Grappler Fall Classic - What happened at 125
Results:
Noah Gochberg (TX)
Carlos Negrete Jr. (CA)
Vincent Santaniello (NJ)
Dylan Gilcher (MI)
Richard Treanor (NC)
Logan Frazier (IN)
Braden Basile (FL)
Ashton Anderson (MI)
Seeds:
Carlos Negrete Jr. (CA)
Vincent Santaniello (NJ)
Garett Lautzenheiser (Ohio)
Braden Basile (FL)
Dylan Gilcher (MI)
Richard Treanor (NC)
Brendan Ferretti (Michigan)
Jackson Bond (Georgia)
Final: Not certain anyone had a better tournament than Noah Gochberg of Texas. He won the deepest weight class and did so from an unseeded spot in the bracket. The final was a typical Gochberg masterpiece. He got a takedown in the first and then made Negrete chase him to even the score … Gochberg then utilized those opportunities to score again. He had an escape in the 2nd to go up 3-0 heading into the 3rd period. Negrete nearly had nearfall twice (once in the 2nd and another in 3rd), but neither materialized and lost 6-1 (only point Negrete scored was for riding time) - the two at the end was Negrete just giving it a shot to try to get the win.
Top quarter Negrete was superb with 2 falls before earnign a 5-2 decision over Ashton Anderson of Michigan in the Rd 16 (Anderson pinned Trace Ragland of VA) in the Rd 32). Negrete then beat Cole Thomas 3-2 in a great quarterfinal match (Negrete scored all 3 of his points on nearfall).
2nd quarter: The 4 and 5 seed (Basile and Gilcher) each handled their with relative ease. Not that each simply walked through to their showdown, but both looked in control of their early matches … Gilcher’s win over Logan Frazier (IN) 3-1 was solid. Gilcher followed up that win with two takedowns of Basile to claim their quarterfinal 5-3. Negrete and Gilcher was a “bloodbath” and that’s not hyperbole … they had so much blood time used that it is amazing that the match was able to finish. Negrete won 10-1 and marched into the finals.
3rd quarter: The 3 seed, Garrett Lautzenheiser of Ohio, wrestled great until the Rd of 16 when he ran into Florida State Champ Andrew Austin. Lautzenheiser won a wild 12-11 match to move into the quarters opposite Gochberg (where Gochberg won handily 6-1). Gochberg’s toughest match of the tournament might have come in the Rd 16 where he held off Richard Treanor of North Carolina 4-3. Gochberg’s takedown early in the 1st period ended up being the difference.
Bottom quarter: Vincent Santaniello, the 2 seed, was simply outstanding early … winning his first 3 matches with little to no trouble. Brendan Ferretti of Michigan, the 7 seed, drew Florida State Runner-up Hayden Whidden in the first round and won 5-3 SV. He won his next two fairly easy before running into Santaniello who won with ease (8-0). That setup Santaniello vs. Gochberg in the bottom semi … and Gochberg used the same formula … 2nd period takedown to secure a 3-2 win.
SE highlights (not mentioned above):
Richard Treanor bounced back from his loss to Gochberg to put together 4 wins before losing to Santaniello 4-3 in the consi semis. Treanor beat Art Martinez (5-1), Andrew Austin (8-4), Cole Thomas (6-1) and Braden Basile (10-5). Basile had a nice win over CA’s Braden Abell to make the podium. Some other matches featuring SE wrestlers …
Jackson Bond dec. Art Martinez, 9-5
Dylan Sparkman dec Jackson Bond, 3-2
Cole Thomas (KY) dec. Sparkman, 6-2
Chance Cottingham dec. Tyson Thurmond, 8-5
Andrew Hampton (MI) dec. Elijah Lusk, 9-8
Andrew Austin dec. Lusk, 8-4
Jacob Cox dec. Hampton, 8-6
Ashton Anderson (MI) dec. Sparkman, 5-2
Bond dec. Cottingham, 11-1
Frazier dec. Bond, 3-0