Cassioppi Wins UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals

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LAS VEGAS — University of Iowa freshman Tony Cassioppi won the 125 kg Junior Freestyle National Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, last weekend to earn an automatic berth to the finals of the Junior World Team Trials.

Cassioppi did not surrender a point in five matches, securing the title with a 13-0 technical fall against Penn State’s Seth Nevills in the finals. Cassioppi will wrestle a best-of-three finals against the challenge tournament champion at the U23 Nationals in Akron, Ohio, on May 31-June 2. 

Hawkeye freshman Nelson Brands placed third at 74 kg, and redshirt freshman Connor Corbin placed seventh at 92 kg. 

On the senior level, three Hawkeye Wrestling Club women — Ali Ragan (59 kg), Kayla Mircale (62 kg) and Forest Molinari (65 kg) — won titles at the US Open. Ragan and Molinari earned a berth in the Final X series to determine the 2019 World Team. Miracle will advance to the finals of the challenge tournament. 

On the men’s side, Thomas Gilman was runner-up at 57 kg. Gilman outscored his opponents 44-4 to reach the finals, where he was defeated 8-4 by Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix. Sammy Brooks (86 kg) placed third. Cory Clark (61 kg) and Brandon Sorensen (70 kg) placed fifth. The top seven placers at each weight qualify for the World Team Trials challenge tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina on May 17-18.

Complete results from the 2019 U.S. Open are available at FloArena.com

 

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