2019 FloNationals presented by ASICS

Explaining The Cadet Pan Am Trials Process At FloNationals

Explaining The Cadet Pan Am Trials Process At FloNationals

Explaining the process of how the team for the Cadet Pan Am championships will be selected based on the results of FloNationals.

Apr 16, 2019 by Nomad Lobdell
Explaining The Cadet Pan Am Trials Process At FloNationals

The move from folkstyle to freestyle and Greco at FloNationals comes with it a couple important incentives for the Cadets wrestling in the event.

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USA Wrestling has designated FloNats as the Trials for the team being sent to the Cadet Pan Am championships. This year the event is in Morelia, Mexico at the end of June. America is sending one representative per weight, meaning that the athlete who goes will wrestle both freestyle and Greco.

The process to make the team uses a point system, and each style provides the same opportunity for points. The point distribution depending on where you place is below.

FinishPoints
110
28
36
45
54
63
72
81

So for example, if an athlete makes the finals in Greco and gets third in freestyle, they score 14 points. If that is the highest point total of anyone at that weight, he will be the first selection to represent Team USA. Pretty straightforward, and we will update the scores for each weight as the tournament goes on.

Now, some athletes are only wrestling one style. A reason why an athlete would do that is because the event is not only the Pan Am Trials, it is also an opportunity to earn separation criteria for Akron in June. Separation criteria would take a while to explain fully, but the simplest explanation is that Akron, where Cadet World Team Trials are, does not seed wrestlers, rather they separate them based on prior accomplishments at Fargo, Akron, and now, FloNats.

Making the finals here is the third separation criteria for Akron this year, right below making last year's Fargo or Akron finals. The top criteria is being a returning world medalist.

So be sure to tune in to watch these young stars fight for the right to represent America and improve their bracket placement in Akron. Oh, and check out these sweet finals singlets.