USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals: Villafane (14U) and Gilbert (12U) named boys Outstanding Wrestlers

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Day one of the 2025 USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals featured boys competition in the 14U and 12U age divisions, with exceptional performances across the board.

Winning the Outstanding Wrestler in the boys 14U division was Nelson Villafane of the Mat Assassins WC, the champion at 84 pounds. Villafane pinned Grayson VanValkenburg of the Michigan Premier WC in 1:44 in the finals. Villafane had three pins and two technical falls on his dominant march to the title.

Claiming the Outstanding Wrestler in the boys 12U division was Chase Gilbert of the Nova WC, the champion at 82 pounds. Gilbert pinned Walter Caulum of West Salem Bangor Wrestling in 50 seconds in the finals. He had three pins, a technical fall and a decision on his way to the championship.

This event is part of the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown in all of the age groups. An athlete in the boys divisions wins the USA Wrestling Triple Crown if they win the USA Wrestling national title in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman in the same year.

14U Boys Notes

Two-time Triple Crown winner Korbin Kiessling of Rampage Wrestling won the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown with a victory at 75 pounds. In the finals, Kiessling edged Georgie Dipsey of New Jersey in the ultimate tie-breaker 1-1.  Kiessling first won the Triple Crown in 2022 in the 10U division at 56 pounds. He added a second Triple Crown in

2023 Triple Crown winner Jeremiah Hayes of the Backyard Brawlers also started his quest for another Triple Crown with a victory in the 126 pound weight class. In the finals, he beat Joseph Moreno of Reign WC, 10-6

Six athletes scored pins in their finals match, Villafane plus Joseph Sullivan of Apex Wrestling NYC (80), Antonio Slominsky of Apex Wrestling NYC (88), Vincenzo Mannello of GPS Wrestling (110), Everett Zeitler of Aviators Wrestling (132) and Amir Perry of Cordoba Trained (140)

12U Boys Notes

2023 Triple Crown winners John Reimer of Team Nazar Wrestling was the champion at 58 pounds, winning the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown. Reimer scored a 9-3 win over Ren Tse of Greater Heights Wrestling in the finals.

Returning Folkstyle Nationals champion Mercer Hamilton of the Mat Demon WC claimed the 108 pound title, defeating Jace Evers of the Pinnacle WC in the finals, by a 15-0 technical fall.

Liam Reeves of the Steel Valley Renegades scored a stunning 35 second pin in the finals over 2024 Triple Crown winner Iaromir Zhukovskii of Built By Brunson Wrestling at 78 pounds.

There were four pins in the finals. Joining Gilbert and Reeves with falls in the championship match were Anze Williams of Meridian Maniacs WC (86) and Cragen Smith of Wichita Training Center (135).

14U Boys results

75

1st Place Match - Korbin Kiessling, RAWR over Georgie Dipsey, NEJE (UTB 1-1 )

3rd Place Match - Colton Wiseman, CWA over Grady Glowacki, APWC (SV 6-0 )

5th Place Match - Cameron Smith, PWC over Cole Train Vanderwerff, BAMT (F 1:23 )

7th Place Match - Crosby Mathews, BFWA over Noah Shultz, PENN (Dec 2-0 )

80

1st Place Match - Joseph Sullivan, AWNL over Kayden Rands, MPW (F 0:58 )

3rd Place Match - Dalton Perkins, SYT over Bennett Hoffberg, SCW (F 0:54 )

5th Place Match - Hayes Daniel, TWOO over Cameron Ramp, BBM (SV 2-1 )

7th Place Match - Brennan Hart, TDWC over Lucas Matecki, MISS (Dec 8-6 )

84

1st Place Match - Nelson Villafane, MAWC over Grayson VanValkenburg, MPW (F 1:44 )

3rd Place Match - Kolton Hartman, OHIO over Brody Gustin, MPW (Dec 4-0 )

5th Place Match - Kash Clementi, GAW over Lucas Pipito, CWA (Dec 4-3 )

7th Place Match - Fran Blake, ILLI over Cashton Treuthardt, TNTC (ID 1:28 )

88

1st Place Match - Antonio Slominsky, AWNL over Joey Cotter, SSWC (F 1:45 )

3rd Place Match - Austin Armstrong, EIEW over Kolten Mueller, TNTC (Dec 3-0 )

5th Place Match - Jace Largent, SDWC over Haedyn Cochran, CWA (F 1:21 )

7th Place Match - Chase VanPortfliet, MPW over Cole Martin, GHW (SV 7-4 )

92

1st Place Match - Maddux Rabczak, AAWC over Jaxon Sanchez, RWC (Dec 4-3)

3rd Place Match - Marcarlo Mannello, GPWR over Casen Becker, BFWA (MD 14-0 )

5th Place Match - Mason Mamich, OHIO over Asher Procunier, MPW (Dec 7-1 )

7th Place Match - Rye Davis, TWOO over Elias Faith, MCWC (Dec 10-6 )

96

1st Place Match - Evan Restivo, MTC over Lucas Layne, NBWA (Dec 2-1 )

3rd Place Match - Aden DiGiovanni, TDWC over Estevan Maximo Jr., CWF (Dec 7-0 )

5th Place Match - Dylan Frechette, MQWC over Owen Wusterbarth, AWA (Dec 3-2 )

7th Place Match - Sebastiano Fidone, PWC over Alexander Ponce, BPWC (F 2:00 )

100

1st Place Match - Bryce Fiore, FLOR over Andrew Whitted, TENN (TB 3-2 )

3rd Place Match - Amir Newman-Winfrey, IAW over Noah Losey, BMHS (F 2:00 )

5th Place Match - Braidyn Taby, RAWR over Bret Horak, TNTC (MD 8-0 )

7th Place Match - Diego Rea, TEUW over Phoenix Wasco, OHIO (TF 17-1 (2:18) )

105

 1st Place Match - Jaden Washington, VEW over Mick Dobbs, IGA (MD 11-0 )

3rd Place Match - Rocky Thompson, OMWC over Hawke Garrett, TNTC (MD 10-2 )

5th Place Match - Jarron Beltran Jr, VWC over Gunnar Wilson, SEMC (Dec 6-1 )

7th Place Match - Alexander Whitted, TENN over Maverick Hoehn, MCWC (F 1:34 )

110

1st Place Match - Vincenzo Mannello, GPWR over Amari Jenkins, BKWC (F 2:11 )

3rd Place Match - Jaxson Boucher, MPW over Ethan Alvarez, MPWC (Dec 10-3 )

5th Place Match - Reece Vendegna, AWA over Corbyn Weiss, CTTW (MD 8-0 )

7th Place Match - Dawson Beckley, TTWC over Nolan Roberts, APWC (Dec 2-0 )

115

1st Place Match - Mitchell Chen, LEWR over Daxton Folsom, OMWC (MD 12-1 )

3rd Place Match - Sanchir Edington, BMHS over Bruin Bloomer, EOE (TF 16-1 (2:16) )

5th Place Match - Kasin Noordyk, RWC over Dominic Casdia, DDWC (TF 15-0 (2:12) )

7th Place Match - Bowen Pearson, OKLA over Hayden Aquino, CCW (Dec 7-0 )

120

 1st Place Match - Azarius Overstreet, BPWC over Adam Rea, SYWC (MD 14-4 )

3rd Place Match - Te'Jon Beals, VEW over Storm Murphy, TENN (Dec 7-0 )

5th Place Match - Kingston Stricker, SSWA over Henry Scott McDoniel, TWOO (MFF)

7th Place Match - Cayden Holt, MYW over Dean Senteney, CWA (Dec 6-4 )

126

1st Place Match - Jeremiah Hayes, BBM over Joseph Moreno, RWC (Dec 10-6 )

3rd Place Match - Kaine Lewis, GWC over Owen Catalano, FLWC (Dec 7-0 )

5th Place Match - Jacob Penzkover, LAW over Alexander Depratti, FIWR (Dec 5-1 )

7th Place Match - Joseph Stewart, OHIO over Holden Ripley, MRTC (SV 5-2 )

132

 1st Place Match - Everett Zeitler, AVWR over Ryder Zychek, SSWC (F 3:47 )

3rd Place Match - Gabrian Bridges, MYW over Dayton Hartmann, BAMT (Dec 5-3 )

5th Place Match - Haolong Cai, LWC over Matthew Weigandt, SSWA (SV 7-4 )

7th Place Match - Asher Anthony, RWC over Brycen Green, WWF (Dec 9-3 )

140

1st Place Match - Amir Perry, CORD over Carlos Alicea, DDWC (F 2:56 )

3rd Place Match - Brooks Bath, TOGW over Blake Konichek, WISC (Dec 8-6 )

5th Place Match - Antonio Reyes II, BTSC over Finnegan Castle, YGNW (TF 16-1 (2:30) )

7th Place Match - Korben Warner, DYWC over Giovanni Soto, FLWC (Dec 9-3 )

155

1st Place Match - Gavin Brown, CWA over Thomas Brauer, MCWC (Dec 9-5 )

3rd Place Match - Kyle Howard, CWA over Emerson Moore, WWF (Dec 7-0 )

5th Place Match - Brayden Lutch, SSWA over Bradyn Michlig, AWA (Dec 6-1 )

7th Place Match - Lincoln Snell, SSWC over Ford Karalis, ILLI (Dec 9-5 )

175

1st Place Match - Elias Green, AWA over Caleb Walshire, BAMT (MD 11-2 )

3rd Place Match - Noah Fitzgerald, BWC over Mason Heidelberger, CWA (Dec 1-0 )

5th Place Match - Paris Reeves, MPW over Cace Campbell, IAW (F 0:29 )

7th Place Match - Peter Dranger, CWC over Drake Wagner, RCWA (FF)

225

1st - Treyton Werth (Alpha Elite Wrestling)

2nd - Kasjan Wnuk (South Side Wrestling Club)

3rd - Travis Hinton Jr. (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy)

4th - Oliver Conley (Intense Wrestling Club)

12U Boys results

58

1st Place Match - John Reimer, TNTC over Ren Tse, GHW (Dec 9-3 )

3rd Place Match - Oscar Ormond, NOCA over Trenton Maloney, BKWC (F 1:26 )

5th Place Match - Darek Diaz, TEW over Landon Childers, DWCI (FF)

7th Place Match - Carter Burneisen, BKWC over Grayson Sylvaria, IFWC (Dec 5-2 )

63

1st Place Match - Liam King, TWA over Liam Brent, SAOW (SV 7-4 )

3rd Place Match - Logan Vallalla, PENN over Lincoln Bubalo, MCWC (F 0:43)

5th Place Match - Mason Thome, IAW over Layten Marsh, MWA (F )

7th Place Match - Remington Pierzynowski, MICH over Hayzon Walker, SWC (MD 12-1 )

67

1st Place Match - Kaiden Galindez, MICH over Billy Roberts, GHW (Dec 6-5)

3rd Place Match - Ryker Johnson, EOE over Ian Weber, RWC (Dec 6-2 )

5th Place Match - Bennett Dawson, TTWC over Alexander Marroquin, CVWC (F 0:49 )

7th Place Match - Arthur Nelson, PWC over Nickson Petri, RWC (Dec 6-1 )

70

1st Place Match - Lincoln Brower, NEYO over Quentin Neal, GHW (Dec 4-2 )

3rd Place Match - Julian Lawrence, RWW over Braxton Irvine, IAW (Dec 6-0 )

5th Place Match - Tate Russell, REWR over Gus Korniak, BPWC (Dec 3-0 )

7th Place Match - Adam Husk Jr., AWA over Cameron Ferreira, IFWC (TF 18-2 (2:38) )

74

1st Place Match - Bradey Bleich, PENN over Brady Stewart, AWA (TF 18-2 (1:45)

3rd Place Match - Kalix Kilpatrick, GRWR over Tanner McCray-Bey, RAWR (MD 13-5 )

5th Place Match - Princeton Nunn, CALI over Joaquin Ascencio, TDWC (MD 15-2 )

7th Place Match - Grant Lottmann, GHWC over Jackson Hermann, GHWC (MD 9-0 )

78

1st Place Match - Liam Reeves, SVR over Iaromir Zhukovskii, BBBW (F 0:35 )

3rd Place Match - Eli Armstrong, EIEW over Knox Stamp, WWC (Dec 10-7 )

5th Place Match - Macklen Marksbury, MPW over Levi Pike, MWWC (MD 10-1 )

7th Place Match - Oliver Westphal, SWC over Blake Young, WWF (F 1:50 )

82

1st Place Match - Chase Gilbert, NWC over Walter Caulum, WSBW (F 0:50 )

3rd Place Match - Brooks Blevins, WTC over Ricky Almaguer, VWCW (MD 10-0 )

5th Place Match - Jackson Beckley, TTWC over James Windholtz, TWA (F 1:42 )

7th Place Match - Kepler Wicks, FWC over Levi Werner, AWA (F 1:26 )

86

1st Place Match - Anze Williams, MMWC over Liam Hinton, GMG (F 2:18 )

3rd Place Match - Gunnar Helwig, REW over Bryson Wilkinson, SYWC (F 0:48 )

5th Place Match - Abel Rusk, SCPW over Lewis Otto, OHIO (F 1:41 )

7th Place Match - Tripp Hillenburg, BSWC over Jayce Bever, BCWC (Dec 3-1 )

92

1st Place Match - Boaz Diaz, BGWC over Ben Howenstein, PWC (TB 2-1 )

3rd Place Match - Tripp Farrington, OHIO over Rocco Cartalino, MRTC (F 0:16 )

5th Place Match - Carson Kirk, PENN over Dominick Jackson, SWA (MD 14-3 )

7th Place Match - Edward Pokorny, OHIO over Gavin Troyer, SSWA (Dec 7-4 )

98

1st Place Match - Kiptyn Youngblut, IAW over Colton Zabinski, BBNW (Dec 4-1 )

3rd Place Match - Jayce Delorenzo-Day, SSWA over Ethan VanDyke, MPW (Dec 8-2 )

5th Place Match - Landon Schulte, MISS over Cameron Cooper, CWA (Dec 4-2 )

7th Place Match - Jayce Leclaire, XFEW over Everett Mohr, AEW (Dec 10-3 )

108

Mercer Hamilton, MDWC over Jace Evers, PWC (TF 15-0 (1:12) )

3rd Place Match - Kellan Clark, SDWC over Brecken Grav, LOG (MD 11-0 )

5th Place Match - Davide Keirn, MPWC over Oliver Maidment, MRTC (F 0:29 )

7th Place Match - Preston Burley, MRWC over Hunter Loyd, MISS (MD 10-0 )

117

 1st Place Match - Logan Hartzell, WAWR over Dominic Englese, SCW (Dec 5-0 )

3rd Place Match - Jonathan Nordyke Jr., RWA over Tanner Ingle, TSW (Dec 5-3 )

5th Place Match - Cash Perez, SSWA over Tyrone Evans III, TOSW (F 0:34 )

7th Place Match - Beau Weinkauf, BAMT over Lane Burns, MCWC (F 2:45 )

 Bout 3602 (Mat 3) -

135

1st Place Match - Cragen Smith, WTC over Payson Mashke, MWWC (F 0:59 )

3rd Place Match - Henry Begg, SAOW over Michael-James Poindexter, MPW (ID 1:00 )

5th Place Match - Quinton Siders, WRTC over Cole Gesford, CEWC (Dec 5-0 )

7th Place Match - Ryker Stover, HBWC over Preston Lobliner, YGNW (Dec 5-3 )

160

1st - Noah Prahl (Virginia)

2nd - Cash Carter (Pinnacle Wrestling Club)

3rd - Ezra Bellomy (Michigan)

4th - Garrett Plummer (Prodigy Wrestling Academy)

5th - Francisco Akers (HSE Wrestling Club)