FARGO-Carson Manville cracked a smile, his braces shining under the bright lights at the Fargodome. He just registered a pin that gave him the 132-pound title in the USA Cadet National Freestyle tournament, a win that was another in a long line of family victories.
His older brother, Mason Manville, is a member of the USA Wrestling World Team, will compete for Penn State next season and is a former Cadet freestyle world champion.
Asked who wins in a head-to-head matchup and the sophomore-to-be at Shakopee High School (Minn.) gave that confident look.
"I win," he said. "In my head I win. Physically, he destroys me."
Carson appears to be on track for similar success. He won a Minnesota Class 3A state championship as an eighth-grader at Shakopee last year and was a Pan American champ in both freestyle and Greco-Roman this year.
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And he's just 15 years old in a Cadet division that is 16-and-under.
The reading of each wrestler's biography was barely done over the public address system when Manville registered two quick takedowns to take a 5-0 lead. That was nothing compared to the move he put on Aidan Medora of Milwaukee that earned him the pin in a 14-4 win in 2 minutes, 47 seconds.
That was ultra-quick.
He took advice from his older brother to heart.
"One thing he said is you have to be smart all the time," Carson said. "No matter what, stick to your game plan. Having an older brother that successful pushes me that much harder."
There may be more where that came from. His younger brother, Pierson Manville, is already competing on the national circuit and will be a sixth-grader in Shakopee.
"My little brother is an animal out there," Carson said. "It's amazing to have a great family."
It wasn't the only notable effort in the tournament. Zeke Escalara from Morganfield, Ky., became the first Cadet champion from his state to win a Cadet title. He beat Matthew Ramos of Lockport, Ill., 11-0.
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"It's awesome to represent the state," Escalara said. "It feels good."
The title match probably felt good to Braxton Amos of Mineral Wells, W. Va.,, who claimed his third straight Cadet national title. He was a dual winner last year and defeated Luke Luffman of Urbana, Ill., 10-2 at 220 pounds.
He's the most decorated wrestler in this year's tourney.
88 pounds: Ayala, Fort Dodge, Iowa, dec. Lamer, Corvallis, Ore., 14-10.
94: Strickenberger, Monument, Colo., dec. Young, Bixby, Okla., 10-4.
100: Ragusin, Elk Grove Village, Ill., dec. Chambal, Millington, Mich., 6-5.
106: Escalera, Morganfield, Ky., dec. Ramos, Lockport, Ill., 11-0, 6:00.
113: Surtin, Glen Carbon, Ill., tech fall Masters, Aeworth, Ga., 12-2, 4:34.
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120: Sokol, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., tech. fall Serrano, Windsor, Colo., 14-4 2:47.
126: Saunders, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Franco, Fresno, Calif., 8-0.
132: Manville, Shakopee, Minn., pinned Medora, Milwaukee, 14-4, 2:47.
138: Mayora, Northlake, Ill., dec. Davenport, Pontiac, Mich., 3-0.
145: Facundo, Essexville, Mich., dec. Weber, Forsyth, Mont., 6-5.
152: Starocci, Erie, Pa., dec. Gandara, Somerton, Ariz., 7-2.
160: Kanniard, Wall, N.J., tech fall Key, Snellville, Ga., 17-6, 4:13.
170:`Ferrari, Allen, Texas, dec. Assad, Carol Stream, Ill., 11-3.
182: Winston, Kansas City, dec. Logan, New Rochelle, N.Y., 5-1.
195: Sharp, Kansas City, dec. Cover, 6-4.
220: Amos, Mineral Wells, W.Va., dec. Luffman, Urbana, Ill., 10-2.
286: Hutmacher, Oacoma, S.D., tech fall Haga, Mineral Wells, W. Va., 19-8, 4:26
