WEEKEND UPDATE: Junior standouts impressive at Northeast Regional
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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
04/25/2006
Some of the nation's best Junior wrestlers were on display during the Northeast Junior and Senior Regional Championships on April 20-23 in Brockport, N.Y.
Junior National Greco-Roman champion Matthew Kyler of Clearfield, Pa., made his mark in Brockport as a double Northeast Regional champion at 125 pounds.
Kyler downed Tyler Nauman of Pennsylvania 2-0, 6-1 in the freestyle finals and outlasted Gallaway Longenecker of Pennsylvania 7-0, 1-7, 2-0 in the Greco-Roman finals.
Four-time state champion Mike Grey of New Jersey was named Outstanding Wrestler in Junior freestyle after rolling to a 12-2, 8-0 technical fall over Pennsylvania's Brock Parker in the 130-pound finals. Grey, a Lehigh recruit, is a Junior National champion in freestyle. He also won Senior High School Nationals this season.
Double Northeast Regional champion Gonzalo Farina of New York was named Outstanding Wrestler in Junior Greco-Roman. He beat Lucas Mariacher of New York by a 6-0, 10-0 technical fall in the 145-pound Greco-Roman finals. Farina downed Christopher Ioria of New York 4-0, 1-0 in the freestyle finals at 145.
Other double Junior champions at the Northeast Regional included Dan O'Malley of New York at 105.5 pounds, Bryan Pearsall of Pennsylvania at 112, Bill Schindel of Ohio at 189, Jared Platt of New Jersey at 215 and Jim Powers of New Jersey at 275.
Three more women's freestyle wrestlers punched their tickets to the World Team Trials by qualifying in New York.
They include Aquila Hills of the University of Cumberlands at 112.25 pounds, Dyami Souza of the Silverback Wrestling Club at 121 pounds and Jen Chu of W.O.W. at 147.5 pounds. The World Team Trials for women are set for June 30 in Colorado Springs.
On the Senior level, Harvard All-American Bode Ogunwole won the freestyle title at 264.5 pounds. Ogunwole was a Junior World bronze medalist last summer.
Penn State's David Erwin was the Outstanding Wrestler in Senior freestyle at the Northeast Regional. He beat Buffalo's Mickey Moran 7-0, 2-0 in the 185-pound finals.
David DeStefano of the New York Athletic Club was named Outstanding Wrestler in Senior Greco-Roman. He won by injury default over Mahmoud Gomaa Ahmed (Wrestling for Peace) in the 163-pound finals.
Coming Up: University, FILA Cadet Nationals
The University Nationals and FILA Cadet Nationals are set for April 28-30 at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
Finalists from the University Nationals in each weight class in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will qualify for the World Team Trials on May 27-28 in Sioux City, Iowa.
Among the athletes who may compete in freestyle in Evanston are NCAA champions Cole Konrad and Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, and Hodge Trophy winner Ben Askren of Missouri. NCAA runner-up Jake Herbert of Northwestern also may take part in the event along with FILA Junior National champion Brent Metcalf of Virginia Tech.
Schlatter and Metcalf, a pair of talented true freshman, could meet at 145.5 pounds.
Konrad, third at the World Team Trials last year at 264.5 pounds, is seeking to qualify for the World Team Trials in Sioux City. He did not compete at the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas.
Also this weekend, the Southern Plains Regional Championships are set for April 28-29 in Hutchinson, Kan. Juniors will compete in freestyle and Greco-Roman.