double up.
Watch for Streck and Orndorff to rebound after a tough go in Greco.

Willie’s Picks: 1. Marnin (IA) 2. Jiovenetta (FL) 3. Lemke-Bell (IL) 4. James (IL)