This weekend in Atlanta, Georgia several Iowans traveled out to the Southeastern portion of the country to compete at the Southeast Regional. Among all the Iowa wrestlers, Nelson Brands (Iowa City West) and Chase Straw (Independence) were the only two able to come away with titles, but many other Iowans placed in their weight.
Brands, the son of Iowa wrestling associate head coach Terry, won the Cadet 132 pound title with a 12-0 technical fall in the finals. This past year at Iowa City West Brands narrowly missed out on qualifying for his first state tournament, but almost as impressive was his MVC title at 126 pounds where he beat multiple ranked opponents, including a few who went on to medal at the state championships. It appears that Brands has really added some weight from last summer, as he wrestled 113 pounds at the Fargo high school championships.
Greco-Roman All-American Chase Straw brings home the Junior 152 pound title by scoring a first period fall in his finals match. This past year Straw won his first state title for Independence high school and was selected to wrestle in the Dream Team Classic for Team Iowa against Team USA. Straw is headed to Iowa State University to continue his wrestling career, and intends to wrestle at 157 pounds.
Bantam – 60
1st Place – Ladarius Jones of Florida
2nd Place – Gabriel Brisker of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
Round 1
Round 1 – Ladarius Jones (Florida) won by tech fall over Gabriel Brisker (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (TF 12-1)
Round 2
Round 2 – Ladarius Jones (Florida) won by tech fall over Gabriel Brisker (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (TF 14-3)
Round 3
Intermediate – 65
1st Place – Connor Payne of Tennessee
2nd Place – Brody Brisker of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
3rd Place – Isaiah Wysong of North Carolina
4th Place – Charles Spinning of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
5th Place – Joseph Jeter of Texas
6th Place – Clay Smith of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Connor Payne (Tennessee) won by decision over Brody Brisker (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (Dec 9-7)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Isaiah Wysong (North Carolina) won by decision over Charles Spinning (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) (Dec 13-6)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match – Joseph Jeter (Texas) won by forfeit over Clay Smith (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) (FF)
Novice – 90
1st Place – Garrison Dendy of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
2nd Place – Bentley Wheeler of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
3rd Place – Hunter Garvin of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
4th Place – George Duncan of Florida
5th Place – Kael Brisker of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
6th Place – Jared Purcell of Florida
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Garrison Dendy (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) won by tech fall over Bentley Wheeler (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) (TF 13-2)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Hunter Garvin (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by fall over George Duncan (Florida) (Fall 0:27)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match – Kael Brisker (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by fall over Jared Purcell (Florida) (Fall 2:42)
Schoolboy – 144
1st Place – David Key of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
2nd Place – Jacob Herrmann of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
3rd Place – Adrian Vidaud of Florida
4th Place – Micah Abramson of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
5th Place – Seth Gerena of Tennessee
6th Place – Trey Lovelace of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – David Key (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) won by tech fall over Jacob Herrmann (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (TF 14-3)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Adrian Vidaud (Florida) won by tech fall over Micah Abramson (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) (TF 14-1)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match – Seth Gerena (Tennessee) won by fall over Trey Lovelace (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) (Fall 1:06)
Schoolboy – 190-210
1st Place – Thomas Mukai of Virginia
2nd Place – Andrew Snyder of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
3rd Place – Mason Arnold of Florida
4th Place – John Drake of Louisiana
Round 1
Round 1 – Thomas Mukai (Virginia) won by tech fall over Mason Arnold (Florida) (TF 10-0)
Round 1 – Andrew Snyder (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by tech fall over John Drake (Louisiana) (TF 10-0)
Round 2
Round 2 – Andrew Snyder (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by fall over Mason Arnold (Florida) (Fall 1:36)
Round 2 – Thomas Mukai (Virginia) won by forfeit over John Drake (Louisiana) (FF)
Round 3
Round 3 – Mason Arnold (Florida) won by injury default over John Drake (Louisiana) (Inj. 0:00)
Round 3 – Thomas Mukai (Virginia) won by fall over Andrew Snyder (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (Fall 1:08)
Cadet – 132
1st Place – Nelson Brands of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
2nd Place – Brevin Balmeceda of Florida
3rd Place – Alexander Leitten of South Carolina
4th Place – Mason Reiniche of Tennessee
5th Place – Anthony Brito of North Carolina
6th Place – Rodrick Whitlock of South Carolina
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Nelson Brands (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by tech fall over Brevin Balmeceda (Florida) (TF 12-0)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Alexander Leitten (South Carolina) won by decision over Mason Reiniche (Tennessee) (Dec 12-10)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match – Anthony Brito (North Carolina) won by tech fall over Rodrick Whitlock (South Carolina) (TF 13-2)
Cadet – 145
1st Place – Justin Ruffin of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
2nd Place – Duncan Nelson of Illinois
3rd Place – Jimmy Noel of Arkansas
4th Place – Trey Brisker of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
5th Place – Noah North of South Carolina
6th Place – Andy Robinson of Tennessee
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Justin Ruffin (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) won by fall over Duncan Nelson (Illinois) (Fall 3:47)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Jimmy Noel (Arkansas) won by fall over Trey Brisker (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (Fall 3:39)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match – Noah North (South Carolina) won by fall over Andy Robinson (Tennessee) (Fall 0:54)
Cadet – 160
1st Place – Owen Brown of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
2nd Place – Cameron Caffey of Illinois
3rd Place – Stanley Smeltzer of Virginia
4th Place – Vito Smolyak of New York
5th Place – Tanner Sloan of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
6th Place – Christian Salter of Tennessee
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Owen Brown (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) won by tech fall over Cameron Caffey (Illinois) (TF 11-1)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Stanley Smeltzer (Virginia) won by decision over Vito Smolyak (New York) (Dec 11-3)
5th Place Match
5th Place Match – Tanner Sloan (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by tech fall over Christian Salter (Tennessee) (TF 18-7)
Junior Men – 152
1st Place – Chase Straw of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
2nd Place – Thomas Brackett of Tennessee
3rd Place – Ryan Violette of Florida
4th Place – Gregory Hilliard of Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Chase Straw (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by fall over Thomas Brackett (Tennessee) (Fall 1:34)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Ryan Violette (Florida) won by decision over Gregory Hilliard (Georgia-Coach Fretwell yellow card) (Dec 10-6)
Junior Men – 182
1st Place – Adolfo Sotolongo of Florida
2nd Place – Ellis Herring of Louisiana
3rd Place – Seth Walker of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
4th Place – Trevor Byram of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Adolfo Sotolongo (Florida) won by tech fall over Ellis Herring (Louisiana) (TF 10-0)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Seth Walker (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) won by tech fall over Trevor Byram (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (TF 14-4)
Junior Men – 195
1st Place – Guy Patron, Jr. of Louisiana
2nd Place – Jamiira Moore of Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card
3rd Place – Virgil Garrett English of Tennessee
4th Place – Dakota Carnes of Oklahoma
1st Place Match
1st Place Match – Guy Patron, Jr. (Louisiana) won by fall over Jamiira Moore (Iowa-Coach Whickam yellow card) (Fall 0:57)
3rd Place Match
3rd Place Match – Virgil Garrett English (Tennessee) won by tech fall over Dakota Carnes (Oklahoma) (TF 10-0)