What: USA Wrestling’s Cadet World Team Trials
Where: Akron, Ohio
When: May 31st – June 2nd
Friday, May 31st
Session 1: Greco-Roman:
U23 GR & UWW Cadet GR Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, & Consolations
9:00 AM – 1:15 PM
Session 2: Greco-Roman:
U23 GR & UWW Cadet GR Semifinals, Consolations, All Medal Matches, and Best 2 out of 3 Finals
3:00PM – Conclusion
Saturday, June 1st
Session 1: Freestyle:
U23 (Men) FS & UWW Cadet FS Preliminaries and Consolations
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Session 2: Freestyle:
UWW Cadet FS Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, and Consolations
3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
U23 (Men) FS Preliminaries and Consolations
3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 2nd
Session 3: Freestyle:
UWW Cadet FS Semifinals, Consolations, All Medal Matches, and Best 2 out of 3 Finals
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
U23 (Men) FS & UWW Cadet FS Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolations, All Medal Matches, and Best 2 out of 3 Finals
8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
USA Wrestling’s Cadet Team Trials will take place this weekend in Ohio and there will be plenty of Iowa natives, and Iowa recruits in action hoping to make the Cadet World Team and represent our country later this summer in Bulgaria.
All told there will be 18 Iowa natives competing in freestyle and 7 wrestlers are registered to compete in the Greco-Roman portion of the competition.
The two biggest names from Iowa are Fort Dodge’s Drake Ayala and Ankeny’s Caleb Rathjen, who will compete at 51 and 60kg respectively. Both wrestlers completed their sophomore seasons this past winter and are well accomplished freestyle wrestlers as both are former Fargo finalists.
Ayala’s bracket features both finalists from a year ago in World silver medalist Richard Figueroa II and Kyle Rowan. Ayala finished eighth at this tournament a year ago.
The top two names at 60kg this weekend will be Dominick Serrano and Shayne Van Ness according to national pundits Willie Saylor and Dan Lobdell of Flowrestling. Iowa Hawkeye commit Ryan Sokol will factor into the top names competing at this weight as well.
The other big Hawkeye recruit competing this action will be in the 55kg bracket as Arizona’s Jesse Ybarra will need to navigate a tough field in order to reach the top of the podium. Two-time World Team member Robert Howard is expected to lead the field at 55 with another former World Team member Chance Lamer also in contention. Some Iowans may remember that Lamer briefly competed for Team Iowa back in 2016 at the Schoolboy level.
Other key Iowans to watch this weekend include 41-45kg competitor Ryder Block, who was seventh earlier this year at the UWW U15 Nationals. Aiden Riggins (55kg) was runner-up at UWW U15 Nationals. Also entered at 60kg is freshman phenom Hayden Taylor who is riding a strong wave of momentum since winning his state title in February.
Who:
| Freestyle | |
| 41-45kg | Camron Phetxoumphone |
| 41-45kg | Ryder Block |
| 48kg | Jaiden Moore |
| 51kg | Drake Ayala |
| 51kg | Jakob Whitinger |
| 55kg | Aiden Riggins |
| 55kg | Cadin Herrmann |
| 55kg | Hunter Garvin |
| 55kg | Sean Thompson |
| 60kg | Bryce Parke |
| 60kg | Brady Thompson |
| 60kg | Caleb Rathjen |
| 60kg | Dreyzon Phillips |
| 60kg | Hayden Taylor |
| 65kg | Jack Gaukel |
| 65kg | Nick Hamilton |
| 71kg | Cael Rahnavardi |
| 80kg | Mickey Griffith |
| Greco-Roman | |
| 51kg | Braden Graff |
| 55kg | Hunter Garvin |
| 55kg | Sean Thompson |
| 60kg | Bryce Parke |
| 60kg | Brady Thompson |
| 65kg | Jack Gaukel |
| 65kg | Nick Hamilton |
About the Author
Who was the last Iowa cadet world team member
Happel and Drew West both made the team in 2014 I want to say. Eric Faught came close a couple years ago (2016/17?)