There’s no World Team spot on the line this year at UWW Juniors and U23s, but wrestlers hungry for matches are still showing out. Registration picked up tenfold this week and we now have some very attractive brackets. 

Watch UWW Jr and U23 Nationals LIVE on FloWrestling

Friday, November 13 - Sunday, November 15

Below are six weights to really pay attention to this weekend. Under “Top Entries” athletes are listed college wrestlers first and then high school wrestlers with their national rankings to the left of their name.

Junior 57 kg

With 89 total entries, this is not only one of the largest weights, but one of the deepest as well. It has great entries from both college and high school wrestlers.

Being Juniors, most of the college kids here will be either freshmen or coming off a redshirt season. However, Patrick Glory, who placed sixth at NCAAs two years ago and was the #2 seed in 2020, will be wrestling here. Reece Whitcraft, another 2020 national qualifier will also be in the mix. 

Dylan Ragusin, Jesse Ybarra, Cullan Schriever, Dominick Serrano, and Ryan Miller are a handful of true freshmen to keep an eye on. Dylan Ragusin is coming off of a great performance at Senior Nationals where the Michigan freshman made the finals.

Watch Dylan Ragusin beat NCAA champion Darian Cruz below.

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Jesse Mendez will lead a field of 11 nationally ranked high schoolers. Mendez is dropping down from 138 lbs where he is currently ranked #2 and just won Who’s #1.

Top Entries

#2 Pat Glory

Dylan Ragusin

Jesse Ybarra

Dominick Serrano

Ryan Miller

Cullan Schriever

Reece Whitcraft

#2 Jesse Mendez

#3 Chance Lamer

#5 Conor Knopick

#5 Vince Cornella

#6 Carter Young

#8 Zack Mattin

#10 Jett Strickenberger

#10 Gabe Whisenhunt

#13 Korbin Shepherd

#15 Nico Provo

#16 Kelly Dunnigan

U23 61 kg

Obviously no top high school guys here, but more than a handful of ranked NCAA wrestlers plus All-American and four-time national qualifier Mitch McKee. A Junior World silver medalist, freestyle is undoubtedly McKee’s best style. At 2020 Senior Nationals, he tech falled 2020 NCAA #1 seed Luke Pletcher. 

The name drawing a lot of eyes will be Hawkeye senior Austin Desanto. Although an NCAA All-American, Desanto does not have much experience in freestyle. Mckee, Ian Parker, Micky Phillippi, Taylor LaMont, Michael Colaiocco, and Josh Kramer are all credentialled freestylers who might be able to take advantage of Desanto’s freestyle shortcomings. 

Top Entries

Mitch Mckee

#4 Austin DeSanto

#5 Ian Parker

#5 Micky Phillippi

#11 Taylor LaMont

#15 Jack Skudlarczyk

#21 Collin Gerardi

#22 Michael Colaiocco

Josh Kramer

Todd Small

Brian Courtney

Dominic La Joie

Junior 65 kg

This weight doesn’t have quite the quantity of top wrestlers as 57 kg, but the quality is still there. We could be treated to a #1 vs #1 high school matchup if #1 at 145 Cody Chittum and #1 at 152 Victor Voinovich meet. Both of those wrestlers won their matches at Who’s #1 a month ago. 

Josh Saunders could have other plans, however. The Cornell freshman is a two-time age level World Teamer and Fargo champion.

Watch Josh Saunders 10-0 Nick Dardanes at 2019 Senior Nationals below.

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Top Entries

Joshua Saunders

Joseph Zargo

Julian Chlebove

Jesse Vasquez

Legend Lamer

Cameron Robinson

#1 Cody Chittum

#1 Victor Voinovich

#6 Anthony Ferrari

#20 Doug Zapf

#21 Bryce Andonian

Junior Women 50 kg

We were deprived of Emily Shilson vs Felicity Taylor at Beat the Streets after an eligibility issue with McKendree University. However, two months later, we could get to see the match. Shilson, a Cadet World champion, is one of the most tactical young stars in womens wrestling, but Taylor, a 2019 U23 World Teamer, will have size and age on Shilson. 

All of that is not to discredit high school standouts Samara Chavez and Chloe Ayers.

Watch Chloe Ayers win 2019 Super 32 below.

Top Entries

#7 Emily Shilson

#7 Felicity Taylor

Pauline Granados

#1 Samara Chavez

#3 Chloe Ayres

#7 Ava Bayless

#7 Salyna Shotwell

#14 Avery Kibelbek

U23 Women 53 kg

Like many many other women, Felicity Taylor will be pulling double duty and wrestling in both divisions this weekend. However, she is choosing to bump up to 53 for U23s. Ranked the two spots above here are #5 Alisha Howk and #6 Ronna Heaton. The Howk - Heaton rivalry is quietly turning into one of the best in women’s wrestling. Heaton has the most recent win, an 8-2 victory at Senior Nationals.

You can never count out 2019 US Open champion Tiare Ikei. Alisha Howk defeated her at the Farrell, but if Ikei gets going like she did in April of 2019, watchout.

Top Entries

#5 Alisha Howk

#6 Ronna Heaton

#7 Felicity Taylor

#8 Marissa Gallegos

#8 Tiare Ikei

#8 Alleida Martinez

#17 Ashley Morris

U23 92 kg

With a handful of ranked wrestlers and three in the top 10, don’t sleep on 92 kg. At approximately 202 lbs, we will really get a chance to see how Nino Bonaccorsi will look up at 197 this year after spending the first three years of his career at 184. 

Iowa’s Jacob Warner will be the favorite, but expect him to at least be challenged by Bonaccorsi as well as Pac 12 rivals Kordell Norfleet and Nathan Traxler. Norfleet was 2-0 against Traxler last season. One an OT victory and a pin at Pac 12s. 

Top Entries

#5 Jacob Warner

#6 Nino Bonaccorsi

#9 Kordell Norfleet

#12 Nathan Traxler

#22 Travis Stefanik

Travis Stefanik