Early Fire MatchUps at Cadet Trials
Early Fire MatchUps at Cadet Trials
The best early matchups at Cadet Trials in Akron.
The Cadet World Team Trials' brackets are loaded and there's no where to hide.
USAWrestling uses a tiered 'level' system for separation as opposed to full-fledged seeding. The result is that a good wrestler without the freestyle credentials outlined by the level system will hit those with the credentials early.
So here's a guide to what to watch for right out of the gates.
WATCH U23 WORLD TEAM TRIALS LIVE ON FLO
Where: Akron, Ohio | When: June 2-3
45KG
Fargo Champ Drake Ayala (IA) vs. Gabe Whisenhunt (OR), who made the GR finals yesterday.
This is the first match at 45kg!
There are also two awesome 2nd round matchups - Fargo AA Zach Mattin (OH) and my pick to win, Eli Griffin (OK) and Jordan Williams (OK) against Stevo Poulin (NY), who made the Pan Am team
48KG
The 2nd round match to watch is FloNationals Champion Richie Figueroa (CA) vs. PA state champ Gary Steen.
Also in the 2nd round is incoming Blair commit Danny Wask (NJ) vs. double Fargo AA Kase Mauger (ID).
51KG
Something about the top of the bracket...
Fargo Champ Cullen Schriever (IA) and Cali state placewinner Tristan Lujan should be a very entertaining 2nd round match.
55KG
Alright - this bracket is one of the deepest high school brackets ever. Seriously. There's heat everywhere. So let's run through them quickly:
Round of 32
Caleb Rathjen (IA) vs. Joey Cruz (CA) - winner gets Trevor Mastrogiovanni right after.
Ryan Crookham (PA) vs. Aaron Nagao (CA)
Round of 16
Robbie Howard (NJ) vs. Nick Bouzakis (FL)
Noah Surtin (IL) vs. Maximo Renteria (CA)
Dominic Serrano (CO) vs. Andrew Chambal (MI)
Jesse Mendez (IN) vs. Julian Tagg (OH)
60KG
Round 1 gives us Fargo Runner-Up Ryan Franco (CA) against a talented sleeper in Cody Chittum (TN) who won two regionals this spring.
I also like the potential R16 match between Beau Bartlett (AZ) and Fargo AA Josh Edmond (MI).
65KG
Watch for the R16 match between Fargo Runner-Up Kevon Davenport (MI) and fellow Fargo AA Luka Wick (CA).
71KG
Gimme the first round match up between Fargo Runner-Up Aaron Gandara (AZ) and Donnell Washington (IL).
80KG
With seven Fargo finalists and over a dozen returning AA's, this weight is one of the best all time.
Fargo Champ Carter Starocci (PA) hits AA Isaiah Alford (NE) in the second round.
Chris Foca (NJ) and Patrick Kennedy is an amazing R16 bout.
The bracket is so deep, there is the potential for two R16 matches that feature former Fargo finalists against one another:
David Key (GA) vs. Julian Ramirez (FL) and Devin Winston (MO) vs. Jake Logan (NY).
92KG
I love the first round matchup of Gabe Christenson (IA) vs. Peter Christensen (IL), but the best early round match of the whole tournament comes in the Round of 16 at 92kg where 2x Fargo double champ Braxton Amos (WV) will likely face FloNationals Champ Jacob Cardenas (NJ).