Past champions Graff, Miller, Coon storm into University Nationals quarters

Tyler Graff, shown at the Dave Schultz Memorial earlier this year, advanced to the University Nationals quarterfinals in freestyle on Saturday. USA Wrestling file photo.

AKRON, Ohio – Tyler Graff, Ian Miller and Adam Coon know plenty about winning big wrestling matches.
The three top young standouts were among a strong group that advanced to the University Nationals freestyle quarterfinals on Saturday at the University of Akron Field House.
The quarterfinals are set for 9 a.m. Sunday.
Graff, slated to compete in the U.S. World Team Trials in two weeks, reached the University Nationals quarters at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. The NCAA runner-up has had a superb season, earning a win at the Dave Schultz Memorial earlier this year.
Miller, an All-American for Kent State, rolled into the quarters at 74 kg/163 lbs. Miller was the Outstanding Wrestler after winning this event last year.
Heavyweight standout Adam Coon, an NCAA runner-up for Michigan, stormed into the finals at 125 kg/275.5 lbs. Coon, a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman, won University Nationals in freestyle last year.
NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern and All-American Brandon Sorensen of Iowa both moved into the quarterfinals at 70 kg/154 lbs.
Tsirtsis won two of three close bouts over Sorensen during the college season, including a victory in the third-place bout at March’s NCAA tournament.
Tsirtsis is a past U.S. Junior World Team member.
Four of Sorensen’s Hawkeye teammates – Phillip Laux, Alex Meyer, Sammy Brooks and Nathan Burak – also advanced to the quarters on Saturday.
Past champions in this event had qualified for the University World Championships, but there will not be a University Worlds this year. The University Worlds will return to the schedule in 2016.
UNIVERSITY NATIONALS

Freestyle

May 30, 2015 Akron, Ohio


Quarterfinal matchups
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Tyler Graff (New York AC) vs. Luke Welch (Boilermaker RTC)
Tim Lambert (NWTC) vs. Phillip Laux (University of Iowa)
Sean Russell (Edinboro Scots) vs. Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan)
Darian Cruz (Lehigh Valley AC) vs. Skylar Petry (Minnesota Storm)
61 kg/134 lbs. 
Earl Hall (Iowa State) vs. Anthony Tutolo (Golden Pride WC)
Paul Petrov (Bison Legend) vs. Corey Keener (Central Michigan RTC)
Nathan Kraisser (Campbell RTC) vs. Brock Zacherl (Clarion)
Rossi Bruno (Michigan RTC) vs. Mike Labry (Ashland)
65 kg/143 lbs.
Evan Henderson (Carolina WC) vs. Laike Gardner (Lehigh Valley AC)
Dalton Brady (Arizona State) vs. Danny Sabatello (Boilermaker RTC)
Steve Bleiser (Northern Illinois) vs. Matthew Manley (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Anthony Abidin (NWTC) vs. Dom Forys (PWC RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs.
Jason Tsirtsis (Chicago RTC) vs. Joey LaVallee (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) vs. Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Iowa State)
Anthony Collica (Cowboy WC) vs. John Boyle (DCAC)
Brandon Sorensen (University of Iowa) vs. Bradley Dolezal (Minnesota Storm)
74 kg/163 lbs.
Ian Miller (Golden Pride WC) vs. Austin Trott (Boiling Springs)
Thomas Gantt (Wolfpack WC) vs. Markus Scheidel (Columbia TMW)
Nestor Taffur (Prinecton Amateur Wrestling) vs. Ethan Ramos (Carolina WC)
Chris Dowdy (Finger Lakes) vs. Michael Moreno (Iowa State)
80 kg/176 lbs.
Alex Meyer (University of Iowa) vs. Keaton Subjeck (Stanford)
Jim Wilson (Stanford) vs. Chad Welch (Boilermaker WC)
Zac Brunson (Illinois) vs. Conor Brennan (Broncs Wrestling
Micah Barnes (NWTC) vs. Nicolas Kee (AppState RTC)
86 kg/189 lbs.
Pat Downey (New York AC) vs. Hayden Zillmer (Bison WC)
Dominic Abounader (Michigan RTC) vs. Ryan Loder (Panther WC)
Ethen Lofthouse (Wolverine WC) vs. Canaan Bethea (Penn RTC)
Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) vs. Sammy Brooks (University of Iowa)
97 kg/213 lbs.
Nathan Burak (University of Iowa) vs. Jacob Berkowitz (Chicago RTC)
Preston Weigel (Cowboy WC) vs. Brad Johnson (Sooner WC)
Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois) vs. Phillip Wellington (Bobcat WC)
Austin Schafer (Cowboy WC) vs. Michael Boykin (Wolfpack WC)
125 kg/275.5 lbs.
Adam Coon (Michigan RTC) vs. Jake Gunning (Buffalo RTC)
Collin Jensen (NWTC) vs. Blaize Cabell (PWC RTC)
Nathan Butler (Stanford) vs. Michael Kosoy (Wolfpack WC)
Garrett Ryan (Sunkist Kids) vs. Chad Johnson (Minnesota Storm)