16U Boys Put Wins on the Board

Maryland’s 16U Greco Roman team knew right out of the gate on Wednesday in Farmington, Utah that they were not going to taste the same level of success as their 14U counterparts when they dropped their first two duals to tumble into the seventh-place match, where something magical happened.

Instead of dwelling on the tough introduction to this year’s Greco Roman National Duals, they turned a negative start into a positive ending, winning that seventh place match against Arkansas, 57-12, and then kept on winning.

“We had a team meeting following the losses, and decided that we were finished with losing,” revealed 16U Head Coach Andrew Lacroix. “From that point on the boys wrestled with so much confidence and we were able to string together win after win, culminating in our final victory in the pool over team Georgia. All the boys were there for each other in victory and defeat after each individual match, keeping the energy on the bench very positive as we worked our way through all of these consecutive victories.”

The unfortunate start relegated Maryland to the Green/Yellow Final Bracket. But they powered through that joint unscathed beating Michigan Red in the first match, 55-17, then taking down Oklahoma Red on another big count, 51-24, before getting out of that pool with a 47-33 win over Nebraska to land in the Championship Match versus Georgia.

GREEN/YELLOW CHAMPIONSHIP IS OURS

The showdown with Georgia had Maryland playing from behind the entire match until Zach Landis’ win at 190 pounds gave the hometown boys a 19-16 advantage. Landis trapped an arm and planted Rayf Elrod on the mat in just 26 seconds.

From there they fell behind again before digging out of a hole for the last time. Antonio Ruiz teching Jacob Endel at 215 pounds plus a forfeit placed Georgia in front, 25-19.

Following getting the forfeit back in the form of Owen Stewart getting his hand raised at heavyweight, Maryland posted three more wins to gain an eight-point edge, 35-27, with two bouts left.

Dylan Verceles decked Asher Asad in 1:21 at 88 pounds. A double forfeit occurred at 94 pounds. At 100, Kyle Link put up a 7-1 decision of Shiro Ito. Julian McCrimmon added an inspiring 4-1 win at 106. When Javen Russo pinned Samora Wolokolie at 113 pounds it left Maryland up by three, 35-32, and meant the final bout would determine the winner.

Jacob Naylor (120) didn’t allow the suspense to build for long as he jumped right on Brighton Pine and kept his onslaught going until an 8-0 tech was tabulated in 53 seconds.

None of that would have been possible without earlier wins from Weston Baumgartner (138 pounds), Jake Jones, Jr. (144), and Amir Cartwright (165). Baumgartner’s and Jones, Jr.’s were pivotal as they got Maryland on the board after opening with two losses.

Cartwright’s pin came right before Landis’ and was key to the comeback. Cartwright hit Kyle Joyce with a mean Bear Hug Toss that was devastating and ended it at the 1:41 mark of the first period.

“Our last two wins against Nebraska and Georgia were incredibly gritty duals,” remarked Lacroix. “These boys know how to stay together, fight their behind off, and keep believing no matter what. I can’t speak highly enough about how well they came together in the face of adversity, having lost two teammates to serious injury, and just kept fighting. It is a testament to their will and spirit that we were able to finish with five straight wins.”

THE EARLY GOING AND THE PERSONAL TOLL

It’s not as if Maryland wasn’t competitive in their initial pool, both of their losses were close, with Kansas beating them in the quarterfinals 39-36, and then Idaho besting them 43-25 in the consolation rounds.

“The boys were a little slow to start, but we also got incredibly unlucky coming out the gate in our first dual against Kansas,” Lacroix said. “They are a very tough squad, but two of our starters received serious injuries at 126 and 170, and both were unable to participate in any of the other matches moving forward. Even facing that adversity, we were still able to have a really great performance but came just short losing 39 to 36. Those injuries affected team morale a little bit, and as a result, we came out flat against Idaho and dropped that dual losing by 12.”

A look at the individual records shows a team that was quite competitive over the two days. In fact, two from the roster, Verceles (88/94) and Link, went unscathed with perfect 7-0 records, which lands them on the All-Tournament Team.

Three suffered just one defeat and finished 6-1; Naylor, Baumgartner, and Stewart. Finishing at 5-2 were Kadyn Tyler (157/165), Cartwright (157/165), Landis, and Endzel. Chad Votta was 4-2 at 132 pounds. Jones, Jr. and Ryker Keeney (150) were 4-3. Julian McCrimmon was 2-0 in limited action at 106 pounds, where Cayetano Nicodemus was 1-4. Braidyn Taby (126) was 1-2.

16U Greco Duals - Green/Yellow: Georgia vs. Maryland

Weight Summary

126

Isaac Jung, GEOR over Heath Wenchel, MARY (TF 9-0 (2:00) )

132

Alessandro Vitello Jr., GEOR over Evan Durand, MARY (Dec 6-2 )

138

Weston Baumgartner, MARY over Xavier Mance, GEOR (TF 11-1 (3:51) )

144

Jake Jones, Jr., MARY over Sawyer Seebeck, GEOR (Dec 11-10 )

150

Nathaniel Park, GEOR over Ryker Keeney, MARY (TF 8-0 (1:33) )

157

WALKER WOODARD, GEOR over Kadyn Tyler, MARY (Dec 9-3 )

165

Amir Cartwright, MARY over Kyle Joyce, GEOR (F 1:41 )

175

Kameron Dotson, GEOR over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

190

Zachary Landis, MARY over Rayf Elrod, GEOR (F 0:26 )

215

Antonio Ruiz, GEOR over Jacob Endzel, MARY (TF 8-0 (2:00) )

285

Owen Stewart, MARY over Forfeit, GEOR (FF)

88

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Asher Asad, GEOR (F 1:21 )

94

Forfeit, GEOR vs. Forfeit, MARY (DFF)

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Shiro Ito, GEOR (Dec 7-1 )

106

Julian McCrimon, MARY over Hudson McFate, GEOR (Dec 4-1 )

113

Javen Russo, GEOR over Samora Wolokolie, MARY (F 0:49 )

120

Jacob Naylor, MARY over Brighton Prine, GEOR (TF 8-0 (0:53) )

Final Score 39-32

16U Greco Duals - Green/Yellow: Maryland vs. Nebraska

Weight Summary

120

Jacob Naylor, MARY over Tucker Brill, NEBR (TF 9-0 (0:34) )

126

Abduwahab Unle, NEBR over Braidyn Taby, MARY (TF 8-0 (0:35) )

132

Finn Williams, NEBR over Chad Votta, MARY (F 2:27 )

138

Weston Baumgartner, MARY over Kain Ornelas, NEBR (TF 9-0 (1:19) )

144

Jake Jones, Jr., MARY over Bradley Vandegrift, NEBR (F 0:42 )

150

Ryker Keeney, MARY over Apollo Cardenas, NEBR (TF 14-6 (3:01) )

157

Kadyn Tyler, MARY over Jaxon Ebner, NEBR (TF 8-0 (1:26) )

165

Kamden Boyles, NEBR over Amir Cartwright, MARY (TF 14-5 (3:23) )

175

Parsa Riazikhah, NEBR over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

190

Zachary Landis, MARY over Bridger Johnson, NEBR (F 0:54 )

215

Jacob Endzel, MARY over Isaiah Cisneros, NEBR (F 0:39 )

285

Owen Stewart, MARY over Dominic Vasquez, NEBR (F 0:31 )

88

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Mason Ebner, NEBR (TF 8-0 (0:25) )

94

Ethan Spatz, NEBR over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Cristian Verduzco, NEBR (F 3:06 )

106

Colton Strange, NEBR over Cayetano Nicodemus, MARY (F 0:43 )

113

Wyatt Hueftle, NEBR over Samora Wolokolie, MARY (TF 13-4 (3:24) )

Final Score 47-33

16U Greco Duals - Green/Yellow: Maryland vs. Oklahoma Red

Weight Summary

113

Bryson Gelinas, OKRE over Samora Wolokolie, MARY (F 1:19 )

120

Jacob Naylor, MARY over Hendrix Newcomb, OKRE (TF 10-0 (0:48) )

126

Parker Ingram, OKRE over William McMurtrie, MARY (F 3:28 )

132

Chad Votta, MARY over Forfeit, OKRE (FF)

138

Jackson McCurley, OKRE over Weston Baumgartner, MARY (TF 12-4 (3:57) )

144

Jake Jones, Jr., MARY over Hayden Vandagriff, OKRE (TF 10-0 (2:48) )

150

Ryker Keeney, MARY over Briar James, OKRE (TF 8-0 (1:03) )

157

Kadyn Tyler, MARY over Ryder Short, OKRE (TF 15-4 (2:59) )

165

Amir Cartwright, MARY over Forfeit, OKRE (FF)

175

Aiden Robideaux, OKRE over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

190

Zachary Landis, MARY over Jacob Hamilton, OKRE (F 0:45 )

215

Jacob Endzel, MARY over Forfeit, OKRE (FF)

285

Owen Stewart, MARY over Forfeit, OKRE (FF)

88

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Forfeit, OKRE (FF)

94

Forfeit, MARY vs. Forfeit, OKRE (DFF)

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Wyatt Haire, OKRE (TF 10-0 (3:54) )

106

Tyler Howell, OKRE over Cayetano Nicodemus, MARY (TF 9-0 (2:44) )

Final Score 51-24

16U Greco Duals - Green/Yellow: Maryland vs. Michigan Red

Weight Summary

106

Cayetano Nicodemus, MARY over Jaxson Pioli, MIRE (TF 12-3 (3:36) )

113

Samora Wolokolie, MARY over Forfeit, MIRE (FF)

120

Jacob Naylor, MARY over Tyler Sage, MIRE (TF 8-0 (0:57) )

126

Ethan Kowalski, MIRE over Braidyn Taby, MARY (Dec 3-2 )

132

Chad Votta, MARY over Aaron Prize, MIRE (TF 10-0 (0:30) )

138

Weston Baumgartner, MARY over Weston Millen, MIRE (TF 10-2 (2:55) )

144

Matthew Weigandt, MIRE over Jake Jones, Jr., MARY (TF 10-0 (0:46) )

150

Ryker Keeney, MARY over Asher Muma, MIRE (TF 8-0 (0:56) )

157

Kadyn Tyler, MARY over Jackson Brown, MIRE (TF 12-0 (0:34) )

165

Amir Cartwright, MARY over Forfeit, MIRE (FF)

175

Brendan Kero, MIRE over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

190

Zachary Landis, MARY over Casper Harbin, MIRE (Dec 9-2 )

215

Jacob Endzel, MARY over Forfeit, MIRE (FF)

285

Owen Stewart, MARY over Forfeit, MIRE (FF)

88

Forfeit, MARY vs. Forfeit, MIRE (DFF)

94

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Matthew Sicklesteel, MIRE (TF 10-2 (1:39) )

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Corbin Jansheski, MIRE (Dec 7-1 )

Final Score 55-17

16U Greco Duals - Pool B: Maryland vs. Arkansas

Weight Summary

88

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Forfeit, ARKA (FF)

94

Forfeit, MARY vs. Forfeit, ARKA (DFF)

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Forfeit, ARKA (FF)

106

Julian McCrimon, MARY over Cline Schumann, ARKA (TF 8-0 (1:50) )

113

Samora Wolokolie, MARY over Trace Powell, ARKA (TF 8-0 (1:49) )

120

Jacob Naylor, MARY over Camden Runnels, ARKA (TF 8-0 (0:32) )

126

Braidyn Taby, MARY over KC Martinez, ARKA (TF 12-3 (3:55) )

132

Lewis Davis, ARKA over Chad Votta, MARY (F 0:57 )

138

Weston Baumgartner, MARY over Gavin Phillips, ARKA (TF 8-0 (0:56) )

144

Jake Jones, Jr., MARY over Hunter Howk, ARKA (Dec 14-11 )

150

Caddo Gilmore, ARKA over Ryker Keeney, MARY (TF 12-3 (2:57) )

157

Kadyn Tyler, MARY over Noah Dawejko, ARKA (F 1:41 )

165

Amir Cartwright, MARY over Cameron Reeves, ARKA (F 1:52 )

175

Forfeit, MARY vs. Forfeit, ARKA (DFF)

190

Zachary Landis, MARY over Forfeit, ARKA (FF)

215

Jacob Endzel, MARY over Asher Kincannon, ARKA (Dec 8-4 )

285

Owen Stewart, MARY over Caleb Luker, ARKA (F 0:57 )

Final Score 57-12

16U Greco Duals - Pool B: Idaho vs. Maryland

Weight Summary

215

Blake Nguyen, IDAH over Jacob Endzel, MARY (TF 11-1 (2:00) )

285

Isaias Torres, IDAH over Owen Stewart, MARY (F 3:41 )

88

Forfeit, IDAH vs. Forfeit, MARY (DFF)

94

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Tyler Marx, IDAH (Dec 3-0 )

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Braxton Conyers, IDAH (Dec 11-6 )

106

Bridger Adams, IDAH over Cayetano Nicodemus, MARY (TF 10-0 (0:54) )

113

Samora Wolokolie, MARY over Tytan Freeman, IDAH (TF 9-0 (1:27) )

120

Owen Williams, IDAH over Jacob Naylor, MARY (Dec 3-1 )

126

Scout Scott, IDAH over Heath Wenchel, MARY (TF 9-0 (1:25) )

132

Chad Votta, MARY over Anthony Flores, IDAH (F 0:35 )

138

Weston Baumgartner, MARY over Braelyn Arredondo, IDAH (TF 11-2 (2:00) )

144

Waylon Nelson, IDAH over Jake Jones, Jr., MARY (Dec 10-4 )

150

Lincoln Steele, IDAH over Ryker Keeney, MARY (Dec 14-7 )

157

Logan Nitti, IDAH over Amir Cartwright, MARY (TF 9-0 (1:39) )

165

Kadyn Tyler, MARY over Cruz Ramirez, IDAH (Dec 6-1 )

175

Dominic Ratigan, IDAH over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

190

Hunter Bell, IDAH over Zachary Landis, MARY (F 1:03 )

UNSPORTSMANLIKE AFTER MATCH JONES

Final Score 43-25

16U Greco Duals - Pool B: Kansas vs. Maryland

Weight Summary

175

Elijah Gulley, KANS over John Snyder, MARY (ID 1:16 )

190

Dresden Beard, KANS over Zachary Landis, MARY (TF 8-0 (0:28) )

215

Jacob Endzel, MARY over Mason Steen, KANS (Dec 10-9 )

285

Owen Stewart, MARY over Griffin Bolyard, KANS (F 0:43 )

88

Dylan Verceles, MARY over Maxwell St.John, KANS (TF 9-0 (2:49) )

94

Abel Mixon, KANS over Forfeit, MARY (FF)

100

Kyle Link, MARY over Blake Tuttle, KANS (Dec 6-4)

106

Keyen Taplin, KANS over Cayetano Nicodemus, MARY (F 1:46 )

113

Fynn Reinerio, KANS over Samora Wolokolie, MARY (Dec 6-1 )

120

Jacob Naylor, MARY over Quentin Jackson, KANS (TF 8-0 (1:45) )

126

Wade Stubbs, KANS over Thomas Bradford, MARY (F 2:00 )

132

Chad Votta, MARY over Luke Owen, KANS (F 0:47 )

138

Weston Baumgartner, MARY over Sawyer Spaulding, KANS (TF 9-0 (0:23) )

144

Jack Hutchinson, KANS over Jake Jones, Jr., MARY (TF 9-1 (3:28) )

150

Ryker Keeney, MARY over Adriel Gomez, KANS (Dec 11-8 )

157

Oakley Rich, KANS over Kadyn Tyler, MARY (TF 8-0 (0:21) )

165

Amir Cartwright, MARY over Bode Busch, KANS (Dec 9-3 )

Final Score 39-36