Cavaliers compete at US Open Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Jay Aiello and Michael Battista of the Virginia wrestling team placed along with incoming signee Garrett Grice to lead a group of Virginia wrestlers at the USMC U.S. Open Championships in Las Vegas over the weekend.

Aiello took third place at 97kg, while Battista finished fourth at 92kg. Both wrestlers were competing in the Senior Men’s Freestyle competition. Grice, who signed with the Cavaliers in November of 2021, took a third-place finish at 61kg in the U20 Freestyle competition.

The Cavaliers had four wrestlers competing in the senior freestyle as Jarod Verkleeren (70kg) and Hudson Stewart (79kg) also took the mat. Verkleeren went 4-2 in the competition, while Stewart posted a 1-2 record.

In the U20 Freestyle competition, Joe Haynes (57 kg), Erik Roggie and Marlon Yarbrough (61 kg), Kyren Butler (65 kg), Gavin Cagle (74 kg) and Hadyn Danals (86 kg) all took the mat.

Senior Men’s Freestyle

70kg: Jarod Verkleeren

R64: Verkleeren over Ryan Fillingame by VSU1, 10-0 (0:41)
R32: Will Lewan over Verkleeren by VSU, 12-0 (4:41)
Conso. R32-2: Verkleeren over Justin Sampson by VSU, 110 (1:56)
Conso. R16-1: Verkleeren over Paul Bagnoli by VSU, 11-0 (0:54)
Conso. R16-2: Verkleeren over Riley Gurr by VSU1, 14-4 (1:55)
Conso. R8-1: Yahya Thomas over Verkleeren by VPO1, 6-5

79kg: Hudson Stewart

R64: Bye
R32: Brayden Thompson over Stewart by VSU, 10-0 (1:47)
Conso. R32-2: Stewart over Josiah Green by VSU, 10-0 (3:43)
Conso. R16-1: Jamal Morris over Stewart by VPO1, 11-10

92kg: Michael Battista – Fourth-Place Finish

R16: Battisa over Kash Anderson by VSU, 10-0 (5:50)
QF: Battista over Zachary Petersen by VPO1, 9-2
SF: Cameron Caffey over Battista by VSU1, 13-1 (4:11)
Conso. SF: Battista over Jacob Koser by VPO1, 11-4
Third-Place Match: Max Shaw over Battista by VPO1, 5-4

97kg: Jay Aiello – Third-Place Finish

R16: Bye
QF: Aiello over Duncan Lee by VFA, 1:55
SF: Josef Rau over Aiello by VFA, 0:24
Conso. SF: Aiello over Samuel Mitchell by VSU1, 12-1 (5:13)
Third-Place Match: Aiello over Timothy Dudley by VIN

U20 Freestyle

57kg: Joe Haynes

R64: Bye
R32: Andre Gonzales over Haynes by VSU, 10-0 (1:32)
Conso. R32-2: Robert Howard over Haynes by VSU1, 13-2 (2:29)

61kg: Garrett Grice – Third-Place Finish

R32: Grice over Gavin Monk by VSU, 10-0 (0:21)
R16: Grice over Dyson Kunz by VSU, 12-0 (4:00)
QF: Grice over Nico Provo by VPO1, 9-3
SF: Nic Bouzakis over Grice by VPO1, 7-6
Conso. SF: Grice over Richard Treanor by VSU1, 15-5 (3:15)
Third-Place Match: Grice over Emilio Ysaguirre Jr. by VPO1, 3-1

61kg: Erik Roggie

R32: Roggie over Jace Rhodes by VSU, 10-0 (5:26)
R16: Grigor Cholakyan over Roggie by VFA, 0:55
Conso. R16-2: Zack Witmer over Roggie by VSU1, 12-2 (2:53)

61kg: Marlon Yarbrough

R32: Carter Bailey over Yarbrough by VFA, 5:59
Conso. R32-1: McKinley Robbins over Yarbrough by VFA, 2:44

65kg: Kyren Butler

R32: Butler over Alexander Pena by VSU, 10-0 (0:24)
R16: Butler over Jacob Mann by VPO1, 12-10
QF: Cameron Johnson over Butler by VPO1, 12-10
Conso. R32-2: Butler over Nathan Vasquez by VFO, 10-0
Conso. R16-1: Butler over Mason Stefanelli by VPO1, 10-3
Conso. R16-2: Q’veli Quintanilla over Butler by VSU1, 16-6 (5:43)

74kg: Gavin Cagle

R128: Bye
R64: Aiden Riggins over Cagle by VSU, 10-0 (2:08)
Conso. R32-1: Cagle over Lane Miller by VPO, 4-0
Conso. R32-2: Cagle over Cooper Willis by VPO1, 10-4
Conso. R16-1: Cagle over Aiden Vandenbush by VPO1, 7-6
Conso. R16-2: Thor Michaelson over Cagle by VSU, 11-0 (4:53)

86kg: Hadyn Danals

R64: Danals over Kodiak Stephens by VSU1, 15-4 (3:26)
R32: Brock del Signore over Danals by VPO1, 6-6
Conso. R32-2: Danals over Logan Hull by VSU, 10-0 (0:25)
Conso. R16-1: Fernando Villaescusa over Danals by VSU1, 23-10 (4:27)