Pennsylvania was unable to secure a spot on USA’s Cadet World Team over the weekend in Akron, OH despite efforts from some of the Keystone State’s top young talent. Overall there were eight top eight finishers in Freestyle and six in Greco-Roman

Only one Pennsylvania wrestler advanced into the best-of-three Championship finals with 2018 PIAA State Champion Hunter Catka (Sun Valley) taking second at 110 kilograms in Freestyle. The sophomore did however secure an impressive win when he took out Illinois stud Luke Luffman in the semifinals. Catka faced Luffman last summer in Fargo and was disposed (10-0), but this time around it was Catka who came out on top in a tight (3-3) match. Luffman secured two push-out points in the first period to Catka’s one. Catka secured a takedown in the second to go up (3-2), which Luffman quickly countered with a push-out of his own. Catka, having the match’s only two-point takedown, was victorious. In the finals Catka was swept in two straight matches by UWW World Champion Daniel Kerkvliet (Minnesota) score (10-0, 10-0).

There were three third place medalists from the Keystone State with PIAA State Champion Carter Starocci (Cathedral Prep) at 80 kilograms, National Prep Champion Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary) at 60 kilograms, and Sheldon Seymour (Troy Area) at 48 kilograms.

Starocci defeated a tough Patrick Kennedy (Minnesota), who owns a Folkstyle win over Trent Hidlay, in the quarterfinals, but dropped a close (2-2) match in the semifinals to Illinois wrestler Abe Assad. Up (2-0) in the second period Starocci gave up a takedown with twenty seconds left. Sophomore Beau Bartlett fell short in a high scoring, action packed match against eventual World Team member Josh Saunders (Missouri). Saunder scored a push out and Bartlett responded with a takedown and turn to end the first period up (4-1). In the second, Saunders converted on a low single and immediately went to work with a gut wrench, scoring on four exposures and taking an (11-4) advantage. Beau battled back hard scoring on two push outs and concluded the match with a takedown falling (11-8) to Saunders. Seymour went (5-1) for the Tournament at 48 kilograms to finish in third place and, along the way, he defeated 2018 PIAA State Champion Gary Steen (Reynolds) by a score of (8-0).

Other Pennsylvania medalists in Freestyle were eighth place Ryan Miller (Blair Academy) at 51 kilograms, eighth grader Ryan Crookham (Saucon Valley) took fourth at 55 kilograms, Marckis Branford (Wilson Area) took sixth at 60 kilograms, and Ed Scott (DuBois Area) was eighth at 65 kilograms.

In Greco-Roman Sheldon Seymour again took third at 48 kilograms, joined by Jakob Gilfoil (Central Dauphin) who took eighth, Josh Jones (Saucon Valley) was fifth at 60 kilograms, and Caden Rogers (Penn Manor) took eighth at 65 kilograms. Two Pennsylvania wrestlers finished top eight at 80 kilograms with Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti Academy) taking third and Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan) was sixth.

Take a look below at the top finishers from Akron!

 

Cadet Freestyle

 

41-45 KG

1st Chance Lamer (Orange Crush WC) VPO Maxximus Martinez (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage), 2-0
3rd Stevo Poulin (Journeymen WC) VPO1 Alex Almeyda (NYCRTC/EDGE), 6-2
5th Jordan Williams (Threestyle Wrestling) VFA Casey Swiderski (BTWC), 10-1 2:17
7th Eli Griffin (Threestyle Wrestling) VIN Drake Ayala (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

 

48 KG

1st Richard Figueroa ll (Sunkist Kids/Monster Garage) VPO Kyle Rowan (The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland), 2-0
3rd Sheldon Seymour (X-Calibur) VPO Jacob Mann (USWA), 5-0
5th Cole Skinner (USA-Ohio Wrestling) VSU Tommy Curran (Hurricane WC), 11-0 1:38
7th Kase Mauger (Delchev Trained Academy) VSU Joe Scheeran (Journeymen WC), 10-0 1:42

 

51 KG

1st Matthew Ramos (Colt Wrestling) VPO Anthony Ferrari (Best Trained Texas), 2-0
3rd Greg Diakomihalis (FLWC) VPO1 Cooper Flynn (McDonogh School), 8-1
5th Carter Young (Team BIG) VFO Cullan Schriever (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
7th Tristan Lujan (Sons Of Thunder Academy) VPO1 Ryan Miller (Blairstown WC), 4-1

 

55 KG

1st Robert Howard (Titan Mercury/Bitetto Trained) VPO Julian Tagg (USA-Ohio Wrestling), 2-0
3rd Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blairstown WC) VSU Ryan Crookham (Lost Boys WC), 10-0 3:53
5th Teague Travis (Eierman Elite) VFA Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado WC), 15-10 3:57
7th Maximo Renteria (Dethrone) VPO1 Dylan Ragusin (Izzy Style), 10-7

 

60 KG

1st Joshua Saunders (TMWC) VPO Frankie Tal-Shahar (SWAT), 2-0
3rd Beau Bartlett (Sunkist Kids) VPO Ryan Franco (Darkhorse), 8-0
5th Keegan O`Toole (Askren Wrestling Academy) VSU Marckis Branford (LVWC), 11-0 1:37
7th Joshua Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central) VFO Wyatt Henson (Sunkist Kids)

 

65 KG

1st Carson Manville (Banditos) VPO1 Fidel Mayora (Izzy Style), 2-1
3rd Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central) VPO1 Bryce Andonian (The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland), 12-5
5th Cade Devos (Iron Rams) VPO1 Luke Surber (Tuttle Wrestling), 10-7
7th Victor Voinovich (Seasons) VSU Ed Scott (Young Guns), 10-0 0:17

 

71 KG

1st Alex Facundo (Team Donahoe) VPO Joshua Otto (Askren Wrestling Academy), 2-0
3rd Jace Luchau (Sons Of Thunder Academy) VSU Padraic Gallagher (The Wrestling Factory of Cleveland), 12-0 1:28
5th Sonny Santiago (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) VSU Lance Runyon (Iron Rams), 10-0 1:28
7th Aaron Gandara (Wrestling Prep) VSU Donnell Washington (Portage High School), 10-0 2:22

 

80 KG

1st Abe Assad (Izzy Style) VPO1 Julian Ramirez (Blairstown WC), 2-1
3rd Carter Starocci (Bad Karma) VPO1 David Key (Compound), 3-2
5th Zach Glazier (Minnesota) VPO1 Ethan Hatcher (Seasons), 9-4
7th Jacob Logan (GPS Wrestling) VPO1 Patrick Kennedy (Minnesota), 8-4

 

92 KG

1st Albert Ferrari (Best Trained Texas) VPO Konner Doucet (Oklahoma), 2-0
3rd Braxton Amos (Team Miron) VPO1 Peter Christensen (Izzy Style), 6-4
5th Jacob Cardenas (Rednose) VFA Niccolo Colucci (St. Peter’s Prep), 8-0 0:36
7th Wyatt Hendrickson (Team Kansas) VPO1 Gabe Christenson (Iron Rams), 11-10

 

110 KG

1st Daniel Kerkvliet (TMWC/Pinnacle) VPO Hunter Catka (LAB Trained), 2-0
3rd Luke Luffman (IRTC) VSU1 Hayden Copass (Unattached), 12-1 2:00
5th Joshua Heindselman (Oklahoma) VSU1 Isaac Righter (MSJ Titans), 13-3 3:07
7th Andy Garcia (La Gente WC) VSU William Taylor (Unattached), 10-0 3:42

 

Cadet Greco-Roman

 

41-45 KG

1st Cale Anderson (Team Wisconsin) VPO Gabe Whisenhunt (Orange Crush WC), 2-0
3rd Payton Jacobson (Team Wisconsin) VPO1 Joseph Couch (MSJ Titans), 7-2
5th Laz Maldonado (Ronin) VFO Chance Lamer (Orange Crush WC)
7th Abraham Hinrichsen (IRTC) VPO1 Brandon Baustert (MWC Wrestling Academy), 6-1

 

48 KG

1st Brenden Chaowanapibool (Washington) VPO1 Kenneth Crosby (Sons Of Thunder Academy), 2-1
3rd Sheldon Seymour (X-Calibur) VSU Christian Decatur-Luker (Backyard WC), 8-0 3:03
5th Sean Thompson (MWC Wrestling Academy) VFO Kase Mauger (Delchev Trained Academy)
7th Nate Rubino (MWC Wrestling Academy) VSU Jakob Gilfoil (Lancaster Alliance Wrestling), 8-0 1:11

 

51 KG

1st Jakason Burks (MWC Wrestling Academy) VPO1 Aizayah Yacapin (Ford Dynasty WC), 2-1
3rd Dyson Kunz (MWC Wrestling Academy) VSU1 Garett Lautzenheiser (Parkview), 10-2 2:50
5th Carter Young (Team BIG) VFO Matthew Ramos (Colt Wrestling)
7th Zachary Keal (Greater Heights Wrestling) VPO1 Jackson Nielsen (MWC Wrestling Academy), 8-7

 

55 KG

1st Hunter Lewis (Team Wisconsin) VPO1 Dylan Ragusin (Izzy Style), 2-1
3rd Conor Knopick (MWC Wrestling Academy) VPO1 Haiden Drury (Takedown Express WC), 3-3
5th Parker Decker (Spartan Mat Club) VPO1 Caden McCrary (Compound), 9-7
7th Nick Masters (Compound) VFA Carter Stephenson (Sons Of Thunder Academy), 2-0 0:22

 

60 KG

1st Phillip Moomey (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC) VPO Miles Knuckles (N/A), 2-0
3rd Ryan Franco (Darkhorse) VSU1 Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma RTC), 12-4 3:02
5th Joshua Jones (LVWC) VSU Preston Decker (Spartan Mat Club), 9-0 1:03
7th Chayse La Joie (Northern Exposure) VSU1 Tarrell Wallace Jr. (Garage Boyz/Girlz), 16-8 3:45

 

65 KG

1st Dominic Damon (Unattached) VPO Chance McLane (Montana), 2-0
3rd Cougar Andersen (Threestyle Wrestling) VPO1 Carson Manville (Banditos), 8-5
5th Fidel Mayora (Izzy Style) VFA Brayden Roberts (Patriots WC), 6-0 0:54
7th Alec McDoulett (Oklahoma) VPO Caden Rogers (Lancaster Alliance Wrestling), 7-0

 

71 KG

1st James Burks (MWC Wrestling Academy) VPO1 Jace Luchau (Sons Of Thunder Academy), 2-1
3rd Adrian St. Germain (Ford Dynasty WC) VPO1 Aaron Gandara (Wrestling Prep), 8-5
5th Colby Njos (Pinnacle) VPO1 Donnell Washington (Portage High School), 10-6
7th Bubba Wilson (Team Kansas) VIN Aaron Bancroft (Backyard WC), 0-0 0:00

 

80 KG

1st Abe Assad (Izzy Style) VPO Jonathon Fagen (Suples WC), 2-0
3rd Angel Garcia (BTS-PAL) VPO1 Ryan Ringler (Cedar Springs, MI), 6-5
5th Kyle Haas (Team BIG) VSU1 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Young Guns), 14-4 2:18
7th Isaiah Alford (MWC Wrestling Academy) VSU Tyler Hannah (Team Wisconsin), 12-0 2:49

 

92 KG

1st Jacob Kaminski (Unattached) VPO Peter Christensen (Izzy Style), 2-0
3rd Gabe Christenson (Iron Rams) VPO1 Braxton Amos (Team Miron), 12-10
5th Gavin Carter (Team Kansas) VSU Ashton Sharp (Greater Heights Wrestling), 11-0 1:33
7th Wyatt Hendrickson (Team Kansas) VSU Matthew Cover (Unattached), 8-0 0:38

 

110 KG

1st Luke Luffman (IRTC) VPO Joshua Heindselman (Oklahoma), 2-0
3rd Andy Garcia (La Gente WC) VPO1 Braxton Mikesell (INWTC), 5-4
5th Louden Haga (Patriots Wrestling Club) VSU1 Aurelius Krumholz (Northern Exposure), 13-2 2:47
7th William Taylor (Unattached) VFA Wade Humphrey (Prodigy), 0-0 0:23