Four Cavaliers Place At UWW U23 And Junior Nationals
OMAHA, Neb. – Four members of the Virginia wrestling team placed at the United World Wrestling U23 and Junior Nationals at the CHI Health Center on Sunday (Nov. 15), led by a pair of third-place finishes from Jake Keating (Naperville, Ill.) and Justin McCoy (New Paris, Pa.).
In addition to both Keating and McCoy taking bronze at the event, Jay Aiello (Chantilly, Va.) turned in a sixth-place finish and Michael Battista (Ashburn, Va.) turned in an eighth-place finish. McCoy finished third at 70kg in the Junior Nationals competition, while Keating’s third-place finish came at 70kg in the U23 competition. Aiello was competing at 92kg and Battista at 79kg in the U23 competition.
In all, eight members of the Virginia wrestling team were competing on day two of the event. Evan Buchanan (Mechanicsville, Va.), Patrick McCormick (Poquoson, Va.), Vic Marcelli (Massillon, Ohio), Quinn Miller (Lilburn, Ga.) all advanced to the second day of action, but did not place. Buchanan and McCormick competed at 61kg and 57 kg, respectively, at the Junior National level. Marcelli wrestled at 79kg in the U23 competition.
McCoy went 7-1 on the weekend and 4-1 on day two of competition, taking third place as he avenged his only loss of the tournament with an 8-4 victory over Fidel Mayora in the third-place match. Mayora had defeated McCoy in the quarterfinals to open Sunday’s action.
Keating went 6-1 on the weekend and 3-1 on day two of competition after advancing to the semifinals where he suffered his only loss to Will Lewan. He then came back to win his next two matches to claim the third-place finish.
After a first-round bye and a victory on the first day, the senior claimed his quarterfinal match before dropping his semifinal match to move to the consolation bracket on his way to the sixth-place finish.
Battista went 4-3 on the weekend, including a 2-2 performance on day two, to take his eighth-place finish and round out the placewinners for the Cavaliers.
U23 RESULTS
70kg
Jake Keating – 3rd Place Finish
R64: Keating VPO1 Jonathan Ross, 18-13
R32: Keating VSU Marshall Keller, 10-0 (4:10)
R16: Keating VSU1 Felix Belga, 12-2 (1:11)
QF: Keating VSU Isaac Judge, 10-0 (0:32)
SF: Will Lewan VSU Keating, 10-0 (5:07)
Conso. SF: Keating VPO1 Cory Crooks, 5-1
3rd Place Match: Keating VSU1 Garrett Model, 12-1 (1:12)
79kg
Michael Battista – 8th Place Finish
R32: Battista VSU Michael Kordek, 10-0 (4:53)
R16: Nelson Brands VPO1 Battista, 4-2
Conso. R16-2: Battista VPO1 Kelby Hawkins, 8-4
Conso. R8-1: Battista over Marcelli by medical forfeit
Conso. R8-2: Battista VPO Noah Glaser, 5-0
Conso. R4-1: Demetrius Romero VSU Battista, 10-0 (1:23)
7th Place Match: Dakota Howard VSU1 Battista, 19-9 (5:23)
Vic Marcelli
R32: Marcelli VPO1 Myles Wilson, 9-8
R16: Dakota Howard VPO1 Marcelli, 6-6
Conso. R16-2: Marcelli VSU1 Austin Eldredge, 12-2 (5:36)
Conso. R8-1: Marcelli medical forfeit to Battista
92kg
Jay Aiello – 6th Place Finish
R16: Aiello VSU Tucker Tomlinson, 10-0 (3:21)
QF: Aiello VPO1 Kordell Norfleet, 10-4
SF: Jakob Woodley VPO1 Aiello, 7-3
Conso. SF: Thomas Penola VSU1 Aiello, 12-2 (5:23)
5th Place Match: Kordell Norfleet VSU Aiello, 10-0 (3:08)
125kg
Quinn Miller
R32: Miller VFA Michael Burchell, 2:11
R16: Ethan Laird VPO1 Miller, 5-2
Conso. R16-2: Miller VSU1 Jared Campbell, 13-2 (2:27)
Conso. R8-1: Aaron Johnson VPO1 Miller, 5-3
JUNIOR NATIONALS RESULTS
57kg
Patrick McCormick
R64: Matthew Ramos VSU1 McCormick, 13-3 (5:35)
Conso. R32-1: McCormick VSU1 Dawson Collins, 10-7 (5:43)
Conso. R32-2: McCormick VPO1 Caleb Smith, 11-8
Conso. R16-1: McCormick VFA Austin Kegley, 2:10
Conso. R16-2: McCormick VPO1 Andrew Chambal, 6-4
Conso. R8-1: Ryan Miller VPO1 McCormick, 15-7
61kg
Evan Buchanan
R64: Buchanan VSU Stone Moscovic, 10-0 (1:47)
R32: Buchanan VPO1 Dayne Morton, 2-1
R16: Ridge Lovett VSU Buchanan, 10-0 (2:52)
Conso. R16-2: Buchanan VSU1 Caleb Lazure, 11-0 (5:39)
Conso. R8-1: Daniel Kimball VPO1 Buchanan, 5-2
70kg
Justin McCoy – 3rd Place Finish
R64: McCoy VSU1 Chase Saldate, 16-6 (5:23)
R32: McCoy VSU Carter Schmidt, 10-0 (4:12)
R16: McCoy VSU Kasper McIntosh, 10-0 (2:40)
QF: Fidel Mayora VSU McCoy, 12-0 (4:59)
Conso. R8-2: McCoy VSU Kyle Mosher, 10-0 (2:54)
Conso. R4-1: McCoy VSU1 Connor Brady, 12-2 (4:45)
Conso. SF: McCoy VPO1 Lucas Revano, 13-6
3rd Place Match: McCoy VPO1 Fidel Mayora, 8-4
Italics indicate matches on day two of competition.
Only wrestlers who advanced to day two of competition are listed.