Longo earns All-American honors in Junior Greco Roman competition

Trumbull’s Michael Longo earned All-American honors in Greco Roman for the second time at the USA Wrestling Junior Nationals. (Photo courtesy Sarah Jadach)

Trumbull’s Michael Longo became the ninth state wrestler to earn All-American honors at USA Wrestling’s Junior and 16U national championship meet in Fargo, North Dakota this week.

Longo went 5-1 to finish third on Friday in Junior Greco Roman competition at 106 pounds. It was his second All-American honor in Greco Roman after finishing fifth at 100 pounds two years ago in 2019.

Longo didn’t give up a single point in his first three victories – each by technical fall. Longo was blanked by California’s Ray Ray Harris, 10-0 in 2:54 in the semifinals before winning a pair of consolation round matches to finish third.  Longo beat Oklahoma’s Christian Forbes to finish third, 10-0 in 2:49.

Longo went 5-1 in the tournament and gave up just one point in his first victories. Harris won the tournament.

Two other Connecticut wrestlers went 4-2 in the tournament. West Hartford’s Drew Currier opened the tournament with a two-point win over Alabama’s Bruce Wanagrit, 4-2, at 132 pounds before winning three straight bouts in the consolation round.

Fairfield’s William Ebert went 4-1 at 160 pounds. Ebert won his first four matches of the tournament including a 14-10 win over Wisonsin’s Matthew Rogge in the round of 16. But in the quarterfinals, Ebert lost by technical fall to California’s Manuel Gaitan, 11-0 in 3:49. Ebert lost his next bout in the consolation round and was eliminated.

Westport’s Caleb Seyfried went 3-2 at 132 pounds while Connecticut teammates Ben Richardson (152) and Tristian Julian (145) were each 2-2 in the tournament.

In the 16U Greco Roman tournament, Connecticut did not have any medalists. Southbury’s William Henckel (145) and Newtown’s Nate Taylor (170) each had three wins. Both wrestlers won their first three bouts of the tournament before consecutive losses ended their afternoon.

2021 USA Wrestling Junior and 16U national championship results

Connecticut All-Americans at 2021 USA Wrestling Junior and 16U Nationals