Incoming Iowa Wrestling recruit Anthony Cassioppi placed second at 130 kg at the UWW Junior Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Indianapolis, IN.  Cassioppi dropped the best of three series to Cohlton Schultz of Colorado, 2-1. Schultz was a 2017 Cadet Greco-Roman World champion at 100 kg.

Cassioppi had a 4-3 lead with less than :10 to go in the third match when Schultz scored a 4-point move and one more point for the challenge.  Cassioppi won the first match 8-4 and dropped the second match 7-7 on some very questionable officiating.  Cassioppi gave up three total points on passivity (2 and 1), scored the last four points of the match with a takedown and gut wrench in the closing seconds, and lost on criteria, 7-7. 

I am far from a Greco-Roman expert, but I found the officiating in the second and third match to be questionable at best.  Actually, I found the officiating to be terrible. Cassioppi was dinged for passivity in both matches that I simply did not see.  To think that the head official in both matches were overruled on even more passivity calls against Cassioppi when he was scoring takedowns makes the matter even worse.

I usually do make comments like this, but it was needed.  To see that bad of calls made against the same wrestler in two matches with that much on the line is tough to take.     

Cassioppi, from Hononegah High School (Roscoe, IL), is ranked #4 at Hwt by Intermat. Cassioppi is joined by Nelson Brands of Iowa City, IA (West HS), Joe Kelly of West Liberty, IA and Aaron Cashman of Spring Park, MN in the Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2018.

2018 UWW Greco-Roman World Team Trials – 130 kg

Anthony Cassioppi tech fall over Ethan Bunce, 9-0 (1:31)

Anthony Cassioppi tech fall Thomas Helton, 10-1 (3:27)

Best of 3 Finals:

Anthony Cassioppi dec Cohlton Schultz, 8-4

Cohlton Schultz dec Anthony Cassioppi, 7-7

Cohlton Schultz dec Anthony Cassioppi, 8-4