Megaludis, Precin, Molinaro win freestyle gold at Guelph in Canada
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by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
Frank Molinaro of the Nittany Lion WC, shown at the 2014 World Team Trials, was among three men’s freestyle champions at the Guelph Open in Canada. Photo by Tony Rotundo – Wrestlers Are Warriors.
GUELPH, Ontario, Canada – U.S. athletes, representing their club programs, claimed three men’s freestyle gold medals and seven medals overall at the Guelph International Open in Canada.
Individual champions included Nico Megaludis (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Brandon Precin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/New York AC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)at 65 kg/143 lbs.
Megaludis, a two-time NCAA runner-up for Penn State who is on a redshirt year, won all four of his matches by technical fall, including a 12-1 victory over 2010 Canadian World Team member James Mancini.
Precin won his first two matches handily, with a pin and a technical fall. In the finals, he defeated Vince De Marinis of Canada, 9-5.
Molinaro, an NCAA champ at Penn State and a member of the U.S. Freestyle National Team, finished with a 4-0 record. In the championship finals, he defeated 2013 U.S. Open champion and two-time NCAA champion Kellen Russell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 8-1.
Russell won his first three matches by technical fall, before losing to Molinaro in the finals.
Also winning a silver medal was Eric Thompson (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 125 kg/275 lbs. Thompson, who won three NAIA national titles for Grand View, finished 1-1. He was defeated in the finals by Kory Jarvis of Canada, 6-9.
Bronze medals went to Dan Mitcheff (Cleveland, Ohio/NE Ohio RTC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Nick Gajdzik (Rochester, Mich./Cliff Keen WC) at 125 kg/275 lbs.
GUELPH INTERNATIONAL OPEN
At Guelph, Ontario, Canada, January 17
Men’s freestyle medalists
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Gold – Nico Megaludis (USA – Nittany Lion WC)
Silver – James Mancini (Canada – Montreal)
Bronze – Dylan Bray (Canada – U Saskatchewan)
61 kg/134 lbs.
Gold – Brandon Precin (USA – Cliff Keen WC/New York AC)
Silver – Vince DeMarinis (Canada – Concordia)
Bronze – Dan Mitcheff (USA – NEO RTC)
65 kg/143 lbs.
Gold – Frank Molinaro (USA – Nittany Lion WC)
Silver – Kellen Russell (USA – Cliff Keen WC/New York AC)
Bronze – Cruz Manning (Canada – Impac)
70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold – Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Canada – Guelph)
Silver – Gaelan Malloy (Canada – Regina)
Bronze – Gabriel Turetsky (Canada – Brock WC)
74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Ilya Abelev (Canada – Black Bear)
Silver – Ryan Lue (Canada – Guelph)
Bronze – Jevon Belfour (Canada – Brock WC)
86 kg/189 lbs.
Gold – Jordan Stein (Canada – Montreal)
Silver – Matt Miller (Canada – Tristar)
Bronze – Otto Riley (Canada – LWWC)
97 kg/213 lbs.
Gold – Ali Al-Rekabi (Canada – YMHA)
Silver – Ronald Bingham (Canada – Guelph)
Bronze – Geordan Watkins (Canada – Guelph)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Gold – Kory Jarvis (Canada – Guelph)
Silver – Eric Thompson (USA – Nittany Lions WC)
Bronze – Nick Gajdik (USA – Cliff Keen WC)
U.S. men’s freestyle performance
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Nico Megaludis, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 1st
WIN Dylan Bray (Canada – U of Sask), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Chris Waltner (Canada – Lakehead), tech fall 11-1
WIN Brian Cowan (Canada – Brock), tech. fall 10-0
WIN James Mancini (Canada – Montreal), tech. fall 12-1
61 kg/134 lbs.– Brandon Precin, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 1st
WIN Zach Falcioni (Canada – Brock), pin
WIN Gabriel Choueke (Canada – WMHA), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Vince De Marinis (Canada – Concordia), 9-5
61 kg/134 lbs.– Dan Mitcheff, Cleveland, Ohio (NE Ohio RTC), 3rd
WIN Dylan Williams (Canada – U of A), tech. fall 12-2
LOSS Dylan Williams (Canada – Impac), 7-11
WIN Michael Wong (Canada – Queens), 11-0
WIN Gabriel Choueke (Canada – YMHA), 10-0
WIN Dylan Williams (Canada – Impac), 5-11
65 kg/143 lbs. - Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 1st
WIN Lucas Hoffert (Canada – U of FR), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Cruz Manning (Canada – Impac), 8-0
WIN Matt Jagas (Canada – Brock), pin
WIN Kellen Russell (USA – Cliff Keen), 8-1
65 kg/143 lbs.– Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 2nd
WIN Luke Roberts (Canada – Brock WC), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Omar Ahmed (Canada – McMaster), tech. fall 12-1
WIN Mike Asselstine (Canada – Bears W.C.), tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Frank Molinaro (USA – Nittany Lion), 1-8
125 kg/275 lbs. - Eric Thompson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 2nd
WIN Kyle Massey (USA – Cliff Keen), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Kory Jarvis (Canada – Guelph), 6-9
125 kg/275 lbs. – Nick Gajdzik, Rochester, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC), 3rd
LOSS Kory Jarvis (Canada – Guelph), pin
WIN John Fitzgerald (Canada – Guelph), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Kyle Massey (USA – Cliff Keen), forfeit
125 kg/275 lbs. – Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 4th
WIN John Fitzgerald (Canada – Guelph) tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Eric Thompson (USA – Nittany Lion), tech. fall 0-10
WIN C.J. Thoms (Canada – Black Bear), tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Nick Gajdzik (USA – Cliff Keen), forfeit
GUELPH, Ontario, Canada – U.S. athletes, representing their club programs, claimed three men’s freestyle gold medals and seven medals overall at the Guelph International Open in Canada.
Individual champions included Nico Megaludis (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Brandon Precin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/New York AC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)at 65 kg/143 lbs.
Megaludis, a two-time NCAA runner-up for Penn State who is on a redshirt year, won all four of his matches by technical fall, including a 12-1 victory over 2010 Canadian World Team member James Mancini.
Precin won his first two matches handily, with a pin and a technical fall. In the finals, he defeated Vince De Marinis of Canada, 9-5.
Molinaro, an NCAA champ at Penn State and a member of the U.S. Freestyle National Team, finished with a 4-0 record. In the championship finals, he defeated 2013 U.S. Open champion and two-time NCAA champion Kellen Russell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 8-1.
Russell won his first three matches by technical fall, before losing to Molinaro in the finals.
Also winning a silver medal was Eric Thompson (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 125 kg/275 lbs. Thompson, who won three NAIA national titles for Grand View, finished 1-1. He was defeated in the finals by Kory Jarvis of Canada, 6-9.
Bronze medals went to Dan Mitcheff (Cleveland, Ohio/NE Ohio RTC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Nick Gajdzik (Rochester, Mich./Cliff Keen WC) at 125 kg/275 lbs.
GUELPH INTERNATIONAL OPEN
At Guelph, Ontario, Canada, January 17
Men’s freestyle medalists
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Gold – Nico Megaludis (USA – Nittany Lion WC)
Silver – James Mancini (Canada – Montreal)
Bronze – Dylan Bray (Canada – U Saskatchewan)
61 kg/134 lbs.
Gold – Brandon Precin (USA – Cliff Keen WC/New York AC)
Silver – Vince DeMarinis (Canada – Concordia)
Bronze – Dan Mitcheff (USA – NEO RTC)
65 kg/143 lbs.
Gold – Frank Molinaro (USA – Nittany Lion WC)
Silver – Kellen Russell (USA – Cliff Keen WC/New York AC)
Bronze – Cruz Manning (Canada – Impac)
70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold – Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Canada – Guelph)
Silver – Gaelan Malloy (Canada – Regina)
Bronze – Gabriel Turetsky (Canada – Brock WC)
74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Ilya Abelev (Canada – Black Bear)
Silver – Ryan Lue (Canada – Guelph)
Bronze – Jevon Belfour (Canada – Brock WC)
86 kg/189 lbs.
Gold – Jordan Stein (Canada – Montreal)
Silver – Matt Miller (Canada – Tristar)
Bronze – Otto Riley (Canada – LWWC)
97 kg/213 lbs.
Gold – Ali Al-Rekabi (Canada – YMHA)
Silver – Ronald Bingham (Canada – Guelph)
Bronze – Geordan Watkins (Canada – Guelph)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Gold – Kory Jarvis (Canada – Guelph)
Silver – Eric Thompson (USA – Nittany Lions WC)
Bronze – Nick Gajdik (USA – Cliff Keen WC)
U.S. men’s freestyle performance
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Nico Megaludis, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 1st
WIN Dylan Bray (Canada – U of Sask), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Chris Waltner (Canada – Lakehead), tech fall 11-1
WIN Brian Cowan (Canada – Brock), tech. fall 10-0
WIN James Mancini (Canada – Montreal), tech. fall 12-1
61 kg/134 lbs.– Brandon Precin, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 1st
WIN Zach Falcioni (Canada – Brock), pin
WIN Gabriel Choueke (Canada – WMHA), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Vince De Marinis (Canada – Concordia), 9-5
61 kg/134 lbs.– Dan Mitcheff, Cleveland, Ohio (NE Ohio RTC), 3rd
WIN Dylan Williams (Canada – U of A), tech. fall 12-2
LOSS Dylan Williams (Canada – Impac), 7-11
WIN Michael Wong (Canada – Queens), 11-0
WIN Gabriel Choueke (Canada – YMHA), 10-0
WIN Dylan Williams (Canada – Impac), 5-11
65 kg/143 lbs. - Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 1st
WIN Lucas Hoffert (Canada – U of FR), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Cruz Manning (Canada – Impac), 8-0
WIN Matt Jagas (Canada – Brock), pin
WIN Kellen Russell (USA – Cliff Keen), 8-1
65 kg/143 lbs.– Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 2nd
WIN Luke Roberts (Canada – Brock WC), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Omar Ahmed (Canada – McMaster), tech. fall 12-1
WIN Mike Asselstine (Canada – Bears W.C.), tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Frank Molinaro (USA – Nittany Lion), 1-8
125 kg/275 lbs. - Eric Thompson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 2nd
WIN Kyle Massey (USA – Cliff Keen), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Kory Jarvis (Canada – Guelph), 6-9
125 kg/275 lbs. – Nick Gajdzik, Rochester, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC), 3rd
LOSS Kory Jarvis (Canada – Guelph), pin
WIN John Fitzgerald (Canada – Guelph), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Kyle Massey (USA – Cliff Keen), forfeit
125 kg/275 lbs. – Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC), 4th
WIN John Fitzgerald (Canada – Guelph) tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Eric Thompson (USA – Nittany Lion), tech. fall 0-10
WIN C.J. Thoms (Canada – Black Bear), tech. fall 11-0
LOSS Nick Gajdzik (USA – Cliff Keen), forfeit
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