By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. GENEVA, Ohio — Thanks to a strong showing from Ethan Oakley, App State Wrestling and the Boone RTC produced a U23 Freestyle national finalist for the second straight year.
Oakley won his first five matches in the 61 kg bracket Sunday to reach a best-of-three championship round against Julian Chlebove from Arizona State. Chlebove broke a 4-4 tie in a 6-4 win before wrapping up the title with an 8-3 victory.
Oakley’s run to the final occurred one year after Jon Jon Millner took second in the 70 kg bracket at the U23 Freestyle World Team Trials.
A seventh-place finish Saturday in the U20 Freestyle World Team Trials from Carson Floyd, who posted a 2-2 record after becoming an All-American in late April by placing eighth at the US Open Championships, means App State has had five USA Wrestling All-Americans in the last two years.
Oakley, Chad Bellis (four wins at 57 kg), Ike Byers (six straight consolation wins at 65 kg), Tommy Askey (six wins at 70 kg) and Jacob Sartorio (four wins at 125 kg) were all among the final 16 wrestlers left in their U23 Freestyle brackets, which featured a double-elimination format. Riley Edwards also made it to Day 2 before dropping a matchup that involved two Boone RTC entries.
Oakley reached the final with an 11-7 victory against second-seeded Dominick Serrano and advanced to the semifinal round by rallying for a 7-5 win against Kyle Burwick, thanks to a tying point with 11 seconds left and two tiebreaking points with two seconds left. Oakley opened the event by scoring two tiebreaking points with eight seconds left in an 8-6 win against Hunter Adrian and then had decisive wins by scores of 16-6 and 12-4.
By beating Oakley, Chlebove makes the USA University World Team and will compete in October at the U23 World Championships in Finland.
