Labriola Wins Challenge Tournament at Trials

Rochester, Minn. - Nebraska redshirt freshman Mikey Labriola won the challenge tournament at 79 kg/174 pounds on Friday at the 2018 USA Wrestling Junior World Team Trials, and will wrestle for a spot on the Junior world team on Saturday.

In the challenge tournament final, Labriola scored the first nine points and finished with seven unanswered points to defeat Ethan Smith of Ohio State by a 16-5 technical fall.

Labriola will face 2017 Cadet World Champion Aaron Brooks in Saturday's best-of-three finals series, with the winner clinching a spot on Team USA for the Junior World Championships in September. He will be looking to avenge a loss to Brooks at last month's Junior Nationals.

Labriola won his quarterfinal match over Max Wohlabaugh of Clarion RTC by a 12-2 technical fall in 3:37, and defeated Trent Hidlay by a 7-0 decision to reach the challenge tournament final.

Sophomore Beau Breske also wrestled at 79 kg, and took fourth place with a 2-2 record. He fell to Hidlay in the third-place bout by a score of 6-2.

In his first match of the day, Breske made quick work of Wisconsin's Jacob Covaciu, as he advanced to the semifinal round with a 10-0 technical fall in 40 seconds. In the semifinal match, Smith defeated Breske by a 14-7 decision. He rebounded with a 12-2 technical fall over Travis Stefanik of NJRTC in the consolation semifinals.

Incoming freshman Peyton Robb also competed at the Junior World Team Trials, but was eliminated with an 0-2 record at 70 kg/154 pounds.

Action at the World Team Trials continues on Saturday, as four wrestlers with Husker ties (Tim Lambert, Jake Sueflohn, TJ Dudley and Dom Bradley) will compete in the Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament at 10 a.m. Labriola will wrestle in the Junior WTT finals series, which begins at 1 p.m.

USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle World Team Trials
May 18-19, 2018
Rochester, Minn. (Rochester Regional Sports Center)

70 kg/154 pounds: Incoming Freshman Peyton Robb - DNP (0-2)
Round of 16: AJ Jaffe (Harvard) dec. Peyton Robb, 19-14
Consolation Round of 8: Brock Mauller (Eierman Elite) dec. Peyton Robb, 8-2

79 kg/174 pounds: Redshirt Freshman Mikey Labriola - (3-0)
Quarterfinal: Mikey Labriola tech. fall Max Wohlabaugh (Clarion RTC), 12-2, 3:37
Semifinal: Mikey Labriola dec. Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County), 7-0
Final: Mikey Labriola tech. fall Ethan Smith (Ohio State), 16-5, 4:50
Best-of-Three Finals Series: Mikey Labriola vs. Aaron Brooks (TMWC/EAP)

79 kg/174 pounds: Sophomore Beau Breske - 4th (2-2)
Quarterfinal: Beau Breske tech. fall Jacob Covaciu (Wisconsin), 10-0, 0:40
Semifinal: Ethan Smith (Ohio State) dec. Beau Breske, 14-7
Consolation Semifinal: Beau Breske tech. fall Travis Stefanik (NJRTC), 12-2, 3:33
Third-Place Match: Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County) dec. Beau Breske, 6-2