World Team Trials preview at 59 kg/130 lbs. in Greco-Roman

It might be the lightest weight class, but expect those competing for the 59 kg/130 lbs. spot on the U.S. World Team to bring big fireworks to Las Vegas.  

2016 Olympian and 2013 World Team member Jesse Thielke is the man to beat at 59 kg as he seeks to represent Team USA for the second-straight year. Thielke was the highest finisher for the U.S. Greco program at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, taking ninth. The 2012 Junior World bronze medalist did not compete in this year’s Senior Nationals and struggled at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, but if we see him at full force in Vegas, he may be unstoppable.

However, there are many right on his heels.

Looking to pose a threat to Thielke is 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Ildar Hafizov, who is back on the scene after recovering from injury. Ranked No. 1 in the country, Hafizov claimed gold at Thor Masters in Denmark last month and went undefeated at the Armed Forces Championships in February. He also got international matches at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open, finishing 12th. A former Olympian for Uzbekistan, Hafizov looks to make his fourth trip to the World Championships and first with the U.S.

2017 Senior Nationals champion Hayden Tuma enters the field with some notable credentials after taking out Ryan Mango in the Senior Nationals finals in December. He has the potential to shake up Trials later this month. Relatively new to Senior-level competition, the four-time age-group World Team member has earned top-10 finishes in each of the three international tournaments he has entered, including a silver medal at the Bill Farrell International last November and a bronze medal at the 2016 Dave Schultz Memorial.

Mango, who finished third at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials, is fresh off a first-place finish at the 2017 Armed Forces Championships, at which he competed at 61 kg. Although a little over a year removed from international competition, Mango is looking solid and could contend for the World Team spot. His last competition against foreign competitors was in February 2016 at the highly respected Grand Prix of Hungary, where he secured a bronze medal. 

One wrestler who has made major strides in recent years is Sam Jones, collecting four international medals since January 2016. His most recent came at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International, where he won silver. Just weeks before, Jones took third at Senior Nationals, proving he’s closing in on the gap of his competition. A 2013 University World bronze medalist, Jones has been active during 2017, traveling to Thor Masters in Denmark and Grand Prix of Zagreb in Croatia, where he finished 10th and eighth, respectively.

Finishing fifth at the 2017 U.S. Senior Nationals, veteran Max Nowry seeks his first spot on the Senior World Team. The 2012 University World champion was also a two-time Junior World Team member, taking home top-10 finishes in each outing.

Also in the mix is 2016 Junior World bronze medalist and 2017 Senior Nationals fourth-place finisher, Taylor LaMont, who has focused his freshman year at Utah Valley on incorporating as much Greco as he can into his folkstyle training. Other young guns who have qualified include Randon Miranda, Andrew Ibarra, Dalton Roberts and Cade Olivas. Roberts is a two-time Junior World Team member, while Olivas won a Cadet World medal.

Freestyle star Zach Sanders is qualified for the Greco Trials, after posting a top-eight finish at Senior Nationals in December. It will be interesting to see what he’ll do if he registers for the tournament.

The World Team spot at 59 kg will be determined April 29, along with 71 kg, 75 kg and 85 kg at the 2017 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Las Vegas.

2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 59 kg/130 lbs.
’16 Olympian – Jesse Thielke, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
’16 Junior World medalist – Taylor LaMont, Mapleton, Utah (Champions WC)
‘14 University World medalist – Sammy Jones, Folsom, La. (New York AC/NMU-OTS)
’13 Cadet World medalist – Cade Olivas, Rosesna Ranch, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
’15 Vantaa Cup medalist – Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’15 Vantaa Cup medalist – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’15 Haavisto Cup medalist – Nikko Triggas, Moraga, Calif. (New York AC)
’15 Haavisto Cup medalist – Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’16 UWW Austria Junior Greco-Roman Open medalist – Randon Miranda, Palmdale, Calif. (NMU-OTS)
’16 UWW Austria Junior Greco-Roman Open medalist – Andrew Ibarra, Santa Maria, Calif. (NMU-OTS)
’16 University Nationals champion – Dalton Roberts, Fowlerville, Mich. (NMU-OTS)
’16 University Nationals runner-up – Trey Andrews, Greeley, Colo. (Grit Athletics)
’16 University Nationals third place – Isaiah Varona, Miami, Fla. (New York AC/NMU-OTS)
’17 U.S. Senior Nationals champion – Hayden Tuma, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’17 U.S. Senior Nationals runner-up – Ryan Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’17 U.S. Senior Nationals fifth place – Max Nowry, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’17 U.S. Senior Nationals sixth place – Xavier Johnson, Brentwood, Calif. (U.S. Marines)
’17 U.S. Senior Nationals seventh place – Zach Sanders. Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
’17 Armed Forces Championships runner-up – Colton Rasche, Emerald Isle, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
’17 Armed Forces Championships third place – Michael Hollingsworth, Lorain, Ohio (U.S. Navy)

*NOTE: 2017 NCAA Division I qualifiers, ’17 NCAA Division II All-Americans, ’17 NCAA Division III All-Americans, ’17 NAIA All-Americans, ’17 Junior College All-Americans and ’17 NCWA finalists are all qualified for Greco-Roman World Team Trials

2017 U.S. Senior Nationals results at 59 kg/130 lbs.
1st - Hayden Tuma (U.S. Army WCAP) tech. fall Ryan Mango (U.S. Army WCAP), 9-0
3rd - Sam Jones (New York AC) dec. Taylor Lamont (Champions WC), 4-2
5th - Max Nowry (U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Xavier Johnson (Marines), 14-9
7th - Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Lillashawn Coleman (U.S. Army WCAP), 11-3

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials results at 59 kg/130 lbs.
1st - Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./New York AC) technical fall Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP), two matches to none
Thielke technical fall Hafizov, 10-0
Thielke dec Hafizov, 9-3
3rd – Ryan Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) technical fall Nikko Triggas (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC), 16-7