With a pair of wins on Saturday, Southbury’s William Henckel (top, blue singlet) earned a spot on the U.S. team that will be going to the U20 world championships in August. (Photo courtesy Sam Janicki / SJanickiphoto.com)
Southbury’s William Henckel will be attending Penn State this fall, joining an outstanding wrestling program that has won the last four NCAA Division I national championships and 12 of the last 14 tournaments.
But before Henckel joins the Nittany Lions, he will be representing the U.S. at the Under 20 world championships in Bulgaria in August.
Henckel, a two-time prep school national champion at Blair Academy in New Jersey, earned his first berth on the American team with a victory in freestyle at the U20 world team trials in Geneva, Ohio on Saturday.
Henckel swept a best-of-3 series with California’s Brock Mantanona at 79 kilograms or 174.1 pounds to earn a spot on the United States squad.
Thanks to a win in the U20 national championships in Las Vegas in April, Henckel also earned a spot on the U.S. team that will compete in the 2025 U20 Pan-American championships in Lima, Peru on July 10-12.
Henkel had to rally to beat Mantanona in the finals at the U20 nationals in April. Trailing by one with 1:28 remaining, Henckel got a double leg takedown and drove Mantanona off the mat for a four-point move with 1:02 remaining to take a 11-8 lead. Henckel drove him off the mat again with 32 seconds left to extend his lead to four, 12-8.
Henckel was more dominant at the U20 world trials on Saturday. He got a bye into the final thanks to his win in April. Mantanona won the challenge tournament with three victories.
In the finals, Henckel didn’t allow a point in a pair of technical falls. He beat Mantanona in the first match, 10-0, in 2:17. Henckel won the second match, 10-0, in 2:25.
Mantanona won a bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2023 U17 world championships.
“I do the same things over and over again (to prepare). I spar with a very talented coach (Gino Fluri – a former wrestler at Rider) and he is helping through this process and grow as a wrestler,” Henckel said.
Henckel had finished third in his last two appearances at the U20 world team trials.
“It’s another step to the ultimate goal I have,” he said. “It’s a good stepping stone. I am just grateful for the process. I have good people around me and I think that is the most important.”
Sarah Henckel, left, and her older brother, William at the U20 world team trials in Ohio on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of the Henckel family)
Five wrestlers who won medals at the last U20 world championship meet earned their spot in the American team — Connor Mirasola, Marcus Blaze, PJ Duke, Ladarion Lockett and Justin Rademacher.
United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for amateur wrestling, hosts four world championship meets – U17, U20, U23 and Senior Level.
