Team Iowa sent seven wrestlers to the 2015 UWW Cadet National Greco-Roman championships with the winners of each weight getting a chance to wrestle at the World Championships this summer. A year ago Iowa crowned two Greco champions in Drew West at 50 kg and Ethan Andersen at 100 kg. West would be the only returning champion for Iowa and he looked to defend his national title up a weight at 54 kg.
Iowa faired fairly decently in the early going, putting five of their wrestlers into the quarterfinals, but that’s when they were hit hard and only West and Northern Plains Greco-Roman champion Ryan Leisure (58 kg) made it to the semifinals in their brackets. West ran into a tough opponent in Wisconsin’s Paul Bianchi, losing 10-5, and despite carrying a 7-0 lead into the second period Leisure wound up losing his semifinal by fall to Jaden Enriquez of California.
Other Iowa quarterfinalist included state champion Bryce West at 50 kg, Billy Higgins at 69 kg, and 3A state medalist Anthony Sherry at 76 kg. AJ Geers made his return to the Cadet tournament, and this time he was determined to come away with All-American honors. After dropping an opening round match, Geers won three straight matches to secure a medal.
Bryce won out over his brother Drew out in the consolation semifinals, dropping Drew to the fifth place match. In the fifth place match Drew faced off against 2017 Hawkeye commit Jason Renteria of Oak Park-River Forest. The former national champion came into the match with a vengeance as he picked up eight points in the span of 41 seconds to win 8-0 over Renteria.
Joining Bryce in the consolation finals was Leisure. Bryce was dominant in his match winning 8-0 technical fall in quick fashion. Leisure on the other hand was never able to take a lead on Corbin Nirschl of Kanasa, and lost 6-3 to finish fourth.
2015 Hawkeye recruit Jeremiah Moody was also at the Cadet tournament (which is impressive how young Moody is for his grade). The Wisconsin wrestler started off with a win, but lost to his fellow statesman Beau Breske in the quarterfinals. Moody won his next two matches before Owen Webster of Minnesota knocked him to the fifth place match, which he would lose also to take sixth. A tough tournament for Moody, but again, the fact that he is a senior and still wrestling cadet shows that he is very young and has some growth left in him to make improvements.
UWW Cadet GR 54 KG – Drew West’s place is 5th and has scored 11.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Drew West (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Drew West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Jarod Maes (Wisconsin) (TF 10-0)
Quarterfinal – Drew West (Iowa) won by decision over Cody Trybus (Maryland) (Dec 3-2)
Semifinal – Paul Bianchi (Wisconsin) won by decision over Drew West (Iowa) (Dec 10-5)
Cons. Semi – Bryce West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Drew West (Iowa) (TF 11-3)
5th Place Match – Drew West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Jason Renteria (Illinois) (TF 8-0)
UWW Cadet GR 54 KG – Bryce West’s place is 3rd and has scored 16.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Bryce West (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Bryce West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Brody Lamb (Colorado) (TF 10-0)
Quarterfinal – Alston Nutter (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Bryce West (Iowa) (TF 16-8)
Cons. Round 4 – Bryce West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Jarod Maes (Wisconsin) (TF 14-2)
Cons. Round 5 – Bryce West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Jerry Mealey (Oregon) (TF 8-0)
Cons. Semi – Bryce West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Drew West (Iowa) (TF 11-3)
3rd Place Match – Bryce West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Dominic LaJoie (Michigan) (TF 8-0)
UWW Cadet GR 54 KG – Jason Renteria’s place is 6th and has scored 9.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Jason Renteria (Illinois) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Jason Renteria (Illinois) won by decision over Brent Jones (Minnesota) (Dec 8-2)
Quarterfinal – Paul Bianchi (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Jason Renteria (Illinois) (TF 12-4)
Cons. Round 4 – Jason Renteria (Illinois) won by tech fall over Tyler Delaware (Illinois) (TF 8-0)
Cons. Round 5 – Jason Renteria (Illinois) won by tech fall over Cody Trybus (Maryland) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Semi – Dominic LaJoie (Michigan) won by fall over Jason Renteria (Illinois) (Fall 2:36)
5th Place Match – Drew West (Iowa) won by tech fall over Jason Renteria (Illinois) (TF 8-0)
UWW Cadet GR 58 KG – Ryan Leisure’s place is 4th and has scored 14.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Ryan Leisure (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Ryan Leisure (Iowa) won by tech fall over Owen Lamb (Colorado) (TF 10-2)
Quarterfinal – Ryan Leisure (Iowa) won by tech fall over Jarrett Dolata (Wisconsin) (TF 9-0)
Semifinal – Jaden Enriquez (California) won by fall over Ryan Leisure (Iowa) (Fall 2:35)
Cons. Semi – Ryan Leisure (Iowa) won by tech fall over Seth Schroeck (Montana) (TF 12-0)
3rd Place Match – Corbin Nirschl (Kansas) won by decision over Ryan Leisure (Iowa) (Dec 6-3)
UWW Cadet GR 63 KG – Aj Geers’s place is 8th and has scored 5.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Jon Trowbridge (Kansas) won by tech fall over Aj Geers (Iowa) (TF 12-4)
Cons. Round 1 – Aj Geers (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Aj Geers (Iowa) won by tech fall over Alex Felix (California) (TF 8-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Aj Geers (Iowa) won by decision over Shawn Orem (Maryland) (Dec 12-8)
Cons. Round 4 – Aj Geers (Iowa) won by tech fall over Scott Cook (Wisconsin) (TF 21-10)
Cons. Round 5 – Riley Seward (Washington) won by decision over Aj Geers (Iowa) (Dec 11-6)
UWW Cadet GR 69 KG – Colton Clingenpeel’s place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Josh Adams (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Colton Clingenpeel (Iowa) (TF 8-0)
Cons. Round 1 – Cade Bates (Ohio) won by tech fall over Colton Clingenpeel (Iowa) (TF 8-0)
UWW Cadet GR 69 KG – Billy Higgins’s place is unknown and has scored 4.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Billy Higgins (Iowa) won by decision over Frank Garcia (Wisconsin) (Dec 6-2)
Champ. Round 2 – Billy Higgins (Iowa) won by decision over Frankie Gissendanner (New York) (Dec 8-7)
Quarterfinal – Layne Vananrooy (Oregon) won by tech fall over Billy Higgins (Iowa) (TF 9-0)
Cons. Round 4 – Max Wohlabaugh (Florida) won by fall over Billy Higgins (Iowa) (Fall 3:09)
UWW Cadet GR 76 KG – Anthony Sherry’s place is 8th and has scored 6.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Anthony Sherry (Iowa) won by tech fall over Luke Fugate (Wisconsin) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 2 – Anthony Sherry (Iowa) won by tech fall over Michael Ilic (New Jersey) (TF 8-0)
Quarterfinal – Logan Gruszka (Illinois) won by fall over Anthony Sherry (Iowa) (Fall 0:24)
Cons. Round 4 – Anthony Sherry (Iowa) won by tech fall over Drew Peck (Pennsylvania) (TF 9-0)
Cons. Round 5 – Matthew Waddell (Georgia) won by tech fall over Anthony Sherry (Iowa) (TF 14-4)
UWW Cadet GR 76 KG – Jeremiah Moody’s place is 6th and has scored 9.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Zachary Emswiler (Pennsylvania) (TF 9-0)
Quarterfinal – Beau Breske (Wisconsin) won by decision over Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 4 – Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Laurence Kosoy (Florida) (TF 9-0)
Cons. Round 5 – Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) won by decision over Andrew Berreyesa (Nevada) (Dec 5-2)
Cons. Semi – Owen Webster (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) (TF 11-3)
5th Place Match – Matthew Waddell (Georgia) won by fall over Jeremiah Moody (Wisconsin) (Fall 1:30)