Cadet/Junior Nationals - LIVE updates from Fargo
Junior Freestyle Finals
Saturday, July 26th - Fargo, ND
11:09am - Ben Bennett is a Junior National Freestyle Champion. He just made easy work of Maryland's Josh Asper, winning 3-0, 6-0 en route to the title. In the first period Bennett scored a takedown on a front headlock spin behind then turned Asper with legs. In the second Bennett scored on an elbow pass then got a gut wrench. He then scored a takedown off a shot counter and a 2 point exposure off a crotch throw to win the match and the National Championship
Finalist Bios: 171 pounds
RED - Josh Asper, Parkton, Md.
2008 Maryland state freestyle champion… Graduated from Hereford High School… Four-time state champion… Champion at 171 pounds as a senior with a 37-0 record… State champion at 160 pounds as a junior… State champion at 145 as a sophomore and 135 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 151-7… Will attend the Univ. of Maryland… Coached by Ron Causey, Todd Beckerman and Cary Kolat… Son of Jeff and Glenda Asper… Born July 9, 1990…
BLUE - Ben Bennett, Rockford, Mich.
Fifth in 2008 Western Junior Regionals in Greco-Roman… 2008 Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… Graduated from Rockford High School… Three-time state champion… State champion at 171 pounds as a senior with a 54-0 record… State champion at 160 pounds as a junior… Third in the state at 152 pounds as a sophomore… State champion at 140 pounds as a freshman… Career record of 213-3… Will attend Central Michigan… Coached by Don Rinehart… Son of Doug and Michelle Bennett… Born Dec. 9, 1989…
10:31am - Awards, awards, and more awards.....they are presenting some awards right now. 145 will be up following these awards and hopefully they will wrestle 4 matches before the next break...if they do Bennett will be up soon...
10:08am - 135lbers are wrestling right now with PA boys Kindig and Alton going at. This is one of the more anticipated matchups as both these kids are going into their junior years so its a battle of top sophomores...USA Wrestling is really dragging out the presentations and awards this year, so it is hard to say how long until Bennett comes up. There will be at least one more award break...if I had to guess I would say he starts at 11:15 (12:15 in Michigan)
10:00am - Brenan Lyon finished 4th after getting caught in a cement mixer in the 2nd period. Lyon won the first period pretty handily before getting caught and pinned in the 2nd.
Kyle Waldo racked up some takedowns in the 112lb 7th place match to finish 7th. Waldo's weight was deep as #2 ranked Alan Waters finished 5th.
9:00am - The introductions are about to start and Ben Bennett will be vying for a Junior National Title tonight. Bennett will likely not wrestle until around 11:00am CST, so around noon back in Michigan.
-----------------------------------------
Junior Freestyle Day #2
Friday, July 25th, 2008 - Fargo, ND
**Click refresh on your browser to view updates!**
--5:00pm session---
7:51pm - Ben Bennett vs Travis Rutt now up on Mat 10....the winner goes to the finals
7:50pm - Brenan Lyon lost to Tyler Fraley of New Jersey. Lyon will now likely be wrestling for third. Mike Leholm is done, he is wrestling for 3rd place at 130lbs, where he will be wrestling Eric Grajales of Florida.
7:47pm - Ben Bennett is now one win from the 171lb junior freestyle finals. Bennett just beat Kyle Cuthberson of Alaba 2-1, 1-0 and now he will square off with Greco champ Travis Rutt of Minnesota. Bennett and Rutt met back in April and the NHSCA Senior Nationals with Bennett winning the match and the tournament.
6:58pm - Mike Leholm is 1-1 on the session and it looks like he is going to be top 6 in the tournament. Ben Bennett just won a close one over Sonny Yohn of Colorado, who was runner-up here a year ago. Bennett controlled the match, scoring one takedown in the first on a swing single and then a 2 point exposure in the second period off a crotch throw.
5:13pm - Kyle Waldo just took his 2nd loss to returning Junior freestyle all-american Cameron Eppert of Indiana.
4:51pm - The Cadets are cleared out and the juniors are getting warmed up. Brenan Lyon is up 1st on Mat 1 and Kyle Waldo is on deck on Mat 7. They are slated to start right at 5:00pm
--------------------------------------------
CADET FREESTYLE FINALS
Friday, July 25th, 2008 - Fargo, ND
3:05pm - Jordan Thomas lost a three period battle with greco champ Chase Nelson of Kansas to finish 4th at 145lbs.
140lbs Championship Match - Taylor Massa vs Colby Kloetzer (Idaho)
This is a rematch of the Cadet Duals when Kloetzer beat Massa
1st period - wrestling from an over-under Kloezer gets a single leg to a pushout...
Massa 1 point slide by takedown
Kloetzer 1 point takedown
2nd period - Kloetzer 1 pt. low level single takedown
Massa single leg push out 1 pt.
Massa single leg push out 1 pt.
Massa in on double get 2 pt. exposure, Kloetzer gets 2 pt. exposure
4-3 Massa :50 seconds remain.
Massa 3 pt. feet to back exposure.
3rd period - Massa 1 pt. pushout
Massa wins with a 3 point front headlock to cross ankle pick
Taylor Massa wins Cadet Nationals Freestyle Championship.
135lbs 7th place bout - Nick Bohn vs. Franky Forest (Indiana)
1st period - Bohn takedown for the 1-0 lead 30 second to go
Forest scored to tie the match...cant really see all the action from here just the scoring
:30 to go Bohn needs to score...Forest scores a 3-pt move and then a turn to win the first 6-1
2nd period - Bohn won the 2nd 6-3....we lost connection for a second. Taylor Massa is coming up right now
3rd period
2:39pm - Here they go Bohn is getting underway right now...
2:37pm - Sorry for the delay....they are doing a bunch of introductions...Nick Bohn will be up immediately following the introductions.
2:25pm - Nick Bohn is on deck to wrestle for 7th place over on the side mats. He is coming up to the mat right now
2:22pm - 125lbers are on the stage right now....Massa should be up in about 45 minutes.
Freddie Rodriguez vs. Hayden Zillmer
1st period - Rodriguez scores 1 pt. on a knee pick :30 second in.
Zillmer scores 1 pt. double leg. 1-1
Rodgriguez scores 1 pt.. single and 2 pt. turn 4-1 and adds another single leg takedown pt.
2nd period - Zillmer 2 pt exposure and Rodriguez gets 1 pt. reversal.
Zillmer takedown being reviewed by video.
1 pt. takedown Rodgriuguez.
1 pt. high crotch take down for Rodriguez. 3-3 Zillmer leading
Zillmer 2 pt. gator roll. Zillmer wins second period 5-3
3rd period - Zillmer 2 pt. exposure, Rodriguez 1 pt. takedown.
Zillmer 2 pt. exposure, Rodriguez 1 pt. takedown, 4-2 Zillmer :33 seconds left
Rodriguez 1 pt. takedown.
1:22 pm - Rodriguez getting introduced and walking onto the platform.
1:14pm - 84lbers are getting underway...Rodriguez is on deck
1:03pm - Introductions are going on right now....Freddie Rodriguez will be the 2nd match of the finals. Rodriguez is wrestling Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota who is a returning double champ from a year ago.
Finalist Bios:
91 pounds
RED - Freddie Rodriguez, Lansing, Mich.
2008 FILA Cad Greco-Roman runner-up and fifth in freestyle… Seventh in 2008 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman… Will be a freshman at Holt High School… Coached by Rocky Shaft… Son of Don Rodriguez… Born April 11, 1993
BLUE - Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn.
2008 Cadet National Greco-Roman champion… 2007 Cadet Triple Crown winner… 2007 Cadet Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Folkstyle National champion… 2008 Northern Plains Greco-Roman champion and third in freestyle… 2008 Central Regional champion in both styles.… Will be a sophomore at Crosby-Ironton High School… State qualifier at 103 pounds as a freshman with a 36-6 record… Had an 8-3 record as an eighth grader… Coached by Champ Hesch… Son of Mary Zillmer… Born July 16, 1992
140 pounds
RED - Colby Kloetzer, Nampa, Idaho
Sixth in 2007 Cadet Nationals in freestyle… Will be a sophomore at Caldwell High School… State champion as a freshman at 135 pounds with a 47-1 record… Coached by Jeff Kloetzer… Son of Jeff and Shari Kloetzer… Born September 15, 1992…
BLUE - Taylor Massa, St. Johns, Mich.
2008 Cadet Greco-Roman champion… 2008 Cadet Folkstyle National champion… Seven-time state champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman… Attends St. Johns High School… Coached by Chris Williams and Rodger Massa… Son of Rodger and Rohanda Massa… Born April 19, 1993…
----------------------------------------------
Junior Freestyle - Day #2
Cadet Freestyle - Day #3
Friday, July 25th, 2008 - Fargo, ND
**Click refresh on your browser to view updates!**
Follow the tournament brackets updated immediately following each bout on TrackWrestling
---9:00am Session---
The session has concluded and Freddie Rodriguez and Taylor Massa will be wrestling for National Titles at 91 and 140. Jordan Thomas will be wrestling for 3rd at 145 and Nick Bohn will go for 7th at 135. Massa will do battle with Colby Kloetzer of Idaho, who beat him at the Cadet Duals last month. Rodriguez will be wrestling returning double champ Hayden Zillmer of Minnesota.
4 Juniors remain in freestyle competetion to this point. Mike Leholm, Ben Bennett, and Brenan Lyon are undefeated while Kyle Waldo has one loss. The Juniors will pick up at 5:00 tonight.
11:44am - Ben Bennett survived match that was ridden with confused officials and controversial scoring. In the third period he hit a nice single leg and lifted it to a three point move for the win.
11:22am - 171s are being called, Ben Bennett will be coming up here soon. He has the #1 ranked sophomore 171lber in the country, Tyler Beckwith of NY.
11:16am - Mike Leholm remains undefeated as he just upset 3x Indiana state champ Josh Harper in two straight periods. Seth Schaner is out of the tournamnet after a loss to Josh Kindig of PA. Schaner wrestled Kindig tough and lost the both periods near the end. Kindig is ranked 6th nationally in all classes. Josh Houldsworth is out after losing this round.
10:50am - Waldo won with relative ease, hes still alive. Jordan Thomas just lost to sophomore stud Balasarro of New Jersey. Thomas will now wrestle for 3rd place at 145lbs.
10:33am - Ben Bennett continues to roll....he has a tough pool and will begin to get some big names thsi morning and tonight. Junior 112s getting called right now..Waldo is coming up.
10:25am - Jordan Thomas won his last match and is now one win away from the finals. Thomas will now wrestle Anthony Baldasarro of New Jersey for a spot in the finals. Baldasorro is currently ranked 10th nationally at 140lbs in InterMats all-class rankings....he was a NJ State Champ this year as a sophomore.
Zach Davis and Jake Walters were bounced from the Junior Freestyle tournament this round...Seth Schaner suffered his first loss and Josh Houldsworth picked up a first period pin to remain alive. Jake Bohn's double all-american hopes are over as he was eliminated this round.
Mike Leholm won and is still undefeated in Junior Freestyle at 135lbs....he used a broomstick to score 4 points in the last 30 seconds of the second period to win the period.
10:20am - Freddie Rodriguez and Taylor Massa have advanced to the Cadet Freestyle Finals. Rodriguez won handily over Cory Clark of Iowa while Massa knocked off Jeremy Davenport of Iowa. Massa won a close first period 2-2 with Davenport before hitting a three point throw and trap arm gut in the 2nd to win the match.
Jared Germaine is out of the tournament after losing to Sean Boyle of New Jersey. Boyle, who is ranked 9th in the country across all classes, won the first period but Germaine scored a quick takedown and a couple turns to tech Boyle out in the 2nd. Boyle then scored 5 early points in the third and despite answering back with a couple takedowns, Germaine dropped the bout.
8:58am - Wrestlers are at their mats and we are getting underway. Kyle Waldo is up on Mat 9 and is wrestling returning champ and nationally ranked Alan Waters of Missouri.
9:21am - Despite scoring a few takedowns, Waldo lost to Alan Waters of Missouri. Waldo struggled to stop Waters' mean gutwrench. He is still alive as that was his first loss. Alan Waters is currently ranked #2 in the country at 112lbs in all classes.
