USA WRESTLING JUNIOR AND CADET NATIONALS Schwartz shines bright
By Craig Sesker FARGO, N.D. – There was plenty of
star power on display at the eight-day ASICS Junior and Cadet Nationals on July 18-25 at the Fargo Dome. It was another action-packed, drama- filled event with the numbers of partici- pants increasing in each division. Colorado’s Mosha Schwartz was the
lone Triple Crown winner this year. He won Cadet Nationals titles in Greco- Roman and freestyle in Fargo after earlier winning Cadet Folkstyle Nationals in the spring in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There were a total of 4,568 entries this
year. Junior Nationals freestyle
Utah’s Taylor LaMont turned in a huge win while Daton Fix and Joe Smith led Oklahoma to the team championship. LaMont avenged a loss from the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman finals with a 15-5 technical fall over Minnesota’s Mitchell McKee in the Junior freestyle finals. McKee fought gamely as he was bid- ding to win a USA Wrestling Triple Crown. McKee beat LaMont 4-2 in the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman finals. LaMont, a three-time Cadet World
Team member in Greco, led 10-5 before gaining a pushout and a four-point move to earn the freestyle title at 132 pounds. “I just had to stay on my offense,” LaMont said. “I’m so good when I’m on my offense.”
Smith came out quickly and recorded a 10-0 technical fall over Minnesota’s Lucas Jeske in the 160-pound finals. Smith becomes the fifth member of his family to win a Junior Nationals title. Joe Smith will wrestle for his father, Oklahoma State coach John Smith, in college. Smith outscored his opponents 72-0 in the tournament and he was named Outstanding Wrestler.
“I have worked really hard and made a lot of improvements with my wrestling,” Joe Smith said. “I’ve spent a lot of time training in the Oklahoma State room and it’s opened my eyes and helped me improve. I’m ready to get into college and wrestle for Oklahoma State, and start working toward winning a national cham- pionship.”
Fix put on a dazzling display in a 10-0 technical fall over returning champion Jack Mueller of Texas in the 120 finals.
12 USA Wrestler
Cadet Triple Crown winner Mosha Schwartz of Colorado. John Sachs photo.
“Winning here means a lot,” Fix said. “I knew I had to come out strong in the finals and now I’m ready to go win a Cadet World title.”
Oklahoma put the finishing touches on the team title. Ohio finished second and Illinois was third in the Junior freestyle competition. It was the first Junior Nationals team title for Oklahoma. Ohio’s Austin Assad powered to a 13-2 win over Junior Folkstyle Nationals cham- pion Navonte Demison of California in the 126-pound finals. Assad repeated as Junior Nationals freestyle champion. 2014 Cadet Triple Crown winner Beau Breske of Wisconsin rolled to a 10-0 tech- nical fall over Xavier Montalvo of Illinois in the 170-pound finals. Nick Reenan of Texas became a dou- ble champion in Fargo after defeating Virginia’s Dylan Wisman 10-6 in the Junior freestyle finals at 182 pounds. Cadet World silver medalist Jordan
Wood of Pennsylvania defeated Minnesota’s Rylee Streifel 10-0 in the finals at 220 pounds. Wood was also sec- ond in the 2015 Junior Greco event.
Louie Hayes of Illinois became a dou- ble Fargo champion after downing California’s Liam Cronin 10-0 in the Junior freestyle finals at 106 pounds. Larry Early of Illinois scored a take- down and turn in the closing seconds to edge California’s Evan Wick 12-8 in a hard-fought battle at 152 pounds. Early had knocked off returning Junior Nationals champion and Cadet World champion Mason Manville of Virginia ear- lier in the tournament. Colorado’s Jacob Seely outlasted Oregon’s Sam Shields-Colbray 3-2 to win the title at 195 pounds. Arizona’s Jason Holmes came out strong en route to a 14-3 win over Pennsylvania’s Jaret Lane in the 100- pound finals. Arizona’s Brandon Courtney held off
Ohio’s Drew Mattin 11-9 in an entertain- ing match in the 113-pound finals. Iowa’s Fredy Stroker topped Florida’s Patricio Lugo 4-3 in the 145-pound finals. Stroker had placed fourth, fourth and fifth in three previous trips to Fargo.
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