Summary of 2016 Fargo Results
With a Runner-up team finish in the 2015 Cadet Greco standings, expectations were high for the 2016 Kansas Junior Greco Fargo team. With returning Junior All-American Isaac Luellen (182 pounds, 4th place) injured and Thomas Lisher (145 pounds, 8th place) moving out of state and incoming Cadets Kameron Frame (138 pounds, 3rd place), his twin Kendall (138 pounds, 7th place), and Dylan Prince (195 pounds, 4th place) all injured and Cody Phippen (94 pounds, 3rd place) and Gary Joint (126 pounds, 7th place) moving out of state those expectations were altered. Despite the setbacks, Team Kansas still had a solid performance with a thirteenth-place showing in the final team standings. All-Americans included; Logan Treaster (120 pounds, 8th place), Tate Carney (120 pounds, 7th place), Taylor Jokerst (126, 7th place), Andrew Johnson (160 pounds, 8th place), Clay Lautt (170 pounds, 5th place), Daniel Butler (170 pounds, 7th place), and Kayne Hutchinson (285 pounds, 4th place). Johnson, Lautt, and Hutchinson were returning All-Americans.

Junior Freestyle results were also hampered by the aforementioned injuries/moves. Additionally, Clay Lautt (a probable All-American) entered only the Greco event this year as he was preparing for the UWW Cadet Greco World Championships. Only Sammy Cokeley (152 pounds, 4th place) and Hutchinson (285 pounds, 7th place) were able to garner All-American honors. Cokeley lost in the second round before reeling off an impressive NINE wins to earn his way in to the consolation-finals. He competed in twelve freestyle matches and another six in Greco during the week of competition. Hutchinson’s log was equally impressive. He lost in his first match of the tournament before winning his next five. In the final match, he defeated the same opponent from Texas by fall that had beaten him in round 1. Kayne competed in seventeen matches during Fargo Week.

A skeleton crew of only seventeen members represented Team Kansas in the Cadet division. On the Greco front two All-American finishes were earned. Jace Koelzer (106 pounds) inked himself among the Kansas Greco elite when he became the eleventh Cadet Greco National Champion and the first since Kyle Caylor in 2007 (215 pounds). Jace went 5-0 and had only two points scored against him in the entire competition. The other AA finish was earned by Michael Waggoner with a seventh-place showing at 170 pounds.

In Freestyle, Koelzer again grabbed the headlines for Team Kansas in the Cadet division. He came through a stacked bottom half of the bracket to earn a place in the finals. After a Folkstyle National Championship in Cedar Falls in April and his Greco crown, Jace was attempting to become the first USAW Triple Crown winner ever for Kansas. He fell short of that honor, but did Kansas proud and set himself up for future success. After finishing just shy of Greco All-American honors with a 5-2 record, Joey Ewalt (170 pounds) came through in Freestyle with an eighth-place finish. He left little doubt of his intentions with a win by tech fall in the Blood Round.

The Kansas wrestling community should be proud of the efforts of its national team. With a strong core of returners, Team Kansas is poised to make a run during Fargo 2017.

Last edited by Patrick Kelly; 07/27/16 07:12 PM.

Patrick Kelly
Head Wrestling Coach
Seaman High School