Wrestling: Cavaliers led by Aiello, Verkleeren at US Open Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Jay Aiello, a former All-American and 2022 graduate, and current Cavalier Jarod Verkleeren advanced to day two at the 2023 US Open Championships to lead a group of Virginia wrestlers in the senior men’s freestyle competition on Thursday in Las Vegas.

Both Aiello and Verkleeren are guaranteed to place at the event by virtue of their performances on Thursday. Wrestling resumes on Friday with consolation matches and semifinals at 1 p.m. ET.

Aiello will face Jacob Cardenas in a consolation match in the 92kg bracket, while Verkleeren has secured a spot in the consolation semifinals. Aiello went 3-1 on the day as the sixth-seeded wrestler in the 92kg bracket with his only loss coming to third-seeded Michael Macchiavello.

Seventh-seeded Verkleeren went 4-1 on the day in the 70kg weight class with his only loss coming to second-seeded Tyler Berger. Verkleeren was slated to face Jaydin Eierman in his first match on Friday but is through to the consolation semifinals with an injury default by Eierman. He will face Jarrett Jaques on Friday morning.

The duo led a group of eight current Virginia wrestlers and recent graduates in the competition including volunteer assistant Jack Mueller (65kg), Hadyn Danals (86kg), Vic Marcelli (86kg), Hudson Stewart (86kg), Michael Battista (92kg) and Krystian Kinsey (92kg).

Marcelli and Stewart both finished one victory shy of advancing to day two. Marcelli advanced to the quarterfinals before moving to the consolation bracket, while Stewart advanced to the round of 16 before advancing through two matches in the consolation bracket.

65kg
Jack Mueller
R64: Mueller over Tyler Hunt by VSU, 10-0 (1:28)
R32: No. 2 seed Evan Henderson over Mueller vs. VSU, 10-0 (1:54)
Conso. R32-2: Mueller over Cayden Rooks by VSU (0:48)
Conso. R16-1: Mueller over Jackie Gold by VSU (0:28)
Conso. R16-2: No. 12 seed Cole Matthews over Mueller by VPO1, 8-1

70kg
No. 7 seed Jarod Verkleeren
R64: Verkleeren over Christopher Kelly by VSU, 10-0 (1:13)
R32: Verkleeren over Tariq Wilson by VSU, 10-0 (0:43)
R16: Verkleeren over Joshua Reyes by VPO1, 6-4
QF: No. 2 seed Tyler Berger over Verkleeren by VSU1, 12-1 (2:28)
Conso. R8-2: Verkleeren over Jacob Butler by VSU, 10-0 (2:30)
Conso. R4: Verkleeren over Jaydin Eierman by injury default
Conso. SF: Verkleeren vs. Jarrett Jaques on Friday

86kg
Hadyn Danals
R64: Bye
R32: Cade Mueller over Danals by VPO1, 9-9
Conso. R32-2: Christian LaFragola over Danals by VSU1, 14-4 (5:43)

Vic Marcelli
R64: Bye
R32: Marcelli over Kyle Summers by VSU, 10-0 (4:09)
R16: Marcelli over Adeshola Logunleko by VSU1, 16-6 (4:21)
QF: No. 2 seed Mark Hall over Marcelli by VSU, 10-0 (1:04)
Conso. R8-2: Dylan Fishback over Marcelli by VSU1, 12-1 (4:45)

Hudson Stewart
R64: Bye
R32: Stewart over Hayden Wempen by VSU, 10-0 (5:07)
R16: No. 3 seed Aaron Brooks over Stewart by VCA, 9-0
Conso. R16-2: Stewart over Kyle Homet by VPO1, 9-1
Conso. R8-1: Stewart over Christian LaFragola by VPO1, 7-2
Conso. R8-2: No. 5 seed Andrew Morgan over Stewart by VFA, 1:48

92kg
No. 6 seed Jay Aiello
R32: Aiello over Thomas Gaitan by VFA, 1:24
R16: Aiello over David Willoughby by VSU, 10-0 (1:58)
QF: No. 3 seed Michael Macchiavello over Aiello by VPO, 4-0
Conso. R8-2: Aiello over Kyle Haas by VSU, 10-0 (2:17)
Conso. R4: Aiello vs. Jacob Cardenas on Friday

No. 8 seed Michael Battista
R32: Battista over Jay Smith by VSU, 10-0 (0:51)
R16: John Gunderson over Battista by VPO1, 8-6
Conso R16-2: Kyle Haas over Battista by VPO1, 3-2

Krystian Kinsey
R32: Stephen Buchanan over Kinsey by VSU, 11-0 (3:38)
Conso. R16-1: Kyle Haas over Kinsey by injury default