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World Team Trials preview: 2014 World medalists Burroughs, Dlagnev lead strong freestyle field

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by Craig Sesker, USA Wrestling

Jordan Burroughs, who has won an Olympic gold, two World golds and a World bronze, headlines a strong men’s freestyle field at the World Team Trials in Madison, Wis. this weekend.

MADISON, Wis. – Plenty of fireworks, drama and high-level wrestling is expected when the U.S. World Team Trials return to Madison.

The men’s freestyle competition is set for Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14 at the Alliant Energy Center.

Champions in each weight class advance to September’s World Championships at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

The freestyle field for the World Team Trials is loaded with past Olympic and World medalists along with numerous NCAA champions.

Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs headlines the list. Burroughs has already landed a spot in the best-of-3 finals at 74 kg/163 lbs. by virtue of being a returning World medalist.

Burroughs did not compete at May’s U.S. Open in Las Vegas. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Worlds to earn a spot in the finals of the Trials.

U.S. Open champion David Taylor, second to Burroughs at the 2014 Trials, will be the No. 1 seed in the Challenge Tournament with Open runner-up Andrew Howe the 2 seed. 2013 Trials runner-up Kyle Dake is expected to be in the hunt as well.

High school senior Anthony Valencia, a 2014 Junior World Team member, wrestled very well in placing third at the Open at 74 kilos. He scored a pair of early takedowns against Howe before Howe rallied for a semifinal win.

2014 University World champion Tyler Caldwell also qualified for the Trials at 74.

Two-time World medalist Tervel Dlagnev looked strong in winning the U.S. Open at heavyweight. He also will await the winner of the Challenge Tournament in the best-of-3 finals at 125 kg/275 lbs.

Dlagnev won his second World bronze medal in 2014. His strongest challengers will be veterans Zach Rey and Dom Bradley along with top young wrestlers Tyrell Fortune and Nick Gwiazdowski. Junior World bronze medalist Adam Coon and Connor Medbery also could be in the mix here.

The remaining U.S. Open champions who have clinched berths in the best-of-3 finals at the Trials include Tony Ramos (57 kg/125.5 lbs.), Reece Humphrey (61 kg/134 lbs.), Brent Metcalf (65 kg/143 lbs.), Nick Marable (70 kg/154 lbs.), Jake Herbert (86 kg/189 lbs.) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg/213 lbs.).

Ramos made the 2014 U.S. World Team. He will be in a wide-open 57 kilos class that also includes past World fifth-place finishers Nick Simmons and Angel Escobedo. Ramos rallied to beat Andrew Hochstrasser for a last-second win in the Open finals.

Two-time NCAA champion Matt McDonough, third in the Trials last year, is another wrestler to watch at 57 kilos along with past 2014 Bill Farrell International champion Joe Colon. Dave Schultz Memorial and University Nationals champion Tyler Graff also has had a strong season.

Humphrey, a two-time World Team member, is wrestling well again after dropping back down to 61 kg/134 lbs. He held off NCAA champion Kendric Maple in the Open finals.

2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott was upset early in the Open, but rebounded to place third. Scott showed flashes of his past brilliance at the World Cup and could be a factor here as well.

Veteran Daniel Dennis and newcomer Joey McKenna also have wrestled well this season at 61 kilos.

Metcalf has made three World Teams and has wrestled very well again this season, particularly at the World Cup. Two-time NCAA champion and past Junior World medalist Jordan Oliver lost to Metcalf in the 2014 World Team Trials and 2015 U.S. Open finals. Oliver is still looking to break through and make his first Senior Team.

Kellen Russell, Logan Stieber and Frank Molinaro appear to be Oliver’s top competition in the Challenge Tournament at 65 kg/143 lbs.

Russell looked very good in beating Stieber, a four-time NCAA champion, in the Open. Molinaro, third at the Trials last year, lost a tight match to Metcalf at the Open.

Jimmy Kennedy, the 2014 World Team Trials winner at 61 kilos, has received a wild card at 65 kilos for the Trials. He is a very gifted wrestler who can’t be counted out.

Marable is looking to make his second straight World Team at 70 kg/154 lbs. He downed 2009 World Team member Dustin Schlatter in the U.S. Open finals. 2014 World Team Trials runner-up James Green is another wrestler to watch in this weight class.

Herbert, a 2009 World silver medalist and 2012 Olympian, returned to domestic competition in a huge way with an impressive Open showing at 86 kg/189 lbs.

Herbert earned back-to-back wins over 2014 World Team member Ed Ruth and 2013 World Team member Keith Gavin to win the U.S. Open.

Ruth, Gavin and Clayton Foster appear to be the top contenders in the Challenge Tournament at 86 kilos.

The 19-year-old Snyder, who just finished second at the NCAA tournament as an Ohio State freshman, knocked off 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner 2-1 in the U.S. Open finals at 97 kg/213 lbs.

Snyder won a Junior World title in 2013. Varner is looking to make his fourth World Team. He made teams in 2009, 2011 and 2014, winning a World bronze medal in 2011.

Two-time World Team member J.D. Bergman, third at the Open, is another top contender in this class. 2014 NCAA champion J’den Cox of Missouri placed fourth at the U.S. Open. Cayle Byers, fifth at the Open, also has had a strong season at 97 kilos.

2015 U.S. World Team Trials Freestyle Schedule

Saturday, June 13
10 a.m. – Challenge Tournament (57 kg, 70 kg, 86 kg, 125 kg)
5 p.m. – Finals (57 kg, 70 kg, 86 kg, 125 kg)

Sunday, June 14
10 a.m. – Challenge Tournament (61 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg)
5 p.m. – Finals (61 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg)

2015 U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials Qualifiers

57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2015 U.S. Open champion- Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open third place – Nick Simmons, Bloomington, Ind. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Joe Colon. Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC),
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion - Bradley Pataky, West Point, N.Y. (West Point WC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Frank Perrelli, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC)

61 kg/134 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2015 U.S. Open champion- Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Kendric Maple, Norman, Okla. (New York AC),
2015 U.S. Open third place – Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Jon Morrison, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion - Joey Lazor, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Panther WC RTC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Tyler Graff, Dublin Ohio (NYAC)
Wildcard selection – Joey McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC)
Wildcard selection – Kyle Hutter, Virginia Beach, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)

66 kg/143 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2015 U.S. Open champion- Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids
2015 U.S. Open third place – Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (NLWC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion - Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC)
Wildcard selection – Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

70 kg/154 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2015 U.S. Open champion- Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm),
2015 U.S. Open third place – James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Derek St. John, Fargo, N.D. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Nazar Kulchytskyy, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2014 World bronze medalist – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open champion- David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
2015 U.S. Open second place – Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open third place – Anthony Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Colton Sponseller, Edinboro, Pa. (NYAC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC RTC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg/189 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2015 U.S. Open champion- Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC),
2015 U.S. Open third place – Edward Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Deron Winn, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Richard Perry, Washington, D.C. (NYAC/Penn WC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC)
Wildcard selection – Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg/213 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2015 U.S. Open champion- Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC),
2015 U.S. Open third place – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – J`den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)
Wildcard selection – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/OTC)
Wildcard selection – Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)

125 kg/275 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier

2014 World bronze medalist – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
2015 U.S. Open third place – Dom Bradley, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids WC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Tyrell Fortune, Phoenix, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Connor Medbery, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)

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