Thirty Two Prtc U23 Athletes Ready to Compete for World Team Spots

2022-06-03

Geneva, Ohio – The PRTC has entered a record number of athletes into the 2022 U23 World Team Trials. Thirty two student-athletes from Penn and Drexel have traveled west along with six PRTC coaches in an effort to qualify for a World Team.

This national event, held at the Spire Institute located near Cleveland, is a competition to earn a spot on the 2022 USA U23 World Team. The U23 World Championships will be held in Pontevedra, Spain in October. The top placewinner at each weight class in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman will represent Team USA.

Coaches LaFragola and Parker with Mickey O’Malley.

Drexel University, led by Head Coach Matt Azevedo and Assistant Coaches Scotty Parker, and CJ LaFragola, have entered 14 athletes in the Freestyle division. Leading the way for the Dragons is 2021 U23 World Team Trials Finalist, Mickey O’Malley. In 2020, O’Malley won the Junior Freestyle Nationals. He’ll be competing at 79kg this weekend.

The University of Pennsylvania has also entered 14 athletes in this prestigious weekend long event. Penn’s Associate Head Coach Bryan Pearsall and Assistant Coach B.J. Futrell will have some extra work ahead of them as three of the Penn athletes have entered in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Ryan Miller, 2021 Pan American Silver Medalist.

Topping the list of talent for the Quakers, Michael Colaiocco(61kg) is a 2020 Finalist in U23 Freestyle, Ryan Miller(57kg) is a 2021 Junior Freestyle Finalist and Pan American Championship Silver Medalist, and Jake Hendricks(86kg/82kg) is a multiple time All-American in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

In addition to current local student-athletes, the PRTC will be represented by a few incoming freshman student-athletes. Sean Seefeldt(57kg), Nico Nardone(61kg), and Kyle Hauserman(65kg) have all made the trip to Geneva. Seefeldt, a native of Ohio and local fan favorite, is a 2021 USA Wrestling Central Regional Champion.

Senior Athlete and Former National Team Member Richard Perry will be coaching the PRTC this weekend.

Senior Athlete Richard Perry, a 2018 Senior World Team Trials Finalist, will be coaching this weekend alongside the Drexel and Penn coaches. Also, joining the PRTC coaching staff for the first time will be Doug Zapf. Zapf recently placed third at the 2022 Senior US Nationals. He’ll be coaching his teammates and training partners throughout the tournament as they seek to qualify for a trip to the World Championships.

All matches will be streamed live on FloWrestling. Wrestling begins at 10am EST on Friday June 3rd.

Below is the list of all PRTC participating athletes:

Freestyle:

57kg Antonio Mininno

57kg Desmond Pleasant

57kg Ryan Miller

57kg Sean Seefeldt

61kg Kyle Waterman

61kg Michael Colaiocco

61kg Lukas Richie

61kg Nico Nardone

65kg Deon Pleasant

65kg Kelly Dunnigan

65kg Carmen Ferrante

65kg Kyle Hauserman

70kg Gabe Onorato

70kg Vince Mannella

74kg Riley Onorato

74kg Tate Nichter

74kg Tanner Updegraff

74kg Jeremy Ridge

74kg Cole Spencer

79kg Mickey O’Malley

79kg Cody Walsh

79kg Jack Janda

79kg Nick Incontrera

79kg Jake Stefanowicz

86kg Josh Stillings

86kg Neil Antrassian

86kg Max Hale

86kg Jake Hendricks

86kg Jesse Martinez

92kg Cole Urbas

125kg Joe Timm

125kg Eli Anthony

Greco-Roman:

72kg Jeremy Ridge

77kg Jake Stefanowicz

82kg Jake Hendricks

Coaching Staff:

Matt Azevedo

Scotty Parker

CJ LaFragola

Bryan Pearsall

B.J. Futrell

Richard Perry

Doug Zapf

Prtc Bill Farrell International 2019 Preview

2019-11-13

The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) will send a strong group of men’s freestyle wrestlers to the Bill Farrell International this Saturday, November 16. Competition starts at 9:30a and will be at the New York Athletic Club off 58th St and 7th Avenue. The finals start at 6p.

The Bill Farrell is a qualifying tournament for the Olympic Team Trials, which will occur at Penn State this April. The highest domestic placer in each weight class that is not already qualified will earn a bid to the the Trials. The only weight classes that will be contested are the six Olympic weight classes in each style.

Representing the PRTC for the first time since becoming resident athletes are Ethan Lizak and Joey McKenna. Both will be competing at 65 kg.

Lizak was an NCAA finalist and three-time All-American for the University of Minnesota. Known for his prowess from the top position in folkstyle, Lizak has a strong background in freestyle as well. He made the 2013 Junior World Team and represented the U.S. in Sofia, Bulgaria, placing 13th.

McKenna was also an NCAA finalist and three-time All-American, competing for both Stanford University and Ohio State. He is one of the most credentialed freestyle athletes in the country, competing on four age-group World Teams, and he was a 2018 National Team member and No. 2 on the domestic ladder. McKenna was the 2018 U.S. Open champion, a 2014 Junior World silver medalist and a 2017 U23 World bronze medalist.

Competing at 74 kg for the PRTC is Dan Vallimont. An NCAA finalist and two-time All-American for Penn State, Vallimont was runner-up at the 2018 Bill Farrell and has placed at this tournament four times including another second-place finish in 2015, a third-place finish in 2014 and a fourth place finish in 2016.

PRTC Flex-Athlete Earl Hall is another wrestler that will be competing at 65 kg. Hall, a two-time All-American at Iowa State, is the PRTC’s first flex-athlete and also trains at the Cavalier Wrestling Club in Virginia.

Three college-aged wrestlers representing the PRTC are Lukas Richie at 65 kg and Evan Barczak and Nick Incontrera at 74 kg. Barczak, who is currently redshirting for Drexel University, has put together a 32-27 record over his first two years competing for the Dragons at 149 and 157 pounds. Richie and Incontrera are taking a grayshirt year before enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania in Fall 2020.

Also representing the PRTC are Mauro Correnti and Tony Tolbert. Correnti, an NCAA qualifier for Rider University, will be competing at heavyweight, while Tolbert, a sixth place finisher in the 2018 Canada Cup, will wrestle at 65 kg.

Men’s freestyle action begins at 9:30 am and can be streamed live on FloWrestling.

PRTC Wrestling

Thirty Two Prtc U23 Athletes Ready to Compete for World Team Spots

Prtc Bill Farrell International 2019 Preview