The Olympic Team Trials will take place this weekend at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City and these trials will determine who will be on the U.S. Team at the Olympics this summer in Brazil. 5 Gopher Wrestling Alums are in the Trials, and other alums, current and future Gophers competed to be in the Trials along the way. So, (for you serious GI wrestling fans) I've included several other articles in this post that discuss which Gophers aimed to qualify and how the weights are seeded for the Trials.
The Team Trials will be streamed live online at FloWrestling.org and the finals will be shown live on Sat. April 9th at 6pm CT on NBCSportsNet.
Go Gopher Wrestlers!!!
#GopherTough
Five Gopher Alums Set for Olympic Team Trials
With three wrestlers in the freestyle field and two more competing in Greco, the Gophers are well represented at this weekend’s tournament
Two-time NCAA national champion Tony Nelson hopes to represent the U.S. in freestyle at 125 kilograms in Rio this summer.
Gophersports.com
April 7, 2016
As former Gopher Scott Schiller recently observed, kids who grow up playing football or baseball may dream of playing their sport professionally but, for young wrestlers, competing in the Olympics is the ultimate dream. Schiller will be one of five Minnesota alums hoping to make that dream a reality this weekend when they take on the nation’s best at the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa.
Beginning on Saturday and running through Sunday, the Olympic Team Trials will determine who will represent the United States in men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
A trio of highly decorated Gophers will compete in freestyle, where Jayson Ness (65 kg), Scott Schiller (97 kg) and Tony Nelson (125 kg) all look for their spots in Rio. The threesome combined to win 11 All-America medals and three national titles during their Minnesota careers.
While there are no easy weights at this level of competition, Ness may face the most daunting bracket of any Gopher alum. He is one of eight wrestlers in the field to have won NCAA titles during their collegiate careers, and four of his competitors have previously represented the U.S. at the World Championships. Ness earned his spot in the field by winning the Dave Schultz Memorial tournament earlier this year.
Last December, Schiller upset top-seeded Dustin Kilgore in the first round of the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas and marched to the championship bout before falling to Wynn Michalak. That finish clinched Schiller’s spot in this weekend’s field, where he is ranked eighth. Since qualifying, Schiller competed in his first international tournaments, winning the bronze medal at the Pan American Championships and finishing 2-2 at the Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul.
On the Greco side, Pat Smith (66 kg) and Alec Ortiz (75 kg) will look to join their former head coach, J Robinson, and 10 former Gophers who have represented the U.S. in Greco-Roman at previous Olympic games.
Smith earned his spot in the trials by finishing as the runner up at the U.S. Nationals, piling up four wins on his way to the finals, including two victories against wrestlers who will be in this weekend’s tournament. Just six weeks ago, Smith won gold at the Pan American Championships wrestling at 71 kg (a non-Olympic weight). He is ranked No. 4 at 66 kg heading into his Saturday matches.
Ortiz was the last of this quintet of Minnesota alums to claim his spot in the field, earning his chance to wrestle in the trials by winning last weekend’s Last Chance Qualifier in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After gutting out a 5-3 decision in his opening match, Ortiz defeated his next two opponents by a combined 16 points to put an exclamation point on his qualifying effort.
The Trials will feature all three Olympic styles on both days of the event. Saturday’s schedule includes men’s freestyle at 65 and 125 kg, women’s freestyle at 58, 63 and 69 kg, and Greco at 59, 66, 85 and 98 kg. Sunday will fill in the four remaining weights in men’s freestyle (57, 74, 86 and 97 kg), three in women’s freestyle (48, 53 and 75 kg) and two in Greco (75 and 130 kg).
The qualifier format involves a traditional, American-style tournament bracket, but the finals at each weight are a best-of-three series. Both days will begin with preliminary competition starting at 9 a.m. Central, followed by the best-of-three championship series to crown victors at each weight starting at 6 p.m.
All of this weekend’s action will be streamed live on NBCSports.com. Saturday night's finals will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network as well. Sunday's will be broadcast on tape delay, beginning at 9:30 p.m. Central.
Ortiz Earns Spot in U.S. Team Trails Field
Alec Ortiz's championship performance in Greco at 75 kilograms guarantees him a spot in next weekend's U.S. Olympic Team Trials tournament
Gophersports.com
April 3, 2016
At the appropriately named Last Chance Olympic Trials qualifier tournament last weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a championship performance by Gopher wrestling alum Alec Ortiz guaranteed him a spot in the 75-kilogram, Greco-Roman field at next week's team trials, the event which will decide the U.S. team for this summer's Olympic Games.
Nine Gophers - past, present and future - were in Cedar Rapids to compete in both Greco and freestyle this weekend. The prize at every weight class in both styles was the last spot at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials next weekend in Iowa City. Only the winners at each weight class advanced to the trials.
Ortiz survived a tough opening match, a 5-3 decision over Jesse Porter, to begin his run to the title on Friday. Ortiz won his next two matches convincingly, earning a 9-0 tech fall over Curt Calovecchi in the semifinals before an 11-4 decision against Colin Schubert in the championship bout.
By advancing to the team trials, Ortiz becomes the fifth Gopher alum to qualify for the event. He will join Pat Smith (66 kg) on the Greco side next weekend, as well as Jayson Ness (65 kg), Scott Schiller (97 kg) and Tony Nelson (125 kg) in freestyle.
Three other Gopher alums reached the semifinals of their brackets at the last chance qualifier but were unable to advance past that point. Wrestling freestyle at 65 kg, both Chris Dardanes and Nick Dardanes won consecutive matches to reach the final four at their weight, but fell on opposite sides of the bracket in the semis. Kevin Steinhaus, wrestling competitively for the first time since the 2014 NCAA Championships, opened the event with three straight tech fall victories, defeating his opponents by a combined total of 34-2, before dropping his semifinal contest.
Alums Zach Sanders and Dylan Ness fell in the freestyle quarterfinals, Sanders in an 8-4 decision at 57 kg and Ness in a 13-6 decision at 74 kg. Ness entered the freestyle field on the day after he wrestled in the event's Greco competition on Friday, where he fell in his opening match.
Current Gophers Tommy Thorn (65 kg) and Bobby Steveson (86 kg), as well as incoming recruit Mitch McKee (65 kg) all competed in freestyle on Saturday. Both Thorn and McKee picked up victories in Cedar Rapids, but none of the three placed in the tournament.
Full results for all nine competitors are listed below.
Match-by-Match Results
66 kg Greco
Dylan Ness
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Blayne Briceno fall (0:45) Dylan Ness
Cons Rnd 2: Bye
Cons Rnd 3: Sahid Kargbo forfeit Dylan Ness
75 kg Greco
Alec Ortiz
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Quarters: Alec Ortiz dec Jesse Porter, 5-3
Semis: Alec Oriz tech fall Curt Calovecchi, 9-0
Finals: Alec Ortiz dec Colin Schubert, 11-4
57 kg Freestyle
Zach Sanders
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Zach Sanders tech fall Jacob Colon, 12-2
Quarters: Frank Perrelli dec Zach Sanders, 8-4
Round of 12: Zach Sanders fall (2:03) Bradley Pataky
Cons Quarters: Stevan Micic inj (3:32) Zach Sanders
65 kg Freestyle
Chris Dardanes
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Chris Dardanes tech fall Marcus Cobbs, 10-0
Quarters: Chris Dardanes dec Josh Kindig, 9-2
Semis: Bernard Futrell tech fall Chris Dardanes, 8-0
Cons Semis: Chance Pami forfeit Chris Dardanes
Nick Dardanes
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Nick Dardanes dec James Eggemeyer, 2-1
Quarters: Nick Dardanes dec Chance Pami, 10-4
Semis: Nazar Kulchytskyy dec Nick Dardanes, 4-3
Cons Semis: Brandon Wright forfeit Nick Dardanes
Tommy Thorn
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Matthew Kolodzik tech fall Tommy Thorn, 12-1
Cons Rnd 2: Tommy Thorn dec D Little, 5-3
Cons Rnd 3: Isaac Dukes tech fall Tommy Thorn, 14-3
Mitch McKee
Champ Rnd 1: Josh Kindig tech fall Mitch McKee, 10-0
Cons Rnd 1: Bye
Cons Rnd 2: Mitch McKee tech fall James Eggemeyer, 13-3
Cons Rnd 3: Sahid Kargbo fall (0:12) Mitch McKee
74 kg Freestyle
Dylan Ness
Champ Rnd 1: Dylan Ness tech fall Jason Clark, 10-0
Champ Rnd 2: Dylan Ness tech fall Connor Keating, 10-0
Quarters: Andrew Sorenson dec Dylan Ness, 13-6
Round of 12: Thomas Domerese forfeit Dylan Ness
86 kg Freestyle
Kevin Steinhaus
Champ Rnd 1: Kevin Steinhaus tech fall Austin Morehead, 10-0
Champ Rnd 2: Kevin Steinhaus tech fall Riley Lefever, 12-1
Quarters: Kevin Steinhaus tech fall Bo Nickal, 12-1
Semis: Timmy McCall tech fall Kevin Steinhaus, 11-0
Cons Semis: Nick Heflin tech fall Kevin Steinhaus, 8-0
Bobby Steveson
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Victor Terrell tech fall Bobby Steveson
Cons Rnd 2: Nick Heflin tech fall Bobby Steveson, 9-1
USA Wrestling releases Greco-Roman Olympic Team Trials rankings
USA Wrestling
4/6/2016
USA Wrestling has released a special set of Greco-Roman rankings for those athletes qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9-10.
Rankings have been set for the top eight wrestlers for each of the six Olympic weight classes based on following criteria: 1) head-to-head victories, 2) wins over common opponents and 3) whether or not an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team. Results that were considered include any tournament an athlete has competed in since Jan. 1, 2015. This includes both domestic and international matches during that time period.
A computer system which compiled all of the relevant data was used to help create these rankings.
If an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team and qualified the weight that he will be competing at in Iowa City for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, then that athlete was automatically granted the No. 1 ranking and will be the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
The three athletes automatically earning the No. 1 ranking include Andy Bisek at 75 kilos, Jordan Holm at 85 kilos and Robby Smith at 130 kilos.
By winning a bronze medal at the 2015 World championships, Andy Bisek has advanced to the best-of-three Championship Series in his weight class and will not participate in the morning Challenge Tournament in Iowa City.
The following rankings will serve as the baseline for which athletes will be seeded at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All athletes who have currently qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are listed below, but only the top-eight have received a ranking. At the seeding meeting in Iowa City, all of the athletes entered will receive a seed and byes will be placed accordingly to the highest seeded wrestlers.
Official U.S. Olympic Team Trials seeding per weight class is subject to change based on the coaches seeding meeting after wrestlers weigh-in in Iowa City.
59 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
2. Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (New York AC)
4. Nikko Triggas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
5. Ryan Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
6. Sam Jones, Folsom, La. (NYAC/NMU)
7. Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
8. Max Nowry, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
Additional Qualifiers
Cade Olivas, Fontana, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Brooklyn, N.Y. (NYAC/NMU)
Justin LaValle, Burnsville, Minn., (Minnesota Storm)
66 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
2. Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (New York AC)
4. Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm),
5. Christopher Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (NYAC/NMU)
6. Brian Graham, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
7. Alejandro Sancho, Miami, Fla. (NYAC/NMU)
8. Devin Scott, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Additional Qualifiers
Michael Hooker, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
75 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets)
3. Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla. (New York AC/NMU-OTS)
4. Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
5. Cheney Haight, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
6. Tarrence Williams, Portland, Ore. (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC)
7. Jacob Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Corey Hope, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
Additional Qualifiers
Jon Jay Chavez, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
Mason Manville, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
Taylor Walsh, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Barrett Stanghill, Philipsburg, Montana (NYAC/NMU)
Dillon Cowan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Alec Ortiz, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
85 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. Jacob Clark, Honolulu, Hawaii (Minnesota Storm)
4. Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
5. Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
6. Lucas Sheridan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
7. Mark Stenberg, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/NMU)
8. Ryan Hope, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/CKWC)
Additional Qualifiers
Kevin Radford, Jr., Fayetteville, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
Courtney Myers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Michael Brant, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Timothy Bleau, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn. (CrosbyHay)
98 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. G'Angelo Hancock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
4. John Wechter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
5. Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (NYAC/NMU)
6. Marcus Finau, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC)
7. Jacob Kasper, Mansfield, Ohio (Roughhouse)
8. Daniel Miller, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Additional Qualifiers
Jarod Trice, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
Patrick Carey, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
John Lorenz, LaCrosse, Wis. (unattached)
130 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2. Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)
3. Toby Erickson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
4. Jacob Mitchell, Portland, Ore. (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC)
5. Parker Betts, St. Michael, Minn. (Minnesota Storm),
6. Matthew Lamb, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
7. Donny Longendyke, Vadnais Heights, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Zach Merrill, Bermuda Dunes, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Sam Stoll, Kasson, Minn. (Minnesota Storm/Hawkeye WC)
Eric Fader, Camp Lejeune, N.C (U.S. Marines)
Jack Griggs, Brighton, Mich. (NMU-OTS)
Tyrell Fortune, Tempe, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
USA Wrestling releases men's freestyle Olympic Team Trials rankings
USA Wrestling
4/1/2016
USA Wrestling has released a special set of men's freestyle rankings for those athletes qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9-10.
Rankings have been set for the top eight wrestlers for each of the six Olympic weight classes based on following criteria: 1) head-to-head victories, 2) wins over common opponents and 3) whether or not an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team. Results that were considered include any tournament an athlete has competed in since Jan. 1, 2015. This includes both domestic and international matches during that time period.
If an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team and qualified the weight, he will be competing at in Iowa City for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, then that athlete was automatically granted the No. 1 ranking and will be the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
A computer system which compiled all of the relevant data was used to help create these rankings.
The three athletes automatically earning the No. 1 ranking include Tony Ramos at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Kyle Snyder at 97 kg/213 lbs.
By winning a medal at the 2015 World championships (both gold), Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder have advanced to the best-of-three Championship Series in their weight class and will not participate in the morning Challenge Tournament in Iowa City.
The following rankings will serve as the baseline for which athletes will be seeded at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All athletes who have currently qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are listed below, but only the top-eight have received a ranking. At the seeding meeting in Iowa City, all of the athletes entered will receive a seed and byes will be placed accordingly to the highest seeded wrestlers.
Official U.S. Olympic Team Trials seeding per weight class is subject to change based on the outcome of the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier to be held this weekend in Cedar Falls, Iowa and the coaches seeding meeting after wrestlers weigh-in in Iowa City.
U.S. Olympic Team Trials Men's Freestyle Qualifier Rankings
57 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2. Tyler Graff, New Brunswick, N.J. (New York AC)
3. Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa. (Titan Mercury WC)
4. Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Erkin Tadzhimetov, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
6. Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Joe Colon, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
8. Nathan Tomasello, Parma, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC)
Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Nico Megaludis, Murraysville, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
Nahshon Garrett, Chico, Calif. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
65 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)
2. James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
3. Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
4. Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
5. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
6. Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
7. Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
8. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Dean Heil, Brunswick, Ohio (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
Zain Retherford, Benton, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
74 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (New York AC)
3. Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
4. Dan Vallimont, Long Beach, N.Y. (New York AC/Blue and Gold WC)
5. Kevin LeValley, Lewisburg, Pa. (Buffalo Valley RTC)
6. Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Logan Massa, St. Johns, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
8. Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore, Calif. (Illinois/Titan Mercury WC)
Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
86 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
2. Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
3. David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
4. Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)
5. Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Richard Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. (New York AC/Penn WC)
8. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics /Wyoming RTC)
Additional Qualifiers
Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
Austin Trotman, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Myles Martin, Penns Grove, N.J. (Ohio State/Titan Mercury WC)
Gabe Dean, Lowell, Mich. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
J'Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri/Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
97 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
2. Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
3. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
4. Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
8. Scott Schiller, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Additional Qualifiers
Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Jeffery Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
125 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
2. Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
3. Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (New York AC/Wolfpack WC)
4. Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Tyrell Fortune, Tempe, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Bobby Telford, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Anthony Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Eric Thompson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Connor Medbery, Loveland, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Justin Grant, Bloomsburg, Pa. (New York AC)
Matt Meuleners, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
The Team Trials will be streamed live online at FloWrestling.org and the finals will be shown live on Sat. April 9th at 6pm CT on NBCSportsNet.
Go Gopher Wrestlers!!!
#GopherTough
Five Gopher Alums Set for Olympic Team Trials
With three wrestlers in the freestyle field and two more competing in Greco, the Gophers are well represented at this weekend’s tournament
Two-time NCAA national champion Tony Nelson hopes to represent the U.S. in freestyle at 125 kilograms in Rio this summer.
Gophersports.com
April 7, 2016
As former Gopher Scott Schiller recently observed, kids who grow up playing football or baseball may dream of playing their sport professionally but, for young wrestlers, competing in the Olympics is the ultimate dream. Schiller will be one of five Minnesota alums hoping to make that dream a reality this weekend when they take on the nation’s best at the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa.
Beginning on Saturday and running through Sunday, the Olympic Team Trials will determine who will represent the United States in men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
A trio of highly decorated Gophers will compete in freestyle, where Jayson Ness (65 kg), Scott Schiller (97 kg) and Tony Nelson (125 kg) all look for their spots in Rio. The threesome combined to win 11 All-America medals and three national titles during their Minnesota careers.
While there are no easy weights at this level of competition, Ness may face the most daunting bracket of any Gopher alum. He is one of eight wrestlers in the field to have won NCAA titles during their collegiate careers, and four of his competitors have previously represented the U.S. at the World Championships. Ness earned his spot in the field by winning the Dave Schultz Memorial tournament earlier this year.
Last December, Schiller upset top-seeded Dustin Kilgore in the first round of the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas and marched to the championship bout before falling to Wynn Michalak. That finish clinched Schiller’s spot in this weekend’s field, where he is ranked eighth. Since qualifying, Schiller competed in his first international tournaments, winning the bronze medal at the Pan American Championships and finishing 2-2 at the Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul.
On the Greco side, Pat Smith (66 kg) and Alec Ortiz (75 kg) will look to join their former head coach, J Robinson, and 10 former Gophers who have represented the U.S. in Greco-Roman at previous Olympic games.
Smith earned his spot in the trials by finishing as the runner up at the U.S. Nationals, piling up four wins on his way to the finals, including two victories against wrestlers who will be in this weekend’s tournament. Just six weeks ago, Smith won gold at the Pan American Championships wrestling at 71 kg (a non-Olympic weight). He is ranked No. 4 at 66 kg heading into his Saturday matches.
Ortiz was the last of this quintet of Minnesota alums to claim his spot in the field, earning his chance to wrestle in the trials by winning last weekend’s Last Chance Qualifier in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After gutting out a 5-3 decision in his opening match, Ortiz defeated his next two opponents by a combined 16 points to put an exclamation point on his qualifying effort.
The Trials will feature all three Olympic styles on both days of the event. Saturday’s schedule includes men’s freestyle at 65 and 125 kg, women’s freestyle at 58, 63 and 69 kg, and Greco at 59, 66, 85 and 98 kg. Sunday will fill in the four remaining weights in men’s freestyle (57, 74, 86 and 97 kg), three in women’s freestyle (48, 53 and 75 kg) and two in Greco (75 and 130 kg).
The qualifier format involves a traditional, American-style tournament bracket, but the finals at each weight are a best-of-three series. Both days will begin with preliminary competition starting at 9 a.m. Central, followed by the best-of-three championship series to crown victors at each weight starting at 6 p.m.
All of this weekend’s action will be streamed live on NBCSports.com. Saturday night's finals will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network as well. Sunday's will be broadcast on tape delay, beginning at 9:30 p.m. Central.
Ortiz Earns Spot in U.S. Team Trails Field
Alec Ortiz's championship performance in Greco at 75 kilograms guarantees him a spot in next weekend's U.S. Olympic Team Trials tournament
Gophersports.com
April 3, 2016
At the appropriately named Last Chance Olympic Trials qualifier tournament last weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a championship performance by Gopher wrestling alum Alec Ortiz guaranteed him a spot in the 75-kilogram, Greco-Roman field at next week's team trials, the event which will decide the U.S. team for this summer's Olympic Games.
Nine Gophers - past, present and future - were in Cedar Rapids to compete in both Greco and freestyle this weekend. The prize at every weight class in both styles was the last spot at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials next weekend in Iowa City. Only the winners at each weight class advanced to the trials.
Ortiz survived a tough opening match, a 5-3 decision over Jesse Porter, to begin his run to the title on Friday. Ortiz won his next two matches convincingly, earning a 9-0 tech fall over Curt Calovecchi in the semifinals before an 11-4 decision against Colin Schubert in the championship bout.
By advancing to the team trials, Ortiz becomes the fifth Gopher alum to qualify for the event. He will join Pat Smith (66 kg) on the Greco side next weekend, as well as Jayson Ness (65 kg), Scott Schiller (97 kg) and Tony Nelson (125 kg) in freestyle.
Three other Gopher alums reached the semifinals of their brackets at the last chance qualifier but were unable to advance past that point. Wrestling freestyle at 65 kg, both Chris Dardanes and Nick Dardanes won consecutive matches to reach the final four at their weight, but fell on opposite sides of the bracket in the semis. Kevin Steinhaus, wrestling competitively for the first time since the 2014 NCAA Championships, opened the event with three straight tech fall victories, defeating his opponents by a combined total of 34-2, before dropping his semifinal contest.
Alums Zach Sanders and Dylan Ness fell in the freestyle quarterfinals, Sanders in an 8-4 decision at 57 kg and Ness in a 13-6 decision at 74 kg. Ness entered the freestyle field on the day after he wrestled in the event's Greco competition on Friday, where he fell in his opening match.
Current Gophers Tommy Thorn (65 kg) and Bobby Steveson (86 kg), as well as incoming recruit Mitch McKee (65 kg) all competed in freestyle on Saturday. Both Thorn and McKee picked up victories in Cedar Rapids, but none of the three placed in the tournament.
Full results for all nine competitors are listed below.
Match-by-Match Results
66 kg Greco
Dylan Ness
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Blayne Briceno fall (0:45) Dylan Ness
Cons Rnd 2: Bye
Cons Rnd 3: Sahid Kargbo forfeit Dylan Ness
75 kg Greco
Alec Ortiz
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Quarters: Alec Ortiz dec Jesse Porter, 5-3
Semis: Alec Oriz tech fall Curt Calovecchi, 9-0
Finals: Alec Ortiz dec Colin Schubert, 11-4
57 kg Freestyle
Zach Sanders
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Zach Sanders tech fall Jacob Colon, 12-2
Quarters: Frank Perrelli dec Zach Sanders, 8-4
Round of 12: Zach Sanders fall (2:03) Bradley Pataky
Cons Quarters: Stevan Micic inj (3:32) Zach Sanders
65 kg Freestyle
Chris Dardanes
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Chris Dardanes tech fall Marcus Cobbs, 10-0
Quarters: Chris Dardanes dec Josh Kindig, 9-2
Semis: Bernard Futrell tech fall Chris Dardanes, 8-0
Cons Semis: Chance Pami forfeit Chris Dardanes
Nick Dardanes
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Nick Dardanes dec James Eggemeyer, 2-1
Quarters: Nick Dardanes dec Chance Pami, 10-4
Semis: Nazar Kulchytskyy dec Nick Dardanes, 4-3
Cons Semis: Brandon Wright forfeit Nick Dardanes
Tommy Thorn
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Matthew Kolodzik tech fall Tommy Thorn, 12-1
Cons Rnd 2: Tommy Thorn dec D Little, 5-3
Cons Rnd 3: Isaac Dukes tech fall Tommy Thorn, 14-3
Mitch McKee
Champ Rnd 1: Josh Kindig tech fall Mitch McKee, 10-0
Cons Rnd 1: Bye
Cons Rnd 2: Mitch McKee tech fall James Eggemeyer, 13-3
Cons Rnd 3: Sahid Kargbo fall (0:12) Mitch McKee
74 kg Freestyle
Dylan Ness
Champ Rnd 1: Dylan Ness tech fall Jason Clark, 10-0
Champ Rnd 2: Dylan Ness tech fall Connor Keating, 10-0
Quarters: Andrew Sorenson dec Dylan Ness, 13-6
Round of 12: Thomas Domerese forfeit Dylan Ness
86 kg Freestyle
Kevin Steinhaus
Champ Rnd 1: Kevin Steinhaus tech fall Austin Morehead, 10-0
Champ Rnd 2: Kevin Steinhaus tech fall Riley Lefever, 12-1
Quarters: Kevin Steinhaus tech fall Bo Nickal, 12-1
Semis: Timmy McCall tech fall Kevin Steinhaus, 11-0
Cons Semis: Nick Heflin tech fall Kevin Steinhaus, 8-0
Bobby Steveson
Champ Rnd 1: Bye
Champ Rnd 2: Victor Terrell tech fall Bobby Steveson
Cons Rnd 2: Nick Heflin tech fall Bobby Steveson, 9-1
USA Wrestling releases Greco-Roman Olympic Team Trials rankings
USA Wrestling
4/6/2016
USA Wrestling has released a special set of Greco-Roman rankings for those athletes qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9-10.
Rankings have been set for the top eight wrestlers for each of the six Olympic weight classes based on following criteria: 1) head-to-head victories, 2) wins over common opponents and 3) whether or not an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team. Results that were considered include any tournament an athlete has competed in since Jan. 1, 2015. This includes both domestic and international matches during that time period.
A computer system which compiled all of the relevant data was used to help create these rankings.
If an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team and qualified the weight that he will be competing at in Iowa City for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, then that athlete was automatically granted the No. 1 ranking and will be the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
The three athletes automatically earning the No. 1 ranking include Andy Bisek at 75 kilos, Jordan Holm at 85 kilos and Robby Smith at 130 kilos.
By winning a bronze medal at the 2015 World championships, Andy Bisek has advanced to the best-of-three Championship Series in his weight class and will not participate in the morning Challenge Tournament in Iowa City.
The following rankings will serve as the baseline for which athletes will be seeded at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All athletes who have currently qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are listed below, but only the top-eight have received a ranking. At the seeding meeting in Iowa City, all of the athletes entered will receive a seed and byes will be placed accordingly to the highest seeded wrestlers.
Official U.S. Olympic Team Trials seeding per weight class is subject to change based on the coaches seeding meeting after wrestlers weigh-in in Iowa City.
59 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
2. Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (New York AC)
4. Nikko Triggas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
5. Ryan Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
6. Sam Jones, Folsom, La. (NYAC/NMU)
7. Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
8. Max Nowry, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
Additional Qualifiers
Cade Olivas, Fontana, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Brooklyn, N.Y. (NYAC/NMU)
Justin LaValle, Burnsville, Minn., (Minnesota Storm)
66 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
2. Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (New York AC)
4. Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm),
5. Christopher Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (NYAC/NMU)
6. Brian Graham, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
7. Alejandro Sancho, Miami, Fla. (NYAC/NMU)
8. Devin Scott, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Additional Qualifiers
Michael Hooker, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
75 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets)
3. Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla. (New York AC/NMU-OTS)
4. Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
5. Cheney Haight, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
6. Tarrence Williams, Portland, Ore. (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC)
7. Jacob Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Corey Hope, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
Additional Qualifiers
Jon Jay Chavez, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
Mason Manville, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
Taylor Walsh, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Barrett Stanghill, Philipsburg, Montana (NYAC/NMU)
Dillon Cowan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Alec Ortiz, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
85 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. Jacob Clark, Honolulu, Hawaii (Minnesota Storm)
4. Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
5. Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
6. Lucas Sheridan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
7. Mark Stenberg, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/NMU)
8. Ryan Hope, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/CKWC)
Additional Qualifiers
Kevin Radford, Jr., Fayetteville, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
Courtney Myers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Michael Brant, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Timothy Bleau, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn. (CrosbyHay)
98 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
3. G'Angelo Hancock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
4. John Wechter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
5. Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (NYAC/NMU)
6. Marcus Finau, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC)
7. Jacob Kasper, Mansfield, Ohio (Roughhouse)
8. Daniel Miller, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Additional Qualifiers
Jarod Trice, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
Patrick Carey, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
John Lorenz, LaCrosse, Wis. (unattached)
130 kilos:
Top Eight Ranking
1. Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2. Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)
3. Toby Erickson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
4. Jacob Mitchell, Portland, Ore. (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC)
5. Parker Betts, St. Michael, Minn. (Minnesota Storm),
6. Matthew Lamb, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
7. Donny Longendyke, Vadnais Heights, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Zach Merrill, Bermuda Dunes, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Sam Stoll, Kasson, Minn. (Minnesota Storm/Hawkeye WC)
Eric Fader, Camp Lejeune, N.C (U.S. Marines)
Jack Griggs, Brighton, Mich. (NMU-OTS)
Tyrell Fortune, Tempe, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
USA Wrestling releases men's freestyle Olympic Team Trials rankings
USA Wrestling
4/1/2016
USA Wrestling has released a special set of men's freestyle rankings for those athletes qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9-10.
Rankings have been set for the top eight wrestlers for each of the six Olympic weight classes based on following criteria: 1) head-to-head victories, 2) wins over common opponents and 3) whether or not an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team. Results that were considered include any tournament an athlete has competed in since Jan. 1, 2015. This includes both domestic and international matches during that time period.
If an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team and qualified the weight, he will be competing at in Iowa City for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, then that athlete was automatically granted the No. 1 ranking and will be the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
A computer system which compiled all of the relevant data was used to help create these rankings.
The three athletes automatically earning the No. 1 ranking include Tony Ramos at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Kyle Snyder at 97 kg/213 lbs.
By winning a medal at the 2015 World championships (both gold), Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder have advanced to the best-of-three Championship Series in their weight class and will not participate in the morning Challenge Tournament in Iowa City.
The following rankings will serve as the baseline for which athletes will be seeded at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All athletes who have currently qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are listed below, but only the top-eight have received a ranking. At the seeding meeting in Iowa City, all of the athletes entered will receive a seed and byes will be placed accordingly to the highest seeded wrestlers.
Official U.S. Olympic Team Trials seeding per weight class is subject to change based on the outcome of the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier to be held this weekend in Cedar Falls, Iowa and the coaches seeding meeting after wrestlers weigh-in in Iowa City.
U.S. Olympic Team Trials Men's Freestyle Qualifier Rankings
57 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2. Tyler Graff, New Brunswick, N.J. (New York AC)
3. Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa. (Titan Mercury WC)
4. Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Erkin Tadzhimetov, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
6. Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Joe Colon, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
8. Nathan Tomasello, Parma, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC)
Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Nico Megaludis, Murraysville, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
Nahshon Garrett, Chico, Calif. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
65 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)
2. James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
3. Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
4. Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
5. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
6. Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
7. Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
8. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Dean Heil, Brunswick, Ohio (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
Zain Retherford, Benton, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
74 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (New York AC)
3. Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
4. Dan Vallimont, Long Beach, N.Y. (New York AC/Blue and Gold WC)
5. Kevin LeValley, Lewisburg, Pa. (Buffalo Valley RTC)
6. Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Logan Massa, St. Johns, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
8. Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore, Calif. (Illinois/Titan Mercury WC)
Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
86 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
2. Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
3. David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
4. Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)
5. Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Richard Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. (New York AC/Penn WC)
8. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics /Wyoming RTC)
Additional Qualifiers
Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
Austin Trotman, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Myles Martin, Penns Grove, N.J. (Ohio State/Titan Mercury WC)
Gabe Dean, Lowell, Mich. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
J'Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri/Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
97 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
2. Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
3. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
4. Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
8. Scott Schiller, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Additional Qualifiers
Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Jeffery Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
125 kilos:
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
2. Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
3. Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (New York AC/Wolfpack WC)
4. Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Tyrell Fortune, Tempe, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Bobby Telford, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Anthony Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Eric Thompson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Additional Qualifiers
Connor Medbery, Loveland, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Justin Grant, Bloomsburg, Pa. (New York AC)
Matt Meuleners, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
