Greco Newcomers Radford and Hancock claim U.S. Senior National titles

G'Angelo Hancock adds U.S. Senior Nationals champion  to his resume. Photo: Robert Wijtman

VIDEO: U.S. Senior Nationals interviews

LAS VEGAS – Three of the night’s four wrestlers earned their first U.S. Senior Nationals titles at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino on Sunday night to wrap up a high-flying weekend of action.


G’Angelo Hancock and Hayden Zillmer put on another heated performance in the 98-kg finals, a rematch of the recent Bill Farrell International finals.


Hancock remained untouched on the day, notching a step-out and a passivity point to hold Zillmer, once again, for a 2-0 win.


“He’s a folkstyle guy and his style doesn’t really match with mine much,” Hancock said. “I’m a very high-intensity wrestler and he’s a more tie-in and slow wrestler. He likes low-scoring matches and that clashes with me often. I tried to make it as interesting as possible.”


Hancock wraps up 2016 with a Junior World bronze medal, a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team, a Bill Farrell gold and a U.S. National title, to name a few.


“I’m looking forward to World Team Trials and ready to make it happen out there,” he said. “I want to make that Senior World Team, and it’ll be a first as well. It’s all in due time.”


Two unexpected contenders emerged in the finals at 85 kg.


Kevin Radford, a former Arizona State wrestler, surfaced as a force to be reckoned with, winning his first U.S. Senior Nationals title just over a year after deciding to take on Greco-Roman wrestling.


With his first throw of the day, Radford took a 4-1 win over Northern Michigan University wrestler Khymba Johnson, who defeated two-time Olympian Ben Provisor earlier in the day.


“When I felt it, I had to just go for it. It was bang or bust,” Radford said. “I knew I was going to be in for a battle and I had to pick and choose my attacks. I was looking for a duck the whole match, but he wouldn’t let me get to it. I guess he knew it was coming so I had to go with something else to get the points on the board.”


Three-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Toby Erickson earned the first Senior-level stop sign of his career, defeating Army WCAP teammate Jacob Mitchell, 2-1, in the 130 kg finals.


“It was going to be a tough match. I knew it was,” Erickson said. “Jacob has great positioning and he’s dangerous from anywhere. My mentality going into the match was to keep out of those dangerous positions and get to where I’m good and control the pace. I know I needed to get my offense going and score more takedowns, but it’s come along a lot better since April.”


Erickson, who finished third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, outscored his opponents 24-4 en route to his first U.S. Open title.


Cheney Haight earned his second U.S. Senior Nationals championship and his first since 2010 with his 4-0 win over Jon Jay Chavez at 80 kg.


His finals bout wrapped up Greco action for the tournament.


Haight, the 2016 Olympic Trials runner-up, earned a quick four points in the first period with an arm throw, the only points scored in the match for a 4-0 decision.


“I felt good during [the finals], and I felt like I accomplished what I set out to do,” Haight said. “I wanted to not get out of my game plan and just dominate the position. I caught him the arm throw. I felt like I accomplished what I wanted position-wise.”


Overall, the 2011 World Team member earned two wins by technical fall and shut out two opponents in his championship run.


Complete brackets, match-by-match results and archived matches of the U.S. Senior Nationals can be found at Flowrestling.com.

2017 U.S. SENIOR GRECO-ROMAN NATIONALS

Dec. 17-18 at Las Vegas, Nev.


Greco-Roman Results

Div. I Team Champions – New York Athletic Club

Div. II Team Champions – Minnesota Storm

Outstanding Wrestler – Kamal Bey, 75 kg champion

80 kg/176 lbs.
1st - Cheney Haight (NYAC) dec. Jon Jay Chavez (NYAC), 4-0

3rd - Barrett Stanghill (Minnesota Storm) dec. John Anderson (U.S. Army WCAP), 3-0

5th - John Stefanowicz (Marines) dec. Tommy Brackett (West Tennessee Takedown Club), 7-1

7th - Sergio Guerrero (NMU-OTS) tech fall Curt Calovecchi (NMU-OTS), 8-0

85 kg/187 lbs.
1st - Kevin Radford (Sunkist Kids) dec. Khymba Johnson (NYAC), 4-1

3rd - Ben Provisor (New York AC) dec. Lucas Sheridan (U.S. Army WCAP), 3-1

5th - Dan Olsen (Unattached) tech fall Jeff (New York AC), 8-0

7th - Ryan Hope (New York Athletic Club) tech fall Austin Chaon (NMU-OTS), 8-0

98 kg/215.5 lbs.
1st - G'Angelo Hancock (NYAC) dec. Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm), 2-0

3rd - Enock Francois (New York AC) dec. Micah Burak (Titan Mercury WC), 4-1

5th - James Souza (U.S. Army WCAP) win by fall Trent Osnes Camp (Marines), 0:46

7th - Daniel Miller (Marines) tech fall Anthony Riopelle (NMU-OTS), 8-0

130 kg/286 lbs.
1st - Toby Erickson (Army WCAP) dec. Jacob Mitchell (Army WCAP), 2-1

3rd - Malcolm Allen (Minnesota Storm) dec. Eric Fader (Marines), 7-5

5th - Zack Wilcox (MWC Wrestling Academy) tech fall Ronald Dombkowski (NMU-OTS), 8-0