Four Jefferson City area wrestlers will compete in 2021 U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals, which began Saturday at Fargo, N.D.
Competing in the Men's USA Junior Freestyle division are Michael Friederich of Jefferson City High School, Camden Meeks of Blair Oaks High School and Chase Cordia and Ryan Schepers of School of the Osage High School.
Meeks will also be competing in the Men's USA Junior Greco-Roman division.
Three of the four wrestlers qualified for Nationals when they competed in the Missouri Wrestling Boys Freestyle Tournament on April 24 at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia.
In the 152-pound bracket, Schepers - representing Eierman Elite Wrestling - finished with a 4-0 record, winning all four matches by technical fall with a 10-0 score.
In the 182-pounds bracket, Friederich - wrestling for Purler Wrestling Academy - placed third with a 3-1 record, winning his three matches by technical fall, while Meeks - competing for Blair Oaks Wrestling Club - went 2-2 with a win by technical fall and a win by medical forfeit.
In the third-place match, Friederich won by technical fall, 14-4, against Meeks.
Earlier this year at the Missouri state wrestling championships in Independence, Friederich placed sixth at 182 in Class 4 for the Jays, while Meeks finished third at 182 in Class 2 for the Falcons. Schepers took second at 138 and Cordia was third at 170 for the Indians in Class 2.
Cordia, Meeks and Friederich are three of the six wrestlers representing Team Missouri in the 182-pound weight class for the Men's Junior Freestyle, while Schepers is one of four Missouri wrestlers at 152. Meeks is one of three Missouri wrestlers competing at 182 in the Men's Junior Greco-Roman division.
In the Missouri Wrestling Boys Greco-Roman Tournament, which was April 25 at Sedalia, Meeks went 1-2 at 182 with a win by fall.
Competition for the four area wrestlers in the Junior Freestyle division starts at 8 a.m. today and will conclude Tuesday afternoon. Meeks will begin wrestling in the Junior Greco-Roman division at 9 a.m. Thursday, with matches running through Friday afternoon.