Herriman, Utah — Over the past two days, Minnesota/USA Wrestling’s 16U Cadet program battled through a demanding field at the National Duals, demonstrating resilience, skill, and determination. Both Minnesota Blue and Minnesota Red teams delivered standout performances against top competition from across the nation, setting the stage for an exciting freestyle competition starting tomorrow.

Minnesota Blue: Resilience Leads to a 5th Place Finish

Minnesota Blue’s journey was marked by a challenging start and a strong comeback. The team narrowly missed victory in their opening bout against Missouri, falling 36-34 in a tightly contested match. From there, MN Blue rallied, winning four consecutive matches — including an emphatic redemption win over Missouri (50-21) and a decisive victory over Virginia (52-25) in the true-second place match. Though the championship color pool proved tough, Minnesota Blue finished with dominant wins over Utah Gold (38-36) and Indiana (59-20), securing 5th place overall.

Minnesota Blue Match Results:

• Missouri def. Minnesota Blue (36-34)
• Minnesota Blue def. Michigan Blue (40-33)
• Minnesota Blue def. Idaho (50-26)
• Minnesota Blue def. Missouri (50-21)
• Minnesota Blue def. Virginia (52-25)
• Illinois def. Minnesota Blue (43-29)
• Pennsylvania def. Minnesota Blue (51-24)
• Minnesota Blue def. Utah Gold (38-36)
• Minnesota Blue def. Indiana (59-20)

Minnesota Red: Hard-Fought Battles and a Strong Finish

Minnesota Red started strong with a decisive 73-6 victory over Maryland. The team fought through several close matches and tough losses but ended the tournament on a high note, claiming 7th place in the Bronze/Copper pool with a redemption win against Texas (48-31).

Minnesota Red Match Results:

• Minnesota Red def. Maryland (73-6)
• Utah Gold def. Minnesota Red (46-32)
• Minnesota Red def. North Carolina (57-23)
• Texas def. Minnesota Red (39-37)
• Iowa def. Minnesota Red (52-23)
• Oklahoma Outlaws Blue def. Minnesota Red (49-27)
• Missouri def. Minnesota Red (50-27)
• Minnesota Red def. Texas (48-31)

Individual Standouts

The 16U Minnesota teams showcased several exceptional individual performances:

• Lincoln Robideau (Blue): went 9-0 with 6 techs, 2 forfeits, and 1 fall.
• Zane Engels (Blue) recorded six technical falls and two falls for a combined eight pins/techs to finish with a record of 8-1.
• Gabe Roehl (Red) led the team with five falls to finish 7-1, followed closely by Cohen Lumby (Red) with four.
• Grayson Schroeder (Blue) contributed five combined pins/techs in his seven match wins.

Other Notable Records:

• Sully Marz (Red): 4-0
• Sawyer Schendel (Blue): 4-0
• Alex Gau (Red): 4-0
• Gage Bjerga (Blue): 6-1
• Owen Johnson (Blue): 6-1
• Garrett Bjerga (Blue): 5-1
• Miklo Hernandez (Blue): 5-1
• Andrew Olson (Blue): 4-1

Next Steps

The teams will immediately turn their focus to freestyle duals starting tomorrow morning, with championship finals slated for Saturday. After the competition concludes, the squads will return to Minnesota, bringing back valuable experience and pride they carry with them into Fargo.

Minnesota/USA Wrestling extends heartfelt thanks to the coaches, volunteers, families, and all supporters who make these national trips possible. Your dedication to fostering the growth and development of Minnesota’s youth wrestlers is deeply appreciated.

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