RALEIGH, N.C. - Rising sophomore Yahya Thomas, and first-year Lucas Davison battled some of the best young wrestlers in the country and dominated their best-of-three championship bouts to earn spots on the U.S. Men's Freestyle Junior World Team.
Thomas earned 12 wins last season bouncing between the 141 and 149lbs weight classes for the 'Cats, and was ranked as high as No. 16 in the nation in his weight class during a year in which he also took home a third-place result at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
Wrestling unattached while redshirting his first collegiate campaign, Davison went 12-4 at 197lbs. His impressive debut included a first-place result at the Iowa State Last Chance Open, a runner-up finish at the Lindenwood Open and third-place at the Midlands.
The United States Junior World Team will wrestle in the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, this August. Northwestern All-American Ryan Deakin represented the U.S. two years ago in this event, finishing second in his weight class at the 2017 Jr World Championships in Tampere, Findland.
65 kg
Yahya Thomas (Chicago RTC/ Wildcat WC) df. Keegan O'Toole (Askren Wrestling Academy) Two matches to none
Round One: Thomas dec O'Toole, 7-0
Round Two: Thomas dec O'Toole 2-0
92 kg
Lucas Davison (Chicago RTC/Wildcat WC) df. Brandon Whitman (Tarheel WC) Two matches to none
Round 1: Davison dec Whitman, 9-0
Round 2: Davison dec Whitman, 5-0
Thomas earned 12 wins last season bouncing between the 141 and 149lbs weight classes for the 'Cats, and was ranked as high as No. 16 in the nation in his weight class during a year in which he also took home a third-place result at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
Wrestling unattached while redshirting his first collegiate campaign, Davison went 12-4 at 197lbs. His impressive debut included a first-place result at the Iowa State Last Chance Open, a runner-up finish at the Lindenwood Open and third-place at the Midlands.
The United States Junior World Team will wrestle in the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, this August. Northwestern All-American Ryan Deakin represented the U.S. two years ago in this event, finishing second in his weight class at the 2017 Jr World Championships in Tampere, Findland.
65 kg
Yahya Thomas (Chicago RTC/ Wildcat WC) df. Keegan O'Toole (Askren Wrestling Academy) Two matches to none
Round One: Thomas dec O'Toole, 7-0
Round Two: Thomas dec O'Toole 2-0
92 kg
Lucas Davison (Chicago RTC/Wildcat WC) df. Brandon Whitman (Tarheel WC) Two matches to none
Round 1: Davison dec Whitman, 9-0
Round 2: Davison dec Whitman, 5-0