Joseph and Krivus Help Team USA Defeat Iowa in Dream Team Dual
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Future Iowa Hawkeye Michael Kemerer won’t be pleased with his second trip in two weeks to the Hawkeye State. A week after competing for Iowa during AGON’s Iowa vs. The World dual meet in Cedar Rapids the #1 ranked wrestler in the Nation at 145 lbs. returned for the USA Dream Team Classic.
Team USA faced off with Team Iowa and Kemerer took on a well-known opponent. #1 Kemerer met for the second time in a month #2 Max Thomson of Iowa. At the Dapper Dan Classic Kemerer downed Thomson (6-3) in a battle of the top two ranked wrestlers in the Nation. Michael also defeated Thomson in the Super 32 Finals in October 2014. This time around it was Thomson who, in his home state, avenged the defeat (6-4) in the final bout of the dual meet. After Kemerer knotted it up in the third period (4-4) with an escape Thomson was able to secure a takedown in the last ten seconds to go ahead (6-4) and claim his first victory over the PIAA State Champion in three attempts.
This may not be the end of these two clashing as Kemerer will attend Iowa and Thomson will head to Northern Iowa next Fall. The defeat won’t sit well for Michael but he hasn’t let that be a factor before as he finished as the PA State Runner-up in his first three seasons.
The USA Team, headed by Franklin Regional Head Coach Eric Mausser, featured three other Pennsylvania wrestlers. Kemerer’s teammate Josh Shields, entered ranked #2 in the Nation at 160 lbs. and faced #4 in the Nation Bryce Steiert. Despite getting in deep on a leg in the first period it was Steiert who secured the match clinching takedown in the third period to win (3-1) over the Arizona State recruit.
Despite Pennsylvania dropping two of four competitors to Team Iowa the Keystone State helped propel Team USA to a win behind wins from Vincenzo Joseph and Sammy Krivus. At 138 lbs. 2x PIAA State Champion Sam Krivus entered ranked #2 in the Nation and faced Iowa’s Josh Wenger. Krivus controlled the match picking up a (7-2) victory for Team USA. It was explosive senior Vincenzo Joseph (Pitt. Central Catholic) who silenced the crowd after dismantling Chase Straw by tech-fall (25-10). Joseph, entered ranked #2 in the Nation, while Straw was competing in his home gym of Independence, Iowa.
Team USA 30 Team Iowa 22
Rankings based on Intermat’s Nationally Rankings
170: No. 11 Jacob Holschlag (Union) dec. Luke Entzel (Missoula Big Sky, Mont.), 1-0
182: No. 6 Kollin Moore (Norwayne, Ohio) maj. dec. No. 18 Evan Hansen (Exira), 15-6
195: No. 9 Cash Wilcke (OA-BCIG) dec. Tyler Johnson (Lockport, Ill.), 3-2
195: No. 2 Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. No. 10 Steven Holloway (Mediapolis), 8-6
220: No. 5 Ryan Parmely (Maquoketa Valley) maj. dec. Jay Nino (Genoa, Ohio), 10-2
285: No. 6 Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.) dec. Mario Pena (Hampton Dumont), 6-3
113: Brennen Doebel (Clear Lake) dec. Arik Furseth (Janesville Craig, Wis.), 5-2
120: No. 20 Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf) dec. No. 7 (at 113) Garrett Pepple (East Noble, Ind.), 6-0
126: No. 14 Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. No. 17 Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk), 10-4
132: No. 1 Kaid Brock (Stillwater, Okla.) maj. dec. Paul Glynn (Bettendorf), 17-4
138: No. 2 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) dec. Josh Wenger (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 7-2
145: Tristan Moran (Stillwater, Okla.) tech. fall Aaron Meyer (Southeast Polk), 18-3
152: No. 2 Vincenzo Joseph (Pitt. Central Catholic, Pa.) tech. fall Chase Straw (Independence), 25-10
160: No. 4 Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock) dec. No. 2 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.), 4-2
145: No. 2 Max Thomsen (Union) dec. No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), 6-4[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]