WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Minnesota battled through a grueling two-day tournament to secure a seventh-place finish at the 2026 USA Wrestling 14U Freestyle National Duals, which concluded Friday.
Competing in a 45-team field, Minnesota finished the tournament with a 4-4 dual record, capped by a thrilling 40-37 victory over rival Illinois in the seventh-place match.
The tournament showcased the premier 14-and-under freestyle wrestling talent in the country. Pennsylvania Blue captured the national title, while Maryland finished as the runner-up.
Minnesota opened the tournament on Thursday with a dominant performance in the Pool A preliminary bracket, going 3-1 to claim second place and qualify for the elite, top-tier Gold/Silver championship bracket.
- Quarterfinals: Minnesota opened with a resounding 58-17 rout of Florida Red.
- Semifinals: They punched their ticket to the pool finals with a hard-fought 41-31 victory over Ohio Scarlet.
- 1st Place Match: California Gold edged Minnesota in a 38-34 thriller, sending Minnesota to the true-second match.
- 2nd Place Match: Minnesota bounced back immediately, defeating New Jersey 46-33 to secure their spot in the top championship bracket.
Friday’s Gold/Silver bracket pitted Minnesota against the tournament’s absolute best. The team dropped three consecutive highly competitive duals before rallying in their final meet of the tournament.
Maryland, the eventual national runner-up, handed Minnesota a 48-22 defeat in the opening championship round. Minnesota then dropped a tight 39-34 decision to Michigan Blue, followed by a heartbreaking 36-35 loss to border-rival Iowa.
Seventh-Place Dual: Minnesota 40, Illinois 37
Regrouping for their final appearance, Minnesota faced Illinois in a back-and-forth dual that came down to bonus points and clutch individual performances.
Illinois built an early cushion through the middleweights, picking up technical falls from Collin Haake (115 lbs), William Zapf (126 lbs), Kardiais Richardson (132 lbs), and Josiah Holmes (140 lbs), alongside a decision from Liam Bissman (120 lbs).
Minnesota’s Thomas Snyder ignited the comeback at 155 pounds, pinning Illinois’ Dominic Englese in 1:23. After Illinois answered with wins at 175 and 225 pounds, Minnesota’s lighter weights took complete control of the dual.
Jacob Graber began the lower-weight surge at 75 pounds with a 13-0 technical fall. Easton Schut followed with a swift 1:02 pin at 80 pounds. After an Illinois victory at 84 pounds, Minnesota ripped off three consecutive dominant wins:
- 88 pounds: Cameron Rodgers pinned Caden St Angelo in just 36 seconds.
- 92 pounds: Jett Foster secured a 10-0 technical fall over Luke Sponsel in 1:07.
- 96 pounds: Gabriel Jasso pinned Kaden Joustra in 1:38.
Despite a forfeit loss at 100 pounds, Minnesota sealed the team victory with clutch performances in the final two bouts. Hunter Houle earned a gritty 11-8 decision over Zephaniah Powell at 105 pounds, and Bryce Siem closed the dual with a dominant 10-0 technical fall over Brendan Glynn at 110 pounds.
Minnesota’s 75-pounder Jacob Graber finished the two-day tournament with a perfect 8-0 record, earning a spot on the 2026 14U National Duals Freestyle All-Tournament Team.
2026 USA Wrestling 14U National Duals Freestyle Results
Gold/Silver Bracket (Top-8 Overall)
- Pennsylvania Blue
- Maryland
- California Gold
- Michigan Blue
- Wisconsin
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- Illinois
Gold/Silver bracket 7th Place Dual – Minnesota over Illinois, 40-37
115 pounds – Collin Haake, IL over Johnny Salas, MN (TF 14-4 (1:55))
120 pounds – Liam Bissman, IL over Micah Donahue, MN (Dec 9-2)
126 pounds – William Zapf, IL over Chael Johnson, MN (TF 17-6 (3:22))
132 pounds – Kardiais Richardson, IL over TJ Richardson, MN (TF 10-0 (0:26))
140 pounds – Josiah Holmes, IL over Nolan Meisch, MN (TF 11-1 (2:44))
155 pounds – Thomas Snyder, MN over Dominic Englese, IL (F 1:23)
175 pounds – Macklin Holford, IL over Luke Kelly, MN (TF 14-3 (3:57))
225 pounds – Cailyn Robinson, IL over Hank Gutormson, MN (TF 10-0 (1:45))
75 pounds – Jacob Graber, MN over Greyson Goodwin, IL (TF 13-0 (3:28))
80 pounds – Easton Schut, MN over Joshua Strode, IL (F 1:02)
84 pounds – Makai Steele, IL over Eli Richter, MN (TF 10-0 (1:29))
88 pounds – Cameron Rodgers, MN over Caden St Angelo, IL (F 0:36)
92 pounds – Jett Foster, MN over Luke Sponsel, IL (TF 10-0 (1:07))
96 pounds – Gabriel Jasso, MN over Kaden Joustra, IL (F 1:38)
100 pounds – Caleb Callaghan, IL over Forfeit, MN (FF)
105 pounds – Hunter Houle, MN over Zephaniah Powell, IL (Dec 11-8)
110 pounds – Bryce Siem, MN over Brendan Glynn, IL (TF 10-0 (1:11))