Hancock wins Junior Greco-Roman World Team spot at 96 kg in special wrestle-off

G'Angelo Hancock defeats Blake Smith in a best-of-three series for the 96 kg Junior Greco World Team spot. Photo by Richard Immel.

AKRON, Ohio – The 2017 UWW Cadet and University Nationals began Friday morning with a special wrestle-off between G’Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC/Sunkist Kids) and Blake Smith (Peoria, Ariz./NMU-OTS) for the 96 kg/211 lbs. spot on the 2017 Greco-Roman Junior World Team.

In their first match of the best-of-three series, Hancock notched an early takedown and went right into a series of gutwrenches for a quick 8-0 win in 43 seconds.

Bout two also lasted less than a minute, with the Junior World bronze medalist scoring a takedown and two turns for a 6-0 lead. Shortly after the restart, Hancock put Smith from his feet to his back with a four-point throw to secure a spot on his third-consecutive Junior World Team.

Because Hancock is a returning 2016 Junior World medalist and competed in the 2017 Senior World Team Trials, he was afforded the opportunity for a delayed wrestle-off for the Junior World Team spot against Smith, who won the Junior World Team Trials in Las Vegas in April.

Hancock will compete on two World teams this summer, heading to the 2017 Junior World Championships in Tampere, Finland, Aug. 1-6 before traveling to Paris, France, just weeks later for the 2017 World Championships, Aug. 21-26.

2017 JUNIOR WORLD TEAM WRESTLE-OFF

at Akron, Ohio
96 kg/211 lbs. - G’Angelo Hancock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC/Sunkist Kids) dec. Blake Smith, Peoria, Ariz. (NMU-OTS), two matches to none

Bout one – Hancock tech. fall Smith, 8-0

Bout two – Hancock tech. fall Smith, 10-0