Moody, Coon move within one win of Triple Crown in Junior division
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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
07/20/2012
FARGO, N.D. – Nkosi Moody is ready to make history.
The 2011 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner now stands just one win from becoming the first wrestler to capture two Triple Crowns in the Junior division.
Moody, the 106-pound standout from Illinois, advanced to the Junior Nationals freestyle tournament finals on Friday night at the Fargo Dome. He will face New Mexico’s Paul Mascarenas in Saturday morning’s finals.
Michigan’s Adam Coon has an opportunity to join Moody in the Triple Crown club after reaching the Junior freestyle finals at 285. Coon won the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title earlier this week.
Moody and Coon completed the first two legs of the Triple Crown by winning Junior Nationals Folkstyle and Greco-Roman titles this year.
The Junior freestyle finals are set for 10 a.m. on Saturday in Fargo.
Three wrestlers have won Junior Triple Crowns since Juniors became eligible for that honor in 2007. That’s when the Junior division was added to the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion Zane Richards of Illinois advanced to the Junior freestyle finals at 132. Richards, a University of Illinois recruit, is gunning for his second straight Junior Nationals freestyle crown.
Richards will face U.S. Cadet World Team member Zain Retherford of Pennsylvania in the Junior freestyle finals.
Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champions Cory Clark of Iowa (126) and Sam Brooks of Illinois (195) reached the Junior freestyle finals. Clark and Brooks are University of Iowa recruits. Brooks bumped up a weight after winning a Junior Greco title at 182.
Oklahoma State recruit Jordan Rogers of Washington reached the Junior freestyle finals at 182.
Returning Junior Nationals freestyle champion Nathan Tomasello of Ohio landed a spot in the finals at 120.
U.S. Cadet World Team member Tommy Thorn of Minnesota will face U.S. Junior World Team member Adrian Cordova of Colorado in the finals at 113.
Juniors are wrestlers who are in high school.
FINALS MATCHUPS
100 Pounds
Carlos Fuentez (Illinois) vs. Tanner Rohweder (Iowa)
106 Pounds
Nkosi Moody (Illinois) vs. Paul Mascarenas (New Mexico)
113 Pounds
Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) vs. Adrian Cordova (Colorado)
120 Pounds
Nathan Tomasello (Ohio) vs. Zac Hall (Michigan)
126 Pounds
Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. Joey McKenna (New Jersey)
132 Pounds
Zane Richards (Illinois) vs. Zain Retherford (Pennsylvania)
138 Pounds
Quinton Murphy (New York) vs. Bryce Brill (Illinois)
145 Pounds
Anthony Collica (Ohio) vs. Austin Eads (Missouri)
152 Pounds
Josh Llopez (Maryland) vs. Yoanse Mejia (Florida)
160 Pounds
Isaiah Martinez (California) vs. Nick Wanzek (Minnesota)
170 Pounds
Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma) vs. Micah Barnes (Minnesota)
182 Pounds
Jordan Rogers (Washington) vs. Glenn Climmons (Georgia)
195 Pounds
Sam Brooks (Illinois) vs. Broc Berge (Minnesota)
220 Pounds
J’Den Cox (Missouri) vs. Michael Swider (Illinois)
285 Pounds
Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. Donte Winfield (Indiana)