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With three national titles, state wrestler wins USA Wrestling’s Kids Triple Crown

Connecticut’s Lucas Judd won the USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown Saturday with his third national title in three months. (Photo courtesy MarcAurele Wrestling)

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wisc., June 28 – USA Wrestling has a coveted Kids Triple Crown. An athlete can win a USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown when they capture national championships in folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle in the same year.

Connecticut’s Lucas Judd won a Triple Crown on Saturday at the USA Wrestling Kids Nationals in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin when Judd won the freestyle national championship at 77 pounds in the 10-and-under division with a one-point decision over Utah’s Riker O’Hearon.

Judd won the 10U Greco Roman title on Friday here in Wisconsin with a 4-1 win over O’Hearon. Judd, who lives in Lebanon and trains with MarcAurele Wrestling in Niantic, won the 10U folkstyle national title at 77 pounds on March 31 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, beating O’Hearon, 2-0 in overtime and bringing home the Outstanding Wrestler award.

Only four wrestlers won the Triple Crown this year and Judd was the only 10-and-under wrestler to win it.

Judd was one of several Connecticut wrestlers that earned All-American medals at the USA Wrestling Kid Nationals this weekend. Five wrestlers won All-American honors in the Greco-Roman tournament while seven state wrestlers brought home All-American honors in the freestyle tournament.

The USA Wrestling Kids Nationals hosts national championship competition in 10-and-under (10U), 12-and-under (12U) and 14-and-under (14U). Competition is the 8-and-under division is a festival and not a national championship tournament.

At the Greco-Roman tournament on Friday, Judd won the tournament at 77 pounds with three victories including a pin. In the final against O’Hearon, Judd got a takedown with 35 seconds left to take a commanding 4-1 lead.

Plainville’s Jaxen Bailey (59) finished second in the 10U tournament while Niantic’s Rielly Georgian (93) finished fifth. Bailey won a pair of 8-7 decisions to get to the final before getting pinned by Brock Humphrey of West Virginia.

In the 14U tournament, Marlborough’s Jackson Heslin (83) went 4-2 in the tournament and finished fifth. North Granby’s Aidan Squier (114) went 3-3 and finished seventh.In the 8U festival, Reese Georgian (70) finished fourth.

The USA Wrestling Kid Nationals held their freestyle tournament on Saturday with Judd winning his third  USA Wrestling national title of the year in the 10-and-under at 77 pounds with another three victories.

Southbury’s Sarah Henkel (117) went 2-2 and finished fourth while Heslin went 4-2 with three consecutive wins in the consolation bracket to finish seventh at 83 pounds in the 14-and-under division.

In the 10-and-under freestyle tournament, Riely Georgian (93) and Jeremy McGrath (84) each finished fifth while Bailey was sixth at 59 pounds and Taiyo Gemme was seventh at 71 pounds.

In the 8-and-under festival, Reese Georgian (70) finished fourth with a 3-2 record.

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of Connecticut Wrestling Online. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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