Weights to Watch at Freestyle State Part 2: 16U Division 

16U is a very unique division. It features a fun mix of established and credentialed high school wrestlers and wrestlers who have yet to wrestle a high school match. On many occasions, freestyle state serves as an omen of things to come. There’s always a young gun chomping at the bit to get their shot at the high school guys who pulls off an upset. Here’s some fun weights to keep tabs on in the 16U division. 

16U 106

Rising and future stars, Dillon Ivie, Drew Korth, and Jason Worthley are in the weight with 2021 high school state placer Hudson Palmer. 

Ivie is as experienced at the national level as any wrestler in the state and he hasn’t had his first high school match yet. He’s won state titles in all three styles, competed and won in the All-Star Dual and has claimed titles at prestigious events such as the Salt Lake Slam. He’s a complete wrestler that’s tough in every position. 

Korth has a name we’re all accustomed to seeing here in Utah. Next season, he’ll look to continue the tradition of Morgan having fantastic wrestlers in the lower weight classes. However, this weekend he’ll be looking to take home a freestyle state title against some of the best in the state. He’s won junior high and middle school state multiple times and has represented himself well nationally. 

I had the pleasure of doing commentary for Worthley’s All-Star match this last season and I was very impressed with his technique and maturity. He listened to his corner well and executed a great gameplan in that match. With that attitude, his best is yet to come. This past folkstyle season he won both Northern State and Super State. 

Hudson Palmer placed fourth at 5A state in the most recent season. He lost to his own teammate in the semifinals. With a high school season under his belt, look for Palmer to have great confidence in his abilities. He’s in a deep weight, but his never say die style will give a lot of wrestlers problems late in matches if it becomes a conditioning battle. 

16U 120

Michael Alexander and Brayden Robison are on a collision course. This is a fantastic matchup with one of the best junior high wrestlers the state has to offer and a 2021 high school state champion. 

Alexander has been largely untested by Utahans for quite some time. Over the course of the last year he’s buzzed through junior high state, super state, the Beehive Brawl, and the Salt Lake Slam in addition to a second place finish at USAW Preseason Nationals in 2020. He does a fantastic job of pairing Uintah physicality and intensity with very sound technique. He’s one of the hottest prospects in the state and has a big opportunity to make a statement this weekend if he meets Robison. 

Brayden Robison had a nearly perfect freshman campaign posting a record of 30-1 and captured his first state in a fantastic back and forth match. He also showed the ability to make adjustments from match to match. His state finals match as mentioned was back and forth and at the Atlas All-Star Dual, he turned in a dominant performance over the same opponent. He has great scrambling technique and I’m interested to see how he tweaks it to his benefit for freestyle. 

16U 145

This bracket features a handful of high school state placers and two state champions who all have a ton of potential. The weight features Preston Stevens, Bryson Lloyd, Sam Rasmussen, and Cooper Sanders. All of these wrestlers have exciting styles so fans may be treated to some high scoring action in the matches at this weight. 

Preston Stevens was involved with some of the wildest matches at the 5A state tournament. He had the shocking upset against River Wardle, a 14-10 shootout against Bryson Lloyd and a 12-11 shootout against Andrew Weakley. He brings a relentless pace and makes opponents work hard for every point they score. 

Bryson Lloyd finished in second at 5A state this season with a win over Stevens in the semi-finals. Lloyd is great on his feet and brings an array of takedown threats like his low single and fireman's carry. Both takedowns are excellent weapons for freestyle. The low single is, in my opinion, the best setup for a leg lace and the fireman's carry can lead to a trapped arm gut wrench.  

Sam Rassmussen won his first high school state title this last season as a freshman all the way down at 120 pounds. He maintains great position and adheres to solid fundamentals as we’re accustomed to seeing Millard-trained wrestlers do. He has all the skills needed to perform well at this event, the only question is whether or not he’ll be undersized for 145 pounds. 

Cooper Sanders was a high school state champion in 2020 and was a runner-up in 2021 and also placed at the Rockwell Rumble in 2021. He’s an experienced, gritty competitor with the ability to end matches quickly no matter what the score is with his unique skill set. Look for him to be right in the mix in this weight class. 

Sneak Peak

The 16U division is a sneak peak of our future high school and possibly college stars. It’s a fun mix of high school and junior high talent and the freestyle rules often create high scoring action that everyone loves to see and that wrestlers enjoy engaging in.