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Daton Fix, shown at the 2015 UWW Junior Nationals in May, is among the many talented U.S. athletes who will battle for medals at the UWW Cadet Worlds this year. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzogovina – The United States is sending talented teams in the three Olympic styles to the 2015 UWW Cadet World Champions, set for August 25-30. This event features the world’s best 15-17 year old wrestlers.
The competition begins with Greco-Roman, which will be held Aug 25-26. Last year, the United States did not win a medal in the Greco-Roman competition.
Two members of the 2014 UWW Cadet World Team return, Taylor LaMont of Utah at 58 kg and Dominick Demas of Ohio at 63 kg. Demas placed eighth in his weight class last year. This will be the third straight year that LaMont will compete on the UWW Cadet World Team.
Many of those on the U.S. team competed in Fargo, N.D. this summer in preparation for the event. LaMont was a Junior freestyle champion and Junior Greco-Roman runner-up in Fargo. Dack Punke of Illinois, who is competing at 50 kg, and Wyatt Koelling of Utah, who will wrestle at 85 kg, were both Junior Greco-Roman champions in Fargo this year.
Next up is women’s freestyle, schedule for August 27-28. Last year, the United States placed in fifth in the standings, with one individual champion, Teshya Alo of Hawaii.
There are no returning members from the 2014 U.S. Cadet World Team in women’s freestyle. A number of the team members had strong efforts in Fargo in July. McKayla Campbell of Ohio, who is wrestling at 43 kg, was a champion in both the Junior and Cadet divisions in Fargo. Ronna Heaton of South Dakota, wrestling at 49 kg, was a Fargo Junior champion and second in the Cadet division. Vayle Baker of Pennsylvania, at 38 kg in Sarajevo, was a Cadet champion and Junior runner-up in Fargo.
A Junior champion from Fargo on the roster is Gracie Figueroa of California, entered at 52 kg. A Junior runner-up from Fargo is Kayla Marano of Oklahoma at 65 kg. Cadet National champions on the team include Alleida Martinez of California, who is at 46 kg, and Ashlynn Ortega of Colorado, who will compete at 60 kg.
Finishing off the tournament is the U.S. men’s freestyle team, scheduled for August 29-30. Last year, the United States placed third in the team standings, led by three champions (Spencer Lee, Mason Manville, Mark Hall) and a silver medalist (Jordan Wood).
One of the top medal hopefuls is Daton Fix of Oklahoma at 54 kg. Fix won a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games last summer, and was 10th at the UWW Cadet World Championships. He was also a Junior Nationals freestyle champion in Fargo this summer. Fix was also a UWW Junior Nationals freestyle champion in May.
Gavin Teasdale of Pennsylvania is on his second straight UWW Cadet World Team, competing at 50 kg. Last year, when he was at 42 kg, Teasdale placed fifth at the UWW Cadet Worlds.
Malik Heinselman of Colorado, who is wrestling in freestyle at 42 kg, won the Cadet Nationals in Fargo in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Other 2015 Cadet National champions who are wrestling on the UWW Cadet World Team are Dylan D’Emilio of Ohio at 46 kg and Gable Steveson of Minnesota at 100 kg.
United World Wrestling is expected to provide a live feed of the competition next week. Flowrestling will also be in attendance to post U.S. matches on its archives from Sarajevo.
UWW CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzogovina, August 25-30
U.S. Greco-Roman roster
42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Eric Barnett, Greenville, Wis.
46 kg/101.5 lbs. – Brady Koontz, Plover, Wis.
50 kg/110 lbs. – Dack Punke, Eureka, Ill.
54 kg/119 lbs. – Paul Bianchi, Two Rivers, Wis.
58 kg/127.7 lbs. – Taylor LaMont, Mapleton, Utah
63 kg/138.75 lbs.– Dominick Demas, Columbus, Ohio
69 kg/152 lbs. – Jake Allar, Corcoran, Minn.
76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Logan Gruszka, Schaumberg, Ill.
85 kg/187.5 lbs. – Wyatt Koelling, Kaysville, Utah
100 kg/220 lbs. – Anthony Piscopo, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
NMU-OTS Head Coach – Rob Hermann, Marquette, Mich.
Coach – Nate Engel, Annapolis, Md.
U.S. women’s freestyle roster
38 kg/83.75 lbs.- Jessica Rudick, Quarryville, Pa.
40 kg/88 lbs. – Vayle Baker, Benton, Pa.
43 kg/94.75 lbs. – McKayla Campbell, Wauseon, Ohio
46 kg/101.5 lbs. – Alleida Martinez, Selma, Calif.
49 kg/108 lbs. – Ronna Heaton, Brookings, S.D.
52 kg/114.5 lbs. – Gracie Figueroa, Sanger, Calif.
56 kg/123.25 lbs.- Alexandria Liles, Allen, Texas (Best Trained Wrestling)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Ashlynn Ortega, Pueblo, Colo.
65 kg/143 lbs. – Kayla Marano, Tulsa, Okla.
70 kg/154 lbs. – Alexis Bleau, Berne, N.Y.
Assistant National Women’s Coach – Erin Tomeo, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Brent Barnes, Lake Stevens, Wash.
Coach – Andrea Yamamoto, Richland, Wash.
U.S. men’s freestyle roster
42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Malik Heinselman, Castle Rock, Colo.
46 kg/101.5 lbs. – Dylan D’Emilio, Curtice, Ohio
50 kg/110 lbs. – Gavin Teasdale, Rices Landing, Pa.
54 kg/119 lbs. – Daton Fix, Sand Springs, Okla.
58 kg/127.75 – Yianni Diakomihalis, Rochester, N.Y.
63 kg /138.75 lbs.– Jarod Verkleeren, Perryopolis, Pa.
69 kg/152 lbs.– Brady Berge, Mantorville, Minn.
76 kg/167.5 lbs.– Joseph Grello, Newton, N.J.
85 kg/187.5 lbs. – Owen Webster, Shakopee, Minn.
100 kg/220 lbs. – Gable Steveson, Apple Valley, Minn.
Coach – Mitch Hull, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Coach – Jamill Kelly, Redwood City, Calif.
Referee – Drew Hayes, Tempe, Ariz.
Referee – Ron Fazio, Wayne, N.J.
Medical – Dr. Steve Broman, Fort Collins, Colo.
Medical – Eileen Bowker, Holgate, N.J.
Event Schedule
(local Sarajevo time, which is five hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time)
Tuesday, August 25
Greco-Roman: 50 kg, 54 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 100 kg (Punke, Bianchi, LaMont, Demas, Piscopo)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage
7:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies
7:30 p.m. – Finals
Wednesday, August 26
Greco-Roman: 42 kg, 46 kg, 69 kg, 76 kg, 85 kg (Barnett, Koontz, Allar, Gruszka, Koelling)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Finals
Thursday, August 27
Women’s freestyle: 38 kg, 43 kg, 49 kg, 56 kg, 65 kg (Rudick, Campbell, Heaton, Liles, Marano)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Finals
Friday, August 28
Women’s freestyle: 40 kg, 46 kg, 52 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg (Baker, Martinez, Figueroa, Ortega, Bleau)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Finals
Saturday, August 29
Men’s freestyle: 42 kg, 50 kg, 58 kg, 69 kg, 85 kg (Heinselman, Teasdale, Diakomihalis, Berge, Webster)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Finals
Sunday, August 30
Men’s freestyle: 46 kg, 54 kg, 63 kg, 76 kg, 100 kg (D’Emilio, Fix, Verkleeren, Grello, Steveson)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Finals
http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2015/August/21/US-to-send-talented-teams-to-UWW-Cadet-Worlds
