As a college freshman, there are plenty of added pressures added to the lives of the every day teenager. That pressure is amplified if you’re a true freshman wrestling for Oklahoma State University.

After being pulled out of redshirt midway through the season and failing to place at the NCAA Division I Championships, Josh Kindig felt he had some work to do.

Kindig emerged as the champion at 66kg on Friday at the 2011 FILA Junior World Team Trials at Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Ind, beating Minnesota’s Dylan Ness in a high-scoring two match series.

Kindig, the winner of the FILA Junior Nationals last month in Cleveland, sat out while Ness battled through a tough bracket featuring Destin McCauley, Kaleb Friedley and Colin Shober. After Ness beat McCauley in the challenge tournament final, he earned the right to face Kindig.

The result: A second-period cradle in the second match, giving Kindig the fall and the spot on the Junior World Team just 17 seconds in.

“I went out and felt a bit rusty,” said Kindig. “I trained pretty good for this tournament compared to nationals.

“Tall, lanky kids like (Ness), you always have to finish when you get in on the legs so you don’t get rolled,” he said.

“First thing, I go to Germany on Monday for the World Cup and I hope to go out there and do good against the other countries,” said Kindig.

Another solid performance was turned in by Idaho’s Tanner Hall.

The Olympic Training Center-bound Hall beat last year’s World Team member Tyler Lehmann in two periods to win the spot at 96kg. Hall rallied in the first period of the first match, scoring three points on a blast double on the edge and finished the first match with a 6-1 second period win. 

In the second match, Lehmann came out strong, winning the first period 7-0 before Hall recovered and won the next two periods 4-2 and 2-1.

“I just refocused,” said Hall. “You prepare for everyone the same.”

Lehmann is currently training at the OTC, deferring his college attendance, something Hall will do next year. 

“I’m so excited for it. It’s going to be a great experience,” said Hall.

With a wrestle-off coming July 2 at 66kg in Greco-Roman, the current lineups feature just two returning wrestlers – Nick Roberts in freestyle at 50kg and Jesse Thielke at 60kg in Greco-Roman.

At 50kg, Pennsylvania’s Roberts repeated as champion and will make his second Junior World Team. Roberts, who sat out as champion of the FILA Junior Nationals, bested Jarred Brooks of Humphrey Wrestling in two, two-period matches.

At 55kg, Blair Academy (N.J.) junior Mark Grey beat Bloomsburg’s Sean Boylan in two periods. Grey and Boylan met in the finals of the challenge tournament where there was no wrestler sitting out. Grey gave up one point in two, two-period victories. He beat a pair of college redshirt freshman, Ryak Finch of Iowa State and Jerome Robinson of Old Dominion, en route to the final. Finch was last year’s representative on the Junior World Team.

Despite there only being four wrestlers at 60kg, the quartet had plenty of talent. Logan Stieber of the Ohio Regional Training Center emerged as the champion, getting past both Nick and Chris Dardanes. Stieber beat Chris Dardanes in the opening round, then beat twin-brother Nick in two straight matches to earn the title. 

Michigan high schooler Taylor Massa beat University of Virginia freshman Nick Sulzer in two matches to claim the championship at 74kg. Massa capitalized on position in the first match, scoring three pushouts to win in two periods, while the second bout between the two saw Massa capitalizing on scramble situations. 

Northwestern’s Lee Munster charged through Oregon State’s Taylor Meeks to win the championship in two periods and didn’t yield a single point to earn the spot at 84kg. 

Daniel Miller of the U.S. Naval Academy won the spot at 120kg with a two-period victory over Virginia’s Derek Papagianopoulous. 

In Greco-Roman, Thielke won a two-period battle with the USOEC’s Joe DeNova at 60kg. DeNova nearly pinned Thielke with a headlock in the first period of their first best-of-three series, but Thielke recovered to win the second before winning the match by injury default when DeNova, a Georgia native, hurt his elbow.

DeNova returned for the second match, but Thielke dominated the bout, pinning DeNova in the second period.

At 50kg, Iguana Greco’s Jake Bellis beat Colton Howell 3-0, 3-1 in the third and decisive bout to claim the spot.

Mike Fuenffinger of Minnesota scored a 1-0, 2-0 third-match victory over Florida’s Isaiah Verona to pick up the championship at 55kg.

Nebraska native RaVaughn Perkins won the tournament title with a  two-match triumph over Old Dominion’s Justin LaValle. Perkins will face 2010 Junior World Bronze Medalist Ellis Coleman in a best two-out-of-three wrestle-off in Colorado Springs in July to determine the representative at 66kg.  Coleman was injured several weeks ago in competition and was unable to compete.

Josh Castellano of the USOEC was dominant in his two-match championship round victory over Joey Moorhouse of Maverick Wrestling. Castellano earned the right to represent Team USA at 74kg. 

Minnesota’s Joel Bauman needed three matches to get past Wisconsin’s Devin Peterson to win the championship at 84kg. 

Hawaii native Marcus Finau was solid in the third match against Northwestern’s Alex Polizzi, defending from the par terre position and taking the championship at 96kg. 

Boise State’s Toby Erikson won the championship at 120kg, topping Augsburg freshman Niko Bogojevic with two straight 1-0, 1-0 victories. 

The FILA Junior World Championships will take place in Bucharest, Romania July 26-31.

FILA Junior World Team Trials
Championship Results
Freestyle
Best of Three Series, Match 1
50kg – Nick Roberts (Young Guns) dec. Jarred Brooks (Humphrey Wrestling) 3-0, 2-1
55kg- Mark Grey (Blair Academy) dec. Sean Boylan (Husky WC) 3-0, 7-0.
60kg- Logan Stieber (Ohio RTC) dec. Nick Dardanes (Minnesota Storm) 7-0, 3-1.
66kg- Josh Kindig (Gator WC) dec. Dylan Ness (Minnesota Storm) 3-3, 2-2, 7-2
74kg- Taylor Massa (Michigan Wrestling) dec. Nick Sulzer (U.Va.) 2-0, 1-1
84kg- Lee Munster (Northwestern) dec. Taylor Meeks (Northwest RTC) 5-0, 5-0.
96kg- Tanner Hall (NYAC) dec. Tyler Lehmann (Minnesota Storm) 3-3, 6-1
120kg- Daniel Miller (Navy) dec. Derek Papagianopoulos (U.Va.) 3-0, 2-1.

Match 2
50kg- Nick Roberts dec. Jarred Brooks 1-0, 5-0.
55kg- Mark Grey dec. Sean Boylan 3-0, 3-1
60kg- Logan Stieber dec. Nick Dardanes 1-0, 4-0
66kg- Josh Kindig pin Dylan Ness 8-0, :17
74kg- Taylor Massa dec. Nick Sulzer 3-0, 4-3
84kg- Lee Munster dec. Taylor Meeks 2-0, 3-0
96kg- Tanner Hall dec. Tyler Lehmann 0-7, 4-2, 2-1
120kg- Daniel Miller dec. Derek Papagionopoulos 4-3, 4-0

Greco-Roman
Best of Three Series, Match 1
50kg – Jake Bellis (Iguana Greco) dec. Colton Howell (Tri Lakes) 1-0, 3-0
55kg – Mike Fuenffinger (Minnesota Storm) dec. Isaiah Varona (Varona Trained) 2-0, 1-0
60kg- Jesse Thielke (Sunkist Kids) inj. def. Joe DeNova (USOEC) 3-4, 8-0, Inj.
66kg – RaVaughn Perkins (RP Nationals) dec. Justin LaValle (Minnesota Storm) 2-0, 1-0
74kg- Josh Castellano (USOEC) dec. Joey Moorhouse (Maverick Wrestling) 2-0, 5-0
84kg – Devin Peterson (Wisconsin Rapids) DEC Joel Bauman (Minnesota Storm) 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
96kg – Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) dec. Marcus Finau (USOEC) 1-2, 3-0, 1-0
120kg – Toby Erickson (Bronco WC) dec. Niko Bogojevic (Minnesota Storm) 1-0, 1-0.

Match 2
50kg – Colton Howell dec. Jake Bellis 0-2, 4-0, 6-0
55kg – Isaiah Verona dec. Mike Fuenffinger 3-3, 1-0
60kg- Jesse Thielke pin Joe DeNova 5-0, :47.
66kg- RaVaughn Perkins dec. Justin LaValle 4-0, 0-1, 1-0
74kg- Josh Castellano dec. Joey Moorhouse 1-0, 5-0
84kg- Joel Bauman dec. Devin Peterson 2-0, 3-1
96kg- Marcus Finau dec. Alex Polizzi 1-0, 3-0
120kg- Toby Erickson dec. Niko Bogojevic 1-0, 1-0

Match 3
50kg- Jake Bellis dec. Colton Howell 3-0, 3-1
55kg- Mike Fuenffinger dec. Isaiah Verona 1-0, 2-0
84kg- Joel Bauman dec. Devin Peterson 3-0, 0-1, 3-0
96kg- Marcus Finau dec. Alex Polizzi 2-0, 1-0