Marina Doi shown at 2011 Cadet Nationals. Doi won a FILA Cadet World title in Azerbaijan in 2012. Photo by John Sachs.

The U.S. will send strong teams to compete in the 2013 FILA Cadet Pan American Wrestling Championships in Medellin, Colombia, August 9-11.

Cadets are wrestlers who are 15-17 years old. The Pan American Championships feature nations from North, Central and South America.

Athletes qualified to compete on men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle teams based on their place at the FILA Cadet Nationals.  While the champion of the FILA Cadet Nationals qualifies to compete at the FILA Cadet World Championships, the runner-up has the option of competing for the United States on the FILA Cadet Pan American team.  If the runner-up declines to compete on the Pan American team, the option goes to the next highest place winner, and so on.  Many of the boys on the tour will wrestle both styles.

2013 Cadet Nationals double champion in Fargo Daton Fix of Oklahoma will wrestle for the USA at 50 kg/110.2 lbs.  Fix won the Greco-Roman title at 106 lbs. and then bumped up a weight and won a freestyle championship at 113 lbs.  At the FILA Cadet Nationals in May, Fix was the runner-up to Spencer Lee of Pennsylvania.

Mason Manville of New Jersey was also a double Cadet Champion at Fargo this year at 145 lbs. and will compete for the USA at 69 kg/152 lbs.  Manville placed third at the 2013 FILA Cadet Nationals in May and wrestles for wrestling power-house Blair Academy in New Jersey.

Kaden Gfeller of Oklahoma won a freestyle title at the 2013 Cadet Nationals in Fargo at 94 lbs.  Gfeller alsoe placed fifth at the Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals and will compete at 42 kg/
92.5 lbs.

Competing on just the freestyle team at the FILA Cadet Pan American Championships is Joe Smith of Oklahoma, son of legendary Olympic Champion and Oklahoma State head coach John Smith.  Joe Smith will compete at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. after finishing third at the 2013 Junior Freestyle National Championships in Fargo.

2013 Junior Pan American gold medalist Kayla Miracle of Indiana will wrestle for the U.S. Women’s FILA Cadet Pan American team at 56 kg/123.25 lbs.  Miracle was also a silver medalist at the 2012 FILA Cadet World Championships in Azerbaijan and 2013 Junior Nationals runner-up.

Marina Doi of California won gold at the 2012 FILA Cadet World Championships at 38 kg/83.75 lbs.  The 2013 Fargo co-champion was also a gold medalist at the 2012 FILA Cadet Pan American Championships.  Marina and her twin sister Regina were crowned co-champions at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fargo and will both wrestle on the 2013 U.S. FILA Cadet Pan American Team.

Wrestling at 70 kg/154.25 for the USA will be Autumn Rux of Michigan.  Rux was a 2013 Junior Nationals champion at 159 lbs. and a runner-up at the 2013 FILA Cadet Body Bar Women’s National Championships.

McKenzie Bacich of California won a Cadet freestyle title at Fargo this year at 95 lbs. and will compete at 43 kg/94.75 lbs. on the 2013 U.S. FILA Cadet Pan American team.

The men’s freestyle team will be coached by Shawn Charles, the women’s freestyle team by Matt Oney and Donnie Stephens and the Greco-Roman team by Cornell Robinson.  Matt Hampton will serve as the team leader.

Former age group stalwarts that have participated in this competition include Destin McCauley, Jesse Thielke, Tanner Hall, Mark Grey, Anthony Ashnault, Mark Hall, Eric Morris, Adam Coon, Cody Pfau, Amy Hou and Jered Cortez.

2013 FILA CADET PAN AMERICAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Medellin, Colombia, August 9-11, 2013

Event Schedule

Friday, August 9
2:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Qualification Rounds and Repechage: Greco-Roman all weights
7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Finals: Greco-Roman all weights

Saturday, August 10
2:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Qualification Rounds and Repechage: Women’s Freestyle all weights
7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Finals: Women’s Freestyle all weights

Sunday, August 11
2:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Qualification Rounds and Repechage: Men’s Freestyle all weights
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Finals: Men’s Freestyle all weights

U.S. men’s freestyle roster
42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Kaden Gfeller, Jones, Okla., Heritage Hall High School
46 kg/104.4 lbs. – Paul Bianchi, Two Rivers, Wis., Two Rivers High School
50 kg/110.2 lbs. – Daton Fix, Sand Springs, Okla., Charles Page High School
54 kg/119 lbs. – Kaid Brock, Stillwater, Okla., Stillwater High School
58 kg/127.87 lbs. – Nick Lee, Evansville, Ind.
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Joe Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Stillwater High School
69 kg/152 lbs. – Mason Manville, Blairstown, N.J., Blair Academy
76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Brooks Robinson, Mapleton, Utah, Maple Mountain High School
85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Robert Steveson, Las Vegas, Nev.
100 kg/220 lbs. – Christian Jenco, Mahwah, N.J., Bergen Catholic High School
Coach: Shawn Charles, Tempe, Ariz.

U.S. women’s freestyle roster
38 kg/83.75 lbs. – Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif., Kingsburg High School
40 kg/88 lbs. – Regina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif., Kingsburg High School
43 kg/94.75 lbs. – McKenzie Bacich, Stockton, Calif., Bear Creek High School
46 kg/101.25 lbs. – Devyn Johnson, Osakis, Minn., Osakis High School
49 kg/108 lbs. – Emily Pinson, Lizella, Ga., Rutland High School
52 kg/114.5 lbs. – Arian Carpio, Federal Way, Wash., Todd Beamer High School
56 kg/123.25 lbs. – Kayla Miracle, Bloomington, Ind., Culver Academy
60 kg/132.25 lbs. – Jessika Rottier, Little Suamico, Wis., North Pulaski High School
65 kg/143.25 lbs. – Hannah Gladden, Gadsden, Ala., Gadsen City High School
70 kg/154.25 lbs. – Autumn Rux, Lansing, Mich., Lansing Eastern High School
Coach: Matt Oney, Honolulu, Hawaii
Coach: Donnie Stephens, Dayton, Ohio

U.S. men’s Greco-Roman roster
42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Kaden Gfeller, Jones, Okla., Heritage Hall High School
46 kg/104.4 lbs. – Paul Bianchi, Two Rivers, Wis., Two Rivers High School
50 kg/110.2 lbs. – Daton Fix, Sand Springs, Okla., Charles Page High School
54 kg/119 lbs. – Kaid Brock, Stillwater, Okla., Stillwater High School
58 kg/127.87 lbs. – Christopher Moreno, Hialeah, Fla., Miami Pace High School
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Myles Amine, Novi, Mich., Detroit Central Catholic
69 kg/152 lbs. – Mason Manville, Blairstown, N.J., Blair Academy
76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Brooks Robinson, Mapleton, Utah, Maple Mountain High School
85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Robert Steveson, Las Vegas, Nev.
100 kg/220 lbs. – Christian Jenco, Mahwah, N.J., Bergen Catholic High School
Coach: Cornell Robinson, Ofallon, Mo.
Coach: Jason Tolbert, Fayetteville, N.C.

Team Leader: Matt Hampton, Evanston, Ill.
Medical: Mark D’Anza, Las Vegas, Nev.
Official: Mark Mundy, Martinsville, Ind.
Official: Jose Delgado, McKinney, Texas