Preston Burroughs places fourth at Fargo

The lone Team Mass grappler on the Greco-Roman podium

By AJ Traub

Preston Burroughs (center) with his brother Myles (left) and father Nate

For his first act as a Fargo All-American, Preston Burroughs sprung a cartwheel into a backflip on the Fargodome’s featured stage.

The 165-pounder went 5-2 to earn fourth place in the 16U men’s Greco-Roman tournament. He secured three technical falls to reach the quarterfinals, a 14-9 decision in the quarters, and a pin in his consi-semi.

“It feels amazing,” Burroughs said. “I’ve wanted to place at Fargo ever since eighth grade, first time I heard about the tournament. It’s an unreal place. I didn’t really think I could.”

Preston Burroughs rebounded with a pin in his consi-semi

As a Northfield Mt. Hermon freshman this spring, Burroughs finished runner-up at 160 pounds at NHSCA high school nationals. He hoped to add All-American status in the freestyle bracket at Fargo, but knew his upper-body skills translate well to Greco-Roman.

His brother Myles (150 pounds in the junior tournament) compiled four wins and made it to the second day of Greco-Roman wrestling, and they each had their father Nate in their corners as a coach.

“It’s been really great to coach my kids, pretty much for their whole lives,” said the elder Burroughs. “I’m blessed that the guys want me around… This is the biggest stage they’ve been on and I really feel terrific. I’m super proud of them.

“It’s an almost indescribable feeling.”

Burroughs with his "stop sign" on the podium at the Fargodome

Preston Burroughs showed poise in his biggest matches, unfazed by opponents putting up numbers against him.

Iowa’s William Fullhart put up pairs of two-point moves on him twice, but Burroughs never trailed in his quarterfinal. Indiana’s Deacon Dressler started the consi-semi with four points, and Burroughs responded with a pin in 1:03.

“He loves that,” said coach Matt Dehney. “He doesn’t feel that pressure. He loves that spotlight. The kid wrestled 12 matches this week. He had an extremely impressive tournament.”

Though the men’s Greco-Roman group was the smallest Team Massachusetts squad of the three tournaments, the wrestlers still compiled 23 wins, led by heavyweight Alex Bajoras. The Wyoming Seminary-bound senior was one round short of placing, running into the same opponent (Utah’s Travyn Boger) whom he lost to in the round of 32.

The heavyweight from Gloucester placed last year, and won NHSCA nationals this spring.

Alex Bajoras earned six Greco-Roman victories in two days

Luke Galipeau (132 pounds) and Elijah Josey (215) were the other Bay Staters recording multiple Greco-Roman wins, each with a technical fall and a decision.

“It’s about becoming an overall better wrestler,” Dehney said. “Greco teaches you some great handfighting skills, positional awareness skills, and I wish more kids would do it.”

Alex Bajoras earned a decision to reach the blood round

16U men's Greco-Roman update through 3 rounds

Burroughs joins his brother in reaching day 2

By AJ Traub

Preston Burroughs earned two technical falls on day one

For every move by his opponents, Preston Burroughs had an answer.

With two technical falls, the 165-pounder is flying into the second day of the 16U Greco-Roman tournament at Fargo nationals. It had been a while since he wrestled this style, but that didn’t show.

“I was just looking to come out here and do whatever I want,” he said. “I didn’t really have a strategy. I’m just going with the flow.”

Burroughs allowed a four-point move in his first bout and found himself down 6-2. The next 12 points were all his.

Preston Burroughs thrives in upper-body wrestling

“I used to really like Greco,” Burroughs said. “I enjoy upper body and freestyle more, but being able to only use the upper body part, it’s fun. I like it.”

Added coach Matt Dehney: “Preston looks dangerous right now, so that’s awesome. He looks confident. He's moving his feet well.”

Team Massachusetts brought five grapplers to the 16U Greco-Roman brackets, and three came away with wins. Along with Burroughs, Max Shvartsman (106 pounds) and Ezekiel Cherival (165) each recorded a technical fall.

Ezekiel Cherival won his second match in just 1:20

“Definitely a lot of learning experiences,” Dehney said. “But we have three going in tomorrow, chances at All-American status, so that’s exciting.”

While Burroughs goes for a championship in the 16U bracket, his brother Myles (150 pounds) and heavyweight Alex Bajoras are fighting through the back side of the junior tournament.

Junior men's Greco-Roman update through three rounds

Bajoras, Burroughs look to conquer the back side

By AJ Traub

Myles Burroughs is up to five wins between the two tournaments

For the second time in under a week, Alex Bajoras and Myles Burroughs have reached the second day of a tournament at Fargo.

Bajoras, who placed sixth last year in Greco-Roman, earned a pin and two technical falls to advance in the consolation ladder. He said the wrestling style is similar to how he often wrestles as a heavyweight.

“It’s so much [about] who’s the stronger and tougher guy,” Bajoras said. “When I go out there, I’m used to wrestling [Chelmsford’s Thomas Brown]. I’m used to wrestling good competition, so these matches where it comes down to who’s stronger, I just am.”

Alex Bajoras hopes to stand even higher on the podium this year

For Burroughs, the morning matches were a bit tighter, but the 150-pounder showed he’s a contender to place on Saturday.

Like Bajoras, he earned two wins before dropping his third matchup, then picked up a victory to end the day. In his second matchup, Burroughs jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and it was enough to hold on for the 5-0 decision. His other two wins were technical falls.

“I definitely improved rom last year,” he said. “Mentally, in [my third] match, I was getting tired, but I continued through. It’s all about the mental game.”

Luke Galipeau (132 pounds) and Elijah Josey (215) each added a pair of wins for Team Massachusetts. Jaxon Carter (144) and Matt Harrold (215) had one apiece.

Elijah Josey won two consolation bracket matches on Friday

“We had a decent amount of wins,” said coach Matt Dehney. “Leading the way, Alex and Myles. They look good. They lost a couple tight ones but they’re still in it.”

Burroughs also reached the second day last year, and believes he’ll be able to improve onto the podium.

“I expected this because I did it before, and I just want to do it again,” he said.

“But I’m ready to place now.”

Isaac Novod leads Team Massachusetts freestyle men in wins

The 126-pounder picked up 7 after an opening round loss

By AJ Traub

Isaac Novod didn't let a tough first round draw slow him down

Win after win, Isaac Novod bulldozed his way through the consolation bracket.

Though he ended up one match shy of placing, the 126-pounder from Medford racked up a team-high seven wins at the Fargodome.

“I trained for this,” said the rising junior at Belmont Hill. “I trained my cardio a lot, so I just kept going and took the loss lightly. I kept my head in the game and didn’t worry about it, didn’t worry about how many matches I needed to win, just my next match.”

Novod battled New Jersey champion Paul Kenny, who placed third at world team trials, in the first round to a 4-2 loss, but gritted out a 6-5 win in his next match. He finished the day with a pin in 5:18 to reach the second day.

He started his Tuesday with a first-period technical fall, before winning another close decision 3-2. Two more technical falls later, and he’d reached the final day.

He owned the second period of his first Wednesday match to secure a 19-12 win over Czar Quintanilla (Washington), before Utah’s Lander Bosh put an end to his run.

“Proud of the heart Isaac showed to battle back and win seven in a row to blood round,” said coach Matt Dehney.

Isaac Novod racked up 19 points against Czar Quintanilla

Elliott Humphries went down with an injury in his blood round match at 175 pounds. The UPenn-bound grappler, whom Dehney called “one of the toughest kids I ever met,” had a breakout senior season, starting with last year’s finals run at Fargo and culminating in an NHSCA national championship.

Humphries, Reese Spiro (190 pounds), Yandel Morales (138), and Shea Morris (144) all finished with five victories in junior men’s brackets. Julian Rios (113) went the furthest on the top side, reaching the quarterfinals by recording four wins.

“Julian is one of the best kids in the country,” Dehney said. “I feel for him right now. Did everything right to prepare, just had a bad day.”

Julian Rios fought a pair of close bouts on the third day

Preston Burroughs led the 16U group with three victories at 165 pounds. He’s part of Team Mass competing in Greco-Roman, starting Friday.

16U men's freestyle update through 4 rounds

Burroughs bounces back creatively to reach the final day

By AJ Traub

Preston Burroughs flipped himself over Kevin Kilpatrick to score big points in his first match of the day

On the heels of a tough loss, Preston Burroughs seized his very next opportunity.

The 165-pounder saw an opening and pounced, pinning Arizona’s Ryland Moss in 49 seconds. It was a bright spot to end the day where the rest of the 16U men on Team Massachusetts bowed out.

It’s also the first time Burroughs will wrestle on the third day of the tournament at Fargo.

“It was really important for him to get refocused,” said Nate Burroughs, Preston’s father and a Team Mass coach. “There are some things he needs to work on… defending his legs, but mentally he got it together and that was really what was important.”

Through two days, 10 Bay State grapplers combined for 16 wins. Everett Bluman (94 pounds), Johnny Woodall (106), Charles Holt (144), and Bryant Mason (175) joined Burroughs in recording multiple triumphs.

Everett Bluman picked up two wins on the back side

“Overall, I thought the 16 group did pretty well,” said coach Matt Dehney. “We had a lot of inexperienced kids, so hopefully it was eye-opening for them and see where they need to be.”

After Burroughs had a bye in the first round, he has recorded three wins on the mat. His funky style was on display in his first match where he earned a 13-5 win over Georgia’s Kevin Kilpatrick, and then the pin of Moss where he escaped a tricky position.

“I always have faith that Preston can pull something out of the bag because he’s a very unorthodox wrestler and he’s pretty fearless, Nate Burroughs said, “So it was great to see him pull off one of his signature bunny-out-of-the-hat [moves].”

Johnny Woodall made the round of 32 with a tech fall and a decision

Junior men's freestyle update through 4 rounds

Rios wins a thriller to reach the quarterfinals

By AJ Traub

Julian Rios had the criteria to win his round of 16 match

As the last minute ticked away, Julian Rios made sure the lead he built was just enough.

The 113-pounder from Lowell scored a takedown, rolled Analu Woode (Hawaii) for more points, and built up an early lead.

Though he allowed two takedowns in the last minute to tie, Rios knew he had the criteria advantage, and held on with an 8-8 result. The rising senior at Phillips Andover will wrestle on the third day at Fargo for the first time.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “There are high nerves going into that match because I’ve never made it to the third day… I cleared my head through the match, got it done, put the points on the board, just kept working to my next move.

“There’s still a lot more to go, because I haven’t placed yet.”

Julian Rios put up stout defense to hold onto his advantage

Rios entered the Fargodome with the goal to reach the podium, and though he is the only Team Mass junior grappler still top side, Isaac Novod (126) and Elliott Humphries (175 pounds) are still standing.

In two days, Team Massachusetts junior men racked up 58 victories. Reese Spiro (190 pounds), Yandel Morales (138), and Shea Morris (144) led the eliminated group with five apiece.

“The fact that we were competitive, we competed hard, that’s where as a coaching staff, we want to see that,” said coach Matt Dehney. “I feel for the kids that didn’t reach their goals. We lost some close ones at the end that we could have won.”

Elliott Humphries is back into day three after reaching the finals last year

Junior men’s wrestling resumes with the quarterfinals at 10 a.m. central time tomorrow, and Rios knows he will need to be on the attack. His opponent scored as the match wound down, but he kept battling.

“You’re still fighting yourself through that moment, because your brain and your body want to tell you to keep that lead,” Rios said. “You have to keep wrestling as hard as possible. The kid will come back… this boosted mentality is telling him he needs to work harder.

“You have to keep pushing forward.”

Yandel Morales earned five wins in the Fargodome

16U men's freestyle update through 2 rounds

Team Mass brings 2 to Tuesday on the top side

By AJ Traub

Preston Burroughs racked up takedowns in his Monday match

Nearly 12 hours passed from when the first matches were underway at the Fargodome before Preston Burroughs took to the mat.

It didn’t bother him.

The 165-pounder completed the technical fall in two minutes flat, joining Johnny Woodall (106 pounds) as the two 16U men to reach the second day of the tournament still top side.

“Going up to the match, I was trying to stay as ready as possible, get as much fresh air as I could.

“As for mentally, I’m going to this tournament thinking I can place, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

Woodall earned a tech fall in 1:29, then battled to a 10-3 decision in the round of 64.

Johnny Woodall was unflappable on the mat in his two wins

As with the earlier session, not all matches that were planned for Monday were able to fit into the allotted time, and thus all the Team Mass 16U grapplers fighting on the back side will need to be ready for the start of tomorrow’s time window.

Everett Bluman (94 pounds), Ezekiel Cherival (157), Luke Calder (165), Milo Davis (165), and Bryant Mason (175) await their consi round of 64 matches.

“Though for young kids, we competed well,” said coach Matt Dehney. “Tournament can be never racking, but we weren’t fazed by bright lights.”

For Burroughs, it’s his second time going. His brother, here for the third time, also reached the second day (Myles is 2-1 at 150 pounds), and their father Nate has been in their corners. Even as the tournament took up more than half the hours in a day.

Preston Burroughs won his bout with his father in his corner

Dehney said the brothers are talented, with a bright future ahead, and that Nate has been an “unbelievable” addition to the coaching staff that the team is lucky to have.

Last year the family competed for Rhode Island, but this year with the Northfield Mt. Hermon connection, they’re bringing their firepower to the Bay State.

“It’s always good to watch both your kids win, Nate said, “But it’s been great to watch this Massachusetts team because I know they’ve got more guys here this year and it’s translated to more wins.

“I always love to see my guys win.”