Big names power into Greco-Roman finals at U.S. Open
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Jon Anderson hits a big throw en route to reaching the U.S. Open finals in Greco-Roman on Friday morning in Las Vegas. Tim Hipps photo.
LAS VEGAS – Returning champions Justin Lester, Jordan Holm and Robby Smith are back in the finals of the U.S. Open.
The three wrestlers will shoot for championships during the U.S. Open Greco-Roman finals on Friday night at the South Point Arena. The finals start at 7 p.m.
Lester is seeking his sixth Open title, Holm his fourth and Smith his second.
The top two finishers at the U.S. Open will advance to the Greco-Roman World Team Trials on June 4 in Ithaca, N.Y. The U.S. Open champion will enter the Trials with a 1-0 lead over the runner-up in the best-of-3 match series.
Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist and 2012 Olympian, rolled to a fall and a technical fall in the first session at 71 kg/156 lbs.
Holm, a two-time World Team member, outscored two opponents by a combined 19-0 total in earning a pair of wins by technical fall at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Smith, fifth in the World in 2013 and a two-time World Team member, won by fall and two technical falls at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Smith downed 2014 Junior World bronze medalist Adam Coon by an 8-0 technical fall in the semifinals.
“I’ve never wrestled him before,” Smith said. “He’s a Junior World medalist and you always have to respect that. Big kid, young – could be a real good talent one day. Strong. Just a little too much folkstyle for him right now. I was just digging underhooks and staying in good position. From there on, you just wrestle Greco and it works out for you.”
Pat Smith stormed into the finals with a dramatic fall over No. 2 seed Kendrick Sanders at 71 kg/156 lbs. Smith, the No. 3 seed, trailed by a 2-0 score before battling back. He will face Lester in the finals.
Sanders won the 2014 U.S. Open at 80 kg/176 lbs.
“He’s extremely talented,” Smith said. “I’ve wrestled him a lot of times before. I was really confident. I was feeling really good with my pressure. I know I have really good pace. Constant pressure was the game plan. I was trying to stay on him. I kind of got him in a bad spot. He tried to duck. I caught him, I felt it. And I stepped right over on that.”
The other four Greco-Roman weight classes will be contested at the U.S. Open on Saturday.
U.S. Open
May 8, South Point Arena, Las Vegas
Greco-Roman finalists
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Bryce Saddoris (U.S. Marines) vs. Alejandro Sancho (New York AC)
71 kg/156 lbs.
Justin Lester (U.S. Army) vs. Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm) vs. Jon Anderson (U.S. Army)
130 kg/286 lbs.
Robby Smith (New York AC) vs. Toby Erickson (New York AC)
LAS VEGAS – Returning champions Justin Lester, Jordan Holm and Robby Smith are back in the finals of the U.S. Open.
The three wrestlers will shoot for championships during the U.S. Open Greco-Roman finals on Friday night at the South Point Arena. The finals start at 7 p.m.
Lester is seeking his sixth Open title, Holm his fourth and Smith his second.
The top two finishers at the U.S. Open will advance to the Greco-Roman World Team Trials on June 4 in Ithaca, N.Y. The U.S. Open champion will enter the Trials with a 1-0 lead over the runner-up in the best-of-3 match series.
Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist and 2012 Olympian, rolled to a fall and a technical fall in the first session at 71 kg/156 lbs.
Holm, a two-time World Team member, outscored two opponents by a combined 19-0 total in earning a pair of wins by technical fall at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Smith, fifth in the World in 2013 and a two-time World Team member, won by fall and two technical falls at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Smith downed 2014 Junior World bronze medalist Adam Coon by an 8-0 technical fall in the semifinals.
“I’ve never wrestled him before,” Smith said. “He’s a Junior World medalist and you always have to respect that. Big kid, young – could be a real good talent one day. Strong. Just a little too much folkstyle for him right now. I was just digging underhooks and staying in good position. From there on, you just wrestle Greco and it works out for you.”
Pat Smith stormed into the finals with a dramatic fall over No. 2 seed Kendrick Sanders at 71 kg/156 lbs. Smith, the No. 3 seed, trailed by a 2-0 score before battling back. He will face Lester in the finals.
Sanders won the 2014 U.S. Open at 80 kg/176 lbs.
“He’s extremely talented,” Smith said. “I’ve wrestled him a lot of times before. I was really confident. I was feeling really good with my pressure. I know I have really good pace. Constant pressure was the game plan. I was trying to stay on him. I kind of got him in a bad spot. He tried to duck. I caught him, I felt it. And I stepped right over on that.”
The other four Greco-Roman weight classes will be contested at the U.S. Open on Saturday.
U.S. Open
May 8, South Point Arena, Las Vegas
Greco-Roman finalists
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Bryce Saddoris (U.S. Marines) vs. Alejandro Sancho (New York AC)
71 kg/156 lbs.
Justin Lester (U.S. Army) vs. Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm) vs. Jon Anderson (U.S. Army)
130 kg/286 lbs.
Robby Smith (New York AC) vs. Toby Erickson (New York AC)
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