U.S. Greco scores two gold, Clodgo wins Thursday night women's final at Schultz

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Greco-Roman competition wrapped up at the 20th annual Dave Schultz Memorial International with two U.S. Greco wrestlers winning gold medals on Thursday night at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

2017 Greco and freestyle National Team member Hayden Zillmer, who was second at the Dave Schultz tournament in February, traded in his silver medal for gold, defeating 2012 Olympian Se-Yeol Lee of Korea in the 97 kg finals.

Down 4-1 inside the final minute, Zillmer executed a body lock for a four-point throw. The Korean corner challenged but it failed, resulting in another point for Zillmer. The American held on for a 6-4 win.

“I felt like I paced myself in the beginning,” Zillmer said. “I knew I had to score, so I went for it. I picked up the pace and felt him leaning on me. I got underneath and finished. Overall, I felt like everything was flowing. This was the first gold for me in Greco in a while, so it felt good.”

Zillmer isn’t done yet. Tomorrow, he’ll start the freestyle portion of the event.  

At 82 kg, it was an All-American final with Jon Stefanowicz of the U.S. Marine Corps facing Dillon Cowan of U.S. Army WCAP.

Stefanowicz scored a takedown in the first five seconds and never looked back. At the break, he led Cowan, 6-2. He finished off the bout, drawing penalty points and scoring a step out with less than a minute left for a 10-2 win.  

“I came into that match, ready for a dog fight,” Stefanowicz said. “I got the first takedown off an attempt of his. I just kept it close and tried to be conservative. The score says 10-2 but it was a dog fight. This is my fourth or fifth Schultz. I’ve never been a finalist before. I’ve never been a champion before, so this is a pretty big step in the right direction.”

In addition to Cowan, four other Americans finished their tournaments with silver.

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion RaVaughn Perkins took on 2012 Olympic champion and 2013 World champion Hyeon-Woo Kim in the 77 kg finals. Kim went up 4-0 in the first period and closed out the match with a takedown and turn for an 8-0 technical fall in the second period.

In a round robin at 55 kg, 2012 University World champion and three-time National Team member Max Nowry came out with a silver medal, going 2-1. In his final match, he lost a 3-2 battle to 2016 Junior Asian bronze medalist Hee-Dong Son of Korea.

Ryan Mango, a two-time U.S. National Team member, took second at 63 kg, falling to 2016 Junior Asian bronze medalist Do-Kyung Jung of Korea in an 8-0 match.

Jacob Mitchell won silver in the 130 kg five-man round robin. In his final bout, he defeated Greco veteran and American Toby Erickson with a 3-1 decision.  

The United States took bronze at all 10 weights. Winning bronze were Kyndall Rutz at 55 kg, Mike Fuenffinger at 60 kg, Jesse Thielke at 63 kg, Jesse Williams at 67 kg, Jamel Johnson at 72 kg, Chris Gonzalez at 77 kg, Courtney Myers at 82 kg, Jon Anderson at 87 kg, Micah Burak at 97 kg and Toby Erickson at 130 kg.

There was one women’s freestyle final wrestled on Thursday night, which featured two Americans in a two-person round robin at 72 kg. 2015 World Team member Erin Clodgo went head-to-head with two-time WCWA All-American Tatum Sparks.

Clodgo scored 10 quick points but ended it with a fall at the 1:22 mark. It is Clodgo’s second Dave Schultz Memorial International championship.

“I only got to wrestle once today, so I wanted to be one and done,” Clodgo said. “I put everything I had into that one match. I have been going up to Norwich University in Vermont and have been helping coach there and wrestling there. What a great group of guys they are. They are enthusiastic, respectful young gentlemen. It has been an honor to work with them.”

Clodgo recently moved back home to Vermont after spending several years at the Olympic Training Center as a resident athlete.

Finals results

Women’s freestyle finals
72 kg – Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids) win by fall Tatum Sparks (Argo WC), 1:22

Greco-Roman medal matches
55 kg
Gold - Hee-Dong Son (Korea) dec. Max Nowry (U.S. Army WCAP), 3-2

63 kg
Gold - Do-Kyung Jung (Korea) tech. fall Ryan Mango (U.S. Army WCAP), 8-0
Bronze - Jesse Thielke (NYAC) tech. fall Sam Jones (NYAC), 8-0 4:16

67 kg
Gold - Tsuchika Shimoyamada (Japan) dec Han-Su Ryu (Korea), 3-2
Bronze - Jessy Williams (NYAC) dec. German Diaz (Puerto Rico/USMC), 17-12

72 kg
Gold - Tomohiro Inoue (Japan) dec. Ji-Hun Kim (Korea), 5-5
Bronze - Jamel Johnson (Marines) dec. Brandon Mueller (505 Wrestling Club), 2-1

77 kg
Gold - Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea) tech. fall Ravaughn Perkins (NYAC), 8-0
Bronze - Christopher Gonzalez (NYAC) dec. John Yeats (Canada), 6-0

82 kg
Gold - Jon Stefanowicz (U.S. Marine Corps) tech. fall Dillon Cowan (U.S. Army WCAP), 10-2
Bronze - Courtney Myers (U.S. Army) dec. Neulpuleunsan Jeon (Korea), 7-5

87 kg
Gold - Masato Sumi (Japan) dec. Giorgi Tsirekidze (Georgia), 4-1
Bronze - Jon Anderson (U.S. Army) tech. fall Je woo Park (Korea (National Team), 11-2

97 kg
Gold - Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm) dec. Se-Yeol Lee (Korea), 6-4
Bronze - Micah Burak (TMWC) dec. Austin Schafer Edmond, OK (NYAC), 4-3

Round robin results
55 kg
Max Nowry (U.S. Army WCAP) pin Camden Russell (MWC Wrestling Academy), 3:26
Hee-Dong Son (Korea) dec. Kyndall Rutz NMU (OTS), 8-4
Max Nowry (U.S. Army WCAP) tech fall.Kyndall Rutz NMU (OTS), 12-3 3:26
Hee-Dong Son (Korea) tech. fall Camden Russell (MWC Wrestling Academy), 8-0 0:34

60 kg
Seung Hak Kim (Korea) dec. Han-Jae Chung (Korea), 9-7
Mike Fuenffinger, (U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Han-Jae Chung (Korea), 4-1
Seung Hak Kim (Korea) tech. fall Hyun-Woong Choi (Korea), 10-1 5:08
Han-Jae Chung (Korea) dec. Mike Fuenffinger, (U.S. Army), 5-3 Seung-Hak Kim (Korea) tech. fall Mike Fuenffinger (U.S. Army WCAP), 14-4
Han Jae Chung (Korea) win by fall Hyun Woong Choi (Korea), 2:55

130 kg
Min Seok Kim (Korea) dec. Malcolm Allen (Minnesota Storm), 9-2
Toby Erickson (U.S. Army) dec. Donald Longendyke (Minnesota Storm), 7-2
Jacob Mitchell (U.S. Army) pin Donald Longendyke (Minnesota Storm), 1:45
Toby Erickson (U.S. Army) tech. fall Malcolm Allen (Minnesota Storm), 9-0 1:55
Min Seok Kim (Korea) pin Jacob Mitchell (U.S. Army), 2:22
Donald Longendyke (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Malcolm Allen (Minnesota Storm), 14-5 5:23
Min Seok Kim (Korea) pin Toby Erickson (U.S. Army), 1:45
Jacob Mitchell (U.S. Army) dec. Malcolm Allen (Minnesota Storm), 6-4
Min Seok Kim (Korea) pin Donald Longendyke (Minnesota Storm), 1:16
Jacob Mitchell (U.S. Army) dec. Toby Erickson (U.S. Army), 3-1

Medal results
Women’s freestyle
72 kg
Gold - Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids)
Silver - Tatum Sparks (Argo WC)

Greco-Roman
55 kg
Gold - Hee-Dong Son (Korea)
Silver - Max Nowry (U.S. Army WCAP)
Bronze – Kyndall Rutz (NMU-OTS)

60 kg
Gold - Seung-Hak Kim (Korea)
Silver - Han Jae Chung (Korea)
Bronze – Mike Fuenffinger (U.S. Army WCAP)

63 kg
Gold - Do-Kyung Jung (Korea)
Silver - Ryan Mango (U.S. Army WCAP)
Bronze – Jesse Thielke (NYAC)

67 kg
Gold - Tsuchika Shimoyamada (Japan)
Silver - Han-Su Ryu (Korea)
Bronze – Jesse Williams (NYAC)

72 kg
Gold - Tomohiro Inoue (Japan)
Silver - Ji-Hun Kim (Korea)
Bronze – Jamel Johnson (U.S. Marine Corps)

77 kg
Gold - Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea)
Silver - Ravaughn Perkins (NYAC)
Bronze – Chris Gonzalez (NYAC)

82 kg
Gold - Jon Stefanowicz (U.S. Marine Corps) 
Silver - Dillon Cowan (U.S. Army WCAP)
Bronze – Courtney Myers (U.S. Army WCAP)

87 kg
Gold - Masato Sumi (Japan)
Silver - Giorgi Tsirekidze (Georgia)
Bronze – Jon Anderson (U.S. Army WCAP)

97 kg
Gold – Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm)
Silver – Se-Yeol Lee (Korea)
Bronze – Micah Burak (Titan Mercury WC)

130 kg
Gold – Min-Seok Kim (Korea)
Silver – Jacob Mitchell (U.S. Army WCAP)
Bronze – Toby Erickson (U.S. Army WCAP)