Seven U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers recognized in final UWW Greco-Roman rankings
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Robby Smith of the USA tosses Bilyal Makhov of Russia in the 130 kg bronze medal match at the 2015 World Championships. Smith finished the year with a No. 6 World ranking. Photo by Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com
Seven U.S. wrestlers were in the top 20 of the World in the final Greco-Roman ranking by United World Wrestling. It was the most Americans to be ranked in Greco-Roman all season.
Four of the seven ranked wrestlers were unranked in September, prior to the 2015 World Wrestling Championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Sept. 7-12. All seven of the ranked Americans were members of the 2015 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team.
Two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) is the top ranked American at No. 3 at 75 kg/163 lbs. Bisek won a bronze medal at the World Championships, his second straight year with a bronze on the World podium. He entered the World Championships with a No. 18 World ranking.
Andy Bisek’s back-to-back World medals in Greco-Roman puts him in rare company, as only three others have won World Greco-Roman medals in consecutive years, David Hazewinkel (1969, 1970), Dennis Hall (1994, 1995) and Justin Lester (2006, 2007).
Finishing the year at No. 6 at 130 kg/286 lbs. was three-time World Team member Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who finished fifth in the World Championships for the second time in his career. Smith moved up from a No. 18 World ranking in September.
Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) went from unranked last month to a final World ranking of No. 7 at 71 kg/156 lbs. Lester placed eighth in the World Championships at his weight class, with a 2-2 record which featured some great wrestling by Lester in all of his bouts.
Lester was one of four U.S. wrestlers who were unranked in September, but moved into the final UWW World rankings in October after their performances at the World Championships.
The other three unranked American Greco-Roman stars who moved into the rankings were:
• Bryce Saddoris, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps), who is No. 14 at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
• Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), who is No. 16 at 98 kg/215 lbs.
• Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), who is No. 18 at 80 kg/176 lbs.
Saddoris, competing in his second World meet, had a 2-2 record in Las Vegas. Williams went 1-1 at the Worlds in Las Vegas, and Martinez went 1-2 there.
The final U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler in the rankings was two-time Olympian Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), who finished at No. 19 at 59 kg/130 lbs.
The top six wrestlers in each weight category at the world championships were automatically awarded the top six positions in this month’s rankings. The rankings No. 7 to No. 20 were determined, in part, by a wrestler’s performance in Las Vegas along with results in competition throughout 2015.
Click here to read full UWW October Greco-Roman rankings and story
U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers in UWW October Rankings
No. 3 at 75 kg – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
No. 6 at 130 kg – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
No. 7 at 71 kg – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
No. 14 at 66 kg – Bryce Saddoris, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
No. 16 at 98 kg – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
No. 18 at 80 kg – Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
No. 19 at 59 kg – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Seven U.S. wrestlers were in the top 20 of the World in the final Greco-Roman ranking by United World Wrestling. It was the most Americans to be ranked in Greco-Roman all season.
Four of the seven ranked wrestlers were unranked in September, prior to the 2015 World Wrestling Championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Sept. 7-12. All seven of the ranked Americans were members of the 2015 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team.
Two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) is the top ranked American at No. 3 at 75 kg/163 lbs. Bisek won a bronze medal at the World Championships, his second straight year with a bronze on the World podium. He entered the World Championships with a No. 18 World ranking.
Andy Bisek’s back-to-back World medals in Greco-Roman puts him in rare company, as only three others have won World Greco-Roman medals in consecutive years, David Hazewinkel (1969, 1970), Dennis Hall (1994, 1995) and Justin Lester (2006, 2007).
Finishing the year at No. 6 at 130 kg/286 lbs. was three-time World Team member Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who finished fifth in the World Championships for the second time in his career. Smith moved up from a No. 18 World ranking in September.
Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) went from unranked last month to a final World ranking of No. 7 at 71 kg/156 lbs. Lester placed eighth in the World Championships at his weight class, with a 2-2 record which featured some great wrestling by Lester in all of his bouts.
Lester was one of four U.S. wrestlers who were unranked in September, but moved into the final UWW World rankings in October after their performances at the World Championships.
The other three unranked American Greco-Roman stars who moved into the rankings were:
• Bryce Saddoris, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps), who is No. 14 at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
• Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), who is No. 16 at 98 kg/215 lbs.
• Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), who is No. 18 at 80 kg/176 lbs.
Saddoris, competing in his second World meet, had a 2-2 record in Las Vegas. Williams went 1-1 at the Worlds in Las Vegas, and Martinez went 1-2 there.
The final U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler in the rankings was two-time Olympian Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), who finished at No. 19 at 59 kg/130 lbs.
The top six wrestlers in each weight category at the world championships were automatically awarded the top six positions in this month’s rankings. The rankings No. 7 to No. 20 were determined, in part, by a wrestler’s performance in Las Vegas along with results in competition throughout 2015.
Click here to read full UWW October Greco-Roman rankings and story
U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers in UWW October Rankings
No. 3 at 75 kg – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
No. 6 at 130 kg – Robby Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
No. 7 at 71 kg – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
No. 14 at 66 kg – Bryce Saddoris, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
No. 16 at 98 kg – Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
No. 18 at 80 kg – Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
No. 19 at 59 kg – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
