Draws set for final day of wrestling at Paris International, 16 U.S. competitors in action

David Taylor and coach Brandon Slay get a workout in prior to  competition at the Paris International. Photo: Richard Immel, USAW.

PARIS – The final day of wrestling at the Paris International will see 11 men’s freestyle competitors and five Greco-Roman athletes step on the mat for the U.S.


Two past U.S. World Team members, Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tarheel RTC) and Zach Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC), headline a deep men’s freestyle squad that features eight NCAA champions and loads of firepower.


Ramos will go head-to-head with NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner Jayson Ness (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) in the opening round at 61 kg/134 lbs. Ramos was a NCAA champion for Iowa and made two World Teams at 57 kg. Ness finished in third place at the 61 kg World Team Trials in November.


Rey, a 2015 World Team member, is one of three U.S. heavyweights entered in Paris. He will open with two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) in the morning.


Also competing at 125 kg/275 lbs. is three-time NCAA All-American Bobby Telford (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC) who will face a tall task in his first-round bout from Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World bronze medalist Geno Petriashvili of Georgia.


Four high-level U.S. competitors, Kyle Dake (Ithaca, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC), Dan Vallimont (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC), Matt Brown (State College, Pa./Army WCAP) and Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) are entered at 74 kg/163 lbs.


Dake, a four-time NCAA champion and Olympic Trials finalist, will square off against Brown, who was a NCAA champion for Penn State, in the first round. Vallimont is scheduled to face Antoine Bonin of France in his opener. Dake, Brown and Vallimont are all on the same half of the bracket.


On the flip side, Dieringer is the lone American on the top side of the 74-kg bracket and will take on Finland’s Henri Selenius in the quarterfinals. Dieringer was a three-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State and is fresh off a gold-medal win at the Bill Farrell International and a 4-0 performance at the World Freestyle Wrestling Clubs Cup.


Two-time Grand Prix of Spain champion David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) and 2016 Alexander Medved silver medalist Richard Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC) will compete at 86 kg/189 lbs. tomorrow.


Taylor opens against 2016 World University silver medalist Mihaly Nagy of Hungary. Taylor finished in third place at the 2016 Olympic Trials and was a two-time NCAA champion for Penn State.


Perry will take on 2016 Henri Deglane Challenge champion Raman Chytadze of Belarus in his first bout of the tournament. Chytadze won bronze at last year’s U23 European Championships and finished in fifth place at the 2015 Junior Worlds.


Five up-and-coming Marines are slated to compete on the Greco-Roman side tomorrow.


Colton Rasche (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) is the lone U.S. entrant at 59 kg/130 lbs. and will do battle against Tigran Galustyan of France in the first round.


Raymond Bunker (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) and Joshua Russo (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) man the 66 kg/145.5 lbs. weight class for the U.S. Bunker will take on 2016 Grand Prix of Spain silver medalist Hrachia Malkhasain of France in his opener, while Russo will stand opposite Roman Pacurkowski of Poland to start things off.


At 80 kg/176 lbs., Michael Brant (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marine) is slated to face 2016 Nordic champion Alex Kessidis of Sweden in the first round. Kessidis was a fifth-place finisher at the 2015 Junior World championships.


Tough heavyweight prospect Eric Fader (Jacksonville, N.C./Marines) opens his day against 2017 Herman Kare bronze medalist Oskar Marvik of Norway.


Action from the Paris International will begin at 10 a.m. local time/4 a.m. (ET) on Saturday with the finals set for 4 p.m. local time/10 a.m. (ET). Complete brackets, results and a webcast can be found at unitedworldwrestling.org.

PARIS INTERNATIONAL

Jan. 28-29 at INSEP in Paris, France


U.S. men’s freestyle draws for Sunday

61 kg/134 lbs.- Tony Ramos, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids/Tarheel RTC) 

Vs. Jayson Ness (United States)


61 kg/134 lbs. – Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Vs. Tony Ramos (United States)


74 kg/163 lbs.- Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC) 

Vs. Matt Brown (United States)


74 kg/163 lbs.- Dan Vallimont, Philadelphia, Pa. (New York AC)

Vs. Antoine Bonin (France)


74 kg/163 lbs.- Matt Brown, State College, Pa. (Army WCAP)

Vs. Kyle Dake (United States)


74 kg/163 lbs.- Alex Dieringer, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Henri Selenius (Finland), Fifth in 2016 U23 European Championships, Fifth in 2014 World Military Championships


86 kg/189 lbs.- David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 

Vs. Mihaly Nagy (Hungary), 2016 World University silver, 2016 Grand Prix of Paris bronze


86 kg/189 lbs.- Richard Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. (New York AC)

Vs. Raman Chytadze (Belarus), 2016 Henri Deglane Challenge champion, 2016 U23 European Championships bronze, Fifth in 2015 Junior World Championships


125 kg/275 lbs.- Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley WC)

Vs. Tony Nelson (United States)


125 kg/275 lbs.- Bobby Telford, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Geno Petriashvili (Georgia), 2016 Olympic bronze, 2015 and 2013 World bronze, 2016 European champion, 2016 Golden Grand Prix champion, 2016 Alexander Medved champion


125 kg/275 lbs.- Tony Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Vs. Zach Rey (United States)

U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Sunday

59 kg/130 lbs. – Colton Rasche, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (Marines)

Vs. Tigran Galustyan (France)


66 kg/145 lbs. – Raymond Bunker, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (Marines)

Vs. Hrachia Malkhasain (France), 2016 Grand Prix of Spain silver, 2015 Mediterranean bronze


66 kg/145 lbs. – Joshua Russo, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (Marines)

Vs. Roman Pacurkowski (Poland)


80 kg/176 lbs. Michael Brant, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (Marine)

Vs. Alex Kessidis (Sweden), 2016 Nordic champion, 2016 Haparanda Cup silver, Fifth in 2015 Junior World Championships


130 kg/286 lbs. Eric Fader, Jacksonville, N.C. (Marines) 

Vs. Oskar Marvik (Norway), 2017 Herman Kare bronze, 2016 Nordic silver, 2016 Arvo Haavisto Cup bronze