Maryland’s Freestyle success at Fargo did not carry over into Greco-Roman, a discipline they usually excel in more so than FS. The final weekend of action at the Fargo Dome in North Dakota was all about GR. After watching five grapplers earn All-American status in FS, that number fell to two in GR. Both are now 16U Double All-Americans – Tyler Verceles (94lbs) and Salah Tsarni (165).
Verceles, who is headed to Loyola as a freshman, reached the FS finals and was close to duplicating that feat in GR, but was toppled in the semis by Georgia’s 88lb 16U FS champ, Ariah Mills, 6-2. Mills went on to win this weight class, too. The soon to be Don composed himself and came back to take third, pinning Lazarus McEwen of Washington in 1:28 with the score tied at four all.
Verceles’ consolation semifinal opponent, Michigan’s Dylan Nieuwenhuis, was a familiar foe whom he beat in the round of 16, on a 10-0 technical superiority in 1:58. In this encounter, Verceles flattened the Michigander in 47 seconds. Nieuwenhuis placed sixth here.
“Before my Greco semi-final match, I had the mindset that there was no way I’m going to lose,” Verceles explained. “I just have to wrestle smart and avoid making mistakes. Unfortunately, I made one mistake in that match (a poor arm throw attempt), which ended up costing me six points and eventually the match. I knew exactly what I had done wrong as soon as I stepped off the mat, and I learned from that experience. I used the loss as motivation for the rest of my matches in the consolation rounds, and eventually in the third-place match. I was disappointed to not make it back to the finals, but I was reminded from that loss in the semi-finals that this sport is about continuing to learn and develop as a wrestler.”
Verceles collected two other wins in the championship bracket before meeting Mills. In the opener, Verceles teched Washington’s Maddox Taft, 8-0. A 9-1 tech fall greeted Iowa’s Chase Watkinson in the quarters. As a quick refresher, in GR an eight-point margin is needed for a technical superiority win.
“(After the loss) I was reminding myself that I knew what mistake I made in the prior match,” Verceles continued, “And I concentrated on wrestling smart, aggressive and mistake free. The loss motivated me to dominate my next opponents and place the highest I possibly could, which was third.”
*All photo credit goes to the amazing Rachel Lopez! (Thanks Rachel!!)
“Third place in Fargo is a huge accomplishment and something I cannot overlook, but it is not my ultimate goal. For being my first year out at Fargo, Double All-American is a dream come true for me. I wrestled better than I ever have before. With some adjustments and persistent hard work throughout next season, I will be back next year to chase a national title, with thoughts of “chicken” on my mind.”
“I had an amazing experience this year making the trip with incredibly supportive teammates and coaches who helped me keep on track with weight management, picked me up after my losses, and joined me in celebrating my victories. Also, the tournament itself was a grind, being six days long, so rest was very important for me. The Fargo tournament experience was better than I could have imagined, but I feel like l left things on the table. As my Headhunters coaches say, “Live for the battle, win the hustle contest, be tough, and with each loss creates a monster that will dominate Fargo for the next four years.”
Tsarni was third in FS and finished fifth in GR. In the fifth-place match, Tasrni teched Nebraska’s Riley Johnson, 12-4. Prior to that, Tsarni suffered two straight defeats to fourth place finishing Parker Casey (IA), 8-0, and 8-5 to Double 16U Champ, Aaron Stewart (IL). Stewart, who was also a double champ last year, is currently ranked 10th in the nation at 165lbs by Scorebook Live. Stewart beat Gilman’s Emmitt Sherlock in both styles at Fargo last year.
To reach the semis, Tasrni peeled off four consecutive wins with the first three being techs, 8-0 over Illinois’ Diego Lopez in the round of 64, 11-0 against Timothy Brown III (GA) in the round of 32, and an 8-0 round of 16 tally versus Jake Rheaume (GA). In the quarters, Tasrni beat Texas’ Carter Nekvapil, 6-4. Nekvapil ended up beating Casey in the third-place match.
Just like in FS, both of Tsarni’s Bullis teammate Noah Tucker’s losses were to Fargo place winners.
Tucker (16U 157), a state placer, was one win from reaching the blood round when he fell to Georgia’s Miles Lesley, 2-2. Lesley placed eighth. Tucker lost in his second match of the tournament in the round of 64 to Florida’s Tyree Graham, who placed sixth in FS.
A win in the round of 128, 8-0 over Colorado’s Gabriel Galindo, set up that meeting with Graham. Once in the consolation bracket, Tucker produced five straight wins before his encounter with Lesley. The first two were pins, 1:46 with Kale Davis (MO), and 1:59 versus Illinois’ Bennett Westfallen. Three techs were next, Luke Conroy (ND), 9-0, Brenden Voight (IL), 10-0, and 14-6 over Radic Dvorak (IL).
Future Mt. St. Joseph grappler Corey Brown (16U 106) couldn’t capitalize on his momentum from a runner-up showing in16U FS and failed to reach the GR podium. Brown was the victim of a blood round pin by Alabama’s William Atkinson while holding a 14-6 lead. That misfortune followed him after a 2-2 heartbreaker of a loss in the quarters to eventual silver medalist, Montero Royal (SC). Atkinson would go on to place fifth.
Brown’s three wins to reach the quarters came over New Jersey’s Eric Bocanegra, 6-4, Wisconsin’s Collin Frey, 8-0, and Idaho’s Greysen Packer, 8-2.
“I was definitely really upset,” remarked Brown. “That’s not what I was expecting. I thought I was going to make the finals for Greco too. But I also bumped up in weight and I was pretty small. I barely walk around at 106. That’s the first time I’ve ever wrestled 106.”
Eleanor Roosevelt’s state runner-up, Austin Hayes (16U 100) was 2-2 in FS. In GR, Hayes was one match away from the blood round when New Jersey’s William Webb decked him, 2:42. Hayes was winning that match 7-2 and had to watch in frustration as Webb landed in the eighth spot on the podium.
Three wins in the consolation rounds got Hayes to that point. Minnesota’s Blake Brose fell by tech, 9-0, California’s Shawn Price was also teched, 8-0, and Indiana’s Case Bridge was given a 4-1 loss. Hayes’ loss in the championship round of 32 to Urijah Courter (IA), 19-12, was preceded by a 9-0 tech over Camron Smith (PA).
Stephen Decatur’s two-time state champ, Elijah Collick (16U 120) saw his GR Fargo journey end in the same round as his FS one, the consolation 16 #2, which is two wins away from the blood round. Nebraska’s Kameron Green Jr scored last to win that match 1-1.
Collick won two close consolation matches to get there, 3-2 over Pennsylvania’s Marco Loss, and 3-1 versus Iowa’s Caleb Arroyo. A round of 32 loss to California’s nationally ranked Arseni Kikiniou (No. 10 at 113), 7-2, kicked Collick to the secondary bracket. Before that, Collick beat Illinois’ Ryan Dorn, 4-1, and Wisconsin’s Braden Johnson, 7-2. Kikiniou went onto to win the gold in this bracket.
Good Counsel’s state placer, George Tate (16U 190) also ended up two matches from a blood round match. While he posted the same 3-2 record as he did in FS, Tate advanced one round farther in both the championship and consolation brackets in GR.
Tate’s journey came to an end with a 15-6 loss to Ohio’s Xander Horak. Tate pinned Robert McCoy (GA), 3:03), and teched Campbell Frook (VA), 8-0, for his consolation wins. A 1-1 championship bracket saw Tate lose to the fifth-place finisher, Michael Boyle (OH), 6-2, and beat Utah’s Zion Talia, 8-0.
Wrestlers who were 2-2 in 16U GR were Mt. St. Joe’s Connor Allison (132) and Oakland Mills’ Raul Rodriguez (150).
Three Marylanders stood out in the GR Junior brackets, although none of them placed. St. Mary’s Ryken’s Evan Boblits (144) and Centennial’s Calvin Kraisser (150) were both two matches from the blood round when they took their final losses. Ben Smith (165) bowed out one round earlier than those two.
Boblits, a state champ and national prep placer, reached the same consolation round in GR as he did in FS before being eliminated by Nebraska’s Mason Peterson, 5-4. Boblits made a strong run to the round of 16 before he was kicked to the consolation bracket by Oklahoma’s Jake Miller, 9-0. Miller placed seventh.
The Knight won a round of 128 match 10-6 over Colorado’s Daniel Evans, then posted two shutout techs to reach the round of 16, 8-0 against Florida’s James Kosza and 9-0 versus Oklahoma’s Garrison Sartain.
“It’s fun to go out there (Fargo)”, Boblits said. “I wanted to place this year, but I wasn’t able to. Both of my losses in Greco I could have won had I done a couple of things differently. I like to think I would have been able to win both of those matches. It just gives me work to do. Everybody can get better. It just gives me a reason to work harder and push to be better.”
“I’m not big on the rankings,” Boblits remarked when asked about he, Miller, and Peterson being just outside the national rankings. “I stay away from that. To not give me nerves, for example, if I’m going up against a top ten ranked kid. But I definitely think, after going up against ranked kids, and performing well, I think I deserve to be on the national rankings list.”
Both of three-time state champion Kraisser’s losses came to GR placers, Rafael O. Garcia Morales (United States Territories, 7th place), 11-4, and Tre Haines (WA, 6th place), 10-2, in the round of 64.
After the round of 64 loss, Kraisser took out four straight foes. Technical superiority decisions were earned in matches with North Carolina’s Shawn Bass, 8-0. Georgia’s Nathan Nielsen, 12-3, and Nevada’s Isaac Balden, 10-1. Wisconsin’s Michael Galloway was handled with an 11-8 decision.
Smith, who won a state crown for St. Joe two years ago and came in ranked 25th in the nation, was kept from the podium in GR. This was a surprising turn of events because GR is Smith’s specialty. In fact, Smith was seventh at the U20 US Open in GR. So, to see him lose his very first match in the round of 128 to Oregon’s Owen Hull, 4-4, was a head turner.
Smith, who placed at National Preps for the New York Military Academy this year, tried to mount a run to the podium after that loss but was only able to reel of three wins before dropping another match where his opponent scored last, 6-6, to Virginia’s Samuel Diggs. None of the wrestlers who beat Smith became All-Americans.
Smith did avenge a FS loss to Illinois’ Jimmy Mastny, 5-1. Smith’s other wins came by tech against Nolan Kielcheski (WI), 8-0, and Gabe Lilly PA), 9-0.
Junior GR grapplers that posted 2-2 tallies were Boonsboro’s state champ Tanner Halling (126) and Sparrows Point’s Christian Manley (126).
Brackets:
16U MEN GRECO-ROMAN
88 LBS
1st Thales Silva (CA) VPO1 Hudson Chittum (TN), 3-2
3rd Wyatt Dannegger (MO) VSU Hunter Shirley (WA), 8-0 1:26
5th Cameron Schofield (IN) VSU Damien Yeoman (IA), 8-0 0:57
7th Onofre Gonzales (CO) VPO1 Stephano Calderon (SC), 8-5
94 LBS
1st Ariah Mills (GA) VPO1 Tristan Pino (CO), 6-1
3rd Tyler Verceles (MD) VFA Lazarus Mcewen (WA), 4-4 1:28
5th Thiago Silva (CA) VSU Dylan Nieuwenhuis (MI), 10-0 2:57
7th Vince Von bernewitz (VA) VFA Lucas Forman (NV), 9-9 3:37
100 LBS
1st Loc Webber (OH) VSU Landon Thoennes (MN), 9-0 1:14
3rd Chase Karenbauer (PA) VSU Symon Woods (IL), 9-0 3:35
5th Drew Dawson (OR) VSU1 Coy Mehlert (IA), 16-6 1:45
7th Ethan Humphrey (IA) VPO1 William Webb (NJ), 4-4
106 LBS
1st Hayden Schwab (IA) VSU Montero Royal (SC), 8-0 1:44
3rd Chase Kastner (CT) VPO1 Brycen Dawley (WA), 15-10
5th William Atkinson (AL) VPO1 Jackson Shipley (TX), 7-2
7th Cruzer Dominguez (NE) VSU Coleton Klipa (PA), 8-0 0:46
113 LBS
1st Alexander Pierce (IA) VSU1 Zaiyahn Ornelas (NE), 14-5 2:36
3rd Jordan Manyette (PA) VSU1 Jensen Boyd (IN), 9-1 3:58
5th Liam Collins (MN) VSU Jorge De la rosa (OR), 8-0 1:30
7th Kellen Downing (MT) VPO1 Jack Baker (CA), 8-4
120 LBS
1st Arseni Kikiniou (CA) VSU Rocco Cassioppi (IL), 9-0 2:46
3rd Will Detar (PA) VSU1 Weston Borgers (OH), 13-5 4:00
5th Gavin Landers (IA) VSU Abraham Coronado (NV), 9-0 1:23
7th Gage Spurgeon (IA) VPO1 Reid Yakes (FL), 10-9
126 LBS
1st Matthew Orbeta (CA) VPO1 Bruno Cassioppi (IL), 6-2
3rd Deven Lopez (CO) VSU Mason Carlson (UT), 9-0 1:03
5th Brenden jorden Agcaoili (NV) VSU Carter Wallis (MO), 8-0 1:29
7th Gabriel Ballard (PA) VIN Dominic Way (WV)
132 LBS
1st Austin Collins (CO) VSU Dawson Youngblut (IA), 8-0 3:59
3rd Legend Ellis (OK) VFA Jet Brown (MO), 4-2 1:42
5th Sean Hall (ID) VIN Ryan Ferrara (NY)
7th Matthew Dailey (PA) VSU1 Keagan Sieracki (TX), 11-1 2:19
138 LBS
1st Miller Sipes (MO) VPO1 Jovani Solis (FL), 5-3
3rd Anthony Delgado (NV) VSU1 Marcus Killgore (AZ), 10-1 2:33
5th Brandon Green (IL) VPO1 William Christopher (WI), 5-3
7th Austin Gyorkos (MI) VFA Vinnie Gutierrez (CA), 6-4 1:51
144 LBS
1st Dominic Wilson (TX) VSU James Whitbred (PA), 8-0 0:39
3rd Noah Bull (UT) VPO1 Gregory Torosian (CA), 14-11
5th Drake Morrison (ID) VSU Ladd Holman (UT), 8-0 1:05
7th Jake Kos (MN) VPO1 Thunder Page (KS), 3-2
150 LBS
1st Chance Ruble (MO) VSU Dokken Biladeau (IA), 9-0 1:02
3rd Matthew Staples (IN) VPO1 Emerson Tjaden (KS), 5-4
5th Thomas Gibbs (IN) VPO1 Titus Norman (TN), 9-6
7th Maximus Dhabolt (IA) VSU1 Daniel Acosta (TX), 12-4 2:35
157 LBS
1st Ivan Ivanov (ID) VSU1 Eli Esguerra (OH), 15-6 1:39
3rd Ismael Bereket (IL) VSU Jaxon Miller (IA), 8-0 3:13
5th Daniel Patrick (OR) VSU Max Harris (KS), 8-0 0:27
7th Zachery Little (TN) VSU1 Miles Lesley (GA), 14-5 3:05
165 LBS
1st Aaron Stewart (IL) VSU Lucas Boe (IN), 8-0 2:33
3rd Carter Nekvapil (TX) VPO1 Parker Casey (IA), 11-10
5th Salah Tsarni (MD) VSU1 Riley Johnson (NE), 12-4 4:00
7th Slava Shahbazyan (CA) VSU1 Caige Horak (OH), 11-1 3:45
175 LBS
1st Carter Temple (MO) VSU Isai Fernandez (CA), 8-0 1:29
3rd Xavier Smith (IN) VIN Brody Kelly (IL), 4-0 2:00
5th Brayden Koester (IA) VFA Cody Savage (VT), 4-4 1:13
7th Camden Crew (OK) VFA Frederick Hammond (MI), 4-0 0:45
190 LBS
1st David Calkins (CA) VSU Ronan An (GA), 9-0 1:19
3rd Jt Smith (NE) VSU Andy Franke (IA), 10-0 1:14
5th Michael Boyle (OH) VPO1 Seer Godwise (IN), 6-2
7th Blaise Turner (ID) VSU Jace Renfro (MO), 8-0 2:58
215 LBS
1st Alex Taylor (OH) VPO1 Danny Zmorowski (OH), 3-1
3rd Preston Krueger (WI) VSU1 Noah Mathis (KS), 14-5 3:36
5th Josh Hoffer (IL) VIN Mason Koehler (IA), 0-0 0:00
7th Carter Green (KS) VPO1 Sam Tanner (UT), 9-2
285 LBS
1st Jonathan Rulo (IL) VPO Brady Hagan (IA), 5-0
3rd Preston Wagner (NE) VPO1 Jt Kelso (IA), 3-1
5th Chandler Moore (OH) VIN Bradyn Mcconneha (PA), 0-0 0:00
7th Kyler Kuhn (MO) VSU Jeremy Marshall (IL), 9-0 1:17
JUNIOR MEN GRECO-ROMAN
100 LBS
1st Michael Rundell (IL) VSU Jose Cordero (TN), 10-0 5:02
3rd Vincent Demarco (IL) VSU1 Jameson Thomas (AL), 10-2 1:45
5th Xavier Diaz (PA) VFA Ray Long (IL), 13-3 5:56
7th Kacen Jones (UT) VSU Trexden Olsen (UT), 9-0 1:30
106 LBS
1st Cason Craft (OK) VPO1 Dylan Ota (TX), 7-6
3rd Caden Correll (IL) VFA Brady Byrd (IN), 4-0 1:03
5th Roderick Brown (FL) VSU1 Maddox Martinez (NM), 18-7 3:24
7th Caden Smith (VA) VPO1 Hunter Hurl (UT), 9-2
113 LBS
1st Nicolas Enzminger (ND) VCA Ezekiel Witt (KS)
3rd Roman Luttrell (NM) VSU1 Caleb Noble (IL), 11-2 2:27
5th Dunia Sibomana (NY) VSU Santana Ramon (MI), 8-0 1:33
7th Everest Sutton (CO) VFA William Jakeway (SC), 4-0 0:59
120 LBS
1st Kody Tanimoto (TX) VPO1 Isaiah Jones (OK), 7-4
3rd Gage Singleton (OR) VSU Musa Tamaradze (MA), 9-0 1:20
5th Maximus Riggins (IA) VSU1 Davis Motyka (PA), 10-1 2:29
7th Brayten Casey (WI) VPO1 Jeremiah Wachsmuth (OR), 10-6
126 LBS
1st Anthony Ruzic (IL) VPO Jackson Heslin (CT), 6-0
3rd Jaxton Packer (ID) VFA Logan Schwanz (MN), 4-4 1:40
5th Lawson Eller (MN) VSU Sawyer Hackbarth (OK), 9-0 1:33
7th Drew Hansen (MI) VPO1 Boden Banta (ID), 5-5
132 LBS
1st Rhett Peak (OK) VPO Treygen Morin (ID), 4-0
3rd Manuel Saldate (NV) VSU1 Geronimo Rivera (UT), 12-1 3:49
5th Brian Grabner (AK) VFO Moses Mendoza (CA), 0-0
7th Jarvis Little (TN) VSU Edwin Sierra (CA), 8-0 2:03
138 LBS
1st Landon Drury (CO) VSU Alex Braun (MN), 8-0 2:03
3rd Dmytro Chubenko (OH) VPO1 William Anderson (AL), 8-4
5th Dillon Cooper (KS) VSU1 Amryn Nutter (WI), 15-6 4:25
7th Layne Kleimann (UT) VSU1 Landon Thomas (MI), 10-2 2:30
144 LBS
1st Pierson Manville (PA) VSU Wyatt Medlin (IL), 9-0 1:20
3rd Maksym Chubenko (OH) VPO1 Luis Alberto-desilva (PA), 7-5
5th Derek Barrows (CO) VFA Emil Necula (GA), 6-1 1:40
7th Jake Miller (OK) VPO1 Brayden Canoyer (NE), 8-3
150 LBS
1st Brandon Dean (CO) VFA Garrett Reece (CO), 2-2 1:57
3rd Paul Kelly (CA) VPO1 Hunter Sturgill (TN), 2-2
5th Bas Diaz (IA) VPO1 Tre Haines (WA), 1-1
7th Rafael o. Garcia morales (UST) VPO1 Anderson Heap (FL), 9-3
157 LBS
1st Jude Randall (OK) VPO1 Brett Back (WI), 4-3
3rd Tucker Roybal (UT) VPO1 Leister Bowling iv (CO), 4-3
5th Patrick Brackett (CO) VSU Logan Glynn (NE), 9-0 0:33
7th Matthew Randolph (MN) VPO1 Will Scherer (MO), 4-3
165 LBS
1st Aliaksandr Kikiniou (CA) VPO1 Griffin Lundeen (MN), 3-1
3rd Trae Rios (OK) VFA Jarrett Wadsen (MN), 16-12 4:23
5th Bradlee Farrer (UT) VPO1 Evan Roudebush (IN), 6-5
7th Konlin Weaver (GA) VPO Maximus Norman (TN), 6-0
175 LBS
1st Adam Waters (PA) VFA Aidan Squier (NJ), 2-0 0:33
3rd Waylon Cressell (IN) VSU Matthew Jens (IL), 8-0 1:04
5th Hudson Rogers (ID) VPO1 Ben Smith (UT), 12-6
7th Lucas Ricketts (KY) VSU1 Jonathan Sims (OH), 11-2 5:54
190 LBS
1st Zakary Mcphee (MN) VFA Alihan Bereket (IL), 12-8 5:04
3rd Aiden Cooley (TX) VSU Brenden Heying (IA), 8-0 0:38
5th William Ward (ND) VSU1 Breyson Kelley (WI), 14-4 1:46
7th Alexander Smith (FL) VFA Riley Hucks (SC), 8-8 1:22
215 LBS
1st Soren Pirhoun (VA) VSU1 Michael Calcagno (IL), 10-1 4:07
3rd Angelo Posada (CA) VSU1 Cason Howle (SC), 10-2 0:44
5th Jayden Tadeo-gosal (CA) VIN Cittadino Tuttle (MN)
7th Carson Gooley (ID) VFA Henry Christensen (IA), 4-0 0:31
285 LBS
1st Shilo Jones (ID) VPO1 Micah Hach (SD), 13-10
3rd Grant Stromberg (WI) VPO1 Mustafa Woodi (OH), 8-1
5th Hunter Vander heiden (WI) VFA Alexander Bajoras (MA), 8-6 2:33
7th Dean Bechtold (PA) VFA Willie Cox (AL), 4-0 0:45
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