Even at the age-group level, the Minnesota Storm keeps racking up wins, and Pennsylvania showed its younger wrestlers are as game as they come. It all shook out earlier today at the Cadet Greco Duals in Memorial Hall at the York County Fairgrounds in York, Pennsylvania.
The event final got off to a hot start for the Storm. Kicking things off at 195 lbs was Tyler Buesgens, who worked a tight yet aggressive game in effort to pile up the points. It wasn’t a whitewash; Pennsylvania Blue’s Jack Wimmer displayed a good amount of physicality to try and stay in it, though Buesgens would emerge with an 11-5 win. The momentum built gradually from there and it was the upper-weights who laid the foundation. Colton Hellman (220 lbs) and Bryce Benhart (285 lbs) both delivered hard-fought decision victories (5-2 and 9-6, respectively) to hand the baton over to fireballer Paxton Creese (88 lbs). Creese locked horns with talented Chris Kim and couldn’t get on the kind of runs he had been able to the day before. But he maintained his attack, looked for openings, and dug in to come away on top 7-4 thanks to a hip toss late in the bout.
By the time Mitchell Peterson (106 lbs) got his hand raised thanks to a 17-6 tech fall, the Minnesota Storm had piled on seven consecutive wins. However, Pennsylvania was just about to get started. First, JJ Wilson (113 lbs) survived a tight battle with Colby Njos to put PA Blue on the board. After Cael Carlson (120 lbs) took one back for Minnesota, Mike Kistler and wunderkind Beau Bartlett gave Pennsylvania hope again, with Bartlett’s victory coming via tech-fall. Pennsylvania Blue’s last gasp to stay alive was put to rest shortly thereafter. Tyler Eischens drove one nail into the coffin when he escaped 10-8 over gifted Carnell Andrews of Westmont Hilltop High School. And then Cade King sealed up the Storm’s clinching win with a 5-2 decision against Pennsylvania’s Alec Sampson.
Edmond Ruth (152 lbs), Jake Hendricks (160 lbs), Benjamin Root (170 lbs), and Julian Goring (182 lbs) each picked up tech falls to narrow the margin, but it was all for bookkeeping – the Minnesota Storm had won the 2016 Cadet Greco Duals 37-35 to add to the state’s already impressive summer season. Credit goes to Pennsylvania, as well. Those boys enjoyed a terrific two days of wrestling and demonstrated a lot of excitement with their willingness to throw down and expound on that area’s considerable talent pool.
Illinois cruises past Michigan Red 60-17 to lock down third
The grapplers from Illiniois might not have been able to repeat last year’s championship performance but they sure made a statement gunning for third place. Taking on Michigan Red, Illinois revved its engine and did not let up off the gas. Sergio Villalobos (195 lbs) and up-and-coming “throw-master” Jace Punke both felt the need to assert themselves in a big way. Villalobos ran Michigan Red’s Tyler Moore to his back for a fall just over a minute in. Punke, of El Paso, showed off exceptional balance and explosiveness throughout the Cadet Greco Duals, nailing a couple of highlight-reel throws during his time in York. He wanted to end his stay on a high note and did so by trucking through Trent Sexton 11-0. Nick Freeman (132 lbs) provided Michigan with a bright spot as he seized on opportunity after opportunity against Donnell Washington.
But that wound be it for the boys from Michigan Red. Aside from Matthew Ortiz’s tense affair with Brian Case, Illinois ran the table the rest of the way in style, picking up tech falls in five of the remaining six matches.
2016 Cadet Greco Duals Championship Results
CHAMPIONSHIP: Minnesota Storm-37 Pennsylvania Blue-35
195 lbs. Tyler Buesgens (Minn. Storm) def. Jack Wimmer (PA Blue) 11-5
220 lbs. Colton Hellman (Minn. Storm) def. Mike Slivinski (PA Blue) 5-2
285 lbs. Bryce Benhart (Minn. Storm) def. Cody Williams (PA Blue) 9-6
88 lbs. Paxton Creese (Minn. Storm) def. Chris Kim (PA Blue) 7-4
94 lbs. Joey Thompson (Minn. Storm) def. Lincoln Heck (PA Blue) 11-4
100 lbs Andrew Sanders (Minn. Storm) def. Dillon Murphy (PA Blue) 10-0, TF
106 lbs. Mitchel Petersen (Minn. Storm) def. Ed Scott (PA Blue) 17-6, TF
113 lbs. J J Wilson (PA Blue) def. Colby Njos (Minn. Storm) 4-2
120 lbs. Cael Carlson (Minn. Storm) def. Connor Keivman (PA Blue) 8-2
126 lbs. Mike Kistler (PA Blue) def. Sebas Swiggum (Minn. Storm) 4-0
132 lbs. Beau Bartlett (PA Blue) def. Brock Luthens (Minn. Storm) 14-1, TF
138 lbs. Tyler Eischens (Minn. Storm) def. Carnell Andrews (PA Blue) 10-8
145 lbs. Cade King (Minn. Storm) def. Alec Sampson (PA Blue) 5-2
152 lbs. Edmond Ruth (PA Blue) def. Anthony Jackson (Minn. Storm) 14-4, TF
160 lbs. Jake Hendricks (PA Blue) def. Grant Parrish (Minn. Storm) 17-6, TF
170 lbs. Benjamin Root (PA Blue) def. Caden Steffen (Minn. Storm) 12-1, TF
182 lbs. Julian Gorring (PA Blue) def. Jacob Bennett (Minn. Storm) 10-0, TF
THIRD PLACE: Illinois-60 Michigan Red-17
195 lbs. Sergio Villalobos (Illinois) def. Tyler Moore (MI Red) pin, 1:05
220 lbs. Jace Punke (Illinois) def. Trent Sexton (MI Red) 11-0, TF
285 lbs. Ronald Tucker (Illinois) def. Austin Emerson (MI Red) 5-1
88 lbs. Blake Noonan (MI Red) def. Brody Norman (Illinois) 3-1
94 lbs. Christian Goin (Illinois) def.Andrew Chambal (MI Red) pin, 2:41
100 lbs. Joshua Ogunsanya (Illinois) def.Reese Fry (MI Red) 10-0, TF
106 lbs. Noah Surtin (Illinois) def. Chayse LaJoie (MI Red) 19-8, TF
113 lbs. Cory Gamet (MI Red) def. James Pierandozzi (Illinois) 12-5
120 lbs. Tyler Delaware (Illinois) def. Kaleob Whitford (MI Red) 10-0, TF
126 lbs. Eduardo Bolivar (Illinois) def. Zachery Donahue (MI Red) 20-10, TF
132 lbs. Nick Freeman (MI Red) def. Donnell Washington (Illinois) 13-1, TF
138 lbs. Will Lewan (Illinois) def. Fernan Garza (MI Red) 10-0, TF
145 lbs. Dalton Jensen (Illinois) def. Jacob McKnight (MI Red) pin, 1:39
152 lbs. Matthew Ortiz (Illinois) def. Brian Case (MI Red) 3-1
160 lbs. Drew Hoselton (Illinois) def. River Shettler (MI Red) 17-7, TF
170 lbs. Zach Braunagel (Illinois) def. Rory Cox (MI Red) 14-4, TF
182 lbs. Jacob Kaminski (Illinois) def. Ryan Ringler (MI Red) 23-10, TF
