SHAPE’s William Bush celebrates his 215-pound title after defeating Stuttgart’s Conner Hutchinson at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – Something was a bit different Saturday during the championship round of the DODEA European Wrestling Championships.
Maybe it was the fact that there were as many forfeits as defending champions able to reach their goal for a second time. Or it could have been that only one wrestler managed to put his opponent to the mat and end a match before time expired. Some might think it was the real lack of tension for the team battle as all three divisions pretty much were decided before the final matches.
Regardless, different is by no means is worse. And those who came away victorious didn’t seem to care about any of those things.
“I’m champion of an entire continent,” joked Ramstein’s Kydan Echard, who transferred in from Virginia for his senior campaign. He was one of five Royals to win titles, helping the team tally a tournament-high 317.5 points - 67 points more than rival Stuttgart.
A look at the finals of each weight class:
Ramstein’s Frank Lozano took the 106-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024, beating Kaiserslautern’s Jaden Calixto. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
106 pounds
Frank Lozano shared several things with other champions Saturday. As a Royal, he shared that honor with four teammates. He was successful in his return to the sport after some time off. And he was making his first appearance at the event in his first year in Europe.
“I decided to give the sport one more go,” the senior transfer from El Paso, Texas, said. He ran cross country in the States and this fall at Ramstein.
What Lozano didn’t share with many peers Saturday was his match wasn’t that close. He defeated Kaiserslautern’s Jaden Calixto 9-0. It was oddly the first time the two had faced each other this season.
Vilseck’s Johnathan Wissemann, left, beat Alconbury’s Edison Vega Figueroa to take the 113-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
113
Vilseck freshman Jonathan Wissemann won’t be back to defend his title next year either as the family is moving to Pennsylvania. But Wissemann almost didn’t even reach his first finals. He suffered a defeat to Ramstein’s Liberty Snyder in pool action Friday.
“I was in a back room and I was crying and I realized that if I didn’t win my next match, I might not be in the finals,” he said. He used that for motivation and defeated Alconbury’s Edison Vega, tying the two atop the pool with 3-1 records. They met again in the finals and Vega gave Wissemann all he could handle. He cut into a 7-1 deficit with a reversal and near-fall at the beginning of the final period. Wissemann eventually earned a reversal to give himself some breathing room and he needed it as Vega’s reversal with 8 seconds left made the score 9-8.
Naples’ Ivan Villescas seems to have the upper hand against Vicenza’s Mitchell Horrigan, but Horrigan escaped and went on to win the 120-pound match at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
120
Vicenza’s Mitchell Horrigan had seen Naples’ Joaquin Villescas before. And all three times he lost this season. But Horrigan used his cross country training to wear his opponent down en route to a 8-6 triumph.
“It feels awesome,” the junior said. “’Three times this year, he’s beaten me, whether by a little or a lot and it feels great to finally beat him, especially at the finals.”
Horrigan got off to a strong start, leading 6-0 after the first period. Villescas fought back to 6-4, took Horrigan down and let him escape twice, but couldn’t get the final takedown to tie it before time expired.
Vicenza’s Diego Cerda looks towards the referee as he has Kaiserslautern’s Joshua Kim in his grip, on the way to winning the 126-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
126
Fellow Cougar Diego Cerda also earned a narrow victory, topping Kaiserslautern’s Joshua Kim, 7-5.
Cerda finished second at the tournament his sophomore year but then wasn’t sure he’d return to the mat. He decided to give another try this season.
“I fell in love with the sport again,” he said.
He led 7-1 after a near fall early in the second period then weathered a furious rally by Kim at the end to triumph.
Munro Davis, right, beat Stuttgart’s Aidan Morgan to take the 132-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
132
Wiesbaden’s Munro Davis was the first wrestler with a chance to defend his title from a year ago. And he ended up being the only one to succeed. In a rematch of a stirring pool-play contest that went into overtime, Davis defeated Stuttgart’s Aidan Morgan 9-3.
“My coach said that winning one state title is hard and winning another one would be even harder,” said Davis, the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. “I guess I agree.”
Jayden Andrews has a hold on Wiesbaden’s Elam Dunton on his way to taking the 138-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
138
Ramstein’s Jayden Andrews stopped the Warriors’ goal of three straight champions by topping Elam Dunton 8-3.
Andrews broke a 2-2 tie in the second period with a takedown and extended his lead to 6-2 by opening the final period with a reversal.
“So many people have devoted so much of their time for this moment,” said the senior, who came in second and third at previous championships. “I love this sport. I wanted it to end with a win like this.”
Wiesbaden’s Jacob Lane and Stuttgart’s Zachary Call grapple in the 144-pound final at the DODEA-Europe wrestling championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. Lane took the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
144
Wiesbaden’s Jacob Lane faced a huge hurdle in defending champion Zachary Call of Stuttgart.
But Lane said Call – “a great dude” – was somewhat responsible for his own defeat. He beat Lane to get that title last year.
“After he beat me, I really gave myself over to the sport,” Lane said. “He pushed me to be a better wrestler.”
Lane went up 5-0 on an early takedown and near fall and Call never fully recovered. Still, the match was in doubt until Lane answered Call’s reversal in the final period with one of his own and held on for the 11-6 victory.
Ramstein’s Kydan Echard pulls down Samual Pounds on his way to winning the 150-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
150
Echard hadn’t faced Naples’ Sam Pounds before. But he believed he had an advantage on the defending champion.
“I know he hasn’t worked as hard as me this year,” he said. “I just wanted it more.”
That might have shown in Pounds’ inability to get a tying reversal over the final 20 seconds as Echard refused to give up a leg and let him take control. That came after the two exchanged reversals earlier in the period as the match went back and forth.
Ramstein’s Isaac Martinez took the 157-pound title at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024, after his opponent Kyson Fromm of Naples could not compete due to an injury. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
157
Ramstein’s Isaac Martinez was awarded the title when Naples’ Kyson Fromm couldn’t take the mat following an injury he sustained in the semifinals.
That left the Royal with mixed feelings.
“I really wanted to wrestle,” he said. “But I guess I’ll take a win.”
Third at 144 last year, Martinez said he wants a shot to defend his title next year as a senior.
“First again,” he said of his next goal.
Lakenheath’s Lucius Bowman has a hold on Ramstein’s Lucas Hollenbeck in an exciting 165-pound championship match at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. Hollenbeck was able to turn the table on Bowman, to take the title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
165
Lucas Hollenbeck may be the only one in the Wiesbaden Fitness Center who didn’t hear the large Royal contingent start chanting “Lucas, Lucas, Lucas” in a tight match with Lakenheath defending champion Lucius Bowman.
“Really?” he said when asked about what his coach Thomas Wright termed “crowd support.”
“That’s cool,” Hollenbeck said. “I never hear the crowd. I only hear the comments coming from my coach’s corner.”
Bowman led 6-4 at the end of the first period. Hollenbeck gained a point for a violation to start the third then scored a reversal with 19 seconds to take the lead and followed with a near fall, then held on, 10-8.
SHAPE’s Luigi Patalano, right, took the 175-pound title against Lakenheath’s Elijah Hutton at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
175
SHAPE senior Luigi Patalano was born in that hotbed for the sport, Venice, Italy.
“It’s not a very popular sport there,” Patalano said with a smile after a solid run through the championships, including a 11-0 victory over Lakenheath’s Elijah Hutton - avenging one of two losses he suffered during the year.
Patalano moved with his family when his father took a job at SHAPE. Faced with the COVID pandemic, he was turned away from local gyms while trying to take up a combat sport. After deciding to wrestle, he lost his sophomore season to the pandemic and finished second last year in his first full season on the mat.
Now he’d love to have a scholarship in the sport to attend a college in the States.
Stuttgart’s Jack Gruver tries to take down Ramstein’s Matthew Rutlege in the 190-pound championship match at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany. Gruver beat Rutlege to take the 2024 title. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
190
Stuttgart’s Jack Gruver was third a year ago thanks to a disqualification in the semifinals that he still doesn’t agree with.
“I hate losing,” said the senior, a key member of the school’s title-winning football team and an aspiring champion in the throwing events in track.
Gruver was more than familiar with his finals foe, Ramstein’s Matthew Rutlege. He’s beaten him four times this season. But the Royal, perhaps inspired by the vocal Ramstein support in the stands, found himself in a 9-9 tie at the end of two periods.
It was almost all Gruver after that, though, with a series of takedowns and escapes that ended up in a 17-11 decision.
SHAPE’s William Bush, right, won the 215-pound title match at the DODEA-Europe wrestling finals in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024, defeating Stuttgart’s Conner Hutchinson. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
215
SHAPE’s William Bush may decide to attend school in the States on a baseball scholarship if he isn’t accepted into the Air Force Academy. So he doesn’t think he’ll be wrestling beyond high school next year.
But he earned the only pin in the finals by taking down Stuttgart’s Connor Hutchinson in 50 seconds. Bush said he had talked to other wrestlers to find out Hutchinson’s tendencies and guessed correctly on what he would try and then responded with his own shot.
“I went too quick” in his only loss earlier in the season, Bush said. “So I had to be patient.”
Spangdahlem’s Eli Hulet, top, defeated AFNORTH’s Nathan Frederickson in the 285-pound final at the DODEA-Europe wrestling championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
285
Eli Hulet’s goal is to play football somewhere next year. At 6 feet, 2 inches and hovering around 300 pounds before he loses weight to wrestle weekly in Europe, the fact that Spangdahlem plays six-man football in the fall didn’t help him out. That version of the sport generally relies on smaller, quicker players.
But Hulet said he first encountered AFNORTH’s Nathan Frederickson – his opponent in the finals Saturday – opposite him in the few plays the schools did run involving bigger players.
“That’s where I got to know him a bit,” he said.
As for wrestling, “I beat him twice before, but just on points,” he said after a 6-1 victory in Saturday’s final. “We’ve had some good matches.”
