2009 Junior Freestyle Preview

The Junior Freestyle team is armed with some pretty formidable ammo, although the team's potential took a bit of a hit with news that last year's Cadet National champ Brandon Wright won't be making the trip.

However, the cupboard is far from bare, with several returning All-Americans and some new blood representing Indiana Juniors.

Among the returning AAs is Brandon Nelsen, an incredibly decorated little dude who always seems to place in any event he enters. He's a safe bet to place well here, too. Camden Eppert is in a very tough weight class, but he's shown he can beat elite wrestlers and he's capable of opening some eyes here nationally. Plus, he's been on a blazing hot streak and I'll be surprised if it stops here. Chris Head is always dangerous in FS events, as evidenced by his 7th place finish last year in a weight class that saw Josh Harper fail to place. Head will be right in the thick of things. Delphi's Braden Atwood enters the Junior level tourney on the heels of last year's impressive 5th place finish at the Cadet level. Atwood is a solid candidate to place here as well.  2009 state runner-up Ryan Stahl was a Cadet All-American at 119 in 2007, finishing 6th, and could certainly attain AA status yet again this time around.

Alex Gregory and Paul Beck were both runners-up at Folkstyle Nationals in 2008 and each is capable of making a nice run against even the stacked fields of Fargo. 

 

Cashe' Quiroga is a true stud, and although folkstyle seems to be a little stronger discipline for him, he can run with the big dogs in Freestyle, too. He's been right on the verge of becoming an AA several times and this could be his breakthrough performance in FS, as Senior Nationals was for him in folkstyle.

New Juniors Cameron Vlahos, Drake Stein and Mark Collett look to build on last year's Cadet Greco AA finishes with some resume-building in Juniors FS. All three have had excellent summers and look to turn some more heads on the national scene. 

 

Aaron Stevenson burst onto the state scene with a dominant run through Conseco, not stopping until he earned a 3rd place finish. He followed that up with an undefeated run through the Disney Duals; he's definitely on the national radar and could really break through with a placement here, which is entirely possible. Sammy Bennett has had some national success, too, and looks to build on what, for him anyway, was a disappointing 3rd place finish at 2009 State.

Other strong candidates who haven't yet achieved their desired national results include state placers Matt Milton, manchild Michael Johnson-Jones and headlock king and 2X state placer Jacob Tonte.

 

 105 LBS  

CR Patrick Parham  Carmel 

  

 112 LBS  

1 Josh Yates  Goshen 

2 Paul Beck   Mishawaka   7th State '08, 2nd Place Folkstyle Nationals '08,

3 Jacob Boomsma  Bloomington South  State Qualifier '09

   Brandon Nelsen  Lawrence North   JR FS AA (4th) last year, 4th at Soph. Nationals, 3rd at state '09, 3rd at state '08, 4th at state '07, 7-1 Jr. FS Duals '08 

 

 119 LBS  

CR Camden Eppert  Anderson Highland  JR FS AA (4th) last year, 5th JR FS '07, Undefeated at Duals, 2X State Champ, 3rd place Super 32

2 Alex Gregory   Penn    4th State '09, 2nd Place Folkstyle Nationals '09

   

 125 LBS  

1 Chris Head  Bloomington South  JR FS AA (7th) last year,

2 Travis Barroquillo Prairie Heights  State Qualifier '08

3 Jake McCarthy  Mt. Vernon (Hancock)  SS Qualifier '09, State Qualifier '08

   

 130 LBS  

1 Preston Wilson  Whiteland  SS Qualifier

2 Justin Eshelman  Pendleton Heights 

3 Cashe' Quiroga  Lawrence North  State Champ '08, 3rd place '09, Sr. Nationals runner-up, 7th place Jr. Folkstyle Nationals

   

 135 LBS  

1 Matt Milton  Center Grove  6th State '08

2 John Walker  Sullivan 

   

 140 LBS  

1 Tim Martin  New Albany  State Qualifier '09

3 Josh Williams  Mt. Vernon (Hancock) SS Qualifier

   

 145 LBS  

1 Jacob Tonte  Perry Meridian  8th State '09, 7th State '07

2 Michael Hummer  Penn

3 Ryan Stahl  Elkhart Memorial  2nd Place state '09, State Qualifier '07

 Caleb Smith  Princeton  SS Qualifier   

 

 152 LBS  

CR Sam Bennett  Anderson Highland 3rd State '09, 2nd state '08, State Qualifier '07

2 Reece Lefever  Carroll (Ft. Wayne) SS Qualifier

   

 160 LBS  

1 Cameron Vlahos   Lafayette Harrison Cadet Greco AA (4th) '08, State Qualifier '08, Undefeated at Duals

2 Anthony Bill  Chatard   State qualifier

3 Conner Lefever  Carroll (Ft. Wayne) SS Qualifier

 Mitchell Judkins Speedway

  

 171 LBS  

1 Braden Atwood  Delphi   Cadet FS AA (5th) '08, State 5th '09, State 4th '08

2 Drake Stein  Princeton  Cadet Greco AA (8th) '08, State 8th '09, 8-2 Cadet GR Duals '08

3 Kyle Masengale  Perry Meridian   

   

 189 LBS   

1 Aaron Stevenson  Indian Creek  State 3rd '09

2 Michael Johnson-Jones Warren Central  State 7th '09, State Qualifier '08

3 Alex McCallister 

   

 215 LBS  

1 Darren Eads  Bloomington South State Qualifier '09

2 Devin Reagan   Penn 

3 Mark Collett  Jennings County  Cadet Greco AA (6th) '08, SS Qualifier

**Bold denotes returning freestyle All-American