GENEVA, Ohio – University of Iowa wrestlers Patrick Kennedy and Ben Kueter won age-group National Titles and seven Hawkeyes placed at U23 Nationals and U20 World Team Trials at the Spire Institute.
In the U20 division, dual-sport athlete Ben Kueter brought home the title at 125 kg, and Gabe Arnold was runner-up at 79 kg for the second straight year.
In the U23 division, Kennedy won the 79 kg title, Drake Ayala finished in third, Caleb Rathjen (70 kg) and Zach Glazier (92 kg) both finished in fifth and Joey Cruz finished in seventh at 57 kg.
Kueter won the 125 kg division winning five straight matches to make the world team. Kueter defeated Jimmy Mullen of the South East Regional Training Center and Virginia Tech in the best-of-three finals. Kueter won 5-4 and 5-3 against Mullen.
Arnold advanced to the best-of-three finals at 79 kg by going 3-0 in the Challenge Bracket before falling to Zack Ryder of M2 Training, 5-4 and 4-2 in the best-of-three finals.
In the best-of-three finals Kennedy defeated Julian Ramirez of the Spartan Combat RTC via a 10-0 technical superiority in both matches. In seven matches in the tournament Kennedy outscored his opponents, 75-4.
Ayala won his first two matches before losing a 10-8 decision in the round of 16. Ayala then rolled through the consolation bracket winning his next four matches via technical superiority before a win via injury default set up a third-place match against Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club). Ayala won, 12-2, to take third place.
The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native tallied seven wins by technical superiority and outscored his opponents on the weekend, 85-15.
Rathjen went 6-2 to place fifth at 70 kg, Glazier went 5-2 at 92 kg to finish fifth and Cruz went 6-2 to finish seventh at 57 kg.
U20 World Team Trials
Gabe Arnold (79 KG) – Second Place
Gabe Arnold (HWC) VPO1 MJ Gaitan (Cyclone RTC), 5-2
Gabe Arnold (HWC) VSU Nicholas Fox (Panther Wrestling Club), 10-0
Gabe Arnold (HWC) VPO1 William Henckel (Blairstown Wrestling Club), 5-2
Zack Ryder (M2 Training) VPO1 Gabe Arnold (HWC), 5-4
Zack Ryder (M2 Training) VPO1 Gabe Arnold (HWC), 4-2
Bradley Hill (125 KG)
Nicholas Sahakian (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) VPO1 Bradley Hill (HWC), 7-3
Bradley Hill (HWC) VSU Nicholas Pavlechko (M2 Training Center), 10-0
Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC) VPO Bradley Hill (HWC), 7-0
Ben Kueter (125 KG) – First Place
Ben Kueter (HWC) VSU Connor Barket (Indiana), 10-0
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC), 8-7
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Nicholas Sahakian (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 11-2
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Jimmy Mullen (SERTC- Virginia Tech), 5-4
Ben Kueter (HWC) VPO1 Jimmy Mullen (SERTC- Virginia Tech), 5-3
U23 Nationals
Joey Cruz (57 kg) – Seventh Place
Joey Cruz (HWC) VSU Braden Hahlen (Lake Erie RTC), 10-0
Joey Cruz (HWC) VPO1 Evan Tallmadge (New Jersey), 10-7
Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club) VPO1 Joey Cruz (HWC), 3-1
Joey Cruz (HWC) VSU1 Ethan Perryman (Cyclone RTC), 15-4
Joey Cruz (HWC) VIN Jeremiah Reno (Arkansas RTC)
Joey Cruz (HWC) VIN Maximo Renteria (Beaver Dam RTC)
Trever Anderson (Panther Wrestling Club) VFA Joey Cruz (HWC), 1:20
Joey Cruz (HWC) VSU Shane Corrigan (Ranger Wrestling Club), 10-
Drake Ayala (61 kg) – Third Place
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Charlie Bunting (George Mason University), 11-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU1 Jacob Macatangay (Boilermaker RTC), 14-3
Kurtis Phipps (Buffalo Valley RTC) VPO1 Drake Ayala (HWC), 10-8
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Isaiah Schaefer (Maurer Coughlin/Mater Dei), 10-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Gary Steen (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club), 10-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU Anthony Noto (Mat-Town USA), 10-0
Drake Ayala (HWC) VIN Aaron Nagao (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
Drake Ayala (HWC) VSU1 Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club), 12-2
Jesse Ybarra (61 kg)
Jesse Ybarra (HWC) VSU Zein Bazzi (BTS), 11-0
Jesse Ybarra (HWC) VSU1 Marckis Branford (Viking Wrestling Club), 12-2
Jesse Ybarra (HWC) VPO1 Julian Farber (Panther Wrestling Club), 7-6
Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado Wrestling Club) VPO1 Jesse Ybarra (HWC), 7-6
Anthony Noto (Mat-Town USA) VPO Jesse Ybarra (HWC), 4-0
Jace Rhodes (65 kg)
Jace Rhodes (HWC) VSU1 Aldo Hernandez (Boone RTC), 12-2
Jace Rhodes (HWC) VPO1 Ismael Ayoub (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 5-3
Haiden Drury (Brunson UVRTC) VPO Jace Rhodes (HWC), 7-0
CJ Composto (Pennsylvania RTC) VSU Jace Rhodes (HWC), 10-0
Caleb Rathjen (70 kg) – Fifth Place
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VSU Jordan Craft (Ranger Wrestling Club), 10-0
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VSU Sam Ewing (Bulls Wrestling Club), 11-0
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VPO1 Ethan Fernandez (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC), 7-4
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VPO1 Jackson Arrington (Wolfpack Wrestling Club), 8-6
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VSU Jaivon Jones (Arkansas Regional Training Center), 10-0
Paniro Johnson (Cyclone Regional Training Center) VPO1 Caleb Rathjen (HWC), 8-3
Edward Scott (Wolfpack Wrestling Club) VPO1 Caleb Rathjen (HWC), 7-1
Caleb Rathjen (HWC) VPO1 Chance Lamer (Central Coast RTC), 5-4
Drake Rhodes (74 kg)
Drake Rhodes (HWC) VSU1 Luke Ahrberg (Wolfpack Wrestling Club), 15-4
Grant Mackay (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club) VPO1 Drake Rhodes (HWC), 11-3
Drake Rhodes (HWC) VSU Jayden Dobeck (Boone RTC), 10-0
Drake Rhodes (HWC) VSU1 Blake Saito (Brown Regional Training Center), 17-6
Bryce Lowery (Indiana RTC) VSU1 Drake Rhodes (HWC), 12-1
Isaiah Fenton (74 kg)
Chandler Amaker (Chippewa Wrestling Club) VPO1 Isaiah Fenton (HWC), 9-8
Isaiah Fenton (HWC) VSU1 John Altieri (Clarion RTC), 13-3
Dylan Brown (Broncho Wrestling Club) VSU Isaiah Fenton (HWC), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (79 kg) – First Place
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU1 Aaron Cramer (Southern Illinois RTC), 13-2
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Nolan O’Boyle (Tar Heel Wrestling Club), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Logan Messer (George Mason University), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU1 Lucas Uliano (Boone RTC), 12-2
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Clayton Whiting (Minnesota Storm), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Julian Ramirez (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC), 10-0
Patrick Kennedy (HWC) VSU Julian Ramirez (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC), 10-0
Sebastian Robles (79 kg)
Austin Keal (Arkansas RTC) VPO1 Sebastian Robles (HWC), 7-5
Sergio Desiante (RTC South) VPO1 Sebastian Robles (HWC), 12-3
Zack Glazier (92 kg) – Fifth Place
Zach Glazier (HWC) VSU Greyson Gardner (Burg Training Center), 10-0
Zach Glazier (HWC) VPO1 Martin Cosgrove (Pennsylvania RTC), 6-2
Wyatt Voelker (Panther Wrestling Club) VPO1 Zach Glazier (HWC), 2-1
Zach Glazier (HWC) VSU Chase Horne (Wolfpack Wrestling Club), 10-0
Zack Glazier (HWC) VPO1 Trent Munoz (Beaver Dam RTC), 3-2
Seth Shumate (Ohio Regional Training Center) VSU Zack Glazier (HWC), 11-0
Zack Glazier (HWC) VPO1 Levi Hopkins (Buies Creek Wrestling Club), 10-1