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  • Photo: Photo/Rob Preston

    Photo: Photo/Rob Preston

    Disney Stars: 13 who shined at AAU Scholastic Duals

    One week ago today was the conclusion of the AAU Scholastic (Disney) Duals in the District All-Star division. The event was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Talented wrestlers were abound throughout the teams competing in the event ... some appeared in the weight class and/or grade-level rankings this past season, and others will fit in the rankings during the next season.

    The rest of this article will discuss a wrestler from almost every weight class that will be competing during the 2015-16 high school season, who had an excellent tournament based on overall record as well as notable victories. Weight classes at this event were scratch plus five pounds with a weigh-in held the evening (Saturday) before the four-day (Sunday-Wednesday) competition.

    106: Tristan Serbus (Corunna, Mich./Michigan Blue)

    Serbus went 11-0 in contested matches (i.e. not forfeits), including ten wins by fall, half of those in the first period. Included in those falls are two over state champions, Mason Wohltman (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and Dakota Roark (West Wilkes, N.C.). Additional falls came against state placer Kevan Gentile (Jim Thorpe, Pa.) and ranked incoming freshman Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio). This past season he finished second in his state tournament at 112 pounds.

    Others to go undefeated: Matt Kazimir (St. Edward, Ohio/The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland) and Cole Manley (Altoona, Pa./Young Guns Black)

    113: Joseph Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla./CFWA-South Florida Lightning)

    Silva, ranked nationally in the Class of 2018, went 12-0 in contested matches with only one victory not coming by a bonus point outcome. In total, half of his matches ended in a fall, with two others being technical falls. Notable wins included pins over two-time state placers in Daniel Moran (Northampton, Pa.) and Ana Abduljelil (Whitehall, Ohio), as well as a 2-1 tiebreak victory over fellow nationally ranked Class of 2018 wrestler Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio).

    Others to go undefeated: Jack Wagner (Bettendorf, Iowa/Iowa Black) and Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa./Young Guns Black)

    120: Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio/Ohio Mafia)

    Despite suffering a loss during the course of the tournament, 3-1 against state champion Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.), the top five Class of 2018 prospect had an excellent tournament going 11-1. This included three victories over two-time state champions: 10-8 in the tiebreaker over Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf, Iowa), 5-2 over Lucas Hall (Lowell, Mich.), and a 12-2 major decision over Danny Bertoni (Middletown, Md.). An additional victory of note came 2-0 in overtime against two-time state placer Colin Glorioso (Huntingdon, Pa.).

    Lone undefeated wrestler: Allan Hart (St. Edward, Ohio/The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland)

    126: Colby Smith (Holt, Mo./Ozark Team STL Slayers)

    The top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler went 8-0 in contested matches during the tournament, with six of those wins coming by bonus points (two pins, two technical falls, and two major decisions). Four of those wins came against noted state placers, including a 14-5 major decision over Zach Trampe (Council Rock South, Pa.), a state runner-up and top 50 Class of 2017 wrestler. The others were by 16-0 technical fall over state runner-up Grant Stotts (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa), 5-0 over 2013 state placer Jacob Wasser (Palisades, Pa.), and 8-4 over Tanner Smith (Mechanicsburg, Ohio).

    Others to go undefeated: Brendan Black (Hobart, Ind./Indiana Gorillas) and Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa./MAWA Blue)

    132: George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa./Young Guns Black)

    The top 15 Class of 2016 wrestler went 9-1 for the tournament, including a 4-3 win over top 50 Class of 2015 wrestler Cameron Kelly (Bellbrook, Ohio), as well as a 9-4 decision over state champion and Junior National freestyle All-American Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford, Pa.). The loss came by a 5-3 score over graduated senior Evan Cheek (Milan Edison, Ohio), a state champion this past season.

    Undefeated wrestlers: Kizhan Clarke (Riverview, Fla./Special Ops) and Josh Heil (Brunswick, Ohio/Ohio Devils)

    138: Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa./Young Guns Black)

    The top ten Class of 2017 wrestler was an undefeated 10-0 for the tournament, including eight victories coming by bonus point outcomes, six of those being first period wins by fall. Notable wins included a 3-2 decision over two-time state champion Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio), a 15-2 major decision over three-time state placer Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa.), a 7-6 victory over top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and a 0:33 fall against New England runner-up Ryan Monteiro (Minnechaug, Mass.).

    145: Logan Lacure (Dayton Christian, Ohio/Ohio Grapplers)

    Two-time state champion Lacure fell outside of the top 100 rankings for the Class of 2016 in the most recent update, but he had a most excellent Disney Duals going 9-2. Those two losses came against top 100 Class of 2015 wrestlers in No. 14 Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa) and No. 75 Patricio Lugo (South Dade, Fla.). Lacure's best win of the tournament came in the form of a 4-3 win over top 100 Class of 2016 wrestle Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.), while he also had three other rather notable wins: 7-4 over two-time state champion Austin Thompson (Marysville, Mich.), 7-4 over state runner-up and top 50 Class of 2018 wrestler Robbie Patrick (Ligonier Valley, Pa.), and 5-3 over three-time state placer Nick Monico (Saegertown, Pa.).

    152: Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind./Michigan Gold Pitbulls)
    This state champion, and No. 34 ranked overall Class of 2016 wrestler, went 7-0 for the tournament in contested matches. This included a 3-0 victory over top 30 Class of 2017 wrestler Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio), and a 1-0 win over fellow top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler Elijah Cleary (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). The five other wins for Hughes during the event came in the form of shutout technical falls.

    Others to go undefeated: Lawrence Kosoy (Olympic Heights, Fla./CFWA-South Florida Lightning)

    160: Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa./Young Guns Black)

    Like in the 145 pound weight class, no returning to high school wrestler went undefeated in this weight class during the event. The most notable performance by an underclassman was from Young, an Iowa commit who is ranked No. 40 overall in the Class of 2016. He went 8-1 in contested matches during the event, including a 5-3 decision over top 100 Class of 2015 wrestler Cole Watler (Mifflinburg, Pa.) and a 0:54 pin over state runner-up Jesse Beverly (Delta, Ohio). The lone loss for Young was 4-2 against another top 100 Class of 2015 wrestler in Devin Skatzka (Richmond, Mich.).

    170: Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary, Pa./MAWA Blue)

    The top 20 Class of 2016 won his first National Prep championship this past season, and just went 10-0 during the Disney Duals. Furthermore, eight of those wins came by bonus point outcomes. Notable victories included a win by fall over two-time state champion Raekwon Reggler (Somerset Academy, Fla.), a 7-5 win over another two-time state champion in Jacob Holschlag (Union, Iowa), along with a 13-0 major decision over two-time state placer Jake Shaffer (Greater Latrobe, Pa.).

    182: Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich./Ohio Grapplers)

    The Disney Duals served as a culmination to a very busy eight-day stretch for this top ten Class of 2018 wrestler. Two weeks prior to the Junior Duals/Disney Duals extravaganza, Whitman went 15-0 across styles at the Cadet Duals. At the Junior Duals (the Wednesday through Saturday before Disney), he went 12-2 across styles (7-1 Greco-Roman, 5-1 freestyle) before making the flight to Florida. While at Disney, he went 11-0 with some notable wins: 2-1 over top ten Class of 2017 wrestler Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.), 2-1 over state champion Joe Teague (Algona, Iowa), 5-1 over state champion Shane Rodenburg (New Kent, Mich.), and 6-4 over state champion Matthew Kindler (Aquinas Catholic, Neb.).

    Others to go undefeated: Dakota Geer (Franklin, Pa./MAWA Blue) and Garrett Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.)

    220: Seth Janney (South Western, Pa./Brawlers Elite Thunder)

    Ranked inside the top 50 for the Class of 2017, this state runner-up went 8-0 in contested matches during the Disney Duals, with five of those wins coming by fall. Notable victories included a 7-5 decision over two-time state placer Gabriel Rangel (Davenport Assumption, Iowa), a pin in 1:06 over two-time state placer Devin Richard (Delta, Ohio), a 7-6 decision over state runner-up Jalen Martin (Jefferson City, Mo.), and a 4-1 victory over state champion Cary Miller (Northwest Guilford, N.C.).

    Others to go undefeated: Chase Beard (Allegan, Mich./Michigan Gold Pitbulls)

    285: Gabriel Beyer (Leon, Fla./CFWA-South Florida Lightning)

    Totally off the radar as just a state runner-up without any other notable credentials prior to the Disney Duals, Beyer certainly enhanced his profile with an 11-1 mark in contested matches during the event. This included three rather high profile victories: 3-2 over Flo Nationals champion Nick Coe (Asheboro, N.C.), 7-3 over state champion Chance Veller (Delta, Ohio), and 4-1 against National Prep champion Michael Rogers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.). The lone loss came 4-3 against state runner-up Deaken McCoy (Galion, Ohio), while Beyer also earned 3-2 victory over two-time National Prep placer Kosta Golobokov (The Phelps School, Pa.).

    Undefeated wrestler: Dante Jiovanetta (Coral Shores, Fla./Special Ops)

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