U.S. picks up six gold medals on day one of Bill Farrell International; Sanders named Greco-Roman OW

Kendrick Sanders (New York AC) takes on Justin Lester (U.S. Army WCAP) in the 75 kg Bill Farrell International finals. Photo: Justin Hoch, Jhoch.com

VIDEO: Interviews with U.S. Bill Farrell International champions

NEW YORK – Six U.S. wrestlers won gold medals in the Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle competitions at the 2015 Bill Farrell International at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan on Friday.

The U.S. performed admirably on the Greco-Roman side winning five of the six contested weight classes.

Kendrick Sanders (Homestead, Fla./New York AC) scored one of the nights big wins by defeating two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) 5-0 in the 75 kg/165 lbs. finals.

“For me it was just staying confident, staying on the attack and not relaxing in any positions,” Sanders said. “He’s beaten me twice before this. I had that in the back of my mind that it wasn’t going to happen three times. I kept pushing, didn’t give up any positions and just stuck with my gameplan.”

Sanders won the Bill Farrell International at 71 kg/156.5 lbs. last year but has since moved up to 75 kg for the Olympic year. He was named Outstanding Wrestling for his performance in the Greco-Roman competition.

2014 U.S. World Team member Joe Rau (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) made a sizeable move up to 98 kg/217 lbs. for this competition and upset three-time U.S. World Team member Caylor Williams 5-4 in the gold medal match. Rau made the World Team at 80 kg/176 lbs. in 2014 and competed at 85 kg/187 lbs. last year.

“It’s the match I’ve really been wanting. I was hoping to get it early in the year and win it early on in the year. I feel really good up in weight and I’m glad I got that match,” said Rau.

2015 NCAA runner-up Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich./Cliff Keen WC) picked up his first senior level gold medal at an international competition.

Coon defeated 2015 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Toby Erickson (East Helena, Mont./New York AC) in dramatic fashion during the 130 kg/286 lbs. finals. Trailing 4-1 late in the match Coon cinched up a body lock to toss Erickson for four points and a fall with 41 seconds left in the match.

Both Coon and Erickson are past Junior World bronze medalists for the U.S.

A pair of U.S. Army WCAP teammates, Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) and Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) picked up gold medals on Friday as well.

Mango dominated the 59 kg/130 lbs. field, earning three wins by technical falls on top of a 7-0 decision over Hassan Abdelau of Egypt in the finals.

Anderson continued his streak of success at 85 kg with a 4-1 win over Masato Sumi of Japan in the gold medal match.

Three-time U.S. World Team member Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) picked up the lone American title in women’s freestyle by defeating fellow American Michaela Hutchison (Lebanon, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) in the 53 kg/116.5 lbs. finals. This showdown was a rematch of the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials best-of-three finals series at 53 kg won by Conder.

The win marks Conder’s third major international tournament win in the 2015 calendar year. She also won the Dave Schultz Memorial International in January and Pan American Games in July.

“It was good to have a tournament after the World’s and come out with a win,” Conder said. “I definitely started off slow. I didn’t start how I wanted to. I picked it up throughout the day but I definitely didn’t feel my best. I know there are a lot of things I need to go back and work on.”

Canada displayed a dominant team performance with Michelle Fazzari, Dorothy Yeats and Erica Wiebe all earning gold medals in women’s freestyle.

At 69 kg/152 lbs. Yeats won a rematch of the 2014 University World finals against American Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC), 3-0. Wiebe took out 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller 7-0 at 75 kg/165 lbs. to win her seventh international competition of 2015.

Fazzari defeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) 6-2 in the 58 kg/128 lbs. finals and was named Outstanding Wrester in the women’s freestyle division for her efforts.

Japan claimed two championships in women's freestyle with Yuka Yago winning by forfeit over 2012 World champion Jessica MacDonald of Canada at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Ayaka Ito topping teammate Misuzu Takahashi 8-0 at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Both the Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle competitions served as qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to be held in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9-10 of next year. The highest placed USA athlete winning a medal that has yet to qualify will earn a spot in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials

Hutchison, Mensah and Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) earned Olympic Trials berths on the women’s freestyle side while Sanders, Anderson, Rau, Coon and Ellis Coleman (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) secured spots in the Greco-Roman Trials.

Only the 18 Olympic weight classes will be contested over the two days of competition at the Bill Farrell International.

The men’s freestyle competition will be held on Saturday and will also serve a U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifier. The event can be watched live, in its entirety, on Flowrestling.org.

BILL FARRELL INTERNATIONAL
At New York, N.Y., Nov. 6

Women’s freestyle results
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Yuka Yago (Japan) forfeit Jessica MacDonald (Canada), 0:00
Bronze – Jasmine Mian (Canada) tech fall Natasha Kramble (Canada), 10-0

53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Gold – Whitney Conder (United States) dec Michaela Hutchison (United States), 3-1
Bronze – Deanna Betterman (United States) dec Jade Parsons (Canada), 7-2

58 kg/128 lbs.
Gold – Michelle Fazzari (Canada) dec Kelsey Campbell (United States), 6-2
Bronze – Kayla Miracle (United States) dec Maya Nelson (United States), 4-2

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Ayaka Ito (Japan) dec Misuzu Takahashi (Japan), 8-0
Bronze – Danielle Lappage (Canada) tech fall Amanda Hendey (United States), 10-0

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Dorothy Yeats (Canada) dec Tamyra Mensah (United States), 3-0
Bronze – Stacie Anaka (Canada) dec Julia Salata (United States), 7-2

75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Erica Wiebe (Canada) dec Randi Miller (United States), 7-0
Bronze – Justina DiSatasio (Canada) tech fall Destane Garrick (United States), 10-0

Outstanding Wrestler – Michelle Fazzari (Canada), 58 kg champion

Greco-Roman results
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Spenser Mango (United States) dec Hassan Abdelau (Egypt), 7-0
Bronze – Ildar Hafizov (Unattached) dec Sammy Jones (United States), 5-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Ji Hyun Jung (Korea) tech fall Ellis Coleman (United States), 8-0
Bronze – Alejandro Sancho (United States) dec Bo Beckman (United States), 5-1

75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Kendrick Sanders (United States) dec Justin Lester (United States), 5-0
Bronze – Cheney Haight (United States) fall Youssef Karim Ibrahim (Egypt), 3:38

85 kg/187 lbs.
Gold – Jon Anderson (United States) dec Masato Sumi (Japan), 4-1
Bronze – Jake Clark (United States) dec Geonho Kim (Korea), 4-0

98 kg/217 lbs.
Gold – Joe Rau (United States) dec Caylor Williams (United States), 5-4
Bronze – Jarod Trice (United States) dec Yong Nam Kim (Korea), 6-2

130 kg/286 lbs.
Gold – Adam Coon (United States) fall Toby Erickson (United States), 0:19
Bronze – Hyun Hee Hong (Korea) dec Zach Merrill (United States), 2-0

Outstanding Wrestler – Kendrick Sanders (United States), 75 kg champion