Holm, Hafizov, Rau and Perkins receive Greco-Roman draws for Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Texas
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Jordan Holm, shown at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, is competing at 85 kg for Team USA at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Frisco, Texas.
FRISCO, Texas – Four U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers weighed in and received their draws for the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier, which concludes on Sunday at the Dr. Pepper Arena.
This event serves as a major qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two place winners in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes will qualify their nation to compete at the Olympic Games.
To qualify their nation for the Olympics, wrestlers will need to win their morning session semifinal match, moving out of their half-bracket to the evening finals match.
Three-time U.S. World Team member Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) is entered at 85 kg/187 lbs. He will open with Alexander Brown Thieriault of Canada, a 2007 Commonwealth Championships champion.
At 59 kg/130 lbs. is 2008 Olympian Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) will open against Ali Soto Mejias of Mexico, who was second in 2016 Pan American Championships and the 2015 Pan American Games. There are 13 in his weight class and Hafizov is in the bottom half-bracket.
Hafizov competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for his native Uzbekistan. He received his U.S. citizenship this year, and has been competing for Team USA in a variety of events this season, winning a gold medal in Finland and capturing the 2016 U.S. Open in Las Vegas.
At 98 kg/213 lbs. 2014 U.S. World Team member Joe Rau (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) will wrestle against Kevin Mejia Castillo of Honduras, a 2015 Pan American Games silver medalist, who was third in last week’s Pan American Championships.
There are 9 athletes in his weight class, and Rau is in the top half-bracket. Also in his half bracket is Cuba’s respected. Yasmany Lugo Cabrera.
Rau, a Div. III national champion for Elmhurst College, made his U.S. World Team at 80 kg/176 lbs. Rau moved up to the 98 kg/215 lbs. division this year with much success, including a 2016 U.S. Open title and a silver medal in Croatia.
Young star RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./New York AC) is the entry at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., where he has drawn Jair Cuero Munoz of Colombia who was third in the 2014 Pan American Championships
Perkins was the winner of the recent Dave Schultz Memorial International. There are 12 athletes in his weight, and Perkins is in the bottom half-bracket. Also on his side of the bracket is Cuba’s Miguel Martinez Palacio.,
“We had a training camp before this, because this is a very important event for us. We want to get our athletes qualified for the Olympic Games. We got two done. We need four more. We’ve had the guys in Colorado training before we came here to Texas. We are feeling very good.
On Sunday, 12 Greco-Roman spots in the 2016 Olympic Games will be awarded, with the athletes qualifying their nation, not themselves, for the Olympics. In total, during the three days of the Pan American Olympic Qualifier, 36 spots in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are up for grabs. We tapered well last week, recovered these guys. Everybody had a real easy time getting down to weight. We are excited to get them on the scale, fed and recovered tonight and come here tomorrow and compete. That’s what it’s all about. We have to do what we do, take it to them right away and put pressure on the whole six minutes,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland.
There will be a 10:00 a.m. session with Qualification Rounds and Repechage, and a 5:00 p.m. session with the Medal Match Finals.
“Every weight class is tough. In one weight class, it could be the Colombian, the Venezuelan, or Ecuador. Every country has one or two guys is pretty darn good. The Cubans are good, but they are not as good as they were, honestly. They still have some very talented athletes. We don’t have any World medalists we have to beat tomorrow. We have to beat some good wrestlers, we have to perform well. All of our guys are very capable of doing that,” said Lindland
U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Sunday
59 kg/130 lbs. – Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Vs. Ali Soto Mejias (Mexico), 2nd in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2nd in 2015 Pan American Games, 10th in 2013 Junior World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (New York AC)
Vs. Jair Cuero Munoz (Colombia), 5th in 2015 Pan American Games, 3rd in 2014 Pan American Championships, 2013 Pan American Junior Championships
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Vs. Alexander Brown Thieriault (Canada), 5th in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2007 Commonwealth Championships champion
98 kg/213 lbs. – Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Vs. Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras), 3rd in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2nd in 2015 Pan American Games, two-time Junior Pan American Championships
FRISCO, Texas – Four U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers weighed in and received their draws for the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier, which concludes on Sunday at the Dr. Pepper Arena.
This event serves as a major qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two place winners in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes will qualify their nation to compete at the Olympic Games.
To qualify their nation for the Olympics, wrestlers will need to win their morning session semifinal match, moving out of their half-bracket to the evening finals match.
Three-time U.S. World Team member Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) is entered at 85 kg/187 lbs. He will open with Alexander Brown Thieriault of Canada, a 2007 Commonwealth Championships champion.
At 59 kg/130 lbs. is 2008 Olympian Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) will open against Ali Soto Mejias of Mexico, who was second in 2016 Pan American Championships and the 2015 Pan American Games. There are 13 in his weight class and Hafizov is in the bottom half-bracket.
Hafizov competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for his native Uzbekistan. He received his U.S. citizenship this year, and has been competing for Team USA in a variety of events this season, winning a gold medal in Finland and capturing the 2016 U.S. Open in Las Vegas.
At 98 kg/213 lbs. 2014 U.S. World Team member Joe Rau (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) will wrestle against Kevin Mejia Castillo of Honduras, a 2015 Pan American Games silver medalist, who was third in last week’s Pan American Championships.
There are 9 athletes in his weight class, and Rau is in the top half-bracket. Also in his half bracket is Cuba’s respected. Yasmany Lugo Cabrera.
Rau, a Div. III national champion for Elmhurst College, made his U.S. World Team at 80 kg/176 lbs. Rau moved up to the 98 kg/215 lbs. division this year with much success, including a 2016 U.S. Open title and a silver medal in Croatia.
Young star RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./New York AC) is the entry at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., where he has drawn Jair Cuero Munoz of Colombia who was third in the 2014 Pan American Championships
Perkins was the winner of the recent Dave Schultz Memorial International. There are 12 athletes in his weight, and Perkins is in the bottom half-bracket. Also on his side of the bracket is Cuba’s Miguel Martinez Palacio.,
“We had a training camp before this, because this is a very important event for us. We want to get our athletes qualified for the Olympic Games. We got two done. We need four more. We’ve had the guys in Colorado training before we came here to Texas. We are feeling very good.
On Sunday, 12 Greco-Roman spots in the 2016 Olympic Games will be awarded, with the athletes qualifying their nation, not themselves, for the Olympics. In total, during the three days of the Pan American Olympic Qualifier, 36 spots in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are up for grabs. We tapered well last week, recovered these guys. Everybody had a real easy time getting down to weight. We are excited to get them on the scale, fed and recovered tonight and come here tomorrow and compete. That’s what it’s all about. We have to do what we do, take it to them right away and put pressure on the whole six minutes,” said National Greco-Roman Coach Matt Lindland.
There will be a 10:00 a.m. session with Qualification Rounds and Repechage, and a 5:00 p.m. session with the Medal Match Finals.
“Every weight class is tough. In one weight class, it could be the Colombian, the Venezuelan, or Ecuador. Every country has one or two guys is pretty darn good. The Cubans are good, but they are not as good as they were, honestly. They still have some very talented athletes. We don’t have any World medalists we have to beat tomorrow. We have to beat some good wrestlers, we have to perform well. All of our guys are very capable of doing that,” said Lindland
U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Sunday
59 kg/130 lbs. – Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Vs. Ali Soto Mejias (Mexico), 2nd in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2nd in 2015 Pan American Games, 10th in 2013 Junior World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (New York AC)
Vs. Jair Cuero Munoz (Colombia), 5th in 2015 Pan American Games, 3rd in 2014 Pan American Championships, 2013 Pan American Junior Championships
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Vs. Alexander Brown Thieriault (Canada), 5th in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2007 Commonwealth Championships champion
98 kg/213 lbs. – Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Vs. Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras), 3rd in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2nd in 2015 Pan American Games, two-time Junior Pan American Championships
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