More than 70 Connecticut wrestlers set to compete at nationals in Fargo

Action at last year’s USA Wrestling Junior and 16U National Championships | July 15-22 | Fargo, N.D. (Richard Immel photo courtesy USA Wrestling)

Competitors from across the country will be in Fargo, North Dakota beginning on Saturday for the 53^rd annual USA Wrestling Junior and 16U national championship meet at the FargoDome.

The meet will be held July 12-20 with competition in freestyle and Greco-Roman for boys and freestyle for girls. Junior Division competitors must be in grades 9-12 and can’t be over the age of 18. The 16U division features athletes who turned 15 or 16 years old in 2024.

The Connecticut team released their roster recently. More than 70 athletes are on the Connecticut roster, including three girls who are nationally ranked – Southbury’s Sarah Henckel (ninth at 152), Nowalk’s Kayla Batres (fifth at 115) and Norwalk’s Calli Gilchrist (fourth at 115).

Eight national champions have come from Connecticut with Henckel being the latest wrestler to win a national title. She won at 138 pounds in 16U freestyle in 2022.

Last year, fiver state wrestlers earned All-American honors in Fargo. Henckel was third in Junior Women at 152, Batres was second in 16U women at 106 and Gilchrist was second in Junior Women at 117. William Henckel of Southbury was second in Junior Freestyle at 160 and Southington’s Chase Kastner was sixth in16U Greco-Roman at 94 pounds.

The 16U and Junior Girls Freestyle tournaments begin Saturday, July 13 with the finals on Sunday night, July 14.The boys freestyle tournament (16U and Junior) begin on Monday, July 15 and conclude with the finals on Wednesday, July 17. The Greco Roman tournament begins Friday, July 19 and finishes with the finals on Saturday, July 20.

This tournament started with the Junior Nationals in men’s freestyle, held in Iowa City, Iowa in 1971, which added Greco-Roman competition in 1972, and later was merged with the 16U Nationals (formerly the Cadet Nationals) in 1996. The Junior Nationals enters its 53rd year, held annually except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schedule For 2024 Championship Finals in Fargo

Sunday, July 14 – Junior and 16U Women’s Freestyle Finals (side-by-side) at 6 p.m. EST
Wednesday, July 17 – Junior and 16U Men’s Freestyle Finals (side-by-side) at 5:30 p.m., EST
Saturday, July 20 -Junior and 16U Greco-Roman Finals (side-by-side) at 6 p.m., EST

2024 brackets (FloArena)
2024 full tournament schedule (FloWrestling)

Team Connecticut 2024

Junior Boys freestyle
106 Yussuf Bah
120 Jack Francis
120 Cesar Rodriguez
120 Michael Ortiz
120 Jackson Heslin
132 Luke Viens
132 Brady Kaupp
138 JT Schneider
138 Colby Houle
138 Trey Kaupp
138 Jay Chase
144 Coleman Finn
144 John Carrozza
144 Owen Sheiman
144 Dominick Spadaro
150 Antonios Aspras
150 Blake Watkins
150 Nathaniel Wolyniec
150 Ronald Christolin
157 Tyler Neiva
157 Marc Maurath
157 Caiden Talento
157 Jonathan Wright-Goodison
165 Donell Young
165 Logan Cofsky
175 Xavier Giles
175 Caeleb Wilderman
175 William Henckel
175 Justin Duhancik
190 Jeffrey Hutzelmann
190 Cole Grenier
215 Ochmunkh Otgonbayar
215 Kingston Daniells Silva

Junior Greco-Roman
120 Jack Francis
120 Cesar Rodriguez
120 Michael Ortiz
120 Jackson Heslin
138 JT Schneider
138 Colby Houle
138 Jay Chase
144 Dominick Spadaro
144 John Carrozza
144 Owen Sheiman
150 Blake Watkins
150 Nathaniel Wolyniec
157 Jonathan Wright-Goodison
165 Donell Young
165 Logan Cofsky
175 Xavier Giles
175 Justin Duhancik
190 Cole Grenier
215 Ochmunkh Otgonbayar
215 Kingston Daniells Silva

Junior Girls freestyle
110 Sybella Landrie
120 Calli Gilchrist
120 Natalia Accorsi
125 Emma Rial
130 Olivia Hopkins
130 Rylee Donohue
135 Hoshena Gemme
140 Kali Fangiullo
145 Sarah Henckel
190 Kayli Morris

16U Boys freestyle
94 Zack Dixon
94 Justin Bunnell
106 Jude Grammatico
106 Gavin Donaldson
113 Chase Kastner
113 Brighton Karvoski
120 Joseph Pellicci
120 Zaphyr Musshorn
126 Dylan Meyers
126 Kaden Dragon
132 Alex Lamarre
132 Joseph Bernardi
138 Harry Kittredge
138 Robbie Perez
138 Ethan Bochman Rodriguez
138 Harry Marino
144 Maurice Ellis
144 Evan Christianson
150 Shane Ryan
150 Rocky Penny
157 Damian Rousseau
165 Dylan O’Brian
165 Cooper Theriault-Dinielli
190 Ryan Schneider
215 Maximus Konopka

16U Greco-Roman
94 Zack Dixon
94 Justin Bunnell
106 Jude Grammatico
113 Chase Kastner
113 Brighton Karvoski
120 Zaphyr Musshorn
126 Dylan Meyers
132 Joseph Bernardi
138 Harry Kittredge
138 Robbie Perez
138 Harry Marino
150 Shane Ryan
150 Rocky Penny
165 Cooper Theriault-Dinielli
190 Ryan Schneider

16U Girls freestyle
106 Selena Batres
112 Kayla Batres
136 Maddie Cooper
Nationally ranked girls: Calli Gilchrist (No. 4 at 115), Kayla Batres (No. 5 at 115), Sarah Henckel (No. 9 at 155)