U.S. Open preview: Ramos heads deep 57 kg pack; Offensive firepower aplenty in 61 kg field
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: Tony Ramos and Nahshon Garrett competing at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials held in Iowa City, Iowa. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.
LAS VEGAS – The men’s freestyle season kicks into high gear this week with the U.S. Open Championships taking place at the South Point Hotel and Casino, April 28-29.
Up for grabs are seven qualification spots for the U.S. World Team Trials in all eight weight classes. On top of that, champions at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., 65 kg/143 lbs., 70 kg/154 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs. and 125 kg/275 lbs. earn automatic berths to the U.S. World Team Trials best-of-three championship series.
The event will run through the semifinals in all eight weights on Friday with the medal rounds and championship finals set for Saturday.
Flowrestling will provide a live stream of all the action and maintain event brackets and results on its FloArena platform. A FloPro subscription is required to watch the U.S. Open live stream.
USA Wrestling will preview all eight men’s freestyle weight classes over the next four days leading up to the event. We begin our analysis 57 kg and 61 kg.
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Two-time U.S. World Team member Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids) enters Las Vegas as the 57 kg favorite.
Since his arrival on the Senior level in 2014, Ramos has been dominant against domestic competition. Over the past three years, Ramos has only lost to one American, Dan Dennis in the finals of last year’s Olympic Trials. He has competed at two World Championships, won the 2015 U.S. Open and was a NCAA champion for Iowa in 2014.
The list of challengers to Ramos is extensive. Among those expected to contend for the 57 kg title include Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./New York AC), Nico Megaludis (State College, Pa./Titan Mercury WC), Nahshon Garrett (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), Nathan Tomasello (Parma, Ohio/Titan Mercury), Frank Perrelli (Charlottesville, Va./Titan Mercury WC), Jesse Delgado (Savory, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) and Alan Waters (Columbia, Mo./Missouri WF).
Graff finished in third place at the Olympic Trials behind Dennis and Ramos one year ago. Since that time, he has reeled off international gold medals from the Canada Cup, Dave Schultz Memorial International and Cerro Pelado International. Graff is already qualified for the World Team Trials by way of his Dave Schultz Memorial victory, and is the only member of the aforementioned group that has not yet registered to compete in Las Vegas. Should he elect to enter the field, Graff will be a major player to win it all.
Megaludis, Garrett, Tomasello and Delgado are all past NCAA champions with heavy experience against one another. Adding Ramos to this list gives us five NCAA champions in the 57 kg field.
A NCAA champion for Penn State in 2016, Megaludis boasts a significant wealth of international success. He is coming off a gold-medal win at the Paris International and a 3-1 outing at the World Wrestling Clubs Cup where he shined.
Garrett, a NCAA champion for Cornell in 2016, is relatively inexperienced at the Senior level, but displays much promise at 57 kg. He jumped into freestyle quickly after the college season ended in 2016 and competed at the Olympic Trials where his only two losses Trials came to Ramos and Graff. Garrett won the Guelph International back in January.
Tomasello won the NCAA title for Ohio State as a freshman in 2015. He has since tacked on two more All-American finishes at the NCAA Championships. Tomasello went 2-2 at the 2016 Olympic Trials and was a fifth-place finisher at the 2016 U.S. Open.
Delgado won two NCAA titles for Illinois during his college career. He defeated Megaludis in the 2013 NCAA finals and topped Garrett in the finals the following year. Delgado took time off the mat following his senior season in 2015, but has decided to return to active competition. In his first Senior-level event, Delgado picked up a bronze medal at the Cerro Pelado International in February.
Not to be overlooked are Perrelli and Waters who have done well internationally in recent months. Perrelli earned a silver medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial in March and Waters scored a bronze at the prestigious Golden Grand Prix Final last November.
Potential wild cards at 57 kg include past U.S. World Team member Obe Blanc (Apex, N.C./Titan Mercury WC), the high-flying David Terao (Honolulu, Hawaii/Titan Mercury WC), and always-dangerous Zach Sanders (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm).
Video: Tony Ramos vs. Nico Megaludis at the 2014 U.S. World Team Trials
Ranked U.S. Athletes Currently Registered at 57 kg
1. Anthony Ramos, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
3. Nico Megaludis, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC)
5. Jesse Delgado, Savoy, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Frank Perrelli, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Nahshon Garrett, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
8. Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
10. Nathan Tomasello, Parma, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg/134 lbs.
Reigning World champion Logan Stieber has earned an automatic bye to the 61 kg championship series at the U.S. World Team Trials and will not compete in Las Vegas.
This weight class is loaded with wrestlers who can score points at a high pace. It remains to be seen who will emerge as Stieber’s top challenger for the World Team spot, but this event will go a long way in providing insight on that topic.
The highest returning placer from the 61 kg World Team Trials is Jayson Ness (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) who finished in third place at the event, only losing to Stieber. In his last outing, Ness picked up a silver medal at the Paris International in January. He was a NCAA champion, Hodge Trophy winner and four-time All-American for Minnesota.
Gunslinger Cody Brewer (Evanston, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) is expected to challenge Ness for the top spot in Las Vegas. Brewer finished in fourth place at last year’s World Team Trials in his first Senior-level competition post-college. Brewer finished as a four-time All-American at Oklahoma, winning the NCAA championship in 2015.
After spending much of this season competing at 65 kg, B.J. Futrell (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC) will make the drop to 61 kg for the U.S. Open where he will be a force. In 2017, Futrell won a bronze medal at the Paris International and a silver medal at the Cerro Pelado International while competing at 65 kg. He was a University World silver medalist in 2014 and a NCAA All-American for Illinois.
2016 Junior World Team member Seth Gross (Rosemount, Minn./Jackrabbit WC) is coming off a spectacular NCAA season for South Dakota State where he finished with NCAA runner-up honors at 133 pounds. He boasts the potential to shake up 61 kg with his ability to score points in bunches.
2013 NCAA champion Kendric Maple (West Lafayette, Ind./Titan Mercury WC) is returning to the 61 kg mix for the first time in over a year. He made the 2015 U.S. Open finals where he fell to eventual World Team member Reece Humphrey, and made a run to the semifinals at the 2015 World Team Trials where he was upended by 2016 Olympian Daniel Dennis.
Past NCAA finalists Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise, Idaho/Titan Mercury WC) and Josh Kindig (Durham, N.C./Tar Heel WC) have registered to compete at 61 kg and possess the talent to go with anyone in the weight class. Hochstrasser was a NCAA runner-up for Boise State in 2011, and recently picked up a bronze medal at the Cerro Pelado International. Kindig made the NCAA finals for Oklahoma State in 2014.
A pair of former Northern Iowa teammates, Joe Colon (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC) and Joey Lazor (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Panther RTC), both have big move potential and can shake up 61 kg because of it. Colon is bumping up from 57 kg where he last competed at the Dave Schultz Memorial, finishing in third place. Lazor is relatively inexperienced on the Senior level stage and will look to make his mark this weekend.
Although not currently registered, youngster Kanen Storr (Mason, Mich./Titan Mercury WC) has posted sensational results at 61 kg on the senior level during his redshirt year at Iowa State. He has earned a bronze medal at the Cerro Pelado International and a silver medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial in 2017. If he elects to compete, Storr will be right in the mix for top honors in Las Vegas.
Video: Jayson Ness vs. Cody Brewer at the 2016 U.S. World Team Trials
Ranked U.S. Athletes Currently Registered at 61 kg
2. Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
3. Cody Brewer, Evanston, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC)
5. (at 65 kg) Bernard Futrell, Philadelphia, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC)
9. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
10. Josh Kindig, Durham, N.C. (Tar Heel WC)
2017 U.S. OPEN MEN’S FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 28-29 at South Point Hotel in Las Vegas
Event Schedule
Friday, April 28
9 a.m. (PT) – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, and Consolation
7:30 p.m. (PT) – Semifinals
Saturday, April 29
9 a.m. (PT) – Consolation, Consolation Semifinals, 3rd, 5th, and 7th Place Matches
6 p.m. (PT) – Championship Finals
LAS VEGAS – The men’s freestyle season kicks into high gear this week with the U.S. Open Championships taking place at the South Point Hotel and Casino, April 28-29.
Up for grabs are seven qualification spots for the U.S. World Team Trials in all eight weight classes. On top of that, champions at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., 65 kg/143 lbs., 70 kg/154 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs. and 125 kg/275 lbs. earn automatic berths to the U.S. World Team Trials best-of-three championship series.
The event will run through the semifinals in all eight weights on Friday with the medal rounds and championship finals set for Saturday.
Flowrestling will provide a live stream of all the action and maintain event brackets and results on its FloArena platform. A FloPro subscription is required to watch the U.S. Open live stream.
USA Wrestling will preview all eight men’s freestyle weight classes over the next four days leading up to the event. We begin our analysis 57 kg and 61 kg.
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Two-time U.S. World Team member Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids) enters Las Vegas as the 57 kg favorite.
Since his arrival on the Senior level in 2014, Ramos has been dominant against domestic competition. Over the past three years, Ramos has only lost to one American, Dan Dennis in the finals of last year’s Olympic Trials. He has competed at two World Championships, won the 2015 U.S. Open and was a NCAA champion for Iowa in 2014.
The list of challengers to Ramos is extensive. Among those expected to contend for the 57 kg title include Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./New York AC), Nico Megaludis (State College, Pa./Titan Mercury WC), Nahshon Garrett (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), Nathan Tomasello (Parma, Ohio/Titan Mercury), Frank Perrelli (Charlottesville, Va./Titan Mercury WC), Jesse Delgado (Savory, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) and Alan Waters (Columbia, Mo./Missouri WF).
Graff finished in third place at the Olympic Trials behind Dennis and Ramos one year ago. Since that time, he has reeled off international gold medals from the Canada Cup, Dave Schultz Memorial International and Cerro Pelado International. Graff is already qualified for the World Team Trials by way of his Dave Schultz Memorial victory, and is the only member of the aforementioned group that has not yet registered to compete in Las Vegas. Should he elect to enter the field, Graff will be a major player to win it all.
Megaludis, Garrett, Tomasello and Delgado are all past NCAA champions with heavy experience against one another. Adding Ramos to this list gives us five NCAA champions in the 57 kg field.
A NCAA champion for Penn State in 2016, Megaludis boasts a significant wealth of international success. He is coming off a gold-medal win at the Paris International and a 3-1 outing at the World Wrestling Clubs Cup where he shined.
Garrett, a NCAA champion for Cornell in 2016, is relatively inexperienced at the Senior level, but displays much promise at 57 kg. He jumped into freestyle quickly after the college season ended in 2016 and competed at the Olympic Trials where his only two losses Trials came to Ramos and Graff. Garrett won the Guelph International back in January.
Tomasello won the NCAA title for Ohio State as a freshman in 2015. He has since tacked on two more All-American finishes at the NCAA Championships. Tomasello went 2-2 at the 2016 Olympic Trials and was a fifth-place finisher at the 2016 U.S. Open.
Delgado won two NCAA titles for Illinois during his college career. He defeated Megaludis in the 2013 NCAA finals and topped Garrett in the finals the following year. Delgado took time off the mat following his senior season in 2015, but has decided to return to active competition. In his first Senior-level event, Delgado picked up a bronze medal at the Cerro Pelado International in February.
Not to be overlooked are Perrelli and Waters who have done well internationally in recent months. Perrelli earned a silver medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial in March and Waters scored a bronze at the prestigious Golden Grand Prix Final last November.
Potential wild cards at 57 kg include past U.S. World Team member Obe Blanc (Apex, N.C./Titan Mercury WC), the high-flying David Terao (Honolulu, Hawaii/Titan Mercury WC), and always-dangerous Zach Sanders (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm).
Video: Tony Ramos vs. Nico Megaludis at the 2014 U.S. World Team Trials
Ranked U.S. Athletes Currently Registered at 57 kg
1. Anthony Ramos, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
3. Nico Megaludis, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC)
5. Jesse Delgado, Savoy, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Frank Perrelli, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Nahshon Garrett, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
8. Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
10. Nathan Tomasello, Parma, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg/134 lbs.
Reigning World champion Logan Stieber has earned an automatic bye to the 61 kg championship series at the U.S. World Team Trials and will not compete in Las Vegas.
This weight class is loaded with wrestlers who can score points at a high pace. It remains to be seen who will emerge as Stieber’s top challenger for the World Team spot, but this event will go a long way in providing insight on that topic.
The highest returning placer from the 61 kg World Team Trials is Jayson Ness (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) who finished in third place at the event, only losing to Stieber. In his last outing, Ness picked up a silver medal at the Paris International in January. He was a NCAA champion, Hodge Trophy winner and four-time All-American for Minnesota.
Gunslinger Cody Brewer (Evanston, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) is expected to challenge Ness for the top spot in Las Vegas. Brewer finished in fourth place at last year’s World Team Trials in his first Senior-level competition post-college. Brewer finished as a four-time All-American at Oklahoma, winning the NCAA championship in 2015.
After spending much of this season competing at 65 kg, B.J. Futrell (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC) will make the drop to 61 kg for the U.S. Open where he will be a force. In 2017, Futrell won a bronze medal at the Paris International and a silver medal at the Cerro Pelado International while competing at 65 kg. He was a University World silver medalist in 2014 and a NCAA All-American for Illinois.
2016 Junior World Team member Seth Gross (Rosemount, Minn./Jackrabbit WC) is coming off a spectacular NCAA season for South Dakota State where he finished with NCAA runner-up honors at 133 pounds. He boasts the potential to shake up 61 kg with his ability to score points in bunches.
2013 NCAA champion Kendric Maple (West Lafayette, Ind./Titan Mercury WC) is returning to the 61 kg mix for the first time in over a year. He made the 2015 U.S. Open finals where he fell to eventual World Team member Reece Humphrey, and made a run to the semifinals at the 2015 World Team Trials where he was upended by 2016 Olympian Daniel Dennis.
Past NCAA finalists Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise, Idaho/Titan Mercury WC) and Josh Kindig (Durham, N.C./Tar Heel WC) have registered to compete at 61 kg and possess the talent to go with anyone in the weight class. Hochstrasser was a NCAA runner-up for Boise State in 2011, and recently picked up a bronze medal at the Cerro Pelado International. Kindig made the NCAA finals for Oklahoma State in 2014.
A pair of former Northern Iowa teammates, Joe Colon (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC) and Joey Lazor (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Panther RTC), both have big move potential and can shake up 61 kg because of it. Colon is bumping up from 57 kg where he last competed at the Dave Schultz Memorial, finishing in third place. Lazor is relatively inexperienced on the Senior level stage and will look to make his mark this weekend.
Although not currently registered, youngster Kanen Storr (Mason, Mich./Titan Mercury WC) has posted sensational results at 61 kg on the senior level during his redshirt year at Iowa State. He has earned a bronze medal at the Cerro Pelado International and a silver medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial in 2017. If he elects to compete, Storr will be right in the mix for top honors in Las Vegas.
Video: Jayson Ness vs. Cody Brewer at the 2016 U.S. World Team Trials
Ranked U.S. Athletes Currently Registered at 61 kg
2. Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
3. Cody Brewer, Evanston, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC)
5. (at 65 kg) Bernard Futrell, Philadelphia, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC)
9. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
10. Josh Kindig, Durham, N.C. (Tar Heel WC)
2017 U.S. OPEN MEN’S FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 28-29 at South Point Hotel in Las Vegas
Event Schedule
Friday, April 28
9 a.m. (PT) – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, and Consolation
7:30 p.m. (PT) – Semifinals
Saturday, April 29
9 a.m. (PT) – Consolation, Consolation Semifinals, 3rd, 5th, and 7th Place Matches
6 p.m. (PT) – Championship Finals
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