Greensboro, NC- the 2023 Super 32 Championships have now concluded. This tournament widely considered as the toughest preseason tournament in the country held every year at the Greensboro Coliseum showcases the talents of the nations top ranked wrestlers. Dreams were realized, and hearts were broken as wrestlers endured, a grueling, two days of competition.
Finals results and match ups
Joe Bachmann, of Pennsylvania, emerged as the champion in the 106lbs finals by defeating Rocco Hayes from Illinois. With a commanding lead of 10 to 3, Bachmann secured a fall and added a high school Super 32 belt to his collection. Notably, Bachmann has previously won this tournament seven times in the elementary and middle school divisions, making this his first victory in the high school division.
In the semifinals, Bachmann faced a tough challenge from Shamus Regan from South Carolina but managed to secure a narrow victory with a score of 1 to 0. Bachmann's younger brother, Freddy, also achieved success by winning his 8th Super 32 belt in the middle school division. Together, the Bachmann brothers hold an impressive total of 16 belts from their years of competing in this event.
Bachmann credited his victory to his strong work ethic and strategic game plan, which focused on maintaining outside control and launching continuous attacks.
Aaron Seidel, of Pennsylvania, emerged as the champion in the 113lbs tournament by securing a 3-0 victory over Domenic Munaretto from Illinois. Seidel, who finished third in the same event last year, expressed his satisfaction with this year's win.
Seidel, who committed to wrestle for Virginia Tech, proudly holds the distinction of being a two-time Pennsylvania state champion and a Fargo finalists. He shared his strong desire to succeed in major tournaments, especially after falling short in previous national events. Seidel credited his victory to the guidance and support of his high school coaches and Club coach, Chance Marsteller from Stellar Trained. He acknowledged their significant contributions to his success.
Seidel recognized the skill of his opponent, referring to him as a "Dog." However, he remained determined to execute his own techniques and capitalize on his "turns" to secure the win.
Anthony Knox, of New Jersey, dominated at 120lbs, He achieved a series of technical falls through the quarterfinals, and then went on to major decision Kenu Dillard from Pennsylvania with a score of 12 to 2 in the semifinals. In the finals, Knox secured an 11 to 0 win over Nathan Desmond, also from Pennsylvania. In 2021, Knox became the champion by defeating Bo Bassett, but he faced defeat against Bassett in 2022. Following his Super 32 victory in celebration, Knox proudly wore a Cornell wrestling shirt to announce his commitment.
Jax Forrest, of Pennsylvania in the 126lbs, achieved his first Super 32 championship belt after facing disappointment in the previous two years. Forrest displayed dominance throughout the tournament. In the semifinals, he secured a technical fall victory over Nick O'Neill from Pennsylvania with a score of 17 to 1. In the finals, Forrest faced JJ McComas from Oklahoma and emerged victorious with a 5 to 3 decision. Throughout the match, Forrest found himself trailing by a point before scoring a crucial escape and immediate takedown, resulting in a score of 5 to 3 in his favor. Reflecting on his performance, Forrest acknowledged his past struggles in tournament semifinals and credited his victory to wrestling smarter this year. He mentioned that the college rule set, which he wrestled under, played into his style as he enjoys aggressively taking down his opponents and scoring points.
Bo Bassett, of Pennsylvania, proved his dominance as he clinched the 132lbs championship title for the second year in a row. He defeated Sergio Vega from Arizona by an 11 to 0 major decision. Reflecting on his journey, Bassett acknowledged the grind and competing everywhere. Undeterred by the challenges, he eagerly anticipates wrestling in college opens this season, he wants to etch his name in history books with a goal of being the first-ever four-time Super 32 high champion plans to compete in this tournament the next two years.
Bassett humbly recognized his shortcoming at Flo’s "Who's Number One" last month where he faced criticism from “hatters” who eagerly awaited his defeat. Nevertheless, he confidently mentioned that these people will always be present, saying that their hostility comes from their own lack of willingness to put in the same amount of time and hard work. Bassett also stressed that losses will happen along the way, expressing his appreciation for his resilience in bouncing back to win this event.
Maddox Shaw had an incredible tournament at 138lbs, defeating several highly ranked opponents on his way to becoming the champion. In the quarterfinals, Shaw defeated Paul Kelly from California with a score of 5 to 4. He continued his winning streak in the semifinals, winning 11 to 4 against Alex Braun from Minnesota. In the finals, Shaw emerged victorious with a score of 7 to 3 against Landon Robideau, also from Minnesota.
Shaw faced challenges in winning the state championship in Pennsylvania and had difficulties in national events during the off-season. It appeared that his performance was declining. However, Shaw attributed his turnaround to strengthening his relationship with God and seeking guidance from a mindset coach, and his Coaches at his club team, Quest as to the reason reason why he able to perform well in this event.
Freshman wrestler Melvin Miller from Pennsylvania, who was seeded 9th at 144lbs, pulled off an impressive upset in the quarterfinals by defeating the number one seed Jaxon Joy of Ohio with a score of 13 to 10. He continued his winning streak with a commanding 11 to 3 major decision victory over Beau Tucker, also from Ohio. In the finals, Miller secured a 4 to 1 decision win against New York's Cameron Catrabone. Miller confidently stated, "Nobody outworks me in this bracket." He knew he was the best in the tournament and wanted to prove who he was.
In the 150lbs finals, Kollin Rath from Pennsylvania emerged victorious with a 4 to 2 win over Kody Routledge from Oklahoma. Rath's last-minute takedown proved to be the deciding factor in securing his victory. Reflecting on the match, Rath acknowledged the intense nature of every bout, stating that each one was a grind. He believed that the key to success was being able to block out distractions and focus solely on performing at his best.
Rath credited his preparation for the tournament to his club coach, Chance Marsteller, who was in his corner during the event. He mentioned that he had been training for two months specifically for this competition, and Chance had guided him through every aspect, from the weight cut to the tournament itself. Rath recognized the importance of his coach's guidance and support in his journey to becoming a Super 32 champion.
LaDarion Lockett from Oklahoma emerged victorious as a 2-time Super 32 Champion, defeating Joseph Antonio from California with a 4 to 1 decision at 157lbs. Lockett's journey to this tournament was fueled by his recent gold medal achievement at the Cadet World Championships earlier this summer. However, Lockett faced numerous challenges in preparing for this event, as he had taken a well-deserved break following his world championship victory and had also been occupied with a series of college visits, which hindered his training and preparation
LJ Arujo from North Dakota emerged victorious over Dominic Bambinelli from Georgia with a score of 5 to 3 in the 165lbs final. Arujo revealed his game plan, stating, "I wanted to keep the match close because I knew I could 'ride him out on top'." He also acknowledged that when Bambinelli secured a takedown, he felt the pressure to score, saying, "I knew I had to come back and get one of my own." Arujo hadn't consistently competed nationally. He also mentioned that he used to play football in high school but decided to focus solely on wrestling this season as he has committed to wrestle for Nebraska.
Ryan Burton from New Jersey secured a 2-0 victory over Cole Han-Lindemyer from Minnesota in the 175lbs category. Han-Lindemyer, who is committed to Stanford, put up a tough fight, but Burton emerged as the winner.
Aeoden Sinclair of Wisconsin won the championship at 190lbs with 3 to 2 decision of Rune Lawrence of Pennsylvania at 190lbs. It’s worth mentioning that Sinclair represented the United States on the Junior world team earlier this summer. Anthony Harris from New Jersey secured the Super 32 Championship title by defeating Michael Mocco from Florida with a score of 4 to 2 in the finals of the 215lbs division. And the day ended with Nicholas Sahakian of California winning the championship defeating Daniel Herrera of Iowa in the finals and heavyweight 2 to 1.
It's worth noting that Pennsylvania solidified their reputation as the dominant state for wrestling as they had 7 individual champions of which three were wrestlers at Bishop McCort Catholic school in Johnstown. Bishop McCort had a total of six individual champions including the elementary and middle school divisions.
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