Fargo’s 50th Greco Fantasy Bracket Continues for Online Fan Vote

Photo: Before Adam Coon (left) earned a silver medal at the 2018 Senior World Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling, the native of Michigan won three consecutive Junior National titles (2011-13) in that wrestling style. The heavyweight wrestler was among 16 former Junior National champs in Greco to move to the second round of the USA Wrestling Fargo Fantasy competition.

By TheMat.com

In celebrating Greco-Roman’s 50^th anniversary of competing at the Junior Nationals, USA Wrestling is continuing its Fargo Fantasy online competition.

The first USA Wrestling Junior Nationals was held in the Fieldhouse at the University of Iowa in 1971 and featured only  men’s freestyle. Greco-Roman was added in 1972. With the 2020 event cancelled due to the pandemic, this year’s version will be the 50th time USA’s best high school Greco-Roman wrestlers have come together to battle for national titles and All-American honors. Numerous World and Olympic champions and medalists have competed in this prestigious event.

The 2022 USA Wrestling USMC Junior and 16U National Championships will be held at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D., July 16-22, with competition in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle.

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The round of 32 has been completed in USA Wrestling’s interactive 32-athlete bracket featuring the best Junior Nationals Greco-Roman competitors of the last 50 years of the Junior Nationals., with the round of 16 pairings set and voting underway starting on June 27.

The rest of the voting schedule follows:
• Voting on the Quarterfinals will begin on Friday, July 1
• Voting on the Semifinals will begin on Tuesday, July 5
• Voting on the Finals will begin on Saturday, July 9

This voting is based upon Junior National freestyle careers only, and should not reflect their successes in Greco-Roman, nor how well they did in college and the international levels.

HOW TO VOTE

50th Junior Greco-Roman Nationals – Fantasy Bracket

When you click, you will see the bracket. To vote, click the “Cast Vote Now” button on the top of the bracket. You will be taken to a screen where you see each pairing and you can click a box to vote on the winner. You must enter your email to vote.

There was a huge upset in the first round, as two-time Junior Nationals champion and three-time finalist Taylor LaMont of Utah won the fan vote over No. 1 seed Oscar Wood of Oregon, the only four-time Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion in history.

Round of 32 results
Taylor LaMont (UT) dec. Oscar Wood (OR), 55%-45%
Sam Henson (MO) dec. Cody Sanderson (UT), 77%-23%
T.J. Hill (MO) dec. Dave Powell (IL), 86%-14%
Adam Coon (MI) dec. Josh McLay (MN), 91%-9%
Steve Knight (IA) dec. Cam Jones (UT), 56%-44%
Justin Ruiz (UT) dec. Jason Powell (OK), 67%-33%
Brent Metcalf (MI) dec. Matt Goldstein (IL), 95%-5%
Kendick Sanders (FL) dec. Anthony Cassioppi (IL), 70%-30%
Andre Metzger (MI) dec. Ridge Lovett (ID), 71%-29%
Pat Lynch (NJ) dec. Khris Whelan (IL), 74%-26%
Kenny Cox (OR) dec. Sam Shields-Colbray (OR), 72%-28%
Garrett Lowney (WI) dec. David Kjeldgaard (IA), 66%-34%
Brandon Paulson (MN) dec. Dan Knight (IA), 86%-14%
Sean Hage (GA) dec. Leo Bailey (OK), 62%-38%
Matt Nagel (MN) dec. Bobby Janisse (OR), 72%-28%
Dennis Hall (WI) dec. Mitchell McKee (MN), 82%-18%

This set up a competitive round of 16:

Round of 16 pairings, with number of Junior National freestyle titles
Taylor LaMont (UT, 2x) vs. Sam Henson (MO, 2x)
T.J. Hill (MO, 3x) vs. Adam Coon (MI, 3x)
Steve Knight (IA, 2x) vs. Justin Ruiz (UT, 2x)
Brent Metcalf (MI, 3x) vs. Kendick Sanders (FL, 3x)
Andre Metzger (MI, 3x) vs. Pat Lynch (NJ, 2x)
Kenny Cox (OR, 3x) vs. Garrett Lowney (WI, 2x)
Brandon Paulson (MN, 2x) vs. Sean Hage (GA, 3x)
Matt Nagel (MN, 3x) vs. Dennis Hall (WI, 3x)

Notes after the first round
• Michigan has the most Greco-Roman wrestlers in the round of 16, with Adam Coon, Brent Metcalf and Andre Metzger. All three of the Michigan wrestlers still alive were three-time Junior Greco-Roman champions. (They all also won freestyle Junior titles).
• Three states have two wrestlers advance: Missouri (Sam Henson and T.J. Hill), Wisconsin (Garrett Lowney and Dennis Hall) and Minnesota (Brandon Paulson and Matt Nagel).
• Three of the second round matches include a pair of three-time champions.
– T.J. Hill (MO, 3x) vs. Adam Coon (MI, 3x)
– Brent Metcalf (MI, 3x) vs. Kendick Sanders (FL, 3x)
– Matt Nagel (MN, 3x) vs. Dennis Hall (WI, 3x)
• The University of Minnesota is the only college that has multiple athletes in the round of 16, with three: Brandon Paulson, Garrett Lowney and Matt Nagel.
• The only six-time Junior National champions, Sean Hage (GA) and Brent Metcalf (MI) are still alive in Greco-Roman bracket. Both won three Junior National titles in Greco-Roman and three in freestyle.

Here are the round two wrestlers in alphabetical order, with their state affiliation and the years they won Junior Greco-Roman national titles.
Adam Coon, Michigan (2011, 2012, 2013)
Kenny Cox, Oregon (1994, 1995, 1996)
Dennis Hall, Wisconsin (1987, 1988, 1989)
Sean Hage, Georgia (1993, 1994, 1995)
Sam Henson, Missouri (1987, 1988)
T.J. Hill, Missouri (1995, 1996, 1997)
Steve Knight, Iowa (1981, 1982)
Taylor LaMont, Utah (2014, 2016)
Garrett Lowney, Wisconsin (1997, 1998)
Pat Lynch, New Jersey (1990, 1991)
Brent Metcalf, Michigan (2003, 2004, 2005)
Andre Metzger, Michigan (1976, 1977, 1978)
Matt Nagel, Minnesota (1999, 2000, 2001)
Brandon Paulson, Minnesota (1989, 1992)
Justin Ruiz, Utah (1997. 1998)
Kendrick Sanders, Florida (2007, 2008, 2009)