Battle in Fargo: Day 2 Junior Greco-Roman National Championships Breakdown

Fargo is where dreams are tested and All-Americans are forged. The Junior Greco-Roman National Championships represent the pinnacle of high school Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States, bringing together state champions, regional powerhouses, and national place-winners all under one roof. Day 2 of this tournament  is where the resilient secure their spot on the podium, and the margins between victory and heartbreak are razor-thin.

From blood-round battles to massive upsets against highly decorated state champions and US Open All-Americans, our local competitors left everything on the mats. Below, we dive deep into an individual, match-by-match analysis of the wrestlers who competed on Day 2, highlighting their tournament journeys, their key victories, and the incredible caliber of opponents they faced.

Complete Wrestler Breakdowns & Accolades

Eldon Roth (Stevens Point) – Junior, 100 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 3-1

• Overall Tournament Record: 4-1

• Tournament Finish: 3rd Place in the Nation (All-American)

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Eldon Roth put together a phenomenal All-American run, finishing 3rd in the nation at 100 lbs. To get there on Day 2, he went 3-1, showcasing incredible technical skills and toughness. His lone loss of the tournament came at the hands of an elite opponent who ended up as either the National Champion or Runner-up (an Illinois 2A High School State 4th-place finisher at 106 lbs).

  Roth’s path to 3rd place was paved with high-quality wins. He defeated the eventual 7th/8th-place finisher, who was an Indiana Greco State 4th-place finisher at 106/113 lbs. He also secured a massive victory over an Illinois competitor who was a US Open U17 Greco All-American (8th at 45kg), and capped off his stellar run by beating the eventual 4th-place finisher, a Florida 1A High School State 8th-place finisher at 106 lbs.

Caden Bock (Freedom) – Junior, 106 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 0-1

• Overall Tournament Record: 2-2 (3-4 combined across Freestyle and Greco styles)

• Freestyle Record: 1-2

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Caden Bock battled hard across both styles during the Fargo summer double-header, ending with a 3-4 combined record. In the Greco tournament, Bock posted a 2-2 record. Entering Day 2, he fell in a tough matchup against a highly competitive Texas 6A High School State Qualifier who was bumped up to 113 lbs.

Martez Sheard (Aquinas) – Junior, 132 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 1-1

• Overall Tournament Record: 6-2 (9-4 combined across Freestyle and Greco styles)

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Martez Sheard put together a highly impressive 9-4 record over the entire Fargo campaign, with his Greco run accounting for a strong 6-2 showing. On Day 2, Sheard split his matches 1-1. Highlighted by a signature win, Sheard knocked off a Washington 2A High School State Champion at 132 lbs. His tournament run was halted only by a razor-close loss to the eventual 6th-place finisher in the nation, who was a Colorado 5A High School State Champion at 126 lbs.

William Christopher (New London) – Junior, 138 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 3-2

• Overall Tournament Record: 8-3

• Tournament Finish: 8th Place in the Nation (All-American)

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: William Christopher proved he belongs among the nation’s elite, carving out an 8th-place All-American finish after a marathon 11-match tournament. On Day 2, Christopher went 3-2. His resume of wins on the day is stunning: he defeated a Florida 2A High School State Champion at 138 lbs, and followed it up with a win over a California High School State 6th-place finisher at 132 lbs.

  His two defeats came against premier national talent: the eventual 6th-place finisher (a New York D1 High School State 5th-place finisher at 138 lbs) and the 7th-place finisher (an Idaho competitor who placed 3rd at the 2026 US Open U17 Greco Championships at 60kg).

Tristan North (West Allis Nathan Hale) – Junior, 150 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 1-1

• Overall Tournament Record: 4-2

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Tristan North put together a solid 4-2 showing at 150 lbs. Entering Day 2, North split his matches 1-1. His wrestling acumen was on full display when he defeated a highly touted Colorado Greco State Champion at 150 lbs. He was knocked out of the bracket by a tough Washington opponent who had previously placed 3rd at the Northwest Greco Regionals at 150 lbs.

Alex Penzkover (Southeast Polk IA) – Junior, 150 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 0-2

• Overall Tournament Record: 4-2

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Alex Penzkover demonstrated immense depth on Day 1 to reach Day 2 with a 4-2 record, but ran into a gauntlet of elite competitors on the second day of competition, finishing 0-2. Penzkover’s losses came exclusively to top-podium wrestlers: the eventual 5th-place finisher (who was an Oklahoma 5A High School State Champion and Oklahoma Greco State Champion at 150 lbs) and the eventual 4th-place finisher (a Minnesota AA High School State Runner-up at 139 lbs).

Colton Tollefson (Fennimore) – Junior, 165 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 2-1

• Overall Tournament Record: 6-2

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Fennimore’s Colton Tollefson put together a stellar 6-2 tournament run at 165 lbs, going 2-1 on Day 2. Tollefson grabbed an impressive win over an Iowa 1A High School State 7th-place finisher at 150 lbs, and followed it up with a massive upset of a Nevada wrestler who was the 2025 Fargo 16U National Greco Champion at 165 lbs. His tournament run was stopped by a highly skilled Minnesota AAA High School State 6th-place finisher at 160 lbs.

Spencer Madsen (Sturgeon Bay / Sevastopol) – Junior, 175 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 0-2

• Overall Tournament Record: 3-2 (7-4 combined across Freestyle and Greco styles)

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Spencer Madsen was extremely active in Fargo, wrestling 11 bouts total and showing great versatility across both styles. In Greco, he reached Day 2 with a 3-2 record. His Day 2 bracket was incredibly unforgiving, resulting in an 0-2 day. He fell to the eventual 3rd-place finisher (a Florida standout who was a 2026 US Open U20 Greco All-American, finishing 5th at 77kg), and a powerhouse North Dakota wrestler who was a former Fargo Greco 16U Nationals Runner-up at 175 lbs.

Alexander Johnson (Peshtigo) – Junior, 215 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 0-1

• Overall Tournament Record: 3-2

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Alexander Johnson navigated a tough 215 lbs bracket to finish with a winning 3-2 record. On Day 2, he dropped a highly competitive 0-1 decision to a powerhouse wrestler from Illinois who was an Illinois 1A High School State Runner-up at 190 lbs.

Preston Krueger (New London) – Junior, 285 lbs

• Day 2 Record: 1-2

• Overall Tournament Record: 4-2 (10-4 combined across Freestyle and Greco styles)

• In-Depth Analysis & Accolades: Preston Krueger was an absolute workhorse in Fargo, competing in a staggering 14 matches across both styles. He suffered the ultimate heartbreak of losing in the “blood round” (one round short of placing All-American) in both freestyle and Greco. In the Greco bracket, he compiled a 4-2 record, going 1-2 on Day 2.

  Krueger highlighted his Day 2 with a dominant win over an Indiana Greco State Champion at 285 lbs. His losses came only to elite heavyweight giants: the eventual National Champion (an Iowa heavyweight who placed 3rd at the US Open U20 Greco Championships at 130kg) and the eventual 7th-place finisher (a Texas 6A High School State Qualifier at 285 lbs).