NYAC takes loaded roster to Budapest, Hungary, for Greco-Roman World Wrestling Clubs Cup, Dec. 8-9
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by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling
The New York Athletic Club will take 10 talented Greco-Roman wrestlers to compete at the 3rd Greco-Roman World Wrestling Clubs Cup in Budapest, Hungary, on Dec. 8-9.
This is the first year the U.S. has entered a team.
The New York AC squad boasts several recent international medals. Leading the team are veterans Cheney Haight at 80 kg/176 lbs. and Patrick Smith at 71 kg/156 lbs.
Haight is a 2011 World Team member and has competed quite a bit this year, earning a spot on the U.S. National Team, a second-place finish at Senior Greco-Roman Nationals and a gold-medal performance at the Pan-American Championships.
Smith earned second at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials at 66 kg and recently finished third at the Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials at 71 kg. He is a three-time U.S. National Team member and a 2014 University World silver medalist.
A pair of 2016 Junior World Team members and Olympic Training Center resident athletes will represent the U.S. at the event.
G’Angelo Hancock, a 2016 Junior World bronze medalist, will wrestle at 98 kg/213 lbs. The two-time Junior World Team member has had a successful year on the Greco circuit, earning five Senior-level international medals, including golds at the Bill Farrell International and the Klippan Cup, in addition to his three Junior-level medals.
Hancock is also a member of the U.S. National Team, finishing third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Joining him is Kamal Bey, who finished eighth at the 2016 Junior World Championships. Bey recently earned gold at the Bill Farrell International in New York City last month. He is expected to wrestle at 75 kg/165 lbs.
Also on the roster at 75 kg is Nick Tarpley, a 2014 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals runner-up.
The New York AC team also features a second 98 kg wrestler in 2016 Armed Forces champion and Grand Prix Zagreb bronze medalist Dan Miller.
Three other Bill Farrell International medalists fill the roster, including bronze medalist Sammy Jones at 59 kg/130 lbs., and silver medalists Austin Morrow at 66 kg/145 lbs. and Eric Fader at 130 kg/286 lbs.
Jones was a 2016 Pan-American Championships bronze medalist and a 2014 University World bronze medalist, while Morrow was the 2016 University Nationals champion and claimed a silver medal at this year’s Malar Cup in Vasteras, Sweden.
Kevin Radford will wrestle for the NYAC at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Competition will be held on Thursday, Dec. 8, with the preliminary rounds and wrap up on Friday, Dec. 9, with the semifinals and finals.
According to the rules of the event, only the organizers Hungary and Iran can enter more than one team. The format will include four pools, in which the winners advance to a semifinal round. The semifinal winners compete for 1st and 2nd place, while the semifinal losers will compete for 3rd and 4th place. There will be placement matches for the top 10 teams in the tournament.
The top-three teams will receive medals and diplomas.
The event ends one day prior to the start of the 2016 Non-Olympic Weight World Championships, which will also be held in Budapest.
Keep up with all the action on themat.com or follow USA Wrestling on social media at @USAWrestling.
GRECO-ROMAN CLUB WORLD CUP
At Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 8-9
New York Athletic Club roster
59 kg/130 lbs. – Sammy Jones, Folsom, La.
66 kg/145 lbs. – Austin Morrow, Wenatchee, Wash.
71 kg/156 lbs. – Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn.
75 kg/165 lbs. – Kama Bey, Colorado Springs, Colo.
75 kg/165 lbs. – Nick Tarpley, Colorado Springs, Colo.
80 kg/176 lbs. – Cheney Haight, Colorado Springs, Colo.
85 kg/187 lbs. – Kevin Radford, Tempe, Ariz.
98 kg/213 lbs. – G’Angelo Hancock, Colorado Springs, Colo.
98 kg/213 lbs. – Dan Miller, Jacksonville, N.C.
130 kg/286 lbs. – Eric Fader, Sanford, Mich.
U.S. Greco-Roman National Head Coach – Matt Lindland, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Herb House, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – JD Robbins, Oviedo, Fla.
Referee – Umberto Fasolino, Cutchogue, N.Y.
Schedule (Local time, six hours ahead of ET)
Thursday, Dec. 8
9 a.m. – 1st and 2nd round
5 p.m. – 3rd round
Friday, Dec. 9
9 a.m. – Semifinals, 9th and 11th-place matches
4 p.m. – 5th and 7th-place matches
5:30 p.m. – 3rd-place match
7 p.m. – Finals
