World medalists Bisek, Lester expected to star at high-stakes Greco-Roman U.S. Open

2014 World Bronze medalist Andy Bisek at the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The stakes have never been greater for a Greco-Roman field competing at the U.S. Open than they will be in 2015.

USA Wrestling, in conjunction with U.S. Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland, has altered the format for selecting this year’s Greco-Roman World Team. The selection process will begin with the U.S. Open and culminate with the Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Ithaca, N.Y. on June 4.

The 16 athletes who make the Greco-Roman finals in Las Vegas will compete in a best-of-three series for the World Team spot at their respective weight class; The first match in the best-of-three series being the U.S. Open finals. Spenser Mango (59 kg) and Andy Bisek (75 kg) have earned automatic berths to the U.S. Open finals courtesy of placing top five at the 2014 World Championships.

The second and, if necessary, third match to determine each Greco-Roman World Team member will be wrestled under a dual meet competition format at Cornell University.

Athletes placing third at the U.S. Open will earn the No. 3 spot on the U.S. Greco-Roman National Team.

The U.S. Greco-Roman program is on the rise under the leadership of Coach Lindland, who is now in his first full year at the helm of the team.

At last year’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan the U.S. earned its first World-level medal in Greco-Roman since 2009 with Andy Bisek securing bronze at 75 kg. Spenser Mango added a fifth place finish to the U.S. tally in Tashkent to help lead the team to a 12th place finish overall at the Worlds.

In addition to Bisek and Mango, all the top U.S. Greco-Roman stars are expected to take to the mat in Las Vegas. Expect grueling battles all around as the top guys look to maintain their spot atop the U.S. ladder, while the young guns attempt to shake up the rankings and dethrone competition favorites.

59 kg/130 lbs.

The lowest weight class in the Greco-Roman division, 59 kg, has consistently been among the deepest in not only the U.S. but also the world, since the altering of international weight classes in 2014 by United World Wrestling.

Coming off his second consecutive fifth place finish at the World Championships, Spenser Mango is as hungry as ever, and is still the man to beat at 59 kg stateside. Mango is a two-time Olympian and five-time World Team member, holding the top spot in his weight class for the U.S. every year since 2008. Since the Worlds in Tashkent last September, Mango has placed fifth at the CISM Military Worlds second at the tough Hungarian Grand Prix and second at the Pan American Championships.

The top contender to dethrone Spenser Mango is none other than his younger brother Ryan Mango who was a two-time NCAA All-American for Stanford University. The younger Mango has been extremely active on the international circuit since departing the NCAA scene, having competed in seven international competitions this season. He earned silver at the S.A. Lavrikov and gold at the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup in late 2014 while securing fourth place at the Dave Schultz Memorial and bronze at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open thus far in 2015.

Last year’s World Team Trials runner-up Sam Hazewinkel is not expected to compete in the U.S. Open due to injury.

U.S. Army WCAP teammates Jermaine Hodge and Max Nowry are contenders to make the finals after strong 2014 campaigns. Both Hodge and Nowry have earned medals in international events this season.

Expect the return of past World Team member Jesse Thielke to the Greco-Roman scene in Las Vegas. Theilke has competed collegiately for Wisconsin the past two years since making his first Greco-Roman World Team in 2013.

Young USOTS star Sammy Jones could make a splash at this weight class as well. The Louisiana native won a bronze medal for the U.S. at the University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary last summer.

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Coming off an impressive inaugural season, reigning World Team member Bryce Saddoris appears to be the U.S. Open favorite at 66 kg. The U.S. Marine posted a 1-1 record at the 2014 Worlds and has shown promise over the past year. Saddoris earned a silver medals at the CISM Military Worlds and the Pan American Championships in 2014.

Now in his second year with the U.S. Army WCAP, 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman is looking to reclaim the top spot in the U.S. Coleman has finished with a silver medal in his last three major competitions and is looking for a breakthrough performance. In 2013, Coleman was the U.S. Open champion at 60 kg and competed for the U.S. at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Defending U.S. Open champion at 66 kg, Ravaughn Perkins, has been cleared to compete in Las Vegas after serving a suspension by USADA for a doping violation. Perkins has not yet competed this season.

A bevy of contenders have emerged to challenge the trio of Saddoris, Coleman and Perkins in 2015, with Brain Graham of the Minnesota Storm and Alejandro Sancho of the NYAC leading the charge.

Both Graham and Sancho have earned two international medals this season and have traded wins against each other in the process. Graham earned bronze at the Bill Farrell International and gold at the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup while conversely Sancho won the gold at the Bill Farrell International and bronze at the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup.

Sancho recently competed at the Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile where he finished in fifth place.

A pair of U.S. Army WCAP standouts, Jamel Johnson and Marco Lara, will also pose large threats for the upper echelon of this weight class.

71 kg/156.5 lbs.

Two-time World Bronze medalist Justin Lester will seek his sixth U.S. Open championship in 2015 against a 71 kg field that has shown an increased depth over the past year. Lester went 1-1 at the 2014 World Championships losing a wild 9-7 bout to eventual World Bronze medalist Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan. He has added two gold medals to his resume this season, winning both the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup and Armed Forces Championships in spectacular fashion.

2014 U.S. Open champion at 80 kg, Kendrick Sanders, looks poised to make a run at a second title in Las Vegas. This season Sanders won both the Bill Farrell International and Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup without surrendering a single point. He continued that trend at the Dave Schultz Memorial, winning two matches before injury defaulting out of the finals to finish with the silver medal.

A rising contender at 71 kg is 2015 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion Michael Hooker. The U.S. Army WCAP newcomer topped U.S. stars Bo Beckman, Alec Ortiz and Kendrick Sanders en route to the Dave Schultz title signifying his emergence as a serious title contender in Las Vegas.

Currently No. 2 on the U.S. ladder, Pat Smith is primed for another finals run after finishing second to Lester at both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials last year. Smith just competed his final collegiate season wrestling for the University of Minnesota and is now solely focused on Greco-Roman dreams. Smith won the Pan American Championships this April in his first Greco-Roman competition of the season.

Coming off a silver medal performance at the Bill Farrell International and also earning bronze at the S.A. Lavrikov in December, Bo Beckman is certainly capable of a finals run at the U.S. Open. Sanders and Hooker are Beckman’s only American losses this season.

Youngsters Dillon Cowan and Jon Jay Chavez could also do damage and upset a top contender at 71 kg.

75 kg/165 lbs.

75 kg is home to the first Greco-Roman World medalist for the U.S. in five years, Andy Bisek. His impressive World Championship run that included a victory over 2012 Olympic Champion Roman Vlasov of Russia not only earned Bisek a bronze medal, but also the admiration of many international fans and the nickname of The Cowboy. Bisek won a bronze medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in addition to gold at the Granma Cup in Cuba this season. He is now looking to make his fourth U.S. World Team in a five-year timespan.

Last year’s U.S. Open and World Team Trials runner-up at 75 kg, Jon Anderson, has elected to move up to 85 kg for 2015, making room for other top wrestlers to have a go at Bisek’s spot.

Up and comer Geordan Speiller is currently considered by many the largest U.S. threat to dethrone Bisek, however Speiller will not be competing at the U.S. Open due to injury. Speiller was emerging with a breakout season earning bronze medals at the S.A. Lavrikov, Bill Farrell International and Grand Prix Zagreb Open. He also finished in fourth place at the Dave Schultz Memorial losing 6-2 to Bisek in the bronze medal match.

With Speiller out, Bisek’s longtime Minnesota Storm teammate Jake Fisher is now in prime position for a U.S. Open finals appearance. Fisher was third in both the Pan American Championships and U.S. World Team Trials last year, but has posted mixed results this season. Fisher has competed in six international events since the Trials, but has come up short of earning a medal. Fisher has defeated Bisek in past years, so if he is on his game, he can challenge anyone at 75 kg.

Others who pose threats to the top tier at 75 kg are Dylan Reel, Johnny Stefanowicz and Tanner Andrews.

80 kg/176 lbs.

It will be a different story at 80 kg at the U.S. Open in 2015 now that the non-Olympic weight class has been in place for one year. Last season 80 kg was wide open at this point in time with no clear cut favorites, but this year two men appear to be on a collision course for the finals.

Joe Rau of the Minnesota Storm exploded onto the 80 kg scene at the U.S. World Team Trials one year ago, earning his first World Team berth by defeating 2012 Olympian Ben Provisor in the best-of-three finals. Rau had competed at both 85 kg and 98 kg prior to making the decision to drop to 80 kg. Since competing at the World Championships last September, Rau has won four international medals including gold at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open and Pan American Championships.

Since competing at the Olympic Games in London, Provisor has had his share of up and down results, but he appears to have found a home at 80 kg. After losing in the World Team Trials finals to Rau last year, Provisor has been on an international tear, winning gold medals at the Bill Farrell International, S.A. Lavrikov and Dave Schultz Memorial International.

Rau and Provisor have met eight times on the senior level dating back to the 2013 NYAC International with each man owning four wins over the other. Most recently, Provisor defeated Rau in the finals of the Dave Schultz Memorial International 2-1.

Four-time NAIA champion for Southern Oregon, Brock Gutches, finished in third place at the U.S. World Team Trials at 80 kg last year and hopes to elevate himself into the finals in Las Vegas. Having finished his college career, the Oregon product can place all his focus on his Greco-Roman game.

The stock of Patrick Martinez has risen over the past year as the young Florida Jets competitor has garnered a plethora of international experience that will undoubtedly give him an edge in Las Vegas. Martinez earned the silver medal at the Bill Farrell International and a bronze medal at the S.A. Lavrikov this season.

Longtime veteran Cheney Haight is trying his hand at a comeback bid in 2015. Haight was a U.S. World Team member in 2011 and last competed at the U.S. Open in 2012 where he finished in seventh place. Since returning to active competition last year, Haight has competed at several international tournaments including the Bill Farrell International where he won bronze.

While comparatively inexperienced to the aforementioned names, Tarrence Williams and Terrence Zaleski also pose threats to make a deep run at 80 kg at the U.S. Open.

85 kg/187 lbs.

Two-time World Team member Jordan Holm is seeking his third straight U.S. Open crown in 2015. Holm has been dominant on American soil the past two years going undefeated in every stateside tournament during that timeframe, making him the clear-cut favorite in 2015. Holm has appeared at two international events since the World Championships last September, striking gold at both the Hungarian Grand Prix and Dave Schultz Memorial International.

Holm will see a new challenger at the top of the 85 kg division in Jon Anderson of the U.S. Army WCAP. Anderson recently moved up from 75 kg where he has finished second at the U.S. World Team Trials the past two years. Since moving up in weight, Anderson has won gold medals at the Bill Farrell International and Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup in addition to a silver medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial International where he lost to Holm in the finals 6-0.

Zac Nielsen has finished second at the U.S. Open the past three years and was second at the 2014 U.S. World Team Trials to Holm. Nielsen last competed at the Bill Farrell International where he earned the silver medal.

NCAA Champion Gabe Dean of Cornell is a huge x-factor at 85 kg should he go decide to take the Greco route at the U.S. Open. Dean is coming off his first international Greco-Roman competition, the Pan American Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was a Junior World Bronze medalist in freestyle last year.

Mark Stenberg of the NYAC and Courtney Myers of the U.S. Marines could pose potential threats to the top ranked wrestlers at 85 kg.

98 kg/216 lbs.

U.S. Army WCAP standout Caylor Williams has separated himself from the 98 kg field in the U.S. considerably since making his first World Team in 2013. The two-time World Team member is the prohibitive favorite to take home his second consecutive U.S. Open title in Las Vegas this year. Williams won gold at the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup in December and followed that up with a silver medal performance at the Dave Schultz Memorial International that included a win over Olympic Silver medalist Rustam Totrov of Russia. Williams most recently earned the bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile.

John Wechter of the Minnesota Storm appears to be the top challenger to Williams for the second straight year. Wechter finished with runner-up status at both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials to Williams last year. He does have the experience to make a title run having won a U.S. Open crown in 2013.

Emerging star Orry Elor is looking to make his mark at 98 kg after making the University World Team in 2014. Elor has posted two fourth place finishes this season in international competition.

Veteran Pete Gounaridis is another wrestler capable of a finals run at 98 kg in Las Vegas. The U.S. Army WCAP veteran placed fifth at the CISM Military Worlds last October and is a past U.S. National Team member.

Other experienced wrestlers looking to make some noise at 98 kg will be Marcus Finau, Daren Burns, Patrick Carey and Tyler Lehman, none of which have posted any results this year.

130 kg/286.5 lbs.

Coming off two consecutive World Championship appearances, Robby Smith is the favorite to win the U.S. Open at 130 kg, but he will have his hands full with a talented heavyweight field. Smith has only competed twice the 2014 World Championships. He did not place at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but did capture gold at the Pan American Championships. Smith has won five international tournaments since placing fifth in the World in 2013.

U.S. Marine David Arendt is the last American to defeat Smith, having done so at the 2013 U.S. World Team Trials in match one of the best-of-three finals. Arendt has medaled at five international tournaments this season including a bronze medal at the CISM Military Worlds and a gold medal at the S.A. Lavrikov. Expect Arendt to be a strong finals contender in Las Vegas.

USOTS athlete Jacob Mitchell has emerged as a strong contender in 2015 after winning gold at the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup and finishing in fourth place at the Dave Schultz Memorial International.

Erik Nye of the U.S. Army WCAP earned silver medals at both the Bill Farrell International and Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup this season. He finished in third place at both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials in 2014.

2014 U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Toby Erickson is looking to bounce back in 2015 after a couple tough outings in international competition. Erickson won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2011.

Other contenders at 130 kg include Parker Betts, Jarod Trice, Nikola Bogojevic and Sam Stoll.

2014 U.S. Open Results
59 kg/130 lbs.
1st - Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP) dec. Joseph Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP), 1-1
3rd - Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo (Army WCAP) dec. Max Nowry, Wheeling, Ill. (Army WCAP), 6-0
5th - Nikko Triggas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) tech. fall Nathan Engel, Colorado Sprigns, Colo (Army (WCAP), 10-2
7th - Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Marquette, Mich. (NYAC) dec. Julian Gunnels, Kansas City, Mo. (Minnesota Storm), 10-5

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st – RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (ReadyRP Nationals) pin Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP), 4:30
3rd - Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (Marines) dec. Jamel Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), 5-0
5th - Brian Graham, Kansas City, Mo. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP), 12-10
7th - Nick Alvarez, Miami, Fla. (NYAC) dec. Thrasher Porcher, Chuluota, Fla. (USOEC), 10-5

71 kg/156 lbs.
1st - Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP) tech. fall Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 12-3
3rd - Bo Beckman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Santiago Martinez, Oviedo, FL (Florida Jets), 4-1
5th - Dillon Cowan, Marquette, Mich (Marquette) dec. Anthonie Linares, San Jose, Calif. (USOEC), 17-16
7th - Christopher Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Sponsor Me Wrestling) dec. Robby Neill, Emerald Isle, N.C. (U.S. Marines), 4-0

75 kg/ 165 lbs.
1st – Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) dec. John Anderson, Fort Carson, Colo. (Army (WCAP), 3-1
3rd - Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla (Florida Jets) dec. Jacob Fisher, Saint Paul, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 5-4
5th - John Stefanowicz, Jacksonville, N.C. (U.S. Marines) inj. dft. Dylan Reel, Washington, Ill. (Clackamas WC), 0:00
7th - Alec Ortiz, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Matthew Gray, Twin Lakes, Wis. (Bison WC), 11-8

80 kg/176 lbs.
1st - Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla. (NYAC/USOEC) dec. Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP), 2-1
3rd - Terrence Zaleski, Jacksonville, N.C (Jacksonville) dec. Tarrence Williams, Portland, Ore. (Clackamas WC), 13-9
5th - Jake Waste, Apple Valley, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Josh Greer, Birmingham, Ala. (USOEC), 9-2
7th - Joseph Uccellini, Troy, N.Y. (Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club) pin Patrick Martinez, Hemet, Calif. (Unattached), 2:16

85 kg/187 lbs.
1st - Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Zachary Nielsen, Zimmerman, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 8-0
3rd - Peter Hicks, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP) dec. Mark Stenberg, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 1-0
5th - Easton Hargrave, Tumwater, Wash. (TumOly Wrestling Club) dec. Courtney Myers, Jacksonville, N.C. (Marines), 10-5
7th - Lee Wildes, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets) forfeit Eugene Komissarov, Brooklyn, N.Y.(Unattached)

98 kg/216 lbs.
1st - Caylor Williams, Greensboro, N.C. (Army (WCAP) dec. John Wechter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 2-0
3rd - Daren Burns, Boone, N.C. (AppState RTC) pin Marcus Finau, Ewa Beach, Mich. (NYAC/USOEC), 1:12
5th - Pete Gounaridis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP) tech. fall Patrick Carey, St. Paul, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 9-0
7th - Tyler Lehmann, Fargo, N.D. (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Roy Nash, West Valley City, Utah (Ruiz Combat Grappling), 8-0

130 kg/286 lbs.
1st - Robert Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) tech. fall Toby Erickson, Helena, Montana (NYAC), 8-0
3rd - Erik Nye, Tempe, Ariz. (Army (WCAP) pin Nikola Bogojevic, Superior, Wis. (Minnesota Storm), 2:38
5th - Sam Stoll, Kasson, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) inj. dft. O`Kala Makaiau, Kahuku, Hawaii (USOEC), 0:00
7th - Jake Kettler, Norman, Va. (Patriot Elite WC) dec. Parker Betts, St, Michael, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 5-3