FILA Junior Freestyle World Team Trials Conclude
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Zain Retherford (R) battles Aaron Pico (L) at the 204 FILA JR World Team Trials
2014 USA Wrestling FILA Junior World Team Trials, Madison, Wisconsin. Photo by John Sachs www.tech-fall.com #2014WTT
Pennslyvania was shut-out of the FILA Junior Freestyle World Team Trials failing to qualify a wrestler on the team. Two Pennsylvania natives, Zain Retherford (Benton, PA – Penn State University) and Brooks Black (Dover, PA – Illinois University) advanced as Challenge Tournament winners but fell in the best-of-three finals.
Full results can be found at TrackWrestling.com
At 50 KG/110 lbs. 2x PIAA State Champion Devin Brown (Franklin Regional) finished in third place going (1-2) in the Tournament, while NCAA All-American Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic – Lehigh University) was unable to find the podium at 55 KG/121 lbs. finishing with a (1-2) Tournament record. At 60 KG/132 lbs. University of Pittsburgh wrestler Nick Zanetta (Keystone Oaks) picked up two injury default victories to advance into the consolation finals where he finished in third place.
At 66 KG/145 lbs. NCAA All-American and former PIAA State Champion Zain Retherford (Benton – Penn State) tore through the Challenge Tournament bracket picking up three tech-falls and a hard-fought (4-1) win over Minnesota’s Jake Short. By winning the Challenge Tournament Retherford successfully advanced into the Championship finals best-of-three series against Cadet World Champion Aaron Pico (California). Retherford, who also has a World Cadet Freestyle Championship to his name, fell to Pico for the second time in over a month. At the FILA Junior Nationals Pico blanked Retherford (7-0) and earned a spot in the best-of-three Championship for the Junior World Team Trials. In the series Pico won in two straight matches (3-0), (5-1).
Two PA wrestlers competed in a loaded 4 KG/163 lbs. weight-class as PIAA State Champions Peter Renda (Brandywine Heights Area – North Carolina State) and Garett Hammond (Chambersburg Area – Penn State University) ended up meeting in the consolation round. Renda came out on top in a tight bout (11-10) to eliminate Hammond but the NC State grappler was unable to earn a medal falling in the consolation semifinals. At 96 KG/211 lbs. former Muncy, PA wrestler Troy Hembury (Columbia University) finished as the Challenge Tournament runner-up in a bracket with only one other wrestler. Wrapping up at 120 KG/264 lbs. former National Prep Champion from Blair Academy Brooks Black (Dover, PA) won three straight matches to claim the Challenge Tournament Championship. In the best-of-three series against FILA Junior National winner Adam Coon (Michigan). Coon dominated in two straight matches winning by tech-fall (11-1) and by pin in (3:12).
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