SZOMBATHELY, Hungary – The first five U.S. men’s freestyle wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for the FILA Cadet World Championships which begin on Tuesday. 

FILA Cadets are athletes who are 15-17 years old. Many of the nation’s top high school wrestlers compete at this level. 

Competing on Tuesday will be 2011 Junior Nationals champion Zane Richards of Illinois at 58 kg/127.75 lbs. and 2011 Cadet Triple Crown winner Gannon Volk of Minnesota at 42 kg/92.5 lbs.

Richards will battle Mehdi Ait Amrane of Algeria and Volk will face Sardan Sylva of Kosovo in their first matches.

Also competing on Tuesday are Dalton Brady of Arizona at 50 kg/110.25 lbs., Oliver Pierce of Texas at 69 kg/152 lbs. and Sam Brooks of Illinois at 85 kg/187.25 lbs.

In men’s freestyle, all 10 team members won FILA Cadet Nationals titles in freestyle in Akron, Ohio in April.

Serving as coach of the team is 1976 Olympic champion and 1972 Olympic silver medalist John Peterson of Comstock, Wis., along with National Freestyle Developmental Coach Bill Zadick of Colorado Springs, Colo.

“It is very important to our country’s development, getting the experience level up and getting young athletes focused on winning a World title earlier in their careers,” said Zadick. “To make the FILA Cadet World Team, you are a FILA Cadet national champion, the best of the best in every weight class. We have some very talented young men from top to bottom. I am very excited about their ability. They have an opportunity to have a World gold medal around their neck, and that is a big deal.”

Freestyle competition will conclude on Wednesday, August 24 with five more weight divisions. Women’s freestyle competition will be held on Thursday, August 25 and Friday, August 26. Greco-Roman competition is set for Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28.

This will be the first time that FILA will have hosted a Cadet World Championships since 1999. Cadet World champions for the USA in 1999 included Justin Lester of Ohio at 54 kg in freestyle and Mary Kelly of Illinois at 43 kg in women’s freestyle. Lester has won two Senior World bronze medals in Greco-Roman and Kelly was a 2006 U.S. Women’s World Team member. 

Fans can follow the event on FILA’s official website at
http://www.fila-wrestling.com/szombathely2011/

FILA CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Szombathely, Hungary

U.S. men’s freestyle draws for Tuesday’s competition

42 kg/92.5 lbs. - Gannon Volk, Burnsville, Minn.
vs. Sardan Sylva (Kosovo)

50 kg/110.25 lbs. - Dalton Brady, Queen Creek, Ariz.
vs. Zhakhongir Akilov (Ukraine)

58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Zane Richards, Carbondale, Ill.
vs. Mehdi Ait Amrane (Algeria)

69 kg/152 lbs. - Oliver Pierce, Allen, Texas
Vs. Ganbold Turbold (Mongolia)

85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Sam Brooks, Oak Park, Ill.
Vs, Aleksander Wojtachnio (Poland)