GENEVA, Ohio - Turning heads at the national level of wrestling, nine Trojans placed at U20 and U23 World Team Trials this past weekend. At a tournament where the champions are chosen to represent the United States, Little Rock claimed fourth place as a team.
The results were pivotal for the four-year program, entering its fifth year of competition this upcoming fall. For one, it was the largest group that has qualified for the elite event. For another, before this year, only one Little Rock wrestler had placed at the World Team Trials over the four years of existence.
After this weekend, the program saw nine placers over two different styles of wrestling and two different age groups.
"This tournament was a moment for us that changed our program," said head coach
Neil Erisman. "We'll look back and be able to say that the 2023 World Team Trials was a big turning point for us and what our expectations are as a team."
"It's an example of the saying, hard work works," he continued. "We've recruited hard and our results are a product of our older guys doing hard things, staying the course, and believing they can accomplish something new and higher. Without them believing in that, and younger guys buying in, we're not even in the conversation."
That conversation was opened by the nine wrestlers that turned heads over the weekend.
From U20 National Team Coach:
Both
KJ Miley and
Stephen Little finished as runners-up in their respective divisions and weight classes, as the latter advanced to the best 2 of 3 finals.
Little, wrestling at 92 kg in the U20 Freestyle competition, fell by criteria in a battle for the title after an impressive weekend. The Sturgis, Kentucky native continues to make a name for himself, appearing in the FloWrestling rankings at 197 pounds ahead of the 2023-24 collegiate season as the projected Trojan starter. Meanwhile, Miley dropped a tight 3-2 match in the 130 kg Greco-Roman challenge bracket, placing second. He will be in contention for the heavyweight position on the Little Rock roster.
Also in the Greco competition,
Brennan Van Hoecke and
Brendon Abdon placed third and fourth in their U20 divisions, respectively, while
Jayden Carson took sixth in the U23 age group at 60 kg.
Competing in Freestyle,
Matty Bianchi finished fourth while
Kyle Dutton came in sixth at their respective weight classes in the U20 division, while in the U23 age group,
Josiah Hill placed fourth at 125 kg and
Joseph Bianchi claimed sixth at 74 kg.
"Some programs don't even have anyone in the World Team Trials tournament, let alone place," Coach Erisman added. "Statistically, those that make the World Team become NCAA All-Americans and National champions. The fact that we can compete with the best people in the country is a huge step in the right direction."
The Trojans are gearing up for a fun fifth year of competition this fall, and you don't want to miss out on history in the making. For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out
LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on
Facebook,
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Twitter.
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