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MADISON, Wis. -- U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athletes Destin McCauley and Pat Downey have not yet entered the college wrestling ranks. On Saturday both showed they can not only compete with some of the nation's top college wrestlers, but also beat them.
McCauley and Downey were two of the 11 champions crowned at the 2012 FILA Junior Nationals in freestyle.
Destin McCauley and Pat Downey shined on SaturdayMcCauley, a five-time Minnesota state champion, came through a loaded bracket to win the title at 66 kilos. He shut out 2009 Junior National freestyle champion Josh Dziewa, an Iowa Hawkeye, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he defeated another Fargo freestyle champion, Jason Tsirtsis, 2-0, 4-2, to advance to the finals. In the finals McCauley earned a fall in the first period over Hunter Stieber, a true freshman All-American at Ohio State.
"I took a low single shot," said McCauley. "It's one of my best attacks. He was holding onto an ankle. I just sat back on it and put him in danger. I was up 4-0, just trying to get my two. But he held on and I just kept leaning back until I could get the touch fall."
McCauley and Stieber have known each other for several years, but had never faced each other.
"Hunter and I have been friends for the longest time," said McCauley. "We have been going to Jeff Jordan's camps at St. Paris Graham forever. Hunter, Logan (Stieber), and I have always been really good friends, but I never wrestled Hunter. I always wrestled Logan. I thought they would have the same style, so I was just ready for that."
One of McCauley's coaches at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Bill Zadick, was pleased with McCauley's performance.
"He went out and wrestled with some fire," said Zadick. "He wrestled an exciting style. It was fun for me as a coach to sit in the chair and watch him perform. I think it was also fun for the fans to see that brand of wrestling."
McCauley will head to Iowa State to wrestle for the Cyclones after the freestyle season. He said he plans to wrestle at 149 pounds and is looking to step in the lineup right away as a freshman. He's excited to wrestle for Kevin Jackson.
"Kevin Jackson is the best coach," said McCauley. "I love the guy. I know he's going to get me to where I want to be. I'll be wrestling folkstyle, but he has his freestyle program right there. I couldn't ask for anything more."
Downey, a two-time Maryland state champion who moved to Florida for his senior year of high school, topped Logan Storley, a true freshman All-American at Minnesota, 1-0, 0-2, 3-2, to claim the title at 84 kilos.
"He's a tough kid," said Downey of Storley. "He stays on the legs a lot. He knows what he's doing with his hand fighting. You just have to head block and be in good position the whole time. When I'm in my positions where I feel I'm the best -- whizzer kicks and on the edge -- I just had to capitalize. It was a good match and I did everything right to win that match."
Downey's coach, Zadick, was familiar with Storley and knew it would take Downey's best effort to come out on top.
"It was a great win for Pat," said Zadick. "I've been on some trips with Logan (Storley). He's a really tough kid and a great competitor. Those are the matchups that everybody likes to see. It was just a great match between two great athletes. Fortunately for Pat he was able to win. I'm super excited for him."
Downey will be taking his talents to Oregon State to wrestle for Jim Zalesky. He plans to wrestle at 184 pounds, and like McCauley, believes he can win an NCAA title right away.
"I'm stepping right in and winning that thing," said Downey.
Ukrainian-born Nazar Kulchytskyy won a deep and talented weight class at 74 kilos that included two-time FILA Junior National champion Taylor Massa, two-time undefeated Pennsylvania state champion Chance Marsteller, nine-time Cadet and Junior All-American Alex Dieringer, four-time state champions Chris Phillips and Nick Moore, among others.
Kulchytskyy went to the clinch in both periods of his finals match against Moore. Both times Kulchytskyy won the ball draw and scored. Moore advanced to the finals by beating Massa in three periods.
Kulchytskyy grew up wrestling only freestyle in Ukraine. Since moving to the United States in high school has mostly wrestled folkstyle. He has battled injuries over the past two years, which prevented him training freestyle. Still, he was confident he would win the title.
"I focused more this year on folkstyle," said Kulchytskyy, who attends the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. "I won NCAAs (Division III). I didn't have the really big camp. I just worked out every day. I would bring a guy to room and wrestle freestyle. I believed that I was the best in the nation. It was a tough bracket, a tough tournament. I did pretty well today. It was not easy, but I'm excited that I won it."
Kulchytskyy, despite winning the FILA Junior National freestyle title, will not be able to wrestle for a spot on the U.S. Junior World Team because he is not yet a U.S. citizen. He has lived in the United States for three years. He must live in the country five years to become a citizen. Kulchytskyy said he could have wrestled for a spot on the Ukraine team, but the qualification event is during his final exams.
"I just came here to show the American coaches that I'm here so they know me in the future," said Kulchytskyy.
Joey Dance, one of the nation's top high school juniors, won the title at 55 kilos, beating Michigan native Conor Youtsey, 3-0, 5-0, in the championship match.
"I knew he had a sturdy stance and he was strong," said Dance, who attends Christiansburg. "He always flares his elbows out, so I thought I would grab an elbow and hit ducks on each side. I just kind of felt him out in the first period and then countered all of his attacks."
Dance, who has already committed to Virginia Tech, was a Junior National freestyle champion in Fargo last summer. He says the two events are similar despite the smaller brackets sizes at FILA Junior Nationals.
"I think this is pretty much the same thing as Fargo," said Dance. "It's not as big, but every single kid you have is just as tough as anyone in Fargo."
Another high school junior, Adrian Cordova, won the tile at 50 kilos. His finals victory came over Antonio Juarez, 1-0, 1-1.
"The whole key for me was to stay in position," said Cordova, a two-time state champion for Coronado High School in Colorado. "I knew the kid was going to get tired so I had to stay on him."
Cordova know has his sights set on winning the FILA Junior World Team Trials and representing the United States at the FILA Junior World Championships.
"It would mean a lot to me to be on the team," said Cordova. "I get to follow in the footsteps of my uncle Henry (Cejudo)."
Returning FILA Junior World Team member Mark Grey, a senior at Blair Academy, won the title at 60 kilos with a 5-3, 3-1 victory over Cody Brewer.
Andrew Capolattano, who reached the round of 12 at the NCAAs this past season as a true freshman, took the title at 96 kilos, beating another Big Ten wrestler, Scott Schiller of Minnesota, 1-0, 2-1, in the finals.
Oklahoma State's Austin Marsden won the heavyweight title with a hard-fought three-period victory in the finals over Navy's Daniel Miller, a returning FILA Junior World Team member.
The three champions in the non-Olympic weight classes were Steven Rodrigues (63 kilos), Justin Deangelis (70 kilos), and Tyler Wilps (79 kilos).
Finals Results:
50 kilos: Adrian Cordova (Westside) dec. Antonio Juarez (Unattached), 1-0, 1-1
55 kilos: Joey Dance (Virginia Elite) dec. Conor Youtsey (Michigan WC), 3-0, 5-0
60 kilos: Mark Grey (Blair Academy) dec. Cody Brewer (Oklahoma Elite), 5-3, 3-1
63 kilos: Steven Rodrigues (Illini WC) dec. Jameson Oster (Wildcat WC), 2-2, 1-1
66 kilos: Destin McCauley (Sunkist Kids) pinned Hunter Stieber (Ohio RTC), 1:25
70 kilos: Justin Deangelis (Oklahoma Elite) dec. Brad Dolezal (Minnesota Storm), 0-2, 3-0, 2-0
74 kilos: Nazar Kulchytskyy (World Class Wrestling) dec. Nick Moore (Hawkeye WC), 1-0, 1-0
79 kilos: Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh WC) dec. Frank Cousins (Badger WC), 1-0,1-0
84 kilos: Pat Downey (Team OTC) dec. Logan Storley (Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 0-2, 3-2
96 kilos: Andrew Campolattano (Ohio RTC) dec. Scott Schiller (Minnesota Storm) 1-0, 2-1
120 kilos: Austin Marsden (Gator/Cowboy WC) dec. Daniel Miller (Navy Mat Club), 0-1, 1-1, 4-1
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