Hall, Thielke, Fuenffinger, Finau, Bellis top list of finalists at Junior World Team Trials

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USA Wrestling ()
05/26/2012


MEN'S FREESTYLE WRAP by Craig Sesker

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Alex Dieringer was in trouble.

Down one period and trailing late in the second period against 2011 Junior World Team freestyle member Taylor Massa, Dieringer shot in on a leg attack to win the period just before time ran out.

Dieringer, a past Junior Nationals champion, who redshirted this past season at Oklahoma State, then prevailed in the third period to win the Challenge Tournament semifinals, 1-1, 4-2, 1-0 at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Dieringer now advances to the best-of-3 finals of the FILA Junior World Team Trials, where he will face Nick Moore of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Moore is a past Junior Nationals champion.

The finals are set for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at Palmer High School

The eight freestyle champions will advance to the FILA Junior World Championships on Sept. 4-9 in Pattaya, Thailand.

2011 Junior World Team member Tanner Hall advanced to the best-of-3 finals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Hall will face Kyle Snyder in the final-round series.

Caleb Richardson turned in an impressive first session by knocking off past Junior Nationals champions Jade Rauser and Thomas Gilman to win the Challenge Tournament at 55 kg/121 lbs. Richardson will now face fellow Virginian Joey Dance in the best-of-3 finals. Dance won the FILA Junior Nationals in April to earn a spot in the finals of the Junior World Team Trials.

Edwin Cooper looked strong in winning the Challenge Tournament at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Cooper, a junior college national champion for Iowa Central, beat 2011 NCAA runner-up Dylan Ness in the semifinals before beating Charles Cobb in the Challenge finals.

Cooper will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Destin McCauley, an Iowa State recruit, in the best-of-3 finals.

Wisconsin freshman Connor Medbery, a past Junior Nationals champion, won the Challenge Tournament at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. to earn a shot at FILA Junior Nationals champion Austin Marsden in the best-of-3 finals Marsden was a 2011 NCAA qualifier for Oklahoma State.

Medbery beat 2011 Junior World Team member Daniel Miller in the Challenge finals.

It will be a battle of U.S. Olympic Training Center residents at 84 kg/185 lbs. when Dwight Howes faces Patrick Downey. Howes won the Challenge Tournament to earn a shot at Downey in the best-of-3 finals Downey won the FILA Junior Nationals title to earn a spot in the finals.

Pitt’s Shelton Mack will battle talented young Earl Hall in the best-of-3 finals at 60 kg/132 lbs. Adrian Cordova will meet Bobby Nachreiner for the Junior World Team spot at 50 kg/110 lbs.

GRECO-ROMAN WRAP by Gary Abbott

In Greco-Roman, two members of the 2011 U.S. FILA Junior World Team competed in the Challenge Tournament on Saturday morning and qualified for the Championship Series: Mike Fuenffinger of the Minnesota Storm at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Jesse Thielke of the Sunkist Kids at 60 kg/132 lbs. Neither competed at the FILA Junior Nationals earlier this year.

Fuenffinger will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Isaiah Varona of the USOEC in Championship Series. He stopped Ben Willeford of the Cleveland WC, 1-0, 7-0 in the Challenge Tournament finals.

Thielke will Mitch Bengtson of the Minnesota Storm in the Championship Series. As the FILA Junior Nationals champion at this weight did not attend, the winners of the semifinals of the Challenge Tournament advanced to the finals series.

Two other 2011 FILA Junior World Team members are already in the Championship Series. 

2011 FILA Junior World Team member Marcus Finau of the USOEC is in the Championship Series at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., after winning the 2012 FILA Junior Nationals in Madison, Wis. this year.

Finau will face Brandon Rivera of Team Overtime/USOEC in the Championship Series. Rivera stopped Alex Bambic of Team Arizona, 1-0, 2-0 to reach the finals.

Jake Bellis of Iguana Greco, a 2011 FILA Junior World team member at 50 kg/110 lbs., moves directly to the Championship finals against 2012 FILA Junior Nationals champion Bobby Nachreiner of AWA, as there are only two athletes in the weight class. Bellis was second at the 2012 FILA Junior Nationals competing up one weight class at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Among others earning a spot in the Championship Series finals with Challenge Tournament wins are Ronnie Garbinsky (Pittsburgh WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Geordan Speiller of the Florida Jets and Lee Wildes of the USOEC at 84 kg/185 lbs. 

Garbinsky will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Nick Alvarez of the USOEC in the Championship Series. Speiller draws unattached FILA Junior Nationals champion Caleb Smith in the finals series. Wildes has drawn FILA Junior Nationals champion Lucas Sheridan of HWC/CYC in the Championship Series.

The finals 120 kg/264.5 lbs. will feature Parker Betts of the USOEC against Wyatt Baker of the NYAC. The FILA Junior Nationals champion in this weight did not attend, so Betts and Baker advanced after winning their semifinal matches.

There was an early upset at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman, as Travis Himmelman of Bear Cave defeated 2011 FILA Junior World Team Trials RaVaughn of RP Nationals, 3-0, 0-3, 1-1. Garbinsky went on to win that weight class.

The eight freestyle champions will advance to the FILA Junior World Championships on Sept. 4-9 in Pattaya, Thailand.

FILA JUNIOR WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Colorado Springs, Colo., May 26, 2012

Freestyle Challenge Tournament

50 kg/110 lbs.
No Challenge Tournament matches
Adrian Cordova (Cejudo Athletics) vs. Bobby Nachreiner (AWA) in best-of-3 Championship Series

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st – Caleb Richardson (Finger Lakes WC) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iron Hawk), 2-2, 0-1, 3-2
Richardson will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Joey Dance (VA Elite) in best-of-3 Championship Series

60 kg/132 lbs
Semifinals
Shelton Mack (Pittsburgh WC) dec. Steven Rodrigues (Illini WC), 4-0, 6-0
Earl Hall (New York AC) dec. Matthew Kelliher (Badger WC), 7-0, 1-0
Mack will face Hall in best-of-3 Championship Series

66 kg/145.5 lbs
1st – Edwin Cooper (Unattached) dec. Charles Cobb (Sunkist Kids), 4-2 5-0
Cooper will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Destin McCauley (Sunkist Kids) in best-of-3 Championship Series

74 kg/163 lbs.
Semifinals – Nick Moore (Hawkeye WC) dec. Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh WC), 1-0, 1-0
Alex Dieringer (Cowboy WC/Gator) dec. Taylor Massa (Massa Maniacs), 1-1, 4-2, 1-0
Moore will face Dieringer in best-of-3 Championship Series

84 kg/185 lbs.
1st – Dwight Howes (OTC) dec. Kris Klapprodt (Hawkeye WC), 7-0, 6-3
Howes will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Patrick Downey (New York AC) in best-of-3 Championship Series

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Semifinals
Tanner Hall (New York AC) dec. Scott Schiller (Minnesota Storm), 5-1, 6-2
Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel) dec. Nathan Burak (OTC), 0-1, 1-0, 3-0
Hall will face Snyder in best-of-3 Championship Series

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1st – Connor Medbery (Badger WC) dec. Daniel Miller (Navy Mat Club), 2-1, 1-1
Medbery will face FILA Junior Nationals champion Austin Marsden (Gator WC) in best-of-3 Championship Series

Greco-Roman Challenge Tournament

50 kg/110 lbs.
No Challenge Tournament matches
Jacob Bellis (Kyle Somers) to face Bobby Nachreiner (AWA) in best-of-3 Championship Series

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st – Mike Fuenffinger (Minnesota Storm) dec. Ben Willeford (Cleveland WC), 1-0, 7-0
Fuenffinger to face FILA Junior Nationals champion Isaiah Varona (USOEC) in best-of-3 Championship Series.

60 kg/132 lbs.
Semifinals
Jesse Thielke (Sunkist Kids) pin Jason Chudzinski (USOEC), 6-0, 1:20
Mitch Bengtson (Minnesota Storm) dec. Jessy Williams (USOEC), 1-0, 6-0
Thielke to face Bengtson in best-of-3 Championship Series.

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st – Ronnie Garbinsky (Pittsburgh WC) pin Ryne Cokeley (Badger WC), 1-7, 1:58
Garbinsky to face FILA Junior Nationals champion Nick Alvarez (USOEC) in best-of-3 Championship Series.

74 kg/163 lbs.
1st – Geordan Speiller (Florida Jets) dec. Eric Fajardo (NYAC), 1-0, 3-2
Speiller to face FILA Junior Nationals champion Caleb Smith (unattached) in best-of-3 Championship Series.

84 kg/185 lbs.
1st – Lee Wildes (USOEC) dec. Terrence Zaleski (YES Wrestling), 4-1, 0-1, 1-0
Wildes to face FILA Junior Nationals champion Lucas Sheridan (HWC/CYC) in best-of-3 Championship Series.

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1st – Brandon Rivera (Team Overtime/USOEC) dec. Alex Bambic (Team Arizona), 1-0, 2-0
Rivera to face FILA Junior Nationals champion Marcus Finau (New York AC) in best-of-3 Championship Series.

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Semifinals
Parker Betts (USOEC) dec. Okala Makaiau (Team Hawaii), 3-1, 1-0
Wyatt Baker (NYAC) pin David Woody (YES Greensboro), 3-1, 1:14
Betts to face Baker in best-of-3 Championship Series.