The time is finally here. Our Junior Freestyle tournament is loaded with studs. Just glancing out the amount of high level wrestlers that are slated to battle has me so anxiously excited.

We've had some surprise entries that we didn't see when we first looked at the list that have just made things even juicier. Lots of guys already competed in the Greco tournament and will be looking to double up while some other are showing up fresh and new in the hunt for a stop sign.

This is going to be something that you don't want to miss, so keep it locked right as we bring you all the action LIVE.

100

#1-Malik Heinselman, CO - UWW Cadet FS Champ, Returning Double Fargo Champ
Brenden Chaowanapibool, WA - Cadet Greco Runner-up
Cevion Severado, MO - UWW Cadet Greco Runner-up
Matthew Petersen, MN - 2015 Fargo Greco AA
Riley Weir, OK - Returning AA
Brenden Garcia, CO - Greco Champ

Commentary: After winning a spot on the Cadet World Team with a win over Severado,  Heinselman is the guy to beat here. He won the stop sign in both styles last year and is looking to add another to his trophy case. Chaowanapibool wrestled in both the Cadet and Junior Greco tournaments, claiming runner-up finishes in both.

Willie's Picks:  1. Heinselman   2. Weir   2. Severado   4. Garcia
Holmes' Picks: 1. Heinselman  2. Severado  3. Weir  4. Garcia
CP's Picks: 1. Heinselman 2. Severado 3. Chaowanapibool 4. Petersen
Bratke's Picks: Heinselman 2. Chaowanapibool 3. Severado 4. Weir
 

106

#2-Jason Holmes, AZ - Returning Freestyle Champ
#3-Jaret Lane, PA - Returning Freestyle Runner-up; Greco Champ
#4-Mosha Schwartz, CO - Returning Cadet Freestyle and Greco Champ
#5-Rayvon Foley, MI - 2015 Cadet Freestyle Runner-up
#6-Cody Phippen, MO - Missouri Freestyle State Runner-up
#9-Elijah Varona, FL - UWW Junior Freestyle 6th
#13-Brandon Kaylor, WA - UWW Cadet Greco 3rd
Ty Smith, NV
Tyler Cunningham, NE
Dalton Stutzman, UT - Utah Freestyle State Champ

Commentary: This is a pretty stacked weight. Lane has already won a Greco title this week and will be looking to double up. Varano and Holmes had a battle in Greco so you know Holmes will have a little extra fire. Throw returning double Fargo champ Mosha Schwartz into the mix will certainly make things even more interesting along with Foley, Phippen and Kaylor. I'm going with Lane to double up.

Willie's Picks:  1. Lane   2. Foley   3. Holmes   4. Kaylor
Holmes' Picks: 1. Lane  2. Schwartz  3. Holmes  4. Foley
CP's Picks: 1. Holmes 2. Lane 3. Schwartz 4. Varona
Bratke's Picks: 1. Lane 2. Schwartz 3. Holmes 4. Varona

 

113

#4-Dylan D'Emilio, OH - Returning Freestyle Champ
#6-Colton Yapoujian, CO - UWW Freestyle 4th
#7-Joey Melendez, IL - UWW Cadet Freestyle 6th
#8-Michael Colaiocco, NJ - Returning Freestyle AA
#9-Kyle Biscoglia, IA - 2015 Cadet Freestyle AA
#19-Patrick McKee, MN - US Open Freestyle Runner-up
Brock Bergelin, WI - UWW Cadet Greco Runner-up
Dylan Koontz, WI - 2015 Junior Greco Runner-up
Justin Portillo, IA
Nic Aguilar, CA - 2015 UWW Cadet Freestyle Runner-up
Tomas Gutierrez, CO
Rhett Golowenski, OK - UWW Freestyle 3rd
Mike Madara, PA
Dom La Joie, MI
Joey Thomas, MD

Commentary: D'Emilio will be in the hunt for his second straight title after winning the Cadet title a season ago. We will most likely get a match between Biscoglia and D'Emilio, these guys have met so many times in the past. Joey Melendez is one tough opponent but D'Emilio already owns a win over him from Jr. Duals. The guy to watch out for is going to be Michael Colaiocco. I feel like he can have a very good showing here.

Willie's Picks: 1. Melendez   2. Yapoujian   3. D' Emilio   4. Colaiocco
Holmes' Picks: 1. D'Emilio  2. Aguilar  3. Colaiocco  4. Melendez
CP's Picks: 1. D'Emilio 2. Yapoujian 3. Biscoglia 4. McKee
Bratke's Picks: 1. D'Emilio 2. Colaiocco 3. Biscoglia 4. Aguilar

 

120

#2-Gavin Teasdale, PA - US Open Junior Runner-up
Danny Vega, AZ - 2015 UWW Junior National Champ
#7-Drew Mattin, OH - Returning Runner-up
#8-Brandon Courtney, AZ - Returning Freestyle Champ
#9-Paxton Rosen, OK - Returning AA
#13-Matty Parker, PA - Returning Freestyle Runner-up
#15-Ian Timmins, NV - 2014 Fargo Freestyle Runner-up
#16-Jack Skudlarczyk, TX
#17-Chase Zollman, CA - UWW Cadet Freestyle Placer
#18-Jet Taylor, OK - UWW Cadet Greco Placer
#19-Tommy Hoskins, OH - Returning 3rd
Anthony Pisciotta, MO - Freestyle State Runner-up
Brenden Baker, IA - Freestyle State Champ
Bryce West, IA - Freestyle State Placer
Colin Valdiviez, MO - UWW Cadet Greco 3rd
Jack Wagner, IA - Freestyle State Champ
Jaxon Cole, UT - Freestyle State Champ
Liam Cronin, CA - Returning Freestyle Runner-up
Dalton Duffield, OK - Returning Greco Champ
Fabian Gutierrez, CO - Southern Plains Reg. Greco 3rd
Logan Macri, PA
Connor Brown, MO
Corbin Nirschl, KS
Colin Valdiviez, MO
Jonathon Gomez, NY
Korbin Meink, NE
Liam Cronin, CA
Trae Vasquez, MT

Commentary: This is by far the most exciting weight of the tournament. I hope you got your popcorn ready because Gavin Teasdale is going to put on a show. He is the clear cut favorite to win this weight. Danny Vega will be the one looking to take out Teasdale in the finals. However, last year's finalists Courtney and Mattin will not just go quietly. Like I said, this weight is going to be something to see for sure.

Willie's Picks:  1. Teasdale   2. Mattin   3. Vega   4. Wagner
Holmes' Picks: 1. Teasdale  2. Vega  3. Mattin  4. Courtney
CP's Picks: 1. Teasdale 2. Vega 3. Parker 4. Courtney
Bratke's Picks: 1. Teasdale 2. Vega 3. Courtney 4. Mattin

 

126

Codi Russell, GA
#2-Austin Gomez, IL - Returning Fargo AA
#10-Alex Thomsen, IA - Returning Cadet Freestyle Runner-up
#11-Zach Sherman, NJ - Cadet Freestyle AA
#13-Cole Manley, PA
#17-Paul Konrath, IN - 2014 Cadet Freestyle Champ
Matt Schmitt, MO - Greco Champ
Billy Simpson, OK - Returning Cadet Freestyle Runner-up
Drew West, IA - UWW Greco National 6th
Jack Karstetter, OK - UWW Greco Runner-up
Jake Gliva, MN - Returning 5th
Josh Portillo, IA - Freestyle State Champ
Paul Bianchi, WI - Fargo Greco AA
Quincy Monday, TX - Returning Freestyle AA
Rylee Molitor, MN - 2014 Greco AA
Victor Gliva, MN - Freestyle State Champ
Weston Diblasi, MO - Freestyle State Champ
Dan Moran, PA - NE Regional 4th
Jackson Henson, WV
Jakob Campbell, PA
Peter Del Gallo, ME

Commentary: Can Austin Gomez return to the top of the Fargo podium? He can and he will. It's tough to pick against him. My darkhorse here is Billy Simpson. The returning Cadet runner-up is pretty tough and I think he could shake some things up. Thomsen will look to bounce back from his greco loss and Konrath will be in the mix as the tough competitor he always is.

Willie's Picks: 1. Gomez   2. Thomsen   3. Schmitt   4. Sherman
Holmes' Picks: 1. Gomez  2. Konrath  3. Thomsen  4. Sherman
CP's Picks: 1. Gomez 2. Thomsen 3. Sherman 4. Konrath
Bratke's Picks: 1. Thomsen 2. Gomez 3. Schmitt 4. Konrath

 

132

Taylor LaMont, UT - Returning Champ
#5 (at 126)-Max Murin, PA - UWW Freestyle National 3rd
#8-Timmy Kane, CT - 2015 UWW Cadet Placer
#11-Keaton Geerts, IA
#11 (at 138) Chris Sandoval, CO - Returning Freestyle AA
Jacob Butler, OK - Freestyle State Champ
Ian Parker, MI - Returning 4th
Gabe Townsell, IL - Greco Runner-up, 2015 Greco Champ
Quinn Kinner, NJ - NE Regional Runner-up
Tanner Cox, UT - Freestyle State Champ
Wyatt Long, PA - NE Regional Champ
Brent Jones, MN - Greco 5th
Brock Rathbun, IA - Northern Plains Regional Freestyle Champ
Giovanni Ghione, NJ
KJ Fenstermacher, PA

Commentary: Not sure that anyone in the field has what it takes to really test Taylor LaMont, but this weight will be fun to watch for sure. Last year Townsell won the Greco title then couldn't follow through in freestyle, well this year he's got a second chance a bit more motivation after coming up short in this year's Greco finals. Timmy Kane is extremely tough and I feel like he is going to make some noise here. I won't be surprised if he knocks off a stud or two this weekend.

Willie's Picks: 1. LaMont   2. Sandoval   3. Parker   4. Murin
Holmes' Picks: 1. LaMont  2. Murin 3. Park  4. Kane
CP's Picks: 1. LaMont 2. Murin 3. Parker 4. Rathbun
Bratke's Picks: 1. LaMont  2. Parker  3. Parker  4. Kane
 
 

138

Mitch McKee, MN - 2015 and 2016 Fargo Greco Champ
Carter Happel, IA - Returning 5th
Kanen Storr, MI - 2015 UWW Cadet Freestyle Runner Up
Rudy Yates, IL - 2x IL State Champ
Jarrett Degen, MT - Greco Runner-up
#1 (at 132)-Nick Lee, IN - JR World Team Trials Runner-Up
#2-Kaden Gfeller, OK - Returning AA
#4-Jaime Hernandez, IL - Returning Cadet Freestyle Runner-up
#9-Ben Freeman, MI - UWW Freestyle Runner-up
#10 (at 145)-Riley Palmer, PA
#14-Jaden Van Maanen, WI
#15-Alec Hagan, MO - UWW National 8th
#15 (at 132) Dakota Galt, SD
#16-Parker Filius, MT
Corey Shie, OH - Greco AA
Jaden Enriquez, CA - Greco AA
Will Kaldes, PA - NE Regional 4th
Alex Crowe, MN - Greco 5th
Calvin Germinaro, MN - UWW Greco Runner-up
Nate Keim, OK

Commentary: This is probably my second favorite weight of the tournament after 120, but it's a really close call. Mckee and Gfeller wrestled at Junior Duals and it was amazing. McKee had a houdini-like four-pointer that still has people saying "wtf." Surely McKee is the favorite, but it's going to be like navigating through a minefield to win it. Like I said Gfeller is looking to get back to the top of the podium for the first time since 2013 and he's showed some more pop as of late. I know I don't have Carter Happel in my top 4, but trust me, him proving me wrong is not something I'll be surprised with. Hernandez has been on the Fargo stage a few times but has yet to get the stop sign he wants. And then there's Nick Lee. We know he can battle with the best of 'em. Like I said, this bracket is like a minefield. At any moment something big can happen. And oh yeah, the Kanen Storr farewell tour has not come to a close just yet. We have seen Storr all over the place since the regular season ended. He's just a competitor. If he gets into a rhythm, things will not be good for people.

Willie's Picks:  1. McKee   2. Lee   3. Gfeller   4. Storr
Holmes' Picks: 1. McKee  2. Storr  3. Gfeller  4. Yates
CP's Picks: 1. Gfeller 2. McKee 3. Lee 4. Yates
Bratke's Picks: 1. McKee  2. Storr  3. Gfeller  4. Lee

 

145

#3 (at 152)-Jarod Verkleeren, PA - Cadet World Champ
#6-Anthony Artalona, FL - 2015 Cadet Freestyle Champ
#8-Alex Lloyd, MN - Returning 6th
#9 (at 152)-Devin Bahr, WI - Northern Plains Regional Freestyle Runner-up
#9-Jake Hinkson, PA
#14-Brik Filippo, OK - Southern Plain Regional Freestyle Runner-up
#18-Colt Yinger, OH - 2015 Cadet Freestyle State Champ
#20-Evan Barczak, NY - SE Regional Freestyle Champ
Brandon Konecny, AZ - Western Regional Freestyle 3rd
Zach Barnes, IA - Freestyle State 3rd
AJ Jaffe, IL - Southern Plains Regional Freestyle Champ
Eli King, TN - Returning 5th
Hunter Marko, WI - Returning 5th
Nelson Brands, IA - UWW Cadet Greco 3rd
Nicholas Palumbo, NJ - 2015 Cadet Freestyle 3rd
Phil Conigliaro, MA - NE Regional 3rd
Ryan Leisure, IA - UWW Greco National Runner-up
Ryan Deakin, CO - Greco Champ
Vincent Dolce, AZ - Fargo Greco 7th
Anthony Cheloni, IL - Freestyle State 3rd
Jaron Jensen, UT - Greco Runner-up
Charlie Kane, CT
Jon Errico, NY

Commentary: Big group of talent with returning champ Anthony Artalona having thte advantage. However, it's just a slight edge in my mind. There are plenty of contenders here looking to make a big splash. Though Artalona is the favorite, it's still a bit of a toss up as to how things will shake out.

Holmes' Picks: 1. Verkleeren  2. Artalona 3. Deakin  4. Lloyd
Willie's Picks:  1. Artalona   2. Lloyd   3. Verkleeren   4. Deakin
CP's Picks: 1. Verkleeren 2. Artalona 3. Bahr 4. Lloyd
Bratke's Picks: 1. Artalona  2. Verkleeren  3. Bahr  4. Deakin
 

152

#6-Joe Lee, IN - Returning Champ
Zander Wick, CA - Returning AA
Griffin Parriott, MN - Greco Champ
#4-Quentin Hovis, AZ - UWW Greco National Champ
#15-Jaryn Curry, OK - 2015 Cadet Freestyle Runner-up
#18-Hunter Willits, CO
Wyatt Sheets, OK - UWW Freestyle National 3rd
Andrew Cervantez, CA - Greco AA
Austin Hiles, OH - Central Regional Freestyle 3rd
Nico O'Dor, OH
Jimmy Noel, AR
Kyler Rea, MO

Commentary: Very interesting field here. With the returning champ Joe Lee back in the mix and Zander Wick here as well, I'm thinking that things could heat up quickly. Wick and Lee aren't the only guys here that can (and probably will) do some serious damage. Parriott is riding high after winning the Greco title, and Hovis is in need of a serious rebound after taking an early round loss in Greco. The pair of Oklahoma boys--Curry and Sheets--should be in the mix, but for me are kind of hit or miss. Both guys didn't have the best showings at Junior Duals so I'm interested to see how they pan out this weekend. But I still expect good things from them both.

Willie's Picks:  1. Parriott   2. Hovis   3. Lee   4. Sheets
Holmes' Picks: 1. Lee  2. Parriott  3. Wick  4. Hovis
CP's Picks: 1. Parriott 2. Lee 3. Wick 4. Hovis
Bratke's Picks: 1. Parriott  2. Lee  3. Wick  4. Hovis

160

Evan Wick, CA - Returning Runner-up
#3-Jake Allar, MN - UWW Cadet Freestyle 4th
#4-Hunter Bolen, VA - Freestyle State Champ
#4 (at 170)-Anthony Mantanona, CA - Greco Champ
#5-Layne Van Anrooy, OR - Greco AA
#7-Trent Hidlay, PA - UWW Cadet Freestyle 3rd
#11-Luke Troy, CA - Returning 4th
#12 (at 170)-Eric Hong, PA - 2014 Fargo AA
#13-Max Wohlabaugh, FL - UWW Cadet Greco Champ
AJ Geers, IA - Northern Plains Regional 6th
Austin Hiles, OH - Central Regional Freestyle 3rd
Colton Clingenpeel, IA - Greco 4th
Jose Acosta, WI - UWW Cadet Greco Runner-up
Matt McDowell, OR - Freestyle State 3rd
Ryder Punke, IL - Greco State Runner-up
Luke Weber, MT

Commentary: Anthony Mantanona is the guy to beat here. He has such an unorthodox style couple with awesome athleticism. The way I see it, it's going to be an all California final with Wick and Mantanona. Hopefully Mantanona isn't bothered by whatever had him taking injury time in his Greco final too. Van Anrroy and Bolen are serious competitors as well. I like Bolen a lot so I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled an upset.

Willie's Picks:  1. Mantanona   2. Van Anrooy   3. Wick   4. Bolen
Holmes' Picks: 1. Mantanona  2. Wick  3. Bolen  4. Van Anrooy
CP's Picks:  1. Mantanona 2. Wick 3. Allar 4. Hidlay
Bratke's Picks: 1. Mantanona  2. Wick  3. Hidlay  4. Van Anrooy

170

#8-Jack Jessen, IL - 2015 Fargo Cadet Runner-Up
#10-Marcus Coleman, IA - 2015 Fargo Cadet Runner-Up
#17-AJ Pedro, MA
#18-Jackson Hemauer, WI
Andrew McNally, OH
Hayden Hastings, WY
JT Brown, OH
Jacob Hart, WV
Josh Ramirez, LA
Lucas Jeske, MN - Returning Fargo Junior Runner-Up
Victor Marcelli, OH - 2015 Fargo Cadet 6th
Canton Marriott, MO
Christian Bahl, OK
Fritz Schierl, WI
Johnny Blankenship, MO - 2014 Cadet Runner-Up
Riley Jarimillo, OR
Ty Bagoly, PA

Commentary: I really like Jessen here. He made the Cadet finals last year in both styles and I don't see why he can't get back there again. If Jeske comes out firing like he did at Junior Duals then he's going to be trouble for everyone. He loves putting points up and doesn't mind giving them up at all so keep an eye on Jeske, he's fun to watch. And finally there's Marcus Coleman. He was a runner-up in Cadets last year and has made a lot of improvements to his game.

Willie's Picks:  1. Jessen   2. Coleman   3. Hemauer   4. Jeske
Holmes' Picks: 1. Jessen  2. Jeske  3. Coleman  4. Marcelli
CP's Picks: 1. Jessen 2. Coleman 3. Jeske 4. Marcelli
Bratke's Picks: 1. Jessen  2. Jeske  3. Coleman  4. Marcelli

182

#4-Jelani Embree, MI
#6 (at 195) Jake Woodley, PA - 2015 Fargo Cadet 4th
#6-James Handwerk, OH - Returning Junior 7th
#11-Chase Schiltz, IA
#13 (at 170) Anthony Falbo, CT - 2015 Fargo Cadet 5th
#14-Jesse Shearer, ND
#17 (at 170) Casey Cornett, KY
#20-Trevor Nichelson, NE
Anthony Sherry, IA - 2015 Fargo Cadet 7th
Frank Guida, PA
Keegan Moore, MN - 2015 Cadet World Team Trials Runner-Up
Kendall Elfstum, NY
Logan Gruszka, IL - 2016 GR Champ
Max Lyon, IA - Freestyle State Champ
Kevin Parker, NY - Returning Junior 7th
Owen Webster, MN - 2015 Cadet World Team Member
Roman Romero, CA
Taylor Venz, MN
Tyler Stepic, OH
Christian Dietrich, PA
Aaron Paddock, NY
Bob Coleman, OR

Commentary: Some big guns in this weight class. I really like the Minnesota guys here. Owen Webster and Keegan Moore are some tough guys and you can't forget about Taylor Venz. I guess you can say that Minnesota has some serious firepower here. Greco Champ Logan Gruszka looked great and will be looking to continue his run in freestyle. The guy I'm really anxious to see is Roman Romero. I want to see what he can bring against some really tough competition.

Willie's Picks:  1. Woodley   2. Moore   3. Falbo   4. Embree
Holmes' Picks: 1. Webster  2. Moore  3. Lyon 4. Embree
CP's Picks: 1. Webster 2. Moore 3. Lyon 4. Embree
Bratke's Picks: 1. Webster  2. Moore  3. Falbo  4. Embree

195

#2-Patrick Brucki, IL
#5-Brandon Kui, NJ
#6 (at 182) Jacob Raschka, WI - 2015 Fargo Cadet Champ
#6-Brandon Whitman, MI
#7 (at 220) Sammy Grove, MN
#11-Andrew Davidson, IN - 2015 Fargo Cadet 3rd
#12-John Borst, VA - UWW Cadet 8th
#14-Danny Salas, CA - 2015 Fargo Cadet 7th
Sean O'Malley, NJ
Trenton Schultz, CO
Benjamin Darmstadt, OH - Returning 4th

Commentary: Last year Ben Askren let us all have it when Jacob Raschka was overlooked and came out with the title. Well this year I'm not overlooking him at all. However, I don't know if I can pick him to win it. The guy that will be at the top when it's all said and done is Ben Darmstadt. He is a problem. I can see him taking out everyone in his path. He was nothing short of impressive at Junior Duals and if he brings the same game plan it's going to be tough to keep up with.

Holmes' Picks: 1. Darmstadt  2. Borst  3. Raschka  4. Whitman
Willie's Picks:  1. Darmstadt   2. Brucki   3. Kui   4. Whitman
CP's Picks: 1. Darmstadt 2. Borst 3. Raschka 4. Davidson
Bratke's Picks: 1. Darmstadt  2. Davidson  3. Borst  4. Raschka

220

Andrew Fenton, OH
Anthony Piscopo, PA - 2015 UWW Cadet 4th
Ashton Seely, UT
Beau Crawford, OR
Cole Nye, PA - Returning Junior 8th
Cole Bateman, IL
Darryl Aiello, CA - Returning Junior 6th
Francis Duggan, PA - 2014 Cadet 7th
Garrett Hopkins, OK
Jared Campbell, OH
Matt Spaulding, OH
Max Darrah, MO
Sammy Colbray, OR - Returning Junior Runner-Up
Wyatt Wriedt, IA - 2015 Cadet 4th
Zane Black, PA

Commentary: Sorry Jared Campbell, Gable didn't make the trip, but Sammy Colbray did and he is a bruiser. Colbray dropped huge bombs in the Greco finals and is the top dog here for sure. I also like Wyatt Wriedt to have a favorable finish as well.

Willie's Picks: Campbell   2. Colbray   3. Wriedt   4. Piscopo
Holmes' Picks: 1. Colbray  2. Aiello  3. Wriedt  4. Campbell
CP's Picks: 1. Campbell  2. Colbray  3. Piscopo  4. Wriedt
Bratke's Picks: 1. Colbray  2. Campbell  3. Piscopo  4. Aiello

285

#6-Anthony Cassioppi, IL - 2016 UWW Champ, 2015 Cadet 3rd
#7-Brandon Metz, ND - GR Champ
Carter Isley, IA - Returning Junior 5th
Dylan Porter, OR
Elijah Clark, CA
Ethan Andersen, IA
Gannon Gremmel, IA - 2014 Cadet Champ
Gavin Nye, CA - 2015 Cadet 5th
Tommy Killoran, PA
Tommy Helton, IL - Returning Junior 7th
Trenton Lieurance, OK
Zach Muller, IL  - 2015 Cadet Runner-Up

Commentary: This weight is ruled by the big bad Iowa boys. Isley, Gremmel and Anderson are the frontrunners here. Whoever comes out of that mess to take the title will be a seriously battle test stud.

Willie's Picks:  1. Cassioppi   2. Isley   3. Gremmel   4. Andersen
Holmes' Picks: 1. Isley  2. Anderson  3. Gremmel  4. Nye
CP's Picks: 1. Isley 2. Gremmel 3. Anderson 4. Cassioppi
Bratke's Picks: 1. Gremmel  2. Isley  3. Anderson  4. Cassioppi