U.S Open Junior Middleweights Preview
U.S Open Junior Middleweights Preview
Here come the big dogs. These weight classes are absolutely loaded. From top to bottom the talent is at a high level.
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Here come the big dogs. These weight classes are absolutely loaded. From top to bottom the talent is at a high level.
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April 26-27 | 9:00 AM Pacific
70kg
Contenders
Bryce Andonian - #7 at 145
Jace Luchau - #7 at 152
Kevon Davenport - #4 at 145
Sonny Santiago - #6 at 152
Travis Mastrogiovanni - #5 at 138
Aaron Gandara - #18 at 152
Jacori Teemer
Sam Sasso
Jared Franek
Kendall Coleman
Peyton Robb
Quincy Monday
Brayton Lee
Jaden Van Maanen
Commentary
Despite 70kg having its fair share of high school studs, the favorites to win the open at the weight this weekend definitely come from the college field. This weight features Fargo Champs, Bryce Andonian and Travis Mastrogiovanni along with Akron place winners, Jace Luchau, Kevon Davenport, Aaron Gandara and Sonny Santiago. These guys are all top tier wrestlers in the country with plenty of freestyle pedigree, but it's going to be tough for them to navigate this field.
Jacori Teemer and Sammy Sasso are both next level talents that could be the last two standing. Teemer has a Cadet World bronze and last year took third at both at the Open and the Trials. Since we last saw Teemer compete in freestyle, he has been working with Coaches Zeke Jones, Lee Pritts and Chris Pendleton in a room with guys like Zahid Valencia, which sounds like quite the recipe for improvement.
The potential rematch between Teemer and Sasso is certainly the matchup to anticipate here. Teemer beat Sasso twice in a row, in a the best of three series to win the spot on the Cadet World Team a couple years ago. Then the two met again this year at Midlands, which was one of the most entertaining matches of the season where Teemer came out on top again. Sasso will definitely looking to turn the tides against Teemer and give him a taste of his own medicine at the Open this weekend. The guy that can come between them is Brayton Lee. He's a hammer. Lee capped off his high school career with a Fargo title before heading off to Minnesota where he spent the season redshirting.
Along with Lee is Peyton Robb and his rib crushing gut wrench. Like the other top contenders in this weight class, he spent a year in redshirt. But his was spent with one of the best in the world in Jordan Burroughs. Robb also has a stop sign from Fargo under his belt like the other guys, but he also has a Greco background that could make for a good little weapon this weekend. Other notable are Jared Franek and Quincy Monday.
Ollie’s Picks
1. Teemer 2. Sasso 3. Lee 4. Robb
74kg
Contenders
Julian Ramirez - #2 at170
Paddy Gallagher - #4 at 160
Gerrit Nijenhuis - #4 at 170
Patrick Kennedy - #5 at 182
David Carr
Adam Kemp
Travis Wittlake Jr.
Danny Braunagel
Joe Lee
Nelson Brands
Peyton Mocco
Danny Braunagel
Peyton Mocco
Andrew Merola
DJ Shannon
Commentary
This weight class is absolutely loaded. Travis Wittlake is down to this weight class this year after placing 7th last year at 79kg. David Carr, who has looked spectacular in his redshirt season, could be the man to beat. That is if he wrestles the same way this weekend that he did against Frank Molinaro at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Carr also brought back a bronze medal when he wrestled at a Senior level tournament in Cuba.
Along with Carr and Wittlake who had a year of inconsistent action there's Joe Lee who has essentially been in hibernation at Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Lee and Carr have plenty of history. They've met in so many places. From Fargo to WNO to Akron for Cadet Trials and in Vegas as well. To say these two have a long history would be an understatement. I'm intrigued to see how much Lee has grown and improved while enduring a year of nothing but training. Then there's Cornell commit, Julian Ramirez, who is a Fargo and Akron runner-up. Staying on the same page with grudge matches there are two featuring Ramirez that are particularly intriguing.
We have to go back a few years, but he and Wittlake put on a show in Akron that ended up 12-10 in Wittlake's favor. Then at Ironman two years ago he and Carr lit the packed gym on fire with so much high level action. Ramirez came out on the losing end of this bout too. So he's coming in with some extra motivation. I'd also like to see him matchup with Andrew Merola who was his teammate at Blair and will be his teammate once again at Cornell. And keep an eye on Adam Kemp.
Ollie’s Picks
1. Carr 2. Lee 3. Wittlake 4. Brands
79kg
Contenders
Dustin Plott - #3 at 170
Parker Keckeisen - #1 at 182
Aaron Brooks
Tyler Dow
Ryan Karoly
Jeremiah Kent
Jake Allar
Shane Griffith
Jackson Hemauer
Jake Hendricks
Jared Krattiger
Clay Lautt
Michael O’Malley
Emil Soehnlen
Max Wohlabaugh
Commentary
The high school quantity may not be there at 79kg, but the quality sure is. There are two clear contenders coming out of the high school trenches this year in #3 Dustin Plott, and #1 Parker Keckeisen. Plott took 2nd and Keckeisen took 3rd in the toughest bracket in Fargo last summer. Plott also took 3rd place here at the Open last year. Both guys are extremely talented on their feet and can get to almost anyone's legs and at a high rate.
Aaron Brooks blasted his way onto the scene a few years back when he went Air Brooks on Trent Hidlay in the Fargo Finals. The year before that he doubled up in Fargo winning both styles, but it was his win over Ramirez, who is at 74kg, that turned some heads. Since then Brooks has been a household name. He won a Cadet World Title, a U.S. Open title last year and then Junior World silver. Then the future Nittany Lion decided to enter the EAP program and train at the Olympic Training Center after graduating from high school. During the regular season he enter and won a few college open tournaments and added a Dave Schultz title to his resume as well.
Be on the lookout for UNC’s Ryan Karoly and Wisconsin’s Tyler Dow. Karoly is a multiple time Fargo Champ and is coming off a redshirt season. Tyler Dow also has a Fargo title and has won Pan-Ams as well, so certainly keep an eye on these guys. Remember that explosive performance at Southern Scuffle, well that guy is here. Shane Griffith turned some heads during his redshirt season at Stanford. He was one of the best recruits coming out of Bergen Catholic, but how he battled at the Scuffle had people paying attention. Well, keep paying attention this weekend. Also, Jackson Hemauer. He competes hard and has the shock potential.
Ollie’s Picks
1. Brooks 2. Plott 3. Keckeisen 4. Tyler Dow
86kg
Contenders
Abe Assad - #3 at 182
Ryan Reyes - #6 at 195
Peter Acciardi
Zach Braunagel
Trent Hidlay
Gavin Hoffman
Billy Janzer
Jack Jessen
Victor Marcelli
Kordell Norfleet
Tate Samuelson
Josh Stillings
Commentary
86kg has a very similar breakdown to 79kg. A thin amount of high school talent here, but the guys that are there can pull their weight. Abe Assad is a very solid wrestler who claimed a spot on both Cadet World Teams last year but opted to just wrestle Freestyle and he brought back a World bronze medal. The other high school contender at 86kg is Ryan Reyes out of California. He finished off his high school season with a Cali state title and has some pretty nice tricks to score points on his feet.
However, there is Kordell Norfleet who is returning after placing 4th at the US Open last year and was a finalist at the World Team Trials. A surprising entrance at this weight is Trent Hidlay. The surprising part is that he's put on some weight since wrestling 174 during his redshirt season. The first man to eat a hoagie on the WNO mat comes back after placing 6th here last year. He was also 3rd at the Trials, but he like I said, he's up a weight so let's how his skills transfer.
Ohio State’s Gavin Hoffman, a Cadet World bronze medalist, will certainly be a contender to make the finals along with guys like Zachary Braunagel and Jack Jessen.
Ollie’s Picks
1. Norfleet 2. Assad 3. Hoffman 4. Hidlay
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