Stewart, Rulo win Triple Crown with Greco-Roman wins at USMC 16U Nationals, Iowa gets team title

FARGO, N.D. – Aaron Stewart of Illinois (165) and Jonathan Rulo of Illinois (285) won coveted 16U Triple Crowns after capturing the Greco-Roman title at the USMC 16U Nationals on Saturday night in the FargoDome.

An athlete wins the Triple Crown when they claim USA Wrestling national titles in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman the same year. Stewart and Rulo won titles at the Junior Folkstyle Nationals in Iowa in March, claimed the Junior National freestyle title here on Wednesday and closed it out with gold medals tonight in Greco-Roman.

Stewart not only earned the Triple Crown, he repeated as Greco-Roman champion. In fact, Stewart has now won four 16U national titles in Fargo, the most possible for the age-group. He scored an 8-0 technical fall over Lucas Boe of Indiana in the finals. Boe was also a 16U freestyle champion on Wednesday, but moved up in weight from 157 pounds.

Iowa won the team title with 212 points, led by two individual champions and 17 All-Americans. California was second with 150 points, led by four individual champions. Illinois was right behind them in third with 149 points, and two champions.

Iowa’s individual champions were Hayden Schwab (106) and Alexander Pierce (113). Schwab scored an 8-0 technical fall over Montero Royal of South Carolina in the finals. Schwab won a double title in Fargo this year, also claiming the freestyle title on Wednesday. He also repeated as 16U Nationals Greco-Roman champion. Pierce also secured a technical fall in the finals, dispatching Zaiyahn Ornelas of Nebraska, 14-5.

Ivan Ivanov of Idaho was named Outstanding Wrestler, pinning Eli Esguerra of Ohio in the finals in 1:39 at 157 pounds. Ivanov had six technical falls prior to his finals pin. He was a 2023 14U Nationals champion in Greco-Roman.

California had a great finals round, with titles from Thales Silva (88), Arseni Kikiniou (120), Matthew Orbeta (126) and David Calkins (190).

Silva edged Tennessee’s Hudson Chittum in the finals, 3-2. Kikiniou secured a 9-0 technical fall over Rocco Cassioppi in the finals. Orbeta also beat a Cassioppi brother, stopping Bruno in the finals by technical fall. Calkins ran off a 9-0 technical fall over Ronan An of Georgia.

Joining Stewart and Schwab as a repeat 16U Greco-Roman national champion was Loc Webber of Ohio, who beat Landon Thoennes of Minnesota with a 9-0 technical fall in the 100-pound finals.

Claiming a double title in Fargo was Georgia’s Ariah Mills, who beat Tristan Pino of Colorado in the 94-pound finals. Mills was also a 16U Nationals freestyle champion on Wednesday, but won that title down at 88 pounds.

Missouri had three champions with Miller Sipes (138), Chance Ruble (150) and Carter Temple (175). Sipes edged Jovani Solis of Florida in the finals. Ruble scored a 9-0 technical fall over Dokken Biladeau of Iowa in the finals. Temple also won by technical fall, beating Isai Fernandez of California, 8-0.

Alex Taylor won an all-Ohio finals, beating teammate Danny Zmorowsk in the 215-pound finals, 3-1. Taylor was also a 16U Nationals freestyle champion on Wednesday.

Other individual champions were Austin Collins of Colorado (132) and Dominic Wilson of Texas (144). Collins was dominant in an 8-0 technical fall over Iowa’s Dawson Youngblut in the finals. Wilson also had a technical fall in the finals, beating James Whitbred of Pennsylvania, 8-0. Wilson was in his second finals of the week, placing second in freestyle on Wednesday.

USMC 16U GRECO-ROMAN NATIONALS

At Fargo, N.D., July 20

88 pounds

Finals:  Thales Silva (CA) dec. Hudson Chittum (TN) 3-2

3rd: Wyatt Dannegger (MO) tech fall Hunter Shirley (WA) 8-0 1:26

5th: Cameron Schofield (IN) tech fall Damien Yeoman (IA) 8-0 0:57

7th: Onofre Gonzales (CO) dec. Stephano Calderon (SC) 8-5

94 pounds

Finals: Ariah Mills (GA) dec. Tristan Pino (CO) 6-1

3rd: Tyler Verceles (MD) pin Lazarus Mcewen (WA) 1:28

5th: Thiago Silva (CA) tech fall Dylan Nieuwenhuis (MI) 10-0 2:57

7th: Vince Von Bernewitz (VA) pin Lucas Forman (NV) 3:37

100 pounds

Finals: Loc Webber (OH) tech fall Landon Thoennes (MN) 9-0, 1:14

3rd: Chase Karenbauer (PA) tech fall Symon Woods (IL) 9-0 3:35

5th: Drew Dawson (OR) tech fall Coy Mehlert (IA) 16-6 1:45

7th: Ethan Humphrey (IA) dec. William Webb (NJ) 4-4

106 pounds

Finals: Hayden Schwab (IA) tech fall Montero Royal (SC) tech fall 8-0 1:44

3rd: Chase Kastner (CT) dec. Brycen Dawley (WA) 15-10

5th: William Atkinson (AL) dec. Jackson Shipley (TX) 7-2

7th: Cruzer Dominguez (NE) tech fall Coleton Klipa (PA) 8-0 0:46

113 pounds

Finals: Alexander Pierce (IA) tech fall Zaiyahn Ornelas (NE) 14-5, 2:36

3rd: Jordan Manyette (PA) tech fall Jensen Boyd (IN) 9-1 3:58

5th: Liam Collins (MN) tech fall Jorge De la rosa (OR) 8-0 1:30

7th: Kellen Downing (MT) dec. Jack Baker (CA) 8-4

120 pounds

Finals: Arseni Kikiniou (CA) tech fall Rocco Cassioppi (IL) 9-0, 2:46

3rd: Will Detar (PA) tech fall Weston Borgers (OH) 13-5 4:00

5th: Gavin Landers (IA) tech fall Abraham Coronado (NV) 9-0 1:23

7th: Gage Spurgeon (IA) dec. Reid Yakes (FL) 10-9

126 pounds

Finals: Matthew Orbeta (CA) tech fall Bruno Cassioppi (IL) 6-2.

3rd: Deven Lopez (CO) tech fall Mason Carlson (UT) 9-0 1:03

5th: Brenden Jorden Agcaoili (NV) tech fall Carter Wallis (MO) 8-0 1:29

7th: Gabriel Ballard (PA) inj. def. Dominic Way (WV)

132 pounds

Finals: Austin Collins (CO) tech fall Dawson Youngblut (IA) 8-0, 3:59

3rd: Legend Ellis (OK) pin Jet Brown (MO) 1:42

5th: Sean Hall (ID) inj. def. Ryan Ferrara (NY)

7th: Matthew Dailey (PA) tech fall Keagan Sieracki (TX) 11-1 2:19

138 pounds

Finals: Miller Sipes (MO) dec. Jovani Solis (FL) 5-3.

3rd: Anthony Delgado (NV) tech fall Marcus Killgore (AZ) 10-1 2:33

5th: Brandon Green (IL) dec. William Christopher (WI) 5-3

7th: Austin Gyorkos (MI) pin Vinnie Gutierrez (CA) 1:51

144 pounds

Finals: Dominic Wilson (TX) tech fall James Whitbred (PA) 8-0, 0:39

3rd: Noah Bull (UT) dec. Gregory Torosian (CA) 14-11

5th: Drake Morrison (ID) tech fall Ladd Holman (UT) 8-0 1:05

7th: Jake Kos (MN) dec. Thunder Page (KS) 3-2

150 pounds

Finals: Chance Ruble (MO) tech fall Dokken Biladeau (IA) 9-0, 1:02.

3rd: Matthew Staples (IN) dec. Emerson Tjaden (KS) 5-4

5th: Thomas Gibbs (IN) dec. Titus Norman (TN) 9-6

7th: Maximus Dhabolt (IA) tech fall Daniel Acosta (TX) 12-4 2:35

157 pounds

Finals: Ivan Ivanov (ID) pin Eli Esguerra (OH) 1:39

3rd: Ismael Bereket (IL) tech fall Jaxon Miller (IA) 8-0 3:13

5th: Daniel Patrick (OR) tech fall Max Harris (KS) 8-0 0:27

7th: Zachery Little (TN) tech fall Miles Lesley (GA) 14-5 3:05

165 pounds

Finals: Aaron Stewart (IL) tech fall Lucas Boe (IN) 8-0 2:33

3rd: Carter Nekvapil (TX) dec. Parker Casey (IA) 11-10

5th: Salah Tsarni (MD) tech fall Riley Johnson (NE) 12-4 4:00

7th: Slava Shahbazyan (CA) tech fall Caige Horak (OH) 11-1 3:45

175 pounds

Finals: Carter Temple (MO) tech fall Isai Fernandez (CA) 8-0, 1:29

3rd: Xavier Smith (IN) inj. def. Brody Kelly (IL) 4-0 2:00

5th: Brayden Koester (IA) pin Cody Savage (VT) 1:13

7th: Camden Crew (OK) pin Frederick Hammond (MI) 0:45

190 pounds

Finals: David Calkins (CA) tech fall Ronan An (GA) 9-0, 1:19

3rd: Jt Smith (NE) tech fall Andy Franke (IA) 10-0 1:14

5th: Michael Boyle (OH) dec. Seer Godwise (IN) 6-2

7th: Blaise Turner (ID) tech fall Jace Renfro (MO) 8-0 2:58

215 pounds

Finals: Alex Taylor (OH) dec. Danny Zmorowski (OH) 3-1

3rd: Preston Krueger (WI) tech fall Noah Mathis (KS) 14-5 3:36

5th: Josh Hoffer (IL) inj. def. Mason Koehler (IA) 0-0 0:00

7th: Carter Green (KS) dec. Sam Tanner (UT) 9-2

285 pounds

Finals: Jonathan Rulo (IL) dec. Brady Hagan (IA) 5-0.

3rd: Preston Wagner (NE) dec. Jt Kelso (IA) 3-1

5th: Chandler Moore (OH) inj. def. Bradyn Mcconneha (PA) 0-0 0:00

7th: Kyler Kuhn (MO) tech fall Jeremy Marshall (IL) 9-0 1:17

16U GRECO-ROMAN

Team Scores

1. Iowa 212

2. California 150

3. Illinois 149

4. Ohio 122

5. Missouri 116

6. Indiana 87

7. Pennsylvania 84

8. Colorado 65

9. Nebraska 62

10. Texas 51

11. Idaho 48

12. Georgia 47

13. Kansas 38

14. Utah 36

14. Washington 36

16. Minnesota 34

17. Nevada 33

18. Tennessee 32

19. Oregon 25

20. Maryland 24

21. Florida 22

21. South Carolina 22

21. Wisconsin 22

24. Oklahoma 20

25. Connecticut 15

26. Michigan 14

27. Arizona 12

28. Alabama 9

29. New York 7

29. Vermont 7

31. Montana 5

31. Virginia 5

33. New Jersey 2

33. West Virginia 2