CORALVILLE, Iowa – Cornell wrestling sophomore Jonathon Fagen earned the 82kg Greco-Roman title at the 2021 United World Wrestling Junior Nationals on Sunday, May 2, at Xtreme Arena. With a win on Sunday, Fagen earned a spot on the US Junior National Team that will head to Ufa, Russia on August 16-22 for the 2021 UWW Junior World Championships.
 
Fagen advanced to the finals with relative ease, holding his opponents scoreless until the best-of-three finals series. In the quarterfinals, Fagen defeated Talmage Carman by tech fall, 10-0, before defeating MacAron Kukowski in the semifinals by a score of 6-0.
 
In the finals, Fagen met James Burks, earning victories in rounds one and three of the best-of-three series. Round one saw Fagen defeat Burks, 5-1, but Burks drew the series even with a 9-0 victory in round two. Fagen was victorious in round three by a final score of 6-0 to secure his spot on the Greco-Roman Junior National Team.
 
Other Big Red wrestlers competing over the weekend included Phillip Moomey (Greco-Roman, 60kg), Nahshon Garrett '16 (Senior Freestyle, 61kg), Joshua Saunders (Freestyle, 65kg), Julian Ramirez (Freestyle, 74kg), Chris Foca (Freestyle, 86kg), and Lewis Fernandes (Freestyle, 125kg).
 
Moomey was the second-place finisher in the 60kg Junior Greco-Roman division, falling in the best-of-three finals series to Nic Bouzakis. Much like Fagen, Moomey didn't allow a single point to be scored on him prior to the finals, defeating opponents by scores of 9-0, 8-0, and 10-0 prior to meeting Bouzakis.
 
Foca took third place in the 86kg Junior Freestyle division, falling in the semi-final bout before successfully wrestling back for third. Wrestling for third, Foca pinned Jaxon Smith and led 15-7 prior to earning the fall.
 
Ramirez and Fernandes both placed fourth in their respective divisions while Saunders took seventh. Garrett was the lone Cornell alum wrestling in the Senior Freestyle bracket, taking sixth at 61 kg.