Team Maryland Scores Big @ Nationals

The Maryland Boys and Girls went into the Kids Folkstyle Nationals at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana in late January (23rd-25th) with high expectations and delivered on them with 16 wrestlers bringing home hardware, and eight boys doing so in the 14U Brackets.

KIESSLING PACES CHAMPS WITH FOURTH NATIONAL FOLKSTYLE TITLE

The story of the affair would have to be Rampage Wrestling’s Korbin Kiessling capturing his fourth Folkstyle National Crown, which now sets him up to lock down a fourth Triple Crown this summer when the young bucks go at it in Freestyle and Greco Roman. A Triple Crown is earned by winning Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco Roman Championships in the same year.

Kiessling suffered his first defeat in years in the Super 32 finals last fall to New York’s JJ Sullivan, 1-0. Kiessling was top ranked at the time but now sits as the No. 2 entry at 85 pounds in Mat Scouts Junior High Rankings. Since then, Kiessling has gotten back to peeling off wins with regularity, including five here with the closest being an 8-0 major decision in the round of 16 against Michigan’s Kayden Rands.

In the finals, Kiessling kept No. 2 at 80 pounds, Vartan Naljayan of Pennsylvania, off the scoreboard with a 10-0 major decision. Three falls comprised Kiessling’s other triumphs with all coming in 2:00 or less. Iowa’s Pierson Wolff was stopped in two minutes of their semifinal meeting. No. 10 Anthony Messina was sent off the mat in 1:48 in the quarters. Kiessling began his run by planting Isaiah Latham (CT) in 1:39.

NEW TO TOWN WYNN MAKES A BIG SPLASH

The 14U Brigade crowned a second champion in new Maryland resident, Luca Wynn (225 pounds), who recently relocated from Colorado. Wynn’s bracket was contested in a round robin manner with two others. Wynn beat the silver medalist, Hank Gutormson (MN), 5-1, and third place finishing Oliver Conley (IN), 20-5.

ACE SOARS HIGH

Maryland’s third male champion comes from Dan Ricker’s Warhawks stable in the form of Ethan Ace Panyavuthilert as a 10U 49 pounder. Ace opened with two pins to advance to the semis. Wisconsin’s Colin Krenzer was discarded in 2:43 and then just a minute was needed to kick Michigan’s Wyatt Getgood to the consolation rounds.

From there, things got more difficult for Ace as he squeezed by Clark Ballay of Tennessee 8-7, in his semifinal and then delivered a 7-3 performance in the finals against Adriel Rasmussen (OR).

GOLDEN GIRL LADY ENCARNACION

The final gold for Maryland came from Eva Encarnacion and she was repping the Headhunters when she claimed her glory. Encarnacion only wrestled three times but dominated each time. Ending with a 9-0 major decision in the 10U 62-pound finals versus Reese Szymanski (CT). A 19-2 tech was given to Avery Wright (TN) in the semis after slapping Wisconsin’s Kiah Dukes, 13-0.

14U HAMMERS EARN HARDWARE AS WILDY IS A SILVER SURFER

The only silver brought home by a Marylander was hung around Justin Wildy Jr.’s neck at 120 pounds in the 14U Division. Wildy went the distance in his opening matchup with Iowa’s Declan Trueg, 7-4. Two pins propelled Wildy to the finals. One in the quarters over William Zapf (IL), 3:04, and a 46 second semifinal shellacking executed on another Illinoi boy, Liam Bissman. Wildy was tripped up in the finals, 9-0, by Texas’ Brian An (No. 8 at 112 in the MS Rankings).

BRIGGS, BRICKLEY, AND EDWARD ENCARNACION LAND IN THE FOUR SPOT

Three weight classes in a row saw a Marylander stand in the number four spot of the 14U podium, Luke Briggs (88 pounds), Logan Brickley (92), and Edward Encarnacion (96 pounds).

THE UNRANKED HEADHUNTER

The Headhunter Encarnacion, who is not ranked by Mat Scouts, picked off their number nine guy in the consolation rounds when he got by Iowa’s Mac Heysinger, 1-0. After a pin in his first consolation match, it got more difficult for Encarnacion. The Heysinger win led to a 2-0 decision of Oregon’s Jace Trautz in the consolation semis before being dealt an overtime loss by Preston Silva out of New Jersey, 10-4 SV.

Encarnacion’s championship bracket results include a 15-3 major decision and a 17-0 tech before meeting and falling to Wisconsin’s Aiden Daile, 1-0, in the quarters. Daile would take fifth after losing to Silva, 5-3, in the other consolation semifinal.

BRICKLEY BOUNCES BACK

Brickley ran into a nationally ranked competitor but couldn’t author the upset as he came up short in his consolation final with No. 8 Kolton Hartman (OH), 8-2. But Brickley’s biggest story arch involved him losing right out of the gate to Indiana’s Carter Marsh, 6-3, and getting his head right so he could march through the entire consolation bracket, eventually meeting Marsh again and gaining revenge, 4-3. Three pins of 50, 38, and 17 seconds were part of that run as well as an 18-0 tech fall. Brickley put up an 8-0 major in the consolation semis over Remington Wilson (IN).

BRIGGS MAKES HIS OWN CONSOLATION RUN

Briggs’ placement journey necessitated a long voyage through the consolation bracket like Brickley after he lost a 6-5 decision to Indiana’s Michael Woods in his second match after a 35 second pin to start. Woods would end up not placing. Briggs began his consolation time with a 37 second pin then went the distance the rest of the way.

Wins collected by Briggs came against Ari Sobaje (CA), 5-0, Brady Potter (WI), 4-0, Clint Kohlman (MI), 5-2, and Joaquin Ascenio (MI), 7-0. Briggs met Missouri’s Cayden Mango in the third-place match and came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 score. Brickley and Briggs wore Rampage Singlets while putting their work in.

TOWNSEND AND CLEMONS PLACE EIGHTH

The final 14U boys to gain hardware did so with eighth place finishes for Rampage, Carter Townsend (75 pounds) and Brody Clemons (132). Townsend moved out to the quarters with two wins then squared off with Easton Egan (MI) and lost, 2-0. A 1-1 showing in the consolation rounds landed Townsend in the seventh-place match where he came up just short in a 2-1 loss to Iowa’s Braxton Newell.

Clemons was pinned in his first match by the kid who would place fifth, Bowen Pearson (OK), 2:15. A 1-1 record down below afforded Clemons his shot at seventh. Michigan’s Carter Hill won that placement match, 5-1.

TWO OF THE YOUNGEST PERFORM

Rampage’s Tanner McCray-Bey worked his way to the 12U podium for a seventh-place finish when he decked Wisconsin’s Andrew Hole in 2:59. Two tech falls delivered McCray-Bey to the quarters and a bout with Malik Mayfield (IL), who ended McCray-Bey’s title hopes with a 1:39 pin.

In the 8U slate, Hutson Rupert placed eighth at 53 pounds, getting pinned 33 seconds into his placement match with New York’s Mason Banker. Rupert lost his first match to fifth place finishing Cal Downing (WY), 10-2.

BACK TO THE YOUNG LADIES

Three 12U Girls were able to navigate the field and land on the awards stand, Yaitza Selvas (3rd at 87 pounds), Kinley Kirwan (4th at 64), and Eva Diaz (5th at 69 pounds).

Selvas defeated Ohio’s Juliette Ollom 12-0 to secure her bronze medal. Selvas lost to the eventual champion, Ariana Ragona of Illinois, 15-0, in her quarterfinal. Kirwan came up short in her third-place match with Illinois’ Amina Perez, losing 6-3 in SV OT. Kirwan beat Perez in her opening bout, 5-3, then fell to the gold medalist from New Jersey, Harper Weaver, 6-1, in the semis.

Diaz’s fifth-place match ended with her sticking Cora Weir of Michigan in 1:18. Diaz’s two losses came to the champ, Mia Barro (NY), and bronze medalist, Michigan’s Remiela Pedroza.

Grayson Richburg was the only 14U girl to make her way to the podium. Richburg’s bracket was of the round robin variety, and she produced a 1-3 record to take fourth at 125 pounds. The win came over the fifth-place finisher, Raelynne Moore of Ohio, on a 55 second fall.