Fargo 2023: 16U Men’s Freestyle Highlights

Photo: Michael Mocco of Florida scored bonus points in all six victories at 220 pounds during the 16U Men’s Freestyle Nationals, including a 10-0 technical fall against Alex Taylor of Ohio in the finals. He was later named the tournament Outstanding Wrestler. (John Johnson photo).

By Mike Finn

FARGO, N.D. — The 16U division of the U.S. Marines Nationals brings in plenty of newcomers to the annual event. But this year’s 16U men’s freestyle tournament featured several familiar names, especially when New York’s Elijah Diakomihalis and Florida’s Michael Mocco were two of the 17 winners Wednesday night in the Fargodome.

Diakomihalis, the younger brother of Cornell’s four-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis, won the 182-pound championship, while Mocco, the son of Steve Mocco — the former NCAA champion from Iowa and Oklahoma State and 2008 Olympian — captured the 220-pound title. For his efforts, the younger Mocco was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the 16U Nationals.

These were just two of the bigger stories that came out the 16U Nationals in men’s freestyle, which took place at the same time the Junior Nationals in men’s freestyle were held. Check out WIN’s Junior men’s freestyle highlights on Friday.

WIN will also provide comprehensive coverage of all six tournaments in this year’s Fargo experience in the next issue printed Aug. 2. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN.

The 52^nd annual summertime event also featured a 16U and Junior national tournament in women’s freestyle earlier this week … and will  take a day off before the 16U and Junior Greco-Roman Nationals are held on Friday and Saturday.

Click here to view highlights of 16U women’s freestyle nationals.

Click here to view highlights of the Junior women’s freestyle nationals.

The following are other highlights of the 16U men’s freestyle national tournament, which was hosted by USA Wrestling.

• Two 16U champions from 2022 repeated in 2023. Kentucky’s Jayden Raney, who was a champ at 106 pounds last year, came back to win the 120-pound championship when he scored a technical fall over California’s Michael Romero, a 16U champ at 100 pounds a year ago. Meanwhile, Dreshaun Ross from Iowa was also a returning champ at 16U and defeated Jake Conroy of Pennsylvania in the 195-pound final. Both young men were also ranked by WIN before the start of Fargo 2023: Ross was ranked No. 1 and Conroy was No. 4.
• Pennsylvania captured a third straight and 25^th all-time team championship as the Keystone State wrestlers featured two champs — Landon Sidun (113) and Melvin Miller (145) — and were among the 12 All-Americans by PA wrestlers.
• Illinois settled for second place but produced the most All-Americans (14), including one championship from Aaron Stewart (160).
• Four other states also produce two individual champs: third-place Iowa with Ross and Kyler Knaack (152) among 13 All-Americans; Ohio with Brandon Bickerton (88) and Grey Burnett (106); California with Leo Maestas (126) and Adrien Reyes (170); and Georgia with Blue Stiffler (132) and Jacob Levy (285), who was a 16U national runner-up in 2022.
• The 16U tournament drew a Fargo-record 1,595 participants this year, breaking last year’s record of 1,436 wrestlers. The 16U men’s freestyle nationals have been taking place since 1986 and moved to Fargo in 1996.

16U Men’s Freestyle All-American Results

Championship Matches

88 – Brandon Bickerton (Ohio) dec. Edward George (New Jersey), 4-1

94 – Jarrett Smith (Michigan) dec. Turner Ross (Minnesota), 3-0

100 – Shamus Regan (Tennessee) dec. Caleb Noble (Illinois), 10-5

106 – Grey Burnett (Ohio) dec. Bruno Cassioppi (Illinois), 10-3

113 – Landon Sidun (Pennsylvania) won by TF over Isaiah Harrison (Colorado), 12-0 2:31

120 – Jayden Raney (Kentucky) won by TF over Michael Romero (California), 10-0 3:41

126 – Leo Maestas (California) pinned Timothy Koester (Iowa), 8-0 2:25

132 – Jayden James (New Jersey) dec. Manuel Saldate (Nevada), 13-7

138 – Blue Stiffler (Georgia) dec. David Gleason (Missouri), 5-2

145 – Melvin Miller (Pennsylvania) won by TF over Daniel Heiser (Wisconsin), 14-4 3:28

152 – Kyler Knaack (Iowa) dec. Grayson Woodcock (Ohio), 9-2

160 – Aaron Stewart (Illinois) won by TF over Maximus Norman (Tennessee), 13-0 2:51

170 – Adrien Reyes (California) dec. Hunter Snyder (Pennsylvania), 12-6

182 – Elijah Diakomihalis (New York) dec. Ryder Wilder (Georgia), 7-1

195 – Dreshaun Ross (Iowa) won by TF over Jake Conroy (Pennsylvania), 16-4 2:07

220 – Michael Mocco (Florida) won by TF over Alex Taylor (Ohio), 11-0 0:59

285 – Jacob Levy (Georgia) dec. Cooper Martinson (Iowa), 15-9

Third-Place Matches

88 – Eli Herring (Pennsylvania) dec. Hudson Chittum (Tennessee), 7-1

94 – Nico Desalvo (Iowa) dec. Hayden Schwab (Iowa), 6-4

100 – Case Bell (Indiana) dec. Mac Crosson (Iowa), 3-1

106 – Nicholas Garcia (Illinois) dec. Rocco Cassioppi (Illinois), 9-6

113 – Joseph Uhorchuk (Tennessee) pinned Abdirahman Unle (Nebraska), 4-0 0:47

120 – Karson Brown (Ohio) won by TF over Justyce Zuniga (Washington), 13-2 3:06

126 – Clinton Shepherd (Indiana) won by TF over John Stewart (Alabama), 11-0 3:46

132 – Yandro Soto (Florida) dec. Jesse Grajeda (California), 2-2

138 – Thomas Verrette (Colorado) dec. Mason Wagner (Pennsylvania), 3-1

145 – Gabriel Logan (New Jersey) dec. Luke Geleta (New Jersey), 11-10

152 – Joseph Jeter (Oklahoma) won by TF over Nicholas Singer (Pennsylvania), 12-2 2:58

160 – Emmitt Sherlock (Maryland) dec. Bradley Rodriguez-Little (Minnesota), 5-4

170 – Caleb Dennee (Wisconsin) dec. Carson Thomas (Ohio), 6-5

182 – Aiden Peterson (Ohio) won by injury default over John Murphy (Minnesota), 9-8 2:30

195 – Jaxon Penovich (Illinois) dec. David Calkins (California), 10-4

220 – Garett Kawczynski (Wisconsin) dec. Dean Bechtold (Pennsylvania), 4-2

Fifth-Place Matches

88 – Landon Thoennes (Minnesota) dec. Niko Odiotti (Illinois), 7-5

94 – Emilio Albanese (Pennsylvania) dec. Cason Craft (Oklahoma), 7-0

100 – Cameron Sontz (New Jersey) dec. Caden Correll (Illinois), 8-2

106 – Wyatt Lees (Michigan) dec. Brett Swenson (Minnesota), 9-2

113 – Will Detar (Pennsylvania) dec. Konner Larkin (Arizona), 10-2

120 – Slater Hicks (California) dec. Evan Sanati (Virginia), 6-1

126 – Travis Cardenas (Arizona) won by TF over Isaiah Jones (Oklahoma), 12-2 1:15

132 – Dean Anderson (Arizona) dec. Joshua Requena (California), 7-4

138 – Arment Waltenbaugh (Pennsylvania) dec. Evan Gosz (Illinois), 6-4

145 – Nolan Fellers (Iowa) won by forfeit over Jason Kwaak (New York)

152 – Jimmy Mastny (Illinois) won by TF over Liam Fox (Wyoming), 11-0 4:00

160 – Jackson Barron (Minnesota) dec. Riley Johnson (Nebraska), 7-6

170 – Gavin Craner (Michigan) dec. Christopher Maloney (Ohio), 15-11

182 – Preston Marchesseault (Rhode Island) dec. Brayden Koester (Iowa), 8-1

195 – Tyson Martin (Wisconsin) won by disqualification over Denarii Mickel (Iowa)

220 – Kai Calcutt (Illinois) won by TF ovrer Joseph Favia (Illinois), 12-1 3:21

285 – Brayden Hill (Kansas) pinned Milan Colvin (Kansas), 4-1 1:24

Seventh-Place Matches

88 – Vincent Demarco (Illinois) won by TF over Ethan Humphrey (Iowa), 11-0 0:47

94 – Christopher Swann (Georgia) dec. Jose Cordero (Tennessee), 4-2

100 – Gavin Landers (Iowa) dec. Jordan Segal (New Jersey), 8-2

106 – Michael Batista (New Jersey) won by TF over Zaiyahn Ornelas (Nebraska), 10-0 3:26

113 – Nicholas Sorrow (Michigan) pinned Sean Willcox (California), 6-0 1:39

120 – Geronimo Rivera (Utah) dec. Deven Casey (Illinois), 4-3

126 – Nikade Zinkin (California) dec. Austin Ellis (Utah), 5-4

132 – Jake Miller (Oklahoma) dec. Chancellor Mathews (Colorado), 4-4

138 – Derek Barrows (Colorado) dec. Tyler Traves (Virginia), 2-1

145 – Zeno Moore (Florida) dec. Blake Cosby (Michigan), 4-4

152 – Brandon Dean (New Jersey) dec. Zack Aquila (Ohio), 4-2

160 – Nash Banko (Wisconsin) won by TF over Lincoln Jipp (Iowa), 12-1 1:56

170 – Shawn Rounsaville (Oklahoma) won by TF over Luke Hoag (Minnesota), 16-6 3:52

182 – Adonis Bonar ii (Nebraska) dec. Ty Carman (Utah), 10-1

195 – Isaac Ward (Missouri) dec. Jace Renfro (Missouri), 9-0

220 – James Bechter (Ohio) dec. Cael Leisgang (Wisconsin), 9-4

285 – Trayvn Boger (Utah) won by TF over Zayne Candelaria (Arizona), 10-0 3:47

16U Men’s Freestyle Team Standings

Non-Scoring States: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, US Territory, West Virginia