Hancock, LaMont highlight exciting Greco squad for 2017 Junior World Championships, Aug. 5-6

The United States will take an exciting Greco-Roman roster filled with athletes looking to make a statement at the UWW Junior World Championships in Tampere, Finland, Aug. 1-6.

Leading the squad are returning 2016 World bronze medalists G’Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC/Sunkist Kids WC) and Taylor LaMont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids WC).

Returning to the Junior World Championships for a third time, Hancock, a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., has been building an impressive resume, competing primarily on the Senior level this year. In addition to his Junior World bronze, Hancock has secured six other international medals—five at the Senior level—since last year, including gold medals from the 2017 Junior Greco-Roman Austrian Cup and the 2016 Klippan Cup. He poses a threat as a Junior World title contender.

Not only will he be donning the Red, White and Blue for the UWW Junior World Championships but he will also represent the United States at the Senior World Championships at 98 kg/216 lbs. in Paris, France, Aug. 21-26.

Hancock elected to wrestle in the Senior World Team Trials, which were held in conjunction with the Junior World Team Trials. Because Hancock was a returning 2016 Junior World medalist and competed in the 2017 Senior World Team Trials, he was afforded the opportunity for a special wrestle-off for the Junior World Team spot against Blake Smith, who won the Junior World Team Trials in Las Vegas in April.

The wrestle-off took place in Akron, Ohio, as part of the UWW Cadet and University Nationals. Hancock swept the best-of-three series, 8-0 and 10-0.

Fresh off a 2017 University Nationals title, LaMont is guy for the USA at 60 kg. The Mapleton, Utah, native is well-versed in World-level competition as a three-time Cadet World Team member and a two-time Junior World Team member.

At the 2015 Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzogovina, he took fifth in the world. One year later at a new level, LaMont secured a Junior World bronze medal, defeating Oleksandr Hrushyn of Ukraine in the third-place bout.

He has also made two trips to the Pan American Championships, once at the Cadet level in 2014 and once as a Junior athlete in 2015. Wrestling both styles in the two outings, LaMont returned home with 2014 Cadet Greco bronze and 2015 Junior Greco bronze.

Most recently, he won gold at the Junior Greco-Roman Austrian Open in Gotzis, Austria, in March.

Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids WC), also an athlete at the OTC, earned his spot on the 2017 Junior World Team in a special wrestle-off against familiar foe and Junior World Team Trials champion at 74 kg/163 lbs. Jesse Porter.

Because Bey was a returning 2016 Junior World Team member, who won the 2017 Senior Greco Nationals and competed in the 2017 Senior World Team Trials, he earned the chance for the wrestle-off. The two faced off in Lincoln, Neb., as part of the Freestyle Junior and Senior World Team Trials, with Bey taking the win in two matches, 4-1 and 5-1.

A member of the 2017 Senior National Team, Bey has been active on the Senior level. On top of his Senior Greco national championship, he has collected international gold medals from the Bill Farrell International, Dave Schultz Memorial International and the Junior Greco-Roman Austrian Open. In March, he earned bronze at the respected Grand Prix Zagreb Open in Croatia.

This will mark Bey’s second-consecutive trip to the World Championships. Last year in Macon, France, Bey finished eighth in the world.

Also making another appearance at Junior Worlds is Randon Miranda (Palmdale, Calif./New York AC), who took seventh last year at 50 kg/110 lbs. Bumping up a weight, Miranda will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. in August.

Since his 2016 Junior Worlds tournament, Miranda won international gold at the Junior Greco-Roman Austrian Open, took first at the 2017 Junior Greco World Team Trials in Las Vegas and most recently, finished third at University Nationals.

Competing in his first Junior Worlds and representing at 120 kg/264 lbs. is 16-year-old Cohlton Schultz (Parker, Colo./New York AC), a native of Colorado. Like his teammate Hancock, Schultz will wrestle for the U.S. in two World Championships, also earning a spot on the 2017 Cadet World Team at 100 kg/220 lbs.

At the Junior Trials, he took out a competitive beast in Anthony Cassioppi in the best-of-three series.

A member of the 2016 Cadet World Team, Schultz just returned from a European tour, where he collected a gold and silver medal at the Cadet level, competing at the Croatia Open and Refik Memisevic Brale Memorial Tournament, respectively.

At 66 kg/145 lbs., Dominick Demas (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus WC) will return to the world stage this year. In 2015, Demas competed in the 2015 UWW Cadet World Championships, where he finished ninth.

Fellow 2015 Cadet World teamer and 2015 Junior Greco national champ, Wyatt Koelling (Columbia, Mo./Missouri Wrestling Foundation) will suit up for USA at 84 kg/185 lbs. Earlier this year, he secured a bronze medal at the Junior Greco-Roman Austrian Open.

At 50 kg/110 lbs., World Team Trials runner-up Cevion Severado (St. Peters, Mo./Xtreme RTC) will take over for an injured Elijah Varona. This will be Severado’s first World Championships.

Team USA looks to improve on its 2016 performance, which produced two bronze medals and an eighth-place team finish.

The Greco-Roman portion of the Junior World Championships will take place Aug. 5-6 at the Tampere Exhibition and Sport Center.

Up first for the U.S. are Severado (50 kg), LaMont (60 kg), Bey (74 kg) and Hancock (96 kg) on Saturday, Aug. 5, followed by Miranda (55 kg), Demas (66 kg), Koelling (84 kg) and Schultz (120 kg) on Sunday, Aug. 6.

The preliminary rounds begin at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET), with the medal matches beginning at 6 p.m. (11 a.m. ET) on both days.

Fans can find live streams and brackets on Trackwrestling.com.

2017 UWW JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Tampere, Finland, Aug. 1-6

Schedule
Tuesday, Aug. 1
Freestyle – 55 kg, 66 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg
10 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage
6 p.m. – Opening ceremonies
6:30 p.m. – Medal matches

Wednesday, Aug. 2
Freestyle – 50 kg, 61 kg, 74 kg, 96 kg
10 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage
6 p.m. – Medal matches

Thursday, Aug. 3
Women’s freestyle – 44 kg, 51 kg, 59 kg, 67 kg
10 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage
6 p.m. – Medal matches

Friday, Aug. 4
Women’s freestyle – 48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg, 72 kg
10 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage
6 p.m. – Medal matches

Saturday, Aug. 5
Greco-Roman – 50 kg, 60 kg, 74 kg, 96 kg
10 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage
6 p.m. – Medal matches

Sunday, Aug. 6
Freestyle – 55 kg, 66 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg
10 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage
6 p.m. – Medal matches

U.S. Junior Greco-Roman roster
50 kg/110 lbs. – Cevion Severado, St. Peters, Mo. (Xtreme RTC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Randon Miranda, Palmdale, Calif. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Taylor LaMont, Mapleton, Utah (Sunkist Kids WC)
66 kg/145 lbs. – Dominick Demas, Columbus, Ohio (Columbus WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Kamal Bey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids WC)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Wyatt Koelling, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
96 kg/211 lbs. – G’Angelo Hancock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC/Sunkist Kids WC)
120 kg/264 lbs. – Cohlton Schultz, Parker, Colo. (New York AC)

Coach: Ike Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach: TC Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach: Gary Mayabb, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Referee: Casey Goessl, Osceola, Wisc.
Referee: Umberto Fasolino, Cutchogue, N.Y.
Referee: Sam Julian, Schuylkill Haven, PA

Medical: Dave Grossman
Medical: Dr. Jeremy Frank, Parkland, Fla.