Complete Results: 14U Freestyle

Oaks, Pennsylvania — The spirit of the 14U National Team proved undeniable as they claimed 4th place overall at National Duals. The team found their step in freestyle less than 24 hours after placing 6th overall in Greco-Roman—two very impressive top-10 finishes on the national stage. 

Wisconsin swept their preliminary pool with three straight wins to claim the Pool D title. They downed Maryland (43-34), California (39-36), and Minnesota (41-32), and then carried that momentum into Friday evening with a win over Oklahoma (42-33) in the first round of the Gold/Silver pool.

“It was crazy because each match in the entire Gold/Silver pool across the bracket came down to one or two bouts,” Coach Schaaf explained. “Our guys were wrestling smart, intelligent matches. Even in losses, they knew how to manage the dual—whether it was claiming/avoiding bonus points or securing crucial team points.”

Saturday opened with a clash against Ohio. Trailing early, Wisconsin surged in the back half of the dual but fell just short, 39-35. Still, the group didn’t waver. They stopped top-seeded Illinois 39-36 to set up a final match against California to determine placement. Of the whopping 14 duals they wrestled across styles, 4 were matchups that they split with the Golden State.

The volume, focus and grit it took to stay in these matches showcased the heart and effort from Wisconsin's youngest age group to take on National Duals—a strong group that’s clearly part of something great in Wisconsin. Keilan Yang went undefeated in both freestyle and Greco. Elias Green, Aiden Dalie, Kolten Mueller, and Reece Vendegna dropped just a single match in freestyle. 

The long trip to Pennsylvania included some unique stops with opportunities to train at The Ohio State and Lehigh University, and a chance to see the iconic Rocky Monument in Philadelphia after Greco wrapped up Thursday.

“It’s amazing how the entire state, from the high schools, middle schools, club programs, is getting there. For us to see the 16U guys in the finals is a huge deal and it's so inspirational.” Schaaf said. He shared some of Wisconsin’s rich wrestling history with the team, pointing out past Junior National champions and current 16U finalists who got their start with the national team on this same squad.

Later in the day, 16U Head Coach Newton Smerchek called out the impact Shaaf's leadership of the 14U team had on the 16U success in bringing the team together to claim the National title in Utah. 

Schaaf gave a massive shoutout and 'Thank You' to coaches Trevor Potratz, Ole D’Alie, Jeremy Schoenherr, all of the families who made the trip and supported their athletes in going, and the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation for the opportunity.

Competition in the series of National Dual tournaments continues next week with 14U, 16U, and Junior women’s freestyle in Indiana, and Junior men’s freestyle and Greco right at home in Milwaukee, WI!

Complete Results:

• 14U Freestyle
• Pool D: Wisconsin over Maryland (Dec 43-34)
• Pool D: Wisconsin over California (Dec 39-36)
• Pool D: Wisconsin over Minnesota Blue (Dec 41-32)
• Gold/Silver: Wisconsin over Oklahoma Red (Dec 42-33)
• Gold/Silver: Ohio Gray over Wisconsin (Dec 39-35)
• Gold/Silver: Wisconsin over Illinois (Dec 39-36)
• 3rd Place Match: California over Wisconsin (Dec 45-29)

Helpful Notes

→ Team WI Rosters: https://bit.ly/43zCkts
→ Stream live on FloWrestling
→ Brackets posted on USA Bracketing
→ ABOUT: National Duals are age-level USA Wrestling events featuring some of the most talented freestyle and Greco wrestlers on state association teams nationwide.

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The Wisconsin Wrestling Federation, guided by USA Wrestling, provides quality opportunities for its members to achieve their full human and athletic potential. Wisconsin Wrestling Federation will strive to be USA Wrestling’s best state organization.