Jarod Verkleeren Wins Cadet Freestyle World Championship

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This time around Jarod Verkleeren was not leaving the Cadet World Championships without some added hardware. A year ago Jarod traveled to Snina, Slovakia and competed for Team USA at 63 kg in the 2014 Cadet World Championships. There Jarod would only compete in a single match falling in the first round to Gevorg Mkheyan of Armenia (6-2). Not to be deterred Verkleeren returned to the United States a week later and captured the U.S. Cadet Nationals Championship at 145 lbs.

Returning again to 63 kg/138 lbs. in 2015 Jarod made his second straight appearance on the USA’s Cadet World Freestyle Team. A year difference showed how well Verkleeren has been working in the room. Traveling to Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina for his second major International event Jarod appeared relaxed and confident. In the first two rounds Verkleeren had no issues advancing past his opponents winning against Vasili Diaconu (Moldova) by tech-fall (10-0) and over Tobias Portman (Switzerland) by tech-fall (10-0). Jarod quickly found himself in the Cadet World semifinals already making strides from 2014.

In the semifinals the Belle Vernon Area junior had a much tougher task. He faced Iran’s Ahmed Medizhadehmarzn and after a tight match the two were tied at (5-5) with time running out. That is when Jarod went full throttle hitting a 4-point takedown with 0:10 seconds left to go ahead (9-5). The win propelled Jarod into the Cadet World Finals guaranteeing a medal finish. Verk was not satisfied with just earning a medal after going (0-1) in 2014 and made a statement against Russia’s Khayrula Nuradinov in the finals. Jarod went ahead (1-0) following the first period scoring after Nuradinov was put on the shot clock and could not score. The second period was a different story.

In almost ‘Spencer Lee-like’ style Verkleeren quickly ended the match hitting a duck under before transitioning into a leg lace where he turned Nuradinov four times ending the bout (11-0) by tech-fall. Already considered a National star following two strong seasons competing in both the PIAA and Cadet Freestyle circuit Verkleeren significantly raised his stock in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Verkleeren was one of four Cadet wrestlers from Pennsylvania who competed in the World Championships. PIAA State Champion Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan) was unable to advance falling in the quarterfinals to Mongolia’s Tumentsogt Bold (4-3). Teasdale went (1-1) at 50 kg winning in the first round by tech-fall over Igor Nykyforuk of Ukraine by tech-fall (10-0). Teasdale finished eighth in the final participant rankings.

Two female Cadet wrestlers also took to the mats but were defeated in their first matches with Jess Rudick (Solanco) at 38 kg and Valye-Rae Baker (Benton Area) at 40 kg.

 

63 kg /138.75 lbs.– Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area) Gold Medal
WIN Vasili Diaconu (Moldova), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Tobias Portman (Switzerland), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Ahmed Medizhadehmarzn (Iran), 9-5
WIN Khayrula Nuradinov (Russia), tech. fall, 11-0

 

50 kg/110 lbs. – Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan) 8th Place
WIN Igor Nykyforuk (Ukraine), tech. fall, 14-3
LOSS Tumentsogt Bold (Mongolia), 3-4

 

38 kg/83.75 lbs. – Jessica Rudick (Solanco)
LOSS Cansu Yilmaz (Turkey), pin

 

40 kg/88 lbs. – Vayle-Rae Baker (Benton Area) 
LOSS Rumi Fujisawa (Japan), 6-6

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