#1 Logan Massa, St Johns (11) 160lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 7-0 (160/170lbs)
2014 FILA Junior World Team Trials 3rd (163lbs)
2014 FILA Junior Champ (154.25lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Duals 5-2 (138/145lbs)
2013 FILA Junior World Team Trials 2-2 (145.5lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet Runner-Up (138.75lbs)
2013 FILA Junior 3rd (138.75lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Fargo 3rd (126lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Duals 7-0 (126lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet 5th (127.75lbs)
Logan has been straight up lights out in Freestyle this spring with his only loss coming to University of Illinois freshman Isaiah Martinez. The only legit threats to knock off him off seem to be last year’s 152lbs champ Ryan Blees of North Dakota, and 2012 cadet champ Fox Baldwin of Florida. Logan has already beaten Blees this cycle by way of a 10-0 TF in the finals at FILA Junior Nationals. Meanwhile, Baldwin was 1-2 to Logan’s 3rd at the World Team Trials with his lone win coming over Blees.
#2 Zac Hall, St Johns (12) 138lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 3-2 (145lbs)
2014 FILA Junior World Team Trials 5th (145.5lbs)
2014 MUSAW Junior Champ (152lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Fargo 5th (132lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Duals 5-0 (132/138lbs)
2013 MUSAW Junior Runner-Up (145lbs)
2012 USAW Junior Runner-Up (120lbs)
2012 FILA Cadet Runner-Up (119lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Central Regional Champ (126lbs)
2011 USAW Cadet Fargo 3rd (105lbs)
2010 USAW Cadet Fargo 7th (98lbs)
Zac had somewhat of a rough go at the Junior Duals, dropping a pair of matches to IL’s Isaiah White and MN’s Brady Berge. However, he looked much better at the FILA Junior World Team Trials a month prior where his performance was highlighted by a dominant TF over 2X NCAA qualifier Lenny Richardson of Old Dominion. Furthermore, Zac will be down to 138lbs for Fargo which is the lowest weight he has wrestled since last summer.
Looking at the entries, I see this weight as a pretty clear 4-horse race between Zac, Seth Gross of Minnesota, Freddy Stroker of Iowa, and fellow Michigander Cole Weaver. Gross is the defending champ, but lost to Weaver in Fargo last year, and was outplaced by Zac at the World Team Trials. Meanwhile, Stroker split his past 2 FS matches with Weaver, and lost to Zac in their last FS meeting at the FILA Cadets in 2012. Hence, I see each’s odds of winning as relatively comparable. It wouldn’t surprise me if any of the 4 were to bring home the stop sign, but my gut feeling is that Zac finally gets it done.
#3 Cole Weaver, Hudson (12) 138lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 3-3 (132lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Fargo 4-2 (132lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Duals 2-1 (126lbs)
2013 USAW Junior West Regional Runner-Up (126lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Freestyle Runner-Up (126lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Duals 6-1 (120lbs)
2012 MUSAW Cadet Champ (126lbs)
2011 USAW Fargo 4th (119lbs)
2011 USAW Cadet Duals 2-1 (119/125lbs)
2011 USAW Cadet Central Regional Champ (119lbs)
2011 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up (119lbs)
After wrestling 140lbs for the high school season, Cole dropped to 132 and looked gigantic at the Junior duals where he turned in a very solid outing highlighted by a win over 2X Fargo champ Tommy Thorn of Minnesota. However, as already noted, Cole will be up to 138 for Fargo where he is one of 4 clear-cut title contenders. Of the other 3, the only one he has never beaten in a Freestyle match is close friend and training partner Zac Hall. Hopefully they will be placed on opposite sides of the bracket, and these 2 studs can cap their illustrious Fargo careers in an all-Michigan final.
#4 Myles Amine, Detroit CC (11) 152lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 3-1 (152/160lbs)
2014 USAW Junior Central Regional Runner-Up (152lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Fargo 3-2 (138lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Duals 4-1 (138/145lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Central Regional Runner-Up (138lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Central Regional 4th (132lbs)
2012 MUSAW Cadet 4th (132lbs)
Myles comes into Fargo with a lot of positive momentum after a stellar Junior Duals performance that included a TF over Christian Stackhouse of NJ, last year’s 3rd place finisher at 160lbs. As far this weight goes I think Bryce Brill of Illinois, Mason Manville of New Jersey, and Joe Smith of Oklahoma are pretty clearly the top-3 guys. Beyond them the field really opens up, and I think that Myles has very favorable odds of placing with a chance of cracking the top-4.
#5 Ty Wildmo, St Johns (11) 182lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 1-1 (182lbs)
2014 MUSAW Junior Champ (195lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet 2-2 (187.5lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Fargo 3-2 (170lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Duals 4-3 (182lbs)
Wildmo is a monstrous 182lbr, and should be physically capable of competing with just about anyone he squares off with in Fargo. Myles Martin of Maryland is the heavy favorite to win this weight, but the rest of the field is extremely deep and balanced. I’m still not entirely sure what to make of Wildmo’s chances at this weight given the relatively small sample size, but neither a top-4 finish nor a DNP would be overly shocking.
#6 Lincoln Olson, Davison (11) 126lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 3-3 (126/132lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Fargo 3-2 (126lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet 5th (127.75lbs)
2013 MUSAW Junior Runner-Up (132lbs)
2012 USAW Junior Fargo 7th (106lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Duals 4-3 (106lbs)
2012 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up (113lbs)
2011 USAW Cadet Fargo 7th (91lbs)
2011 FILA Cadet Runner-Up (92.5lbs)
Lincoln has logged a ton of miles on the Freestyle scene, and is intent on getting back on the podium after missing out on AA honors in Fargo for the first time in his career last summer. He has the talent to place high, but his margin for error will be extremely slim. Lincoln’s Freestyle results have been a bit inconsistent in the past, and at a weight as deep as this a lone mistake could cost him a spot on the podium.
#7 Zehlin Storr, Leslie (12) 138lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 3-1 (138lbs)
2014 MUSAW Junior Champ (145lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Nationals 2-2 (138lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet Nationals 2-2 (138.75lbs)
2013 MUSAW Junior Champ (138lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Nationals (138lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Duals 6-1 (138lbs)
2012 MUSAW Cadet Runner-Up (138lbs)
2011 USAW Cadet Duals 5-4 (135lbs)
He’s been extremely active and highly productive for years, but up to this point Zehlin has yet to capture AA honors in Freestyle. As previously stated the top-4 at 138lbs is pretty clearly defined. However, the latter half of the All-American spots are very open for the taking with plenty of depth but no “sure-thing” AA’s. He’ll need to beat some very high quality opponents to do so, but Zehlin is capable of emerging from the remainder of the pack for a strong finish to close out his prep career.
#8 Trevor Zdebski, Detroit CC (11) 126lbs
2014 USAW Junior Central Region 1-2 (126lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Nationals 4-2 (126lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet Nationals 1-2 (127.5lbs)
Trevor was awesome in Fargo last summer, but has been largely absent from the national Freestyle scene over this cycle. In his one appearance, he had a somewhat disappointing 1-2 finish at the Junior Central Regional. It’s hard to predict how he’ll compete having not watched him wrestle Freestyle in 12 months, but with the same focus and intensity that he showed in his last trip to Fargo I think Trevor can win the big matches necessary to crack the top-8.
#9 Ryan Prescott, Whittemore Prescott (11) 285lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 5-2 (285lbs)
2013 USAW Junior West Region 3rd (285lbs)
He’s coming off of a disappointing 1-2 showing in Greco, but Ryan does not have a lot of high level competitive experience in that style. And while he’s not too much more seasoned in Freestyle, I think it is a much better fit for his skill set. I like his ability in close matches, and as long as he can reset himself mentally I believe Ryan is capable of bouncing back and becoming an All-American.
#10 Dalton Roberts, Fowlerville (12) 106lbs
2014 USAW Junior Duals 1-5 (106lbs)
2014 FILA Junior World Team Trials 5th (110.25lbs)
2014 MUSAW Junior Champ (106lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Fargo 4th (100lbs)
2013 USAW Junior Duals 3-0 (100lbs)
2013 FILA Cadet 2-2 (101.25lbs)
2013 USAW Cadet Central Regional Champ (100lbs)
2013 MUSAW Junior Champ (100lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Fargo 4th (88lbs)
2012 USAW Cadet Duals 4-3 (88lbs)
2012 MUSAW Cadet Champ (88lbs)
Dalton is coming off a rough outing 1-2 Greco outing after winning a Junior National title in that style last summer. So although he’s a returning top-4 finisher in Freestyle, that doesn’t guarantee anything as far as success. He’s battle tested enough to recuperate from one poor performance, and as long as the cut agrees with him Dalton has what it takes to earn AA honors in his final time competing in Fargo.
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c mon guys put the hammer down fast and hard
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