Pico wins titles in Greco-Roman and freestyle, Whitford named OW at FILA Junior Nationals
By Meagan Templeton-Lynch LAS VEGAS - There were fantastic matches during the men’s freestyle competition at the ASICS Junior Nationals on April 20 with more than 300 17-20 year olds battling for titles. Aaron Pico of Titan Mercury WC at 63 kg was crowned as a double champion, having won in the Greco-Roman division on April 19 and the men’s freestyle division on April 20. “This was a great tournament and I felt good throughout the tournament,” Pico said after his win in freestyle. “I felt I wrestled good. I had some tough matches and it’s a step up in competi- tion.”
Earning the title of Outstanding Wrestler was Ben Whitford of Massa's Maniacs at 60 kg, who went 5-0 and had two pins and one technical fall in three of his matches. Whitford won double titles in Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle at the 2011 ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships and at the 2010 ASICS/Vaughan Cadet National Championships. “It’s a great feeling. This is the first FILA Junior title that I’ve had,” Whitford said. “It’s great to win it for the first time and I get a chance to make that World Team, so I’m excited.” Returning to defend his title this year was 2012 Junior World
Team member Adrian Cordova of Colorado at 50 kg, who only gave up a single point in his three matches. Other champions included Thomas Gillman of Hawkeye Wrestling Club at 55 kg, Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern at 66 kg,
Christopher Castillo of Bronco Wrestling Club at 70 kg, Dylan Palacio of Finger Lakes at 74 kg, Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State at 79 kg, Victor Avery of Edinboro at 84 kg, Kyle Snyder (unattached) at 96 kg and Amarveer Dhesi of NWRTC at 120 kg.
Gilman is a past FILA Cadet World Team member in freestyle who has won Cadet and Junior Nationals.
The field saw a number of newcomers to the scene, including
Avery, who defeated Lucas Sheridan of Hoosier Wrestling at 84 kg, a tough matchup considering Sheridan was a champion in the Greco-Roman competition and a former Greco-Roman Junior World Team member. Also fairly new to men’s freestyle was Palacio. Training out of Ithaca, N.Y., Palacio had the chance to get some words of wisdom from Kyle Dake, who recently became a four-time NCAA champion for Cornell University and won the Hodge Trophy.
“I asked Kyle Dake, what should I do? And he said, freestyle is like chess. One point at a time, and you find yourself at the top of the podium,” Palacio said. “And I just scored one point at a time and here I am.” With competition in Las Vegas over, FILA Junior wrestlers may now begin their journeys toward the U.S. Junior World Team Trials taking place June 20-23 in Stillwater, Okla. Champions from the competition earned the right to the No. 1 spot in men’s freestyle in their bracket at the Trials.
�
31 USA Wrestler
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44