FARGO, N.D. -- Short and sweet. Very clear outcomes. The Cadet National freestyle competition came to a conclusion with finals matches in all 17 weight classes, and there was no match that went into the third period.
In fact the only match in which the winning wrestler lost a period was the opening match at 84 pounds. Jabari Moody (Illinois), who was champion in folkstyle and runner-up in Greco-Roman, lost the opening period 3-3 to Luke Karam (Pennsylvania) since he gave up a three-point move to open the match. However, in the second period, Moody countered a Karam attack, threw Karam on his back and got the fall at the 41-second mark.
Another pair of wrestlers from the Land of Lincoln would win freestyle titles on Friday afternoon, as Illinois added yet another team championship to mantle this offseason on the strength of 13 total All-Americans. Additional championships came from Colin Holler at 140 pounds and Ricky Robertson at 171 pounds, both of whom happened to have a loss during the course of the tournament.
Holler upended Kenny Martin (Nebraska) by fall in the second period at 1:09 after winning the first period 6-0. The fall came on a third feet-to-back takedown, all of them coming off of locks toward the edge of the mat.
Robertson scored a 5-3, 2-1 victory over Parker Vonegidy (North Carolina) in his championship match; Vonegidy was the lone finalist to have two losses prior to the championship round.
Gannon Volk (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)At 91 pounds, Volk became the 10th Cadet Triple Crown winner in the ninth year of the award's existence, when he earned a fall in 1:53 against Miguel Silva (Illinois). Silva had a 2-0 lead prior to the sequence of the fall off a throw after a scramble. To secure the fall, Volk used a front headlock, found the cradle, and drove Silva to his back.
Then at 112 pounds, Gross upended Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) 4-2, 5-2. The key scores in each period for Gross came off counters to attempted gut-wrench exposures by Crone.
Sandwiched in between Volk and Gross, Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) upended returning Cadet freestyle champion Ronnie Bresser (Oregon) 7-0, 3-1. Each wrestler had won a Cadet folkstyle title, Thorn at 105 pounds and Bresser at 98 pounds, while Bresser was going for a Cadet Triple Crown after winning the Greco-Roman tournament at 98 pounds. During the first period, Thorn scored on a barrel roll takedown and then three consecutive gut wrenches. Thorn scored the tying takedown in the second period off a front headlock, and sealed it on a counter exposure.
The fourth Minnesota champion came from the last match of the evening where Sam Stoll, a 2010 InterMat JJ Classic champion, beat Chet Spears (Oregon), 4-3, 4-2. That made a sweep of the week for Stoll at 285 pounds.
Chance Marsteller (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)There was no doubt about who turned in the most impressive performance on Friday afternoon, and throughout the week. That would be now two-time Cadet National freestyle champion Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania), who throttled Keilan Torres (Oklahoma), 6-0, 7-0, in the final at 152 pounds. Marsteller went through 17 matches in both styles without giving up a single point. His performances anchored 14 total All-Americans for Pennsylvania, as the Keystone State finished second to Illinois in the standings.
The last wrestler to sweep championships this week at the Cadet level was Aaron Pico (California), who upended Gary Wayne Harding (Oklahoma), 4-0, 8-2 in the 119-pound final. Pico was dominant in his leg attacks, scoring five takedowns in the course of the match.
Two other champions ascended one step higher on the podium than their runner-up finish in Greco-Roman. Hayden Tuma (Idaho) dominated Geordan Martinez (Colorado) in a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall victory at 130 pounds, while Kyle Snyder (Maryland) defeated Nathan Rotert (South Dakota), 2-0, 2-1.
Rounding out the champions were Edgar Bright (Ohio) at 125 pounds, who made it four champions in all that lost earlier matches in the tournament; Grant Leeth (Missouri) at 135 pounds; Dylan Milonas (New Jersey) at 145 pounds; and Zach Beard (Oklahoma) at 160 pounds, who added this title to his Cadet folkstyle title won in April.
Finals Results:
84: Jabari Moody (Illinois) pinned Luke Karam (Pennsylvania), 3-3, 0:41
91: Gannon Volk (Minnesota) pinned Miguel Silva (Illinois), 1:53
98: Stevan Micic (Indiana) dec. Austin Assad (Ohio), 6-0, 4-3
105: Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) dec. Ronnie Bresser (Oregon), 7-0, 3-1
112: Seth Gross (Minnesota) dec. Andrew Crone (Wisconsin), 4-2, 5-2
119: Aaron Pico (California) dec. Gary Wayne Harding (Oklahoma), 4-0, 8-2
125: Edgar Bright (Ohio) dec. Jonce Blaylock (Oklahoma), 6-3, 3-0
130: Hayden Tuma (Idaho) tech. fall Geordan Martinez (Colorado), 6-0, 6-0
135: Grant Leeth (Missouri) dec. Jack Bass (Virginia), 5-0, 3-2
140: Colin Holler (Illinois) pinned Kenny Martin (Nebraska), 6-0, 1:09
145: Dylan Milonas (New Jersey) dec. Javaughn Perkins (Nebraska), 1-1, 7-0
152: Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Keilan Torres (Oklahoma), 6-0, 7-0
160: Zach Beard (Oklahoma) tech. fall Dustin Fuller (Iowa), 6-0, 7-0
171: Ricky Robertson (Illinois) dec. Parker Vonegidy (North Carolina), 5-3, 2-1
189: Mitch Sliga (Indiana) dec. Jordan Ellingwood (Illinois), 3-0, 1-0
215: Kyle Snyder (Maryland) dec. Nathan Rotert (South Dakota), 2-0, 2-1
285: Sam Stoll (Minnesota) dec. Chet Spears (Oregon), 4-3, 4-2
Team Scores:
1. Illinois 70 (13 All-Americans)
2. Pennsylvania 60 (14)
3. Minnesota 42 (8)
4. Oklahoma 41 (7)
5. Missouri 40 (9)
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