2015 UWW Cadet University NationalsMay 29, 2015 by Brock Hite
What to Look for at University Nationals
What to Look for at University Nationals
It is an odd year for University Nationals. Odd that there will not be a World Championship, and this year's tournament is not serving as a qualifier for the University World Team. However, plenty of talent has entered the field to compete for a University National Championship. Here is what to look for during Saturday and Sunday's competition.
At 57kg Tyler Graff is the number one seed. He is getting some work in back down at 57kg after winning the Northern Plains Regional up at 61kg to qualify for the WTT in Madison, Wisconsin held on June 12-14. Graff is a solid favorite as the rest of the field is fairly young when compared to Graff. Check out Ryan Millhoff and JR Wert in the opening round, bout 137.
Earl Hall is the number one seed at 61kg, but the interesting portion of the bracket is in the bottom of the top bracket. Ali Naser, yes the guy who beat Coleman Scott at the Open, is the number four seed. Many people were scrambling to get his name into google a few weeks ago, and should be interested to see how he fairs here. He should be tested right away by Corey Keener of Central Michigan. The bottom half of the bracket is litered with young talent. Kraisser, DiCamillo, Zacherl, Montoya, and Bruno will be among the guys looking to make the final.
Evan Henderson concentrated on freestyle competition during his red shirt year at North Carolina. He is the number one seed, and one of seven ACC competitors in the field that is a mix of 125, 133, and 141lbers. The Tar Heels account for three of those spots with Henderson, Heilmann, and Ward. Keep an eye on bout 15 between Mac McGuire of Kent State and Danny Sabatello of Purdue. As next seasons rolls around it will be interesting to look back at this bracket and see how many of the 133lbers wrestling up a weight class find a new home at 141lbs.
Lots of star power at 70kg. Jason Tsirtsis is the number one seed, but the list of guys that would not be surprising winners is very long. Bout 41 between Alec Pantaleo and Sal Mastriani is a great first round bout. Jake Sueflohn and Rick Durso are guys to keep your eye on as Sueflohn returns from injury and Durso red shirted after earning All-American honors for F&M in 2014.
Michael Moreno is the number one seed at 74kg, and Boston graduate Nestor Taffur holds the number two seed at the bottom of the bracket. Some how returning champion Ian Miller is tucked into the middle of the bottom brack. Also, watch for Thomas Gantt wrestling from the number four seed. Gantt was sixth at the 2014 US Open.
Hawkeye Alex Meyer sits at the top of the bracket at 80kg. I am always fascinated to watch guys move weight classes and we have at big mover at 80kg in Anthony Perrotti. He was an NCAA All-American in 2014 at 157lbs. Some athletes use the freestyle season to test the waters, while others just don't want to make a grueling cut. It will be interesting to watch Perrotti's results and see where he competes during his senior season.
Junior World medalist Pat Downey will have to make his way through a bracket with several NCAA All-Americans if he wants to hold his seed at 86kg. Two of those All-Americans, Blake Stauffer and Hayden Zillmer, could potentially meet in the round of 32. In the bottom Sam Brooks is the two seed and also has World Championship experience at the Junior level.
Nathan Burak holds the top seed at 97kg. Watch out for Philip Wellington coming from the middle of the bottom bracket. At the very bottom a potential match up of talented ACC freshmen could happen in bout 530 between Micheal Boykin of NC State and Ryan Solomon from Pittsburgh.
Adam Coon is the top seed at 125kg for good reason. He captured Junior World medals in Freestyle and Greco-Roman, as well as the 2014 University Freestyle Championship. On the bottom side of the bracket Ty Walz brings NCAA All-American credentials to the table.
At 57kg Tyler Graff is the number one seed. He is getting some work in back down at 57kg after winning the Northern Plains Regional up at 61kg to qualify for the WTT in Madison, Wisconsin held on June 12-14. Graff is a solid favorite as the rest of the field is fairly young when compared to Graff. Check out Ryan Millhoff and JR Wert in the opening round, bout 137.
Earl Hall is the number one seed at 61kg, but the interesting portion of the bracket is in the bottom of the top bracket. Ali Naser, yes the guy who beat Coleman Scott at the Open, is the number four seed. Many people were scrambling to get his name into google a few weeks ago, and should be interested to see how he fairs here. He should be tested right away by Corey Keener of Central Michigan. The bottom half of the bracket is litered with young talent. Kraisser, DiCamillo, Zacherl, Montoya, and Bruno will be among the guys looking to make the final.
Evan Henderson concentrated on freestyle competition during his red shirt year at North Carolina. He is the number one seed, and one of seven ACC competitors in the field that is a mix of 125, 133, and 141lbers. The Tar Heels account for three of those spots with Henderson, Heilmann, and Ward. Keep an eye on bout 15 between Mac McGuire of Kent State and Danny Sabatello of Purdue. As next seasons rolls around it will be interesting to look back at this bracket and see how many of the 133lbers wrestling up a weight class find a new home at 141lbs.
Lots of star power at 70kg. Jason Tsirtsis is the number one seed, but the list of guys that would not be surprising winners is very long. Bout 41 between Alec Pantaleo and Sal Mastriani is a great first round bout. Jake Sueflohn and Rick Durso are guys to keep your eye on as Sueflohn returns from injury and Durso red shirted after earning All-American honors for F&M in 2014.
Michael Moreno is the number one seed at 74kg, and Boston graduate Nestor Taffur holds the number two seed at the bottom of the bracket. Some how returning champion Ian Miller is tucked into the middle of the bottom brack. Also, watch for Thomas Gantt wrestling from the number four seed. Gantt was sixth at the 2014 US Open.
Hawkeye Alex Meyer sits at the top of the bracket at 80kg. I am always fascinated to watch guys move weight classes and we have at big mover at 80kg in Anthony Perrotti. He was an NCAA All-American in 2014 at 157lbs. Some athletes use the freestyle season to test the waters, while others just don't want to make a grueling cut. It will be interesting to watch Perrotti's results and see where he competes during his senior season.
Junior World medalist Pat Downey will have to make his way through a bracket with several NCAA All-Americans if he wants to hold his seed at 86kg. Two of those All-Americans, Blake Stauffer and Hayden Zillmer, could potentially meet in the round of 32. In the bottom Sam Brooks is the two seed and also has World Championship experience at the Junior level.
Nathan Burak holds the top seed at 97kg. Watch out for Philip Wellington coming from the middle of the bottom bracket. At the very bottom a potential match up of talented ACC freshmen could happen in bout 530 between Micheal Boykin of NC State and Ryan Solomon from Pittsburgh.
Adam Coon is the top seed at 125kg for good reason. He captured Junior World medals in Freestyle and Greco-Roman, as well as the 2014 University Freestyle Championship. On the bottom side of the bracket Ty Walz brings NCAA All-American credentials to the table.