The Cadet World Team Trials opened up in Akron with Fargo Runner-Up Caleb Rathjen beating former #1-Shayne Van Ness. It was a beacon letting everyone know that all bets were off and that the competition level here was off the charts. 

Since 2014 the United States Cadet Freestyle squad has never failed to earn a team medal. They took Bronze as a team in 2014 and have brought home Silver the last four years. The 2019 version is set following a spectacular tournament in Akron and our ten representatives look like a team that will keep up the medal tradition. 

This is how it went down. 

The Team

A lot of talent and proven consistency. Half the team (McGowan, Figueroa, Mendez, Ulrey, and Catka) wrestled at FloNationals while Facundo is a returning World Teamer and Howard made his third straight Cadet team - the first to do such in freestyle. (Taylor Lamont made three in Greco).

The other three members are Stevo Poulin, the #1 106lber in the country and a Super 32 Champ; Ryan Sokol who was untouchable as a freshman before being injured, and Kyle Haas, one of the highest rated upper weight prospects for years.

In short, you should feel really good about the results from Akron and the team we're sending to Sofia, Bulgaria, at the end of July. Over the last five years we've averaged over six medal matches per year and I don't see any reason why this squad can't match or exceed that. 

The Champs

45KG: Marc-Anthony McGowan, FL

Path: DJ Gillett, Beau Mantanona, Dylan Gilcher, Ben Aranda, Mac Church

Notes: His arrival. McGowan has been one of the top youth wrestlers for years. And though you probably don't know the guys he beat en route to the World Team spot after also winning FloNationals, you will in the future. 

48KG: Stevo Poulin, NY

Path: Greyson Clark, Justin Wells, Joey Fischer, Carter McAllister, Cory Land

Notes: Haters said Poulin was just a viral thing. I told you he was the truth. He had a fine 2018 freestyle season and continued on that trajectory to become what he is now: elite. No one went the distance with him. PSU in his future? I think so.

51KG: Richie Figueroa, CA

Path: Alec Hunter, Braden Graff, Jett Strickenberger, Jordan Williams

Notes: Figs is our most talented and most seasoned guy at 51kg. I think it was a good thing he he took a loss at FloNationals and in R1 of the Akron finals. Keeps him on his grind. It was beautiful to see what didn't work in R1 vs. Williams and make the necessary adjustments to figure it out in R2, then dominate in R3. 

55KG: Robbie Howard, NJ

Path: Nicco Ruiz, Nash Singleton, Gavin Drexler, Jacob Mann, Nicolar Rivera, Jesse Ybarra

Notes: Utterly dominant. Outscored opponents 61-2, which includes two 2018 Fargo Champs. First ever 3xer in FS. Lamont did it in GR. btw - Is anyone coming around to the idea that Robbie can be 125 for PSU for a couple years?

60KG: Jesse Mendez, IN

Path: Hoyt Blaskowski, Zach Tittle, Mick Burnett, Caleb Rathjen, Dom Serrano, Anthony Ferrari

Notes: What a run! What a bracket. There were ten Level 2's or Level 3's. And after plowing through a deep FloNationals field to the title, Mendez backed it by winning Most Outstanding of Akron. His last four opponents were finalists in Fargo or Akron. Incredible. 

65KG: Ryan Sokol, MN

Path: Ryan Dolezal, Bryce Hepner, Kolby Depron, Chase Warden, Dean Hamiti, Derek Fields

Notes: Redemption story. Sokol looked like a prodigy back in 2017 when he won Fargo. After an injury and months spent off the mat, he's officially 'back'. Completely dominant. He’s so polished. Skill, technique, athleticism and Freestyle IQ. Hawkeye fans gotta be drooling. 

71KG: Alex Facundo, MI

Path: Aaden Valdez, Jared Simma, Jaxon Smith, AJ Kovacs, Travis Mastrogiovanni

Notes: Quite simply one of the most talented prep wrestlers in America. Even in his close matches (2-1 in quarters, 4-3 in semis), he completely moved his opponents around and dominated positioning. Mastro gave him trouble in R1, taking a 4-0 lead to the break, but Alex got going after that, outscoring Mastro 13-1 in the next six total minutes. 

80KG: Clayton Ulrey, PA

Path: Ben Vanadia, John Gunderson, Jack Darrah, Colton Hawks, Rylan Rogers

Notes: Ulrey was 5th at Fargo last year. In his bracket in Akron were three of the guys that outplaced him in Fargo. He's improving leaps and bounds, excelling at freestyle positions and techniques, and has one back-to-back majors with FloNationals and now Akron. 

92KG: Kyle Haas, KS

Path: Bennett Tabor, Sam Fisher, Rocky Elam, Noah Pettigrew, Seth Shumate

Notes: Haas won both styles and has officially arrived. And in the FS bracket, you could make an argument that 92kgs, when you got down to the final eight or twelve, was as deep as any bracket. Haas beat two Fargo Champs and Shumate who won an Ohio big school state title.

110KG: Hunter Catka, PA

Path: Jaren Geer, Caspian Grabowski, Ethan Hatcher, Braxton Mikesell

Notes: Catka is a man child and about as athletic a heavyweight as you’ll find in the country right now. He should continue an amazing run of US HWT medalists at Cadet Worlds following in the footsteps of Adam Coon (Gold), Jordan Wood (Silver), Gable Steveson (Gold, Gold), and Greg Kirkvliet (Gold, Silver). 

Non-Champs That Impressed

45KG: Mac Church - beat Sheen, Webster and Volk. Excellent low leg attacks. 

48KG: Cory Land - After winning NHSCA, Land made the GR Team and reached the FS finals where he lost to only Poulin.

51KG: Jordan Williams - With so much talent in the bracket and after a quiet folk season from him, Williams could have been considered 'just another guy' at 51. But he did work, beating Ayala after Ayala beat Cruz and taking one from Figs. Incredibly difficult to finish on.

51KG: Joey Cruz & Drake Ayala - On the front side, pace was a thing, even in a 4 minute match. Cruz then dominated in the 3rd place bout, including the 2nd period.

55KG: Jesse Ybarra - beat Bouzakis, Lamer, and Burks. All questions were answered from a guy that won Fargo last year then lost two or three times in his Arizona high school season. He just went 3rd at Flo and 2nd at Akron. 

60KG: Albert Ferrari - I didn't know what to expect from Ferrari. Though he was a returning finalist, he hadn't competed in quite a while and was up multiple weights. What we got was another impressive performce full of both talent and grit. He just kept rallying. Wins over Caleb Henson and Fargo Champ Josh Edmond and pushed Mendez to the brink.

60KG: Dom Serrano - In his wins he outscored foes 65-2. His only loss was by criteria (7-7) to Mendez on a 5pter. 

65KG: Derek Fields - who?! I told ya. In a state (Ohio) filled with stars, Fields is/was a hidden gem. Who had him as an Akron finalist? 

65KG Dean Hamiti: - who?! I told ya (and picked him 4th in the preview.) Hamiti is quietly a two-timer in Illinois 2A and is full of funk. Down 6-0 to Joey Zargo (who was my pre-tournament favorite), Hamiti got the fall.

71KG: Travis Mastrogiovanni - took one from Facundo. Can’t help but love his continued progress. 

71KG: Dylan Fishback’s Consi Run

92KG: Seth Shumate - You don't know him yet, but he'll be a star. Freshman sensation who is already a state champ and an NHSCA Champ. Now add an Akron finals appearance. 

Team USA Cadet FS Results - Last Five Years