Greco-Roman World Team spots up for grabs in Ithaca, N.Y. on June 4

Caylor Williams (U.S. Army) lifts Kevin Beazley (Virginia Beach RTC) in the 2015 U.S. Open finals. Photo: Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com

ITHACA, N.Y. – The much-anticipated Greco-Roman World Team Trials are set for Thursday to determine who will represent the United States at the World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. this September.


This year’s Greco-Roman World Team Trials features a unique competition process with only the 16 U.S. Open finalists qualifying for the event at the Friedman Wrestling Center on the campus of Cornell University.


The U.S. Open finalists will complete a best-of-three wrestle-off to determine the World Team member in each weight category, with the U.S. Open finals constituting the first match in the best-of-three series. Simply, the U.S. Open champion in each weight has a 1-0 series lead entering competition in Ithaca.


Seven of the eight World Team members from last year hold the 1-0 series advantage and are looking to maintain their top spot in the U.S.


World medalists Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) and Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) highlight the talented field of competitors in this year’s Greco-Roman World Team Trials finals.


After securing the first Greco-Roman World medal for the U.S. in five years last September, Bisek appears ready for another medal run. Standing in the way of a return trip to the World Championships for the reigning World Bronze medalist is upstart Dillon Cowan (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP).


Bisek defeated Cowan in spectacular fashion, 11-0, in the U.S. Open finals at 75 kg/165 lbs. last month.


Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester picked up his sixth U.S. Open crown last month and is slated to face familiar foe Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) in Ithaca at 71 kg/156 lbs.


Lester took out Smith 7-2 in the U.S. Open finals, pushing Lester’s overall record against Smith to 4-0. Lester beat Smith in the U.S. Open and World Team Trials finals in 2014.


Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) has owned the bottom Greco-Roman weight in the U.S. for the last seven years, making every World and Olympic team since 2008. Mango will face a stiff test in Ithaca with 2013 World Team member Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./ New York AC) hungry to make another World Team.


At the U.S. Open it was Mango who defeated Thielke by a controlled 5-0 margin at 59 kg/130 lbs. Mango has finished fifth in the previous two World Championships.


Wrestling’s bearded wonder Robby Smith is seeking his third consecutive World Championships appearance for the U.S. at 130 kg/286 lbs.


Smith pinned or teched each of his opponents at the U.S. Open including a second period fall in the finals over his World Team Trials finals opponent Toby Erickson (East Helena, Mont./New York AC).


Also seeking his third straight U.S. World Team is Greco-Roman standout Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 85 kg/187 lbs. Holm has gone undefeated this season winning gold at the Hungarian Grand Prix and Dave Schultz Memorial International on top of his outstanding wrestler performance at the U.S. Open.


Holm will square off against Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in Ithaca, whom he is 2-0 against this year.


The electric Caylor Williams (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) has emerged as a serious threat to make a deep run at the World Championships at 98 kg/216 lbs. after a stellar 2015 campaign that included a win over 2012 Olympic Silver medalist Rustam Totrov of Russia.


Past Junior World Team member and current sophomore at Old Dominion University Kevin Beazley (Howell, Mich./Virginia Beach RTC) is the lone obstacle for Williams to make his third consecutive World Team. Williams defeated Beazley to the tune of 13-3 in Las Vegas.


Returning World Team member at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Bryce Saddoris (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marines) edged young Alejandro Sancho (Miami, Fla./New York AC) 1-0 to capture his first U.S. Open title and take the 1-0 series lead to Ithaca. Saddoris is a past Pan American Gold medalist and CISM Military World silver medalist.


Two fresh faces on the U.S. Army WCAP squad, Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) and C.J. Myers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), will battle for the World Team spot at 80 kg/176 lbs.


Martinez and Myers wrestled the closest match in the U.S. Open finals last month with Martinez emerging the victor by a slim 3-1 margin.


Action at the Greco-Roman World Team Trials will begin at 8 p.m. (EDT) and will be broadcast live on Flowrestling.com. The event will also be aired on Universal Sports Network at 7 p.m. (EDT) on June 12.


Fans interested in attending this star-studded event can purchase tickets from the Cornell Athletics Ticket Office or at the event gate.

2015 Greco-Roman World Team Trials

June 4 at Friedman Wrestling Center in Ithaca, N.Y.


59 kg/130 lbs.

Spenser Mango (U.S. Army) vs. Jesse Thielke (New York AC) (Mango leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Spenser Mango (U.S. Army) dec. Jesse Thielke (New York AC), 5-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Bryce Saddoris (U.S. Marines) vs. Alejandro Sancho (New York AC) (Saddoris leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Bryce Saddoris (U.S. Marines) dec. Alejandro Sancho (New York AC), 1-0

71 kg/156 lbs.

Justin Lester (U.S. Army) vs. Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm) (Lester leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Justin Lester (U.S. Army) dec. Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm), 7-2

75 kg/165 lbs.

Andy Bisek (Minnesota Storm) vs. Dillon Cowan (U.S. Army) (Bisek leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Andy Bisek (Minnesota Storm) tech fall Dillon Cowan (U.S. Army), 11-0

80 kg/176 lbs.

Patrick Martinez (U.S. Army) vs. C.J. Myers (U.S. Army) (Martinez leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Patrick Martinez (U.S. Army) dec. C.J. Myers (U.S. Army), 3-1

85 kg/187 lbs.

Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm) vs. Jon Anderson (U.S. Army) (Holm leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm) tech fall Jon Anderson (U.S. Army), 9-0

98 kg/216 lbs.

Caylor Williams (U.S. Army) vs. Kevin Beazley (Virginia Beach RTC) (Williams leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Caylor Williams (U.S. Army) tech fall Kevin Beazley (Virginia Beach RTC), 13-3

130 kg/286 lbs.

Robby Smith (New York AC) vs. Toby Erickson (New York AC) (Smith leads series 1-0)

Match 1 Result: Robby Smith (New York AC) fall Toby Erickson (New York AC), 3:24