Cadet/Junior National ChampionshipsJul 14, 2012 by Willie Saylor
Fargo Cadet GR Preview
Fargo Cadet GR Preview
Fargo Cadet GR Preview
Willie Saylor, Editor
Willie Saylor, Editor
Fargo Cadet Greco Preview
Willie Saylor Editor
The youngsters kick off the men’s action on Sunday with Cadet Greco getting underway. Here I’ll give you the top contenders, my picks, and some commentary.
Note that rosters are submitted the night before weigh-ins, so some scratches and weight changes are possible.
(NC) = Former GR National Champ
* = Former All American (Fila/Fargo)
88lbs.
The Contenders
Michael Doetsch, MD
*Louie Hayes, IL
NC Dalton Roberts, MI
Matt Schmitt, MO
Devin Schnupp, PA
Ryan Zachmeier, ND
Notes:
Roberts won Fila’s and went undefeated at Cadet Duals, beating Hayes in the process. Hayes was 6th in Roberts’ Fila bracket. Schmitt was a double finalist at Southern Plains.
FLO Picks: 1. Roberts (MI) 2. Schnupp (PA) 3. Hayes (IL) 4. Schmitt (MO)
94lbs.
The Contenders
*Tanner Cox
*Chris Cuccolo, NY
Joseph Grass, WV
Hunter Marko, WI
*Clayton Stillwagon, OK
Notes:
Cox was the Runner-Up to Roberts at Fila’s and beat Cuccolo. Stillwagon was 6th in that bracket. Marko won USAW Folk Nationals, and went undefeated at Duals.
FLO Picks: 1. Marko (WI) 2. Cox (UT) 3. Cuccolo (NY) 4. Stillwagon (OK)
100lbs.
The Contenders
*Michael Beck, MD
Kyle Bierdumpfel, NJ
Frankie Bruno, FL
*Gage Currier, MT
Ethan Koen, MO
*Mitchell McKee, MN
*Jacoby Peterson, ID
*Josian Seaton, KS
Jacob Spiess, OH
*Adam Whitesell, MD
Notes:
Koen (at 92) and McKee were both Runners-Up at Fila’s. Beck beat Whitesell for 5th.
Peterson, Currier, and Seaton are returning placers. Spiess won Central Regionals but didn’t place at Fila’s.
FLO Picks: 1. McKee (MN) 2. Koen (MO) 3. Currier (MT) 4. Bierdumpfel (NJ)
106lbs.
The Contenders
*Bryson Beard, WA
NC Danny Boychuck, NJ
Sean Deshazer, KS
Hayden Hidlay, PA
Vincenzo Joseph, PA
*Kamden Krum, ID
Alex Mackall, OH
*Joe Mondragon, UT
*Doyle Trout, NE
*Blaine Tschida, MN
Notes:
We have two Cadet World Team Members in this bracket: Boychuck (101) and Norstrem (110).
Trout (101) and Tschida (110) were 3rd and 4th respectively at Fila’s.
Hidlay beat Boychuck at the NE Regional at this weight.
Krum, Mondragon, Pelot, and Beard were AA’s here last year.
Mackall won Central Regionals. DeShazer won Southern Plains and went undefeated at Duals.
FLO Picks: 1. Norstrem (FL) 2. Tschida (MN) 3. DeShazer (KS) 4. Joseph (PA)
113lbs.
The Contenders
Bobby Alexander, IL
*Brian Burchett, WA
*Anthony Cefolo, NJ
Cody Karstetter, OK
Coy Ozias, VA
Hans Rockwell, OR
*Dante Rodriguez, NE
Tyler Tarsi, PA
Maolu Woiwor, MN
Notes:
Rodriguez was a Runner-Up at JR 98 last year. He’s your favorite here.
Cefolo was a Fila AA in ’11.
Karstetter won Southern Plains.
Tarsi and Woiwor are tough, but are making their first forays into GR.
FLO Picks: 1. Ozias (VA) 2. Karstetter (OK) 3. Rodriguez (NE) 4. Burchett (WA)
120lbs.
The Contenders
Matt Iwicki, WA
Kent Lane, PA
*Jonathon Marmelejo, IL
Rico Montoya, NM
Griffin Parriot, MN
*Matt Rundell, IL
Zahid Valencia, CA
Joe Velliquette, MO
*Cole Weaver, MI
Notes:
Rundell was a Runner-Up at Fila’s last year. He’s probably your guy to beat. California phenom Valencia makes his Fargo debut.
Iwicki won Western Regions and was 7-1 at National Duals, losing only to Marmelejo, who placed 6th here last year. Weaver was 4th.
Lane won NE Regions.
FLO Picks: 1. Rundell (IL) 2. Valencia (CA) 3. Lane (PA) 4. Velliquette (MO)
126lbs.
The Contenders
Ben Brancale, MN
Ian Brown, PA
Larry Early, IL
Sean Fausz, KY
*Seth Gross, MN
Max Pickett, VA
Luke Rowh, MN
*Jacob Rubio, TX
Josh Terao, HI
*Cole Walter
Notes:
Walter is your only returning Fargo GR AA.
Gross and Rubio were 3rd and 5th at Fila’s, respectively. Brancale had a really good National Duals. Early is an Illinois’ young gun. Rowh won Southern Plains.
FLO Picks: 1. Gross (MN) 2. Walter (PA) 3. Rowh (MN) 4. Rubio (TX)
132lbs.
The Contenders
Jose Champagne, IN
Austin Kraisser, MD
*Joey Nelson, WI
Justin Oliver, MI
NC Aaron Pico, CA
Nick Reenan, TX
Notes:
Pico is the top dog as the retuning National Champ.
Nelson was 5th last year at 130.
Champagne is supposed to be the next big thing. He went 7-1 at Duals last month with a win over another phenom, Austin Kraisser, who was 5-2. Reenan is another talented up and comer. He won Folk Nationals in April.
FLO Picks: 1. Pico (CA) 2. Nelson (WI) 3. Oliver (MI) 4. Champagne (IN)
138lbs.
The Contenders
NC Jon Jay Chavez, CA
Colston Diblasi, MO
Patrick Duggan, PA
Isaac Dulgarian, KS
NC Richard Martinez, CA
Dayton Racer, MN
Notes:
We have two returning National Champions at this weight. Both of them (Martinez and Pico) are from Cali.
Duggan was 3rd at the NE Regionals in both styles. Dulgarian was the Southern Plains Champ in both styles. Both were FS AA’s in Fargo last year.
FLO Picks: 1. Chavez (CA) 2. Martinez (CA) 3. Duggan (PA) 4. Racer (MN)
145lbs.
The Contenders
Weston Dobler, ND
*Mason Manville, MN
Mathew Moody, GA
Josh Shields, PA
Dustin Williams, KS
Notes:
Manville was 4th at Fila’s at 138 and undefeated at Duals.
Moody was 6-0 at Duals, a double state champ, and double 3rd at SE Regionals.
Shields won both styles at NE Regionals.
Placing 5th in 2011, Williams is your lone returning medalist.
FLO Picks: 1. Manville (MN) 2. Shields (PA) 3. Williams (KS) 4. Moody (GA)
152lbs.
The Contenders
Sam Begin, MN
Travis Hettinga, WI
*Xavier Montalvo, IL
*Bo Nickal, TX
Anthony Valencia, CA
Notes:
Montalvo was the runner-up at Fila’s and 7th here last year. Nickal was 3rd at both this year’s Fila’s and last year’s Fargo. They’re your clear favorites.
Hettinga was undefeated at Duals in both styles.
Valencia is a phenom. He was a state champ and FloNats Champ, but that was at 132. He’s way up at 52 now.
FLO Picks: 1. Nickal (TX) 2. Montalvo (IL) 3. Hettinga (WI) 4. Valencia (CA)
160lbs.
The Contenders
*Kimball Bastian, UT
Drew Kasper, OH
Luke Kelbington, MN
Mason Reinhardt
Dru Worker, IL
Notes:
Bastian is a returning finalist. He was 5th at Fila’s this spring.
Reinhardt won states in both styles, was undefeated at Cadet Duals, and was a Runner-Up at USAW Folk Nationals.
FLO Picks: 1. Bastian (UT) 2. Reinhardt (WI) 3. Kasper (OH) 4. Worker (IL)
170lbs.
The Contenders
Angus Arthur, MI
Alex Benoit, IL
Tyler Berdahl, MN
Ryan Christensen, WA
Nathan Marek, OK
*Trey Miller, FL
Elijah Preisser, IA
Justin Rivera, GA
NC Chandler Rogers, WA
Dany Vitale, MN
Notes:
As the Cadet World Team Member and Returning Fargo Champ, Rogers is your clear favorite.
Arthur is a great young talent. He was 5-1 at Cadet Duals. Benoit was 6-1, with his only loss to Arthur, but beat the only guy to knock that Arthur had a loss to.
Berdahl was a Runner-Up at USAW Folk Nationals. Christensen won states in both styles.
Rivera was 12-1 across both styles at Duals.
FLO Picks: 1. Rogers (WA) 2. Arthur (MI) 3. Marek (OK) 4. Miller (FL)
182lbs.
The Contenders
Seth Avis, CA
Tevis Bartlett, WY
Samuel Colbray, OR
Terrell Fields, PA
Michael Pixley, MO
Notes:
Pixley won both styles at Southern Plains and went 6-1 at duals. He’s your favorite, but there’s a host of other really intriguing kids in the mix.
I’m really interested to get a look at Bartlett, a Triple Crown winner as a Schoolboy. Another kid that wins virtually everything he goes in is Colbray, including both styles at Western Regionals.
Watch out for Terrell Fields, He came into the summer unheralded, but won NE Regionals and went 10-1 across both styles at Duals.
FLO Picks: 1. Pixley (MO) 2. Fields (PA) 3. Bartlett (WY) 4. Colbray (OR)
195lbs.
The Contenders
Lance Benick, MN
Landon Pelham, MI
Paul Pennington, IL
*Jovan Reyes, PA
Matt Welch, MT
Notes:
Benick is a young phenom. He won USAW Folk Nationals.
Reyes was a Runner-Up here last year.
Pennington won both styles at Northern Plains, while Welch was a double finalist at Westerns.
Keep your eye on Landon Pelham, who is among the best incoming freshman in the country.
FLO Picks: 1. Benick (MN) 2. Reyes (PA) 3. Pelham (MI) 4. Pennington (IL)
220lbs.
The Contenders
Tommy Baker, OH
Kyler Childers, OK
*Christian Jenco, NJ
Terrion Jones, IL
*Ray Nash, UT
Connor Tolley, IN
Notes:
Jenco was 8th here a year ago and went 5-1 at Duals. Nash was 4th at Fila’s last year and won both styles in Western Regionals this season.
Baker, Jones and Childers were each double finalists in their respective Regionals.
Tolley was a double AA at Fila’s finishing 4th in both FS and GR.
FLO Picks: 1. Childers (OK) 2. Jenco (NJ) 3. Nash (UT) 4. Tolley (IN)
HWT
The Contenders
Gavin Jolley-Little, IN
Jake Marnin, IA
Zach Wood, MI
Jack Ziemer, MN
Jason Zook, KS
Notes:
Jolley-Little was a state GR champ and won USAW Folk Nationals this spring.
Marnin was 3rd in last fall’s PreSeason Nationals.
Zook was 3rd in both styles at Southern Plains.
FLO Picks: 1. Jolley-Little (IN) 2. Wood (MI) 3. Marnin (IA) 4. Ziemer (MN)