USA sends strong team to University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary, July 8-12

Dustin Kilgore, shown in action at the 2014 U.S. World Team Trials. Kilgore is among the top stars competing at the University World Championships this week. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.


The United States has a strong team in all three Olympic styles at the University World Championships, which will be held July 8-12 in Pecs, Hungary.


The event starts with men’s freestyle on July 8-9. The team features three past NCAA Div. I national champions, Matt McDonough of Iowa at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Chris Perry of Oklahoma State at 86 kg/189 lbs. and Dustin Kilgore of Kent State at 97 kg/213 lbs. Also on the team is a Div. II national champion, Tyrell Fortune of Grand Canyon at 125 kg/275 lbs.


The team also features past NCAA All-Americans B.J. Futrell of Illinois at 61 kg/134 lbs., James Green of Nebraska at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Tyler Caldwell of both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at 74 kg/163 lbs. Also on the team is Rutgers wrestler Anthony Ashnault at 65 kg/143 lbs.


Kilgore is currently No. 2 on the Senior national team, and McDonough, Perry and Fortune are No. 3 on the Senior national team. Fortune won a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games, while Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist.


Next up is women’s freestyle on July 9-10, which features numerous stars from the college ranks as well as the Senior level.


King University placed three on the team, Samantha Klingel at 55 kg/121 lbs., Amanda Hendey at 63 kg/138.75 lbs and Julia Salata at 75 kg/165 lbs. Others from the college ranks include Amy Fearnside of Jamestown Univ. at 53 kg/116.5 lbs., Jacarra Winchester of Missouri Valley College at 58 kg/128 lbs., Brieana Delgado of Oklahoma City Univ. at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Tamyra Mensah of Wayland Baptist Univ. at 69 kg/152 lbs. The team is rounded out with U.S. Olympic Training Center resident Erin Golston at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., who attends college in Colorado Springs.


Salata is currently ranked No. 2 on the Senior national team, while Winchester is No. 3 and Golston and Hendey are No. 4. Golston won three Junior World medals in the past.


Greco-Roman concludes the competition on July 11-12, a team which also features athletes with success on the Senior level.


Four athletes come from the U.S. Olympic Education program at Northern Michigan: Sammy Jones at 59 kg/130 lbs., Kendrick Sanders at 80 kg/176 lbs., Orry Elor at 98 kg/216 lbs. and Toby Erickson at 130 kg/286 lbs. Patrick Smith at 71 kg/156.5 lbs. competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, and Kade Moss at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. competes for Penn State.


Josef Rau at 85 kg/185 lbs. was a Div. III national champion for Elmhurst College. Also on the team is Geordan Speiller at 75 kg/165 lbs.


Erickson, a past Junior World bronze medalist, is currently ranked No. 2 on the Senior World Team. Sanders was a U.S. Senior Open champion this year, while Smith and Erickson were second and Speiller was third.


The official website for the University World Championships is:
http://wrestling2014.pte.hu/

UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Pecs, Hungary, July 8-12


U.S. men’s freeestyle roster

57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)

61 kg/134 lbs. - BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)

65 kg/143 lbs. - Anthony Ashnault, South Plainsboro, N.J. (Scarlet Knight WC)

70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)

86 kg/189 lbs. - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC)

97 kg/213 lbs. - Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

125 kg/275 lbs. - Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC)

Coach: Doc Bennett, Boise, Idaho

Coach: Mike Hagerty, Blue Springs, Mo.

Coach: Bryan Snyder, Lincoln, Neb.

U.S. women’s freestyle roster

48 kg/105.5 lbs.- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

53 kg/116.5 lbs. - Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)

55 kg/121 lbs. - Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.)

58 kg/128 lbs. - Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)

60 kg/132 lbs.:- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.)

69 kg/152 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist)

75 kg/165 lbs. - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC/King Univ.)

Coach: Danny Struck, Jeffersonville, Ind.

Coach: Melissa Simmons, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Coach: Emma Randall, Colorado Springs, Colo.

U.S. Greco-Roman roster

59 kg/130 lbs. - Sammy Jones, Folsom, La. (USOEC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kade Moss, South Jordan, Utah (Nittany Lion WC)

71 kg/156.5 lbs. - Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

75 kg/165 lbs. - Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets)

80 kg/176 lbs. - Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla. (New York AC/USOEC)

85 kg/187 lbs. - Josef Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

98 kg/216 lbs. - Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (New York AC/USOEC)

130 kg/286 lbs. - Toby Erickson, East Helena, Mont. (New York AC/USOEC)

Coach: Tommy Owen, Arlington, Va.

Coach: Rodney Smith, Chicopee, Mass.

Coach: JD Robbins, Oviedo, Fla.


Team Leader: Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M.

Official: Cody Hesser, Gonzales, La.

Event Schedule

Tuesday, July 8

Men’s freestyle: 57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg (McDonough, Ashnault, Caldwell, Kilgore)

Wednesday, July 9

Men’s freestyle: 61 kg, 70 kg, 86 kg, 125 kg (Futrell, Green, Perry, Fortune)

Women’s freestyle: 48 kg, 55 kg (Golston, Klingel)

Thursday, July 10

Women’s freestyle: 53 kg, 58 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg (Fearnside, Winchester, Delgado, Hendey, Mensah, Salata)

Friday, July 11

Greco-Roman: 59 kg, 71 kg, 80 kg, 98 kg (Jones, Smith, Sanders, Elor)

Saturday, July 12

Greco-Roman: 66 kg, 75 kg, 85 kg, 130 kg (Moss, Speiller, Rau, Erickson)