Ramos, Dlagnev qualify USA at their weights with semifinal wins at Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Texas
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Tony Ramos of the USA battles Pedro Mejias Rodriguez of Venezuela in the 57 kg semifinals at the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
FRISCO, Texas – The United States put two men’s freestyle wrestlers into the championship finals, earning Olympic qualification for the nation, during the morning session of the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier at the Dr. Pepper Arena.
The top two wrestlers in each of the six Olympic weight classes contested have qualified their nation for the Olympic Games.
Reaching the championship finals were two-time World team member Tony Ramos (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. and two-time World bronze medalist and 2012 Olympian Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC) at 130 kg/275 lbs.
Ramos opened with an impressive 25 second pin over Jefferson Mayea Figueroa of Ecuador, locking him up and throwing him for the quick pin in the quarterfinals. In his semifinal, Ramos trailed 1-2 at the break, but scored a takedown and five consecutive ankle lace turns to beat Pedro Mejias Rodriguez of Venezuela, 13-2 by technical fall.
Ramos will face 2014 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba in the championship finals. Bonne beat Ramos twice last season, once at the Beat the Streets Dual in New York City and also at the World Cup in Los Angeles.
“By the second period (against Mejias), I found out how to pick up my pace to get around behind him and I knew once I got on top he wasn’t great defensive-wise. It was real tight and he was screaming and I looked up and saw that it was 9-2 and I was like ‘alright I got to get two more’ so I hit the two and it was a big relief off my shoulders qualifying the weight, knowing I don’t have to go to Mongolia. I’ve done really good for a month and a half, just sticking to my plan, made weight, stayed hydrated and I felt really great today,” said Ramos.
Dlagnev qualified the USA for the Olympics without having to wrestle a single second. In his quarterfinal match, Edguardo Lopez Morell of Puerto Rico forfeited his bout to Dlagnev. In the semifinals, Jesse Ruiz Flores of Mexico also did not show up, forfeiting the match to Dlagnev.
“I just want to compete, put the singlet on and go through my routine. My family is here and my high school coach and his team so it’s kind of a bummer. At this level you don’t complain, you take the berth. The qualification is the most important, I got that, and that’s what I came here for,” said Dlagnev.
Dlagnev will face Canada’s Korey Jarvis in the finals match on Saturday night. He has beaten Jarvis in the past, and the two athletes have trained together as well.
“I’m just excited to wrestle. I’ve wrestled him some. He’s come to Columbus to work out so I’m pretty familiar with him,” said Dlagnev. “From here on out it’s just training. You simulate your matches as best you can. I’m just glad to be back on the mat and have this opportunity so praise the Lord because my back feels good.”
Dlagnev is a local athlete. He was a two-time Texas state high school medalist for nearby Arlington High School. He won two NCAA Div. II titles for Nebraska-Kearney and has been one of the world’s best heavyweights for many years.
Two other U.S. wrestlers dropped matches and did not qualify their weight classes, and both will compete in bronze-medal bouts, four-time U.S. World team member Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC/Hawkeye WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. and 2009 World silver medalist and 2012 Olympian Jake Herbert (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) opens up at 86 kg/189 lbs.
Metcalf was beaten in a controversial quarterfinal match against 2011 World silver medalist Franklin Gomez of Puerto Rico, 7-9.
Metcalf got way behind against Gomez but came back strong. Gomez led 2-0 at the break after a pushout and one point when Metcalf was unable to score on the shot clock. In the second period, Gomez and Metcalf went out of bounds and referees gave Gomez four points. The USA challenged, and the video did not follow the action completely as they went out of bounds. The USA challenge was denied, and Metcalf trailed 7-0. Another Gomez pushout made it 8-0 and after Metcalf did not finish a takedown when he got behind, another Gomez pushout made it 9-0.
Metcalf’s furious comeback started with a four-point front headlock roll and a takedown, making it 9-6. Gomez was backing up when hit for a caution-and-one for fleeing, making it 9-7. In the last 15 seconds, Metcalf scored an apparent takedown with Gomez keeping attempting to stalemate it by holding a leg. Although the grip was broken a few times, officials did not give the takedown and time ran out. The USA did not have another challenge because of the failed challenge earlier, and Gomez was awarded the match, 9-7.
Gomez was an NCAA champion for Michigan State and trains with the Nittany Lion WC at Penn State. Metcalf had beaten Gomez, 10-8, at the 2015 Pan American Games in July, and had a December 2015 9-2 win in a Flo Premier League pro match.
Gomez went on to win his semifinal match and qualify the weight class for Puerto Rico. Metcalf, a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner, will face Hernan Guzman Ipuz of Colombia.
“Brent wrestled well and finished strong and anyone who watches that video knows it’s a takedown. Clearly they didn’t want him to win. It doesn’t take away the fact that the guy scored a lot of points on us, we’ve got to get better. I'm sure Flo has it on video, show the rest of the world. It was a takedown. I’m frustrated, not real happy,” National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett.
Herbert lost a tough 1-2 semifinal match against three-time World medalist Reineris Salas of Cuba. All of the points were scored on pushouts in the first period. In the second period, Herbert was the aggressor, but was unable to convert on his attempts, as Salas effectively defended against him. Salas now has five career wins over Herbert, including two since Herbert made his comeback to wrestling in 2015.
Herbert won a gutsy opening match over Pedro Ceballos Fuentes of Venezuela, 9-7. Herbert fell behind Ceballos, 0-6, but then opened up his offense. He changed the momentum with a four-point throw and a takedown in the second period, then closed out the win in dominant fashion. Ceballos was a very tough opponent, and had a win over Salas at the 2015 World Championships.
Herbert, who won two NCAA titles for Northwestern and was a Hodge Trophy winner, will face Tamerlan Tagziev of Canada in the bronze-medal bout.
The United States has now qualified four of the six men’s freestyle wrestling weight classes for the Rio Olympic Games. The USA had already qualified at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 97 kg/213 lbs. after Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder won gold medals at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev.
“The reality of it is that we wanted to get all four weights qualified here and we had the opportunity to do that. Our focus right now is to get the guys ready to go and go qualify the two weight classes in Mongolia and shut the door on this so we can get focused on the rest of the world,” said Burnett.
The U.S. will have two more weight classes left to qualify (65 kg and 86 kg). First, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, April 9-10. Then, the USA will have to more chances to qualify those four weight classes, in Ulaanbaattar, Mongolia, April 22-24 and in Istanbul, Turkey, May 6-8.
The freestyle competition will continue with a 5:00 p.m. session featuring the Medal Match Finals.
The Greco-Roman competition is on Sunday, the final day of the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier.
PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFER
At Frisco, Texas, March 5, 2016
Men’s freestyle medal match pairings
57 kilos/125.5 lbs.
Gold medal – Anthony Ramos (USA) vs. Yowlys Rodriguez (Cuba)
Bronze medal – Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Ecuador) vs. Jefferson Figueroa (Ecuador)
Bronze medal – Agustin Destribats (Argentina) vs. Wber Cuero Munoz (Colombia)
65 kilos/143 lbs.
Gold medal – Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) vs. Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba)
Bronze medal – Brent Metcalf (USA) vs. Hernan Guzman (Colombia)
Bronze medal – Haislan Garcia (Canada) vs. Jeffry Avila (Dominican Republican)
74 kilos/163 lbs.
Gold medal – Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba) vs. Carlos Mendez (Colombia)
Bronze medal – Eduardo Meneses (Chile) vs. Asnage Castelly (Hati)
Bronze medal – Yoan Reinoso (Ecuador) vs. Pedro Soto Cordero (Puerto Rico)
86 kilos/189 lbs.
Gold medal – Reineris Salas (Cuba) vs. Jamie Espinal (Puerto Rico)
Bronze medal – Jake Herbert (USA) vs. Tamerlan Tagziev (Canada)
Bronze medal – Pool Ambrocio Griefo (Peru) vs. Edixon Paladines Alberca (Ecuador)
97 kilos/213 lbs.
Gold medal – Javier Lacerra (Cuba) vs. Jose Diaz Robertti (Venezuela)
Bronze medal – Nathanael Rose (Trinidad & Tobago) vs. Arjun Gill (Canada)
Bronze medal – Jarlys Mosquera (Colombia) vs. Paulo Santos De Souza (Brazil)
125 kilos/275 lbs.
Gold medal – Tervel Dlagnev (USA) vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
Bronze medal – Edgardo Lopez (Puerto Rico) vs. Jesse Ruiz Flores (Mexico)
Bronze medal - Luis Vivenes Urbaneja (Venezuela)
U.S. men’s freestyle performances so far on Saturday
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
WIN Jefferson Mayea Figueroa (Ecuador), pin 0:25
WIN Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Venezuela), 13-2
Gold Medal Finals – vs. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)
65 kg/143 lbs. - Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)
LOSS Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico), 7-9
Bronze medal match – vs. Hernan Guzman Ipuz (Colombia)
86 kg/189 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
WIN Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 9-7
LOSS Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 1-2
Bronze medal match – vs. Tamerlan Tagziev (Canada)
125 kg/275 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
WIN Edguardo Lopez Morell (Puerto Rico), forfeit
WIN Jesse Ruiz Flores (Mexico), forfeit
Gold Medal Match – Vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
FRISCO, Texas – The United States put two men’s freestyle wrestlers into the championship finals, earning Olympic qualification for the nation, during the morning session of the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier at the Dr. Pepper Arena.
The top two wrestlers in each of the six Olympic weight classes contested have qualified their nation for the Olympic Games.
Reaching the championship finals were two-time World team member Tony Ramos (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. and two-time World bronze medalist and 2012 Olympian Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC) at 130 kg/275 lbs.
Ramos opened with an impressive 25 second pin over Jefferson Mayea Figueroa of Ecuador, locking him up and throwing him for the quick pin in the quarterfinals. In his semifinal, Ramos trailed 1-2 at the break, but scored a takedown and five consecutive ankle lace turns to beat Pedro Mejias Rodriguez of Venezuela, 13-2 by technical fall.
Ramos will face 2014 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba in the championship finals. Bonne beat Ramos twice last season, once at the Beat the Streets Dual in New York City and also at the World Cup in Los Angeles.
“By the second period (against Mejias), I found out how to pick up my pace to get around behind him and I knew once I got on top he wasn’t great defensive-wise. It was real tight and he was screaming and I looked up and saw that it was 9-2 and I was like ‘alright I got to get two more’ so I hit the two and it was a big relief off my shoulders qualifying the weight, knowing I don’t have to go to Mongolia. I’ve done really good for a month and a half, just sticking to my plan, made weight, stayed hydrated and I felt really great today,” said Ramos.
Dlagnev qualified the USA for the Olympics without having to wrestle a single second. In his quarterfinal match, Edguardo Lopez Morell of Puerto Rico forfeited his bout to Dlagnev. In the semifinals, Jesse Ruiz Flores of Mexico also did not show up, forfeiting the match to Dlagnev.
“I just want to compete, put the singlet on and go through my routine. My family is here and my high school coach and his team so it’s kind of a bummer. At this level you don’t complain, you take the berth. The qualification is the most important, I got that, and that’s what I came here for,” said Dlagnev.
Dlagnev will face Canada’s Korey Jarvis in the finals match on Saturday night. He has beaten Jarvis in the past, and the two athletes have trained together as well.
“I’m just excited to wrestle. I’ve wrestled him some. He’s come to Columbus to work out so I’m pretty familiar with him,” said Dlagnev. “From here on out it’s just training. You simulate your matches as best you can. I’m just glad to be back on the mat and have this opportunity so praise the Lord because my back feels good.”
Dlagnev is a local athlete. He was a two-time Texas state high school medalist for nearby Arlington High School. He won two NCAA Div. II titles for Nebraska-Kearney and has been one of the world’s best heavyweights for many years.
Two other U.S. wrestlers dropped matches and did not qualify their weight classes, and both will compete in bronze-medal bouts, four-time U.S. World team member Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC/Hawkeye WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. and 2009 World silver medalist and 2012 Olympian Jake Herbert (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) opens up at 86 kg/189 lbs.
Metcalf was beaten in a controversial quarterfinal match against 2011 World silver medalist Franklin Gomez of Puerto Rico, 7-9.
Metcalf got way behind against Gomez but came back strong. Gomez led 2-0 at the break after a pushout and one point when Metcalf was unable to score on the shot clock. In the second period, Gomez and Metcalf went out of bounds and referees gave Gomez four points. The USA challenged, and the video did not follow the action completely as they went out of bounds. The USA challenge was denied, and Metcalf trailed 7-0. Another Gomez pushout made it 8-0 and after Metcalf did not finish a takedown when he got behind, another Gomez pushout made it 9-0.
Metcalf’s furious comeback started with a four-point front headlock roll and a takedown, making it 9-6. Gomez was backing up when hit for a caution-and-one for fleeing, making it 9-7. In the last 15 seconds, Metcalf scored an apparent takedown with Gomez keeping attempting to stalemate it by holding a leg. Although the grip was broken a few times, officials did not give the takedown and time ran out. The USA did not have another challenge because of the failed challenge earlier, and Gomez was awarded the match, 9-7.
Gomez was an NCAA champion for Michigan State and trains with the Nittany Lion WC at Penn State. Metcalf had beaten Gomez, 10-8, at the 2015 Pan American Games in July, and had a December 2015 9-2 win in a Flo Premier League pro match.
Gomez went on to win his semifinal match and qualify the weight class for Puerto Rico. Metcalf, a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner, will face Hernan Guzman Ipuz of Colombia.
“Brent wrestled well and finished strong and anyone who watches that video knows it’s a takedown. Clearly they didn’t want him to win. It doesn’t take away the fact that the guy scored a lot of points on us, we’ve got to get better. I'm sure Flo has it on video, show the rest of the world. It was a takedown. I’m frustrated, not real happy,” National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett.
Herbert lost a tough 1-2 semifinal match against three-time World medalist Reineris Salas of Cuba. All of the points were scored on pushouts in the first period. In the second period, Herbert was the aggressor, but was unable to convert on his attempts, as Salas effectively defended against him. Salas now has five career wins over Herbert, including two since Herbert made his comeback to wrestling in 2015.
Herbert won a gutsy opening match over Pedro Ceballos Fuentes of Venezuela, 9-7. Herbert fell behind Ceballos, 0-6, but then opened up his offense. He changed the momentum with a four-point throw and a takedown in the second period, then closed out the win in dominant fashion. Ceballos was a very tough opponent, and had a win over Salas at the 2015 World Championships.
Herbert, who won two NCAA titles for Northwestern and was a Hodge Trophy winner, will face Tamerlan Tagziev of Canada in the bronze-medal bout.
The United States has now qualified four of the six men’s freestyle wrestling weight classes for the Rio Olympic Games. The USA had already qualified at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 97 kg/213 lbs. after Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder won gold medals at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev.
“The reality of it is that we wanted to get all four weights qualified here and we had the opportunity to do that. Our focus right now is to get the guys ready to go and go qualify the two weight classes in Mongolia and shut the door on this so we can get focused on the rest of the world,” said Burnett.
The U.S. will have two more weight classes left to qualify (65 kg and 86 kg). First, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, April 9-10. Then, the USA will have to more chances to qualify those four weight classes, in Ulaanbaattar, Mongolia, April 22-24 and in Istanbul, Turkey, May 6-8.
The freestyle competition will continue with a 5:00 p.m. session featuring the Medal Match Finals.
The Greco-Roman competition is on Sunday, the final day of the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier.
PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFER
At Frisco, Texas, March 5, 2016
Men’s freestyle medal match pairings
57 kilos/125.5 lbs.
Gold medal – Anthony Ramos (USA) vs. Yowlys Rodriguez (Cuba)
Bronze medal – Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Ecuador) vs. Jefferson Figueroa (Ecuador)
Bronze medal – Agustin Destribats (Argentina) vs. Wber Cuero Munoz (Colombia)
65 kilos/143 lbs.
Gold medal – Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) vs. Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba)
Bronze medal – Brent Metcalf (USA) vs. Hernan Guzman (Colombia)
Bronze medal – Haislan Garcia (Canada) vs. Jeffry Avila (Dominican Republican)
74 kilos/163 lbs.
Gold medal – Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba) vs. Carlos Mendez (Colombia)
Bronze medal – Eduardo Meneses (Chile) vs. Asnage Castelly (Hati)
Bronze medal – Yoan Reinoso (Ecuador) vs. Pedro Soto Cordero (Puerto Rico)
86 kilos/189 lbs.
Gold medal – Reineris Salas (Cuba) vs. Jamie Espinal (Puerto Rico)
Bronze medal – Jake Herbert (USA) vs. Tamerlan Tagziev (Canada)
Bronze medal – Pool Ambrocio Griefo (Peru) vs. Edixon Paladines Alberca (Ecuador)
97 kilos/213 lbs.
Gold medal – Javier Lacerra (Cuba) vs. Jose Diaz Robertti (Venezuela)
Bronze medal – Nathanael Rose (Trinidad & Tobago) vs. Arjun Gill (Canada)
Bronze medal – Jarlys Mosquera (Colombia) vs. Paulo Santos De Souza (Brazil)
125 kilos/275 lbs.
Gold medal – Tervel Dlagnev (USA) vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
Bronze medal – Edgardo Lopez (Puerto Rico) vs. Jesse Ruiz Flores (Mexico)
Bronze medal - Luis Vivenes Urbaneja (Venezuela)
U.S. men’s freestyle performances so far on Saturday
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
WIN Jefferson Mayea Figueroa (Ecuador), pin 0:25
WIN Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Venezuela), 13-2
Gold Medal Finals – vs. Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)
65 kg/143 lbs. - Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)
LOSS Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico), 7-9
Bronze medal match – vs. Hernan Guzman Ipuz (Colombia)
86 kg/189 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
WIN Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 9-7
LOSS Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 1-2
Bronze medal match – vs. Tamerlan Tagziev (Canada)
125 kg/275 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
WIN Edguardo Lopez Morell (Puerto Rico), forfeit
WIN Jesse Ruiz Flores (Mexico), forfeit
Gold Medal Match – Vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
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