In today’s episode - we breakdown some of the weekend in Jacksonville. Specifically looking at Freestyle for USA Wrestling’s Southeast Regionals. The plan is to do a follow-up episode focusing on Greco and then Spartan Nationals, but for now we focus on Freestyle for the SE Regions at the 14U, 16U, and Junior levels. Congrats if you won 10U or Masters, but that isn’t the focus on the website … so you won’t find any coverage of those age groups. You can, however, find all of the results from the individual part of the weekend (there were also duals, but again that won’t be covered in this episode) in FloArena.
Pics are now available. You can find all of them on the smugmug site. Visit the pics page of SEWrestle for an explanation of the pics and a link to all of the galleries.
The Results
Already know who won and who lost? Drop below the results to the breakdown of those that stood out and some thoughts about the freestyle competition.
“Lingo” to know:
VFO: Victory by forfeit
VIN: Victory by injury default
VPO1: Victory by points
VSU1: Victory by superior decision (score and time when superior victory happened)
VFA: Victory by fall (time and the score of match at time of fall)
Top 4 qualify for Fargo or Kids Nationals - as a result here are your top four for each age and weight:
Junior boys freestyle Results
100 Carlos Arango (NY) def. Vincent Biondeletti (FL) best 2 of 3
106 Tyler Washburn (FL) def. Keith Moreno (CA) best 2 of 3
113
1st: Luke Lillendahl VPO1 Christian Guzman (FL), 10-8
3rd: Bryson Terrell (TN) VFA Austin Gehr (FL), 0:56 (2-2)
120
1st: Yanni Vines (AL) VPO1 Darrell Rochester (GA), 7-1
3rd: Dominic Ditomasso (GA) VSU1 Jeremiah Echevarria (CA), 13-2 (2:40)
126
1st: Kai Owen (FL) VSU Cooper Haase (FL), 10-0 (5:23)
3rd: Jayce Caviness (OK) VFA Amantee Mills (GA), 1:57 (8-0)
132
1st: Hunter Mason (TN) VSU Eligh Rivera (FL), 10-0 (1:13)
3rd: Jackson Polo (NY) VFA Dylan Layton (SC), 3:46 (13-10)
138
1st: Brayden Ivy (TN) VPO1 Alex Almeyda (NJ), 12-11
3rd: Danny Nini (FL) VIN Cole Brooks (OK)
145
1st: Henry Porter (CA) VPO1 Rocco Camillaci (NY), 4-2
3rd: Cutter Sheets (OK) VSU1 James Latona (AL), 16-6 (5:20)
152
1st: Joe Sealey (NC) VFA Chris Lopez (AZ), 3:15 (3-2)
3rd: Andrew Troczynski (NJ) VSU Tate Geiser, 10-0 (0:46)
160
1st: Nick Sanko (NY) VSU Gaetano Console (IL), 10-0 (2:30)
3rd: Amaan Gulacha (MA) VSU Jakob Chisholm (AL), 13-0 (2:23)
170
1st: Matthew Singleton (GA) VSU1 Markell Rivera, 12-2 (2:13)
3rd: Michael Dellagatta (NJ) VPO1 Adrian Artsisheuskiy, 14-8
182
1st: Hayden Walters VSU1 Gervacio Gonzalez (TN), 12-1 (2:24)
3rd: Armond Jones (GA) VSU1 Kalob Johnstone (AL), 15-4 (1:02)
195:
1st: Michael Tal Shahar (FL) VSU John Lovett (GA), 10-0 (1:38)
3rd: Deanthony Parker VSU1 Thomas Stadel (TN), 15-4 (2:52)
220:
1st: Bradley Hill (IA) VSU1 Alex Semenenko (NY), 13-2 (1:59)
3rd: Oliver Donahue VFO Tristan Middlebrook (FL) - not sure what happened in this match - was 10-8 Middlebrook and then listed as VFO
285
1st: Antonio Ramos VFA Aiden Lacoma (VA), 1:44 (6-8)
3rd: Dennis Fortuner (VA) VSU1 James Zogg (AL), 19-8 (5:39)
16U boys Freestyle Results
88
1st: William Jakeway VSU1 Clark Box (AL), 14-3 (3:18)
3rd: Charles Lussier (MA)
94 Antonio Mills (GA) defeated Angel Rodriguez (FL) best 2 of 3
100
1st: Chase Van Hoven VSU1 Mason Jakob (TN), 14-3 (2:57)
3rd: Zachary Beadling (NJ) VSU Kiernan Magee (NY), 10-0 (0:48)
106
1st: Ethan Rivera (FL) VSU Gabriel Tellez (FL), 11-0 (1:45)
3rd: Noah Nininger (VA) VSU Allen Calderon (GA), 10-0 (0:36)
113
1st: Drew Gorman (GA) VPO1 Gage Walker (OK), 10-6
3rd: Jax Forrest (NC) VSU Christian Davis (AZ), 10-0 (0:45)
120
1st: Casen Roark (TN) VSU Anderson Heap (FL), 12-0 (3:48)
3rd: Hudson Waldrop (AL) VSU1 Hayden Myers, 14-4 (3:11)
126
1st: Nicholas La Morte (NY) VPO1 Hunter Sturgill (TN), 6-1
3rd: Collin Mullins (GA) VSU William Chambers (GA), 10-0 (0:48)
132
1st: Casper Stewart (NY) VPO1 Caleb Negron (FL), 3-1
3rd: Gabriel Bouyssou VPO1 Andrew Wittenberg (FL), 13-12
138
1st: Thomas Stofka VFA Jacob Schmadeke (AZ), 3:37 (9-6)
3rd: Tyler Hood (VA) VSU Alex Naddeo (NJ), 11-0 (1:49)
145
1st: Ethan Mojena (FL) VPO1 William Henckel (CT), 2-1
3rd: Dominic Bambinelli (GA) VSU Aiden Robertson, 10-0 (1:50)
152
1st: Joe Sealey (NC) VSU Israel Ibarra (AZ), 10-0 (1:16)
3rd: Kendrick Hodge (FL) VSU1 Christopher Sanchez (FL), 12-1 (1:06)
160
1st: Corey Bell (VA) VFA Elijah Penton (FL), 1:20 (4-6)
3rd: Roman Garcia (FL) VSU Quinlan Morgan, 10-0 (1:12)
170
1st: Brian Burburija (FL) VPO1 Harvey Ludington (NJ), 8-5
3rd: Hoke Poe-Hogan (GA) VSU Kaleb Valdez-Lemos (CO), 10-0 (0:29)
182
1st: Kinglsey Menifee VFA Andrew Mullin (OK), 2:17 (10-2)
3rd: Matthew Waddell (GA) VFA Will Conlon (AL), 3:42 (14-9)
195
1st: Justin Soriano VSU Cole Carter (AL), 10-0 (3:00)
3rd: Nicolas Jenkins (TN)
220
1st: Parker Ferrell (VA) VFA Jonathan Fraga (FL), 3:08 (14-3)
3rd: Albert Butler VFA Owen Castor (NH), 3:05 (7-2)
285
1st: Caleb Rodriguez (FL) VFA Cane Fernandez, 0:41 (6-0)
3rd: Cameron Groncki (NJ) VSU Willie Cox (AL), 10-0 (2:20)
14U boys Freestyle Results
I’m guessing on a few of these states based on their clubs (but it is entirely possible for a NW GA wrestler to wrestle up at Higher Calling in Tennessee or other things - so if someone is listed incorrectly just drop me a note).
71
1st: Caleb Noble VPO1 Hudson Chittum (TN), 10-6
3rd: Everett Stephens (FL) VFA Kameron Harrell (VA), 2:31 (14-5)
77
1st: Shamus Regan (NC) VPO1 Jose Cordero (TN), 4-2
3rd: Nathan Reilly VIN Cooper Mcarthur (GA)
83
1st: Nico DeSalvo (PA) VPO1 Dominic Bozanic, 3-2
3rd: Yandel Morales VSU1 William Buckley (FL), 12-1 (1:17)
87
1st: Paul Kenny VPO1 Domenic Munaretto, 4-2
3rd: Roman Belardo (GA) VSU Emma Bacon (FL), 10-0 (3:04)
92
1st: Gus Cardinal VSU1 Adaias Ortiz (FL), 12-2 (3:51)
3rd: Michael Morris VSU1 Tyler Gray (FL), 12-2 (3:22)
97
1st: Nathaniel Boger (TN) VPO1 Liam Davis (FL), 8-5
3rd: Charlie DeSena VPO1 Taj Jones (GA), 9-4
102
1st: Chase Walker (TN) VPO1 Stone Phillips (AL), 14-10
3rd: Kiowa Vines (AL) VSU Johnathan Moder (FL), 10-0 (0:44)
106
1st: Zeno Moore (FL) VPO1 Gabriel Logan, 8-8
3rd: Zac Bosken (TN) VSU1 Kye Karcher (FL), 15-4 (3:09)
110
1st: Andres Digrigoli (FL) VPO1 David Perez, 3-2
3rd: Nathan Barrett (FL) VSU Brody Kelly (IL), 11-0 (2:23)
114
1st: Aaron Stewart (IL) VFA William Leischner, 0:40 (10-1)
3rd: Korey Kage Jones (NJ) VPO1 Bradley Williams (AL), 10-7
119
1st: Jimmy Mastny VPO1 Sammy Spaulding, 9-2
3rd: Sonny Amato (PA) VPO1 Trevor Jones (NJ), 10-8
125
1st: Micah Wittenberg (FL) VSU Billy Tyler (VA), 10-0 (1:16)
3rd: Cole Gros VSU1 Nathan Nielsen (GA), 14-3 (2:12)
130
1st: Dylan Granger VPO1 Carl Betz III, 12-5
3rd: Yandro Soto-Rivera (PR) VSU Steel Myers (TX), 13-0 (1:46)
136
1st: Blue Stiffler (GA) VFA Camden Arbogast (NH), 1:56 (8-0)
3rd: Casey Liess
149
1st: Marrion Nelson (FL) VPO1 Cy Fowler (TN), 8-4
3rd: Preston Marchesseault VFA Matthew VanWettering (GA), 3:28 (13-2)
165
1st: Michael Mocco (FL) VPO1 DJ Wilson, 10-4
3rd: Xander Dossett (GA) VFA Alexander Smith (FL), 1:13 (2-1)
187 Alexander Smith (FL) won 2 of 3 over David Oxendine (NC)
Junior girls freestyle Results
100: Anastasia You (RI) defeated Alyanna Silva (NC) best 2 of 3 matches
106
1st: Valarie Solorio (FL) VSU Grace Bradshaw, 10-0 (1:33)
3rd: Hassana Colon VSU Caitlyn Beasley, 10-0 (0:49)
112
1st: Shammaika Miranda VFA Dianna Holmes (GA), 2:07 (2-2)
3rd: Alexis Dobson (NH) VFA Kennedy Shropshire (GA), 4:01 (6-6)
117
1st: Hannah Hall (FL) VPO1 Brielle Bibla (FL), 13-5
3rd: Cameron Galvin (FL) VPO1 Reagan Riddick (NC), 9-4
127
1st: Kailey Rees (FL) VSU1 Piper Cadden, 12-2 (2:23)
3rd: Isabella Hoffman (SC) VSU Hannah Dupay (ID), 10-0 (1:37
132
1st: April Kelly (SC) VPO1 Madisyn Blackburn (FL), 10-8
3rd: Keyla De Leon (FL)
138: Teigan Slauson (FL) defeated Hannah Mains (SC) best 2 of 3 matches
144
1st: Stella Steigler VSU1 Zoe Hauser (OH), 15-4 (2:57)
3rd: Kamryn Ellis (GA)
152
1st: Caitlyn Davis (FL) VSU1 Emma Burk, 12-1 (2:56)
3rd: Emily Gervais (MA) VFA Sydney Bell (NC), 0:23 (4-0)
164 Aaliyah Milligan (NC) defeated Eryn Hubble (VA) best 2 of 3 matches
180 Sierra Chavez (FL)
16U girls freestyle Results
94: Annalise Maralit (SC)
100:
1st: Clare Booe (FL) VSU Annalise Maralit (SC), 10-0 (0:58)
3rd: Samantha Gray VPO Jordan Epstein (GA), 8-0
106:
1st: Valarie Solorio (FL) VSU1 Gabriele Tedesco (FL), 13-2 (3:42)
3rd: Hayle Peck (FL)
112:
1st: Cecelia Williams (MI) VFA Charlize Shuler, 10-0 (1:09)
3ed: Liliana Lizarde (NC)
122:
1st: Reagan Riddick (NC) VFA Genneaveve Matt, 0:19 (4-0)
3rd: Gwenivere Matt VFA Alison Calhoun, 1:04 (4-2)
132:
1st: Mia Furman VFA Loriana Reed (GA), 2:24 (6-1)
3rd: Hallie Misplay (NC) VPO1 Lucy Maris (FL), 8-1
144:
1st: Stella Steigler VFA Selina Moore (NY), 2:22 (10-4)
3rd: Aubrianna Apple
152 Stella Steigler defeated Isabell Carrington best 2 of 3 matches
164 Carlea Grissom (TN) defeated Jayde Massa (GA) best 2 of 3 matches
200
1st: Ella Murphey (TN) VFA Sophie Polack (NY), 10-0 (1:33)
3rd: Alyssa Favara (FL) VFA Cheyenne Cruce, 0:59 (4-0)
14U girls freestyle Results
85: June Treser-Pyles (OH)
92: Emma Bacon (FL) defeated June Treser-Pyles (OH) best 2 of 3 matches
97
1st: Hailee Moder (FL) VFA Sara McLaughlin, 3:06 (10-6)
3rd: Lillian Bradshaw
101
1st: Sarissa Tucker (VA) VPO1 Mary Manis (FL), 6-5
3rd: Kiera Partello (FL) VFA Lynleigh Weltzin (AL), 3:40 (8-8)
105
1st: Evelyn Holmes-Smith (AL) defeated Ava Brothers (MA) best 2 of 3 matches
110
1st: Delialah Betances VSU1 Gianna Slusser (NC), 16-6 (3:36)
3rd: Erin Rizzuto (NC) VSU Emily McIntosh (FL), 10-0 (0:36)
119
1st: Kyla Oliver (FL) VFA Aenaya Vines (AL), 0:19 (4-0)
3rd: Olivia Weiland (GA) VFA Ahmia Bretances, 1:22 (8-0)
136 Kailani Barrientos (FL) defeated Reianna Madden best 2 of 3 matches
145 Greta Garburzovas defeated Zella Weiland (GA) best 2 of 3 matches
185 Jayla Harrison defeated Maia Edwards (OH) best 2 of 3 matches
5 on the Rise
Wrestlers from all over descended on Jacksonville for 4-days of awesome wrestling … from the beach to the Prime Osborn convention center. These are 5 (in each of the divisions above) that stood out to me. As always it is important to know - there were more than 20 mat going on simultaneously so it is very possible I missed someone (and I haven’t had a chance to go back and watch all of the matches of FloWrestling).
Last note: these are all for Freestyle and all are from the SE. It was great to see Henry Porter of California and Nick Sanko of New York compete, but this is focused on SE wrestlers. Wrestlers are listed in alphabetical order by division:
Junior Boys
Brayden Ivy (TN) - Ivy won 5 in a row to claim the 138 lb. title. He outscored his opponents 44-0 heading into the finals … where he got an exceptionally good Alex Almeyda of New Jersey. Back and forth match with Ivy coming out on top in a what seemed like a controversial passivity call. The official was right on the call, but it is hard to see it happening twice in under 10 seconds.
Hunter Mason (TN) - Mason is on another level right now. He took the toughest bracket in Juniors (probably the toughest bracket in the tournament) and dominated. He beat Hayden Whidden 11-1 in the quarters, Sean Mciahel-Gonzalez 132 in the semis and then downed Eligh Rivera 10-0 on a leg lace that ended the match after just a minute in.
Joe Sealey (NC) - If Mason wasn’t the OW in Junior Boys - then that would have gone to Joe Sealey. Sealey won both Cadets and Juniors and wasn’t really challenged all weekend - even wrestling up in the JR division. If there is one wrestler I’d bet will walk away with a stop sign in Fargo - it would be Sealey. Go watch Sealey’s early round match vs. Andrew Troczynski (NJ) to get an appreciation for how good Sealey is in certain positions.
Michael Tal Shahar (FL) - Tal Shahar looks like his “old” self after battling through an injury (?) over the last year or so. He had a nice battle with Illinois’s Deanthony Parker in the semis - winning 7-4, but very much looked the part of a returning Fargo All American.
Yanni Vines (AL) - Vines takes the quintessential “workmanlike” approach to every match. He isn’t flashy with 5 point throws (although I’m sure he has that in his toolkit - he did have a 5 vs. Kevin Placer, but I didn’t see it), but is simply nearly always in the best position to score or counter. Watch his matches … it is 2 takedown, 2 takedown, gut, and so on.
The Junior Boys had some outstanding brackets so there are other names that deserve to be mentioned. They may not have climbed to the top of the podium, but they look ready for a summer of wrestling in the duals and in Fargo.
Florida’s Christan Guzman was 2nd at 113 - he lost to Lillendahl 10-8 on points and had a nice 18-8 superior decision over TN hammer Bryson Terrell. Both Darrell Rochester and Dominic Ditomasso had good weekends. Both lost to Vines, but I was really impressed with Rochester’s 9-2 win over Drew Heethuis and Dtomasso’s 13-2 “tech” over Jeremiah Echevarria of California in the consi finals.
126 was a great weight and former Florida hammer Kai Owen dominated - beating everyone with a superior decision including Cooper Haase and Amantee Mills. 132 was the best weight in JRs and I’ve already mentioned Mason above - but take a look at the top 8. Several outstanding performances by the SE including Whidden, Layton, Rivera, and so on. Florida’s Nini was 3rd losing a close semi to Alex Almeyda of New Jersey. Alabama’s James Latona finished the freestyle portion 5-2 and in 4th at 145 … Latona won 5 in a row after losing his opening round match to Oklahoma’s Cutter Sheets.
Alabama’s Jakob Chisolm had a nice run at 160. He lost to eventual runner-up Gaetano Console of Illinois in the semis before finishing 4th. 170 was a really good weight, but simply dominated by Georgia’s Matty Singleton. Georgia’s Armond Jones finished 3rd at 182 and was 5-1 in freestyle. Tennessee’s Thomas Stadel continues to impress - finishing 4th at 195 with his only losses coming to Tal Shahar and Deanthony Parker of Illinois.
Cadet (16U Boys)
Brian Burburija (FL) - Florida’s Burburija won a really good weight and had to work to get the title. He downed Jared Schoppe of New Jerrsey 10-8 in the semis and then another New Jersey hammer in Harvey Ludington 8-5 in the finals.
Drew Gorman (GA) - If Sealey isn’t the OW on this list, then Gorman is. He started things with an outstanding 10-5 win over NC’s Jax Forrest before downing Alabama Champ Brodie Christmas, New Jersey’s Donny Alymeda, and finally Oklahoma’s Gage Walker in the finals. From top to bottom - those 5 wins might be better than anyone else’s 5 wins this weekend.
Ethan Rivera (FL) - Rivera beat fellow Floridian Gabriel Tellez in the finals, but it was his 3-1 decision over Noah Nininger in the semis that is the match the watch. If Rivera can beat the likes of Nininger - he has to be one of the favorites in Fargo.
Casen Roark (TN) - Roark is one to watch come July. His wins over Hudson Waldrop (13-6 in the semis) and 12-0 over Anderson Heap in the finals - show where Roark stands in terms of being ready to medal in Fargo.
Joe Sealey (NC) - Sealey pulled double duty this weekend and dominated both the Cadets and Juniors. He won Cadets with 4 10-0 superior decisions. Sealey is on another level.
The 5 above really had outstanding tournaments, but don’t forget about these names … each wrestled extremely well. I can’t wait to see Georgia’s Antonio Mills get some competition. He looks lights out at 94 lbs., but we haven’t seen him wrestle against the top 94ers around … don’t be surprised to see Mills on the Fargo podium. Both Gabriel Tellez and Allen Calderon had nice tournaments at 106 - both are behind the top tier of Rivera and Nininger, but love the way they compete.
North Carolina’s Jax Forrest bounced back from an opening round loss to Georgia’s Drew Gorman to take 3rd at 113. Forrest win 6 in a row including wins over Brodie Christmas, Raymond Adams, and Christian Davis. Florida’s Anderson Heap and Alabama’s Hudson Waldrop both had good tournaments, but each dropped a match - to Casen Roark at 120. Still 120 was a very good weight and the two finished 2nd and 3rd respectively behind Roark. 126 was another exceptional weight in Cadets and Tennessee’s Hunter Sturgill led the way for the SE. Sturgill ha 4 consecutive 10-0 superior wins on his way to the finals - before losing 6-1 to NY’s Nick La Morte.
Florida’s Caleb Negron finished 2nd at 132. He had a nice 6-3 win over Gavin Balmeceda in the semis before dropping a close one to Casper Stewart of New York 3-1 in the finals. South Carolina’s Yannis Charles had a nice run at 138 - making the semis beofre losing to Jacob Schmadeke of Arizona. Florida’s Ethan Mojena had a great run at 145 … claiming the title with a hard fought 2-1 win over Connecticut’s William Henckel in the finals. The SE is well represented at 145 with Mojena and Dominic Bambinelli of Georgia (who finished 3rd).
Florida’s Kendrick Hodge and Chris Sanchez both had good tournaments to finish top 4 at 152. Florida also had a pair in Eli Penton and Roman Garcia that finished 2nd and 3rd at 160 - in fact Penton was leading Bell when he gave up the fall in the finals. Loved the grit from Georgia’s Hoke Poe-Hogan … he lost in the opening round at 170, but then won 4 in a row - including avenging his earlier loss to Schoppe 16-14 to take 3rd. We’ve got another Matthew Waddell in Georgia … Waddell finished 3rd at 182 after losing 15-8 to eventual champ Kingsley Menifee in the semis. Alabama’s Cole Carter was 2nd at 195 and Florida’s Jonathan Fraga was 2nd at 220. Florida’s Caleb Rodriguez took home the 285 lb. title with a fall of Cane Fernandez in the finals.
Schoolboy (14U)
Nathaniel Boger (TN) - Just 5 wrestlers in the 97 lb. bracket, but the action was excellent. Boger beat Davis 8-5 to claim the title, but it was all of his matches that puts him on this list. Love the way he kept battling through the positions to score.
Andres Digrigoli (FL) - Digrigoli had to dig deep to get a couple of wins to claim the 110 title. His matches vs. David Perez and Nathan Barrett were outstanding to watch.
Zeno Moore (FL) - Moore dominated early in the tournament with 3 superior decisions (outscoring his opponents 34-0), but man in was the finals that was just great to watch. If you have a FloWrestling subscription - you can watch it here. A bit of controversy here at the end.
Shamus Regan (NC) - Regan dominated his first 3 matches before being pushed in the finals by Jose Cordero. I went back to watch this match because I didn’t see it live. Watch out for both of these kids in the future.
Chase Walker (TN) - Walker won a really good and exciting weight. He easily handled Hastings, Koonce, and Moder to reach the finals, but the 14-10 win over Stone Phillips was the one you need to go back and watch.
Don’t know the Schoolboys nearly as well as the Juniors or Cadets, but here is what stood out to me as I was able to catch some of the action … 92 through 114 were some tough weights and were very competitive. The SE took the top 4 weights with Georgia’s Blue Stiffler and Florida’s Marrion Nelson, Michael Mocco, and Alexander Smith each claiming titles. Tennessee’s Hudson Chittum dropped his finals match to Caleb Noble 10-6 at 71 lbs. Tennessee’s Jose Cordero was 2nd at 77 to Regan of North Carolina.
Florida’s Adaias Ortiz was 2nd at 92 lbs losing to a very tough Gus Cardinal 12-2 in the finals. Liam Davis of Florida lost to Boger of Tennessee 8-5 in the finals at 97. 102 was a really good weight that featured 4 SE hammers on top of the podium - Walker in 1st, Stone Phillips and Kiowa Vines of Alabama in 2nd and 3rd, and Johnathan Moder of Florida in 4th. Walker’s 14-10 win over Phillips in the finals is one to watch. Zeno Moore and Gabriel Logan battled to 8-8 in the 106 finals with Moore coming out on top with the criteria. Zac Bosken of Tennessee was 3rd and Kye Karcher of Florida was 4th in a really good weight.
Florida’s Nathan Barrett made his match with Drigoli close, but couldn’t get the W and finished 3rd at 110. Those of you from Alabama - watching Bradley Williams finish 4th at 114 is a great illustration of how tough 114 was. He lost 10-6 to eventual runner-up Leischer of Arizona and then dropped his consi final 10-7 to Jones of New Jersey. Williams is a legit threat for a state title next year in Alabama - so you can see how deep 114 was. Florida’s Wittenberg was simply dominant in taking the 125 title.
Girls
I have combined all of the girls into one section for 5 on the rise. The most disappointing thing were the size of the brackets for the girls. Georgia and Florida had huge state tournament brackets, but that didn’t translate into them showing up at SE Regions. Not the fault of the girls that were here and competing, but I expected more in terms of numbers.
Emma Bacon (FL) - Bacon won her bracket in the Schoolgirl division (92) and popped over to the Schoolboys and finished 4th at 87 lbs.
Hannah Hall (FL) - Hall did what she does … she looked good in the limited action she had - beating Brielle Bibla 13-5, Cooper Galvin 13-2, and Regan Riddick 10-0
April Kelly (SC) - Kelly makes the top 5 after battling (and beating) Madisyn Blackburn 10-8 in a great match in the Junior 132 bracket.
Kyla Oliver (FL) - Oliver dominated the schoolgirl division at 119 - would have been interesting to see her at Cadets vs. Regan Riddick at 122.
Valarie Solorio (FL) - Solorio was a 2 division champ - claiming the Cadet 106 title with a pair of superior decisions and then took the Junior 106 title in equally dominating fashion with 3 superior decisions and an 18 second fall. Look out for Solorio in Fargo.