Olympian Smith headlines six international bouts prior to Battle on the Midway dual in San Diego, Nov. 21
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
California native Robby Smith will return to his home state for an international Greco-Roman match as part of a card of international bouts prior to the Battle on the Midway.
2016 Olympic Greco-Roman star Robby Smith is one of the headliners for six international wrestling matches held prior to the Battle on the Midway on Tuesday, Nov. 21. This will also feature a historic men’s college dual meet between Fresno State and the U.S. Air Force Academy on the USS Midway in San Diego harbor, the first college dual meet on an aircraft carrier.
There will be two international matches in each of the three Olympic disciplines, featuring one Junior/Cadet bout and one Senior bout each in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle.
All six of the U.S. competitors have been California residents, and five of the Americans competed in high school in California.
Smith, who has represented the USA at the 2016 Rio Games and at four Senior World Championships, will compete in Greco-Roman at 130 kg against Korey Jarvis of Canada. Smith wrestled for San Ramon High School. He has been fifth in the World Championships twice and won two U.S. Open titles. Smith made three Junior World Teams and a University World Team. Smith wrestled at the USOEC program at Northern Michigan before becoming a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Jarvis, who has competed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman for Canada, was a 2016 Olympian in freestyle and a 2011 Pan American medalist in Greco-Roman.
The men’s freestyle Senior bout features Joe Colon, an assistant wrestling coach at Fresno State who trains with the Valley RTC, and will battle Canada’s Steven Takahashi. Colon was third in the 2014 NCAA Championships for Northern Iowa, and was a member of Freestyle Team USA in 2015-16. He has won gold medals at the two major international events held in the USA, the 2014 Bill Farrell Memorial International in New York and the 20th Dave Schultz Memorial International held in Colorado in November 2017. Takahashi has been on two Canadian Senior World Teams (2014 and 2017), won a pair of Pan American Senior bronze medals (2014 and 2015) and also wrestled on Canadian Junior and University World Teams.
Jacarra Winchester will be the featured American in the women’s freestyle Senior bout, where will battle Emily Schaefer of Canada. Winchester was a CIF state champion for Arroyo High School, and went on to Missouri Valley College, where she was a WCWA national champion. Winchester has been on the Senior Women’s National Team twice in her career, and was also a 2014 University World bronze medalist. Schaefer competed on two Canadian Cadet World Teams, as well as a Junior World Team and a University World Team.
The three age-group international bouts will also showcase some outstanding California talents.
In women’s freestyle, Grace Figueroa of Selma High School, will battle Hannah Taylor of Canada in the women’s Junior/Cadet match. Figueroa has competed on four U.S. age-group World teams. She was a 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist, and also competed on the 2015 and 2017 Cadet World teams. In 2017, she wrestled in two age-group World Championships, as she was also on the Junior World Team. Taylor has competed on the 2015 Cadet World Team for Canada and the 2017 Canadian Junior World Team
Peyton Omania, who is from De La Salle High School, will compete in Greco-Roman against an athlete from Mexico to be announced. He was a 2016 Cadet World Greco-Roman team and was second in the 2017 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman.
Ryan Franco, who attends Clovis North High School, will wrestle in men’s freestyle against Dominik Serrano of Windsor, Colo. Franco was second in the 2017 USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in freestyle and was fourth in Greco-Roman. Serrano was a 2017 USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals freestyle runner-up and was third in Greco-Roman.
There will be a ton of wrestling celebrities on hand, including Hall of Fame members Dan Gable, J Robinson, Stephen Neal and Stephen Abas. Robinson, who coached three NCAA champion teams at Minnesota, is a San Diego native. Gable, an Olympic and World champion in freestyle, was a legendary coach for Iowa. Neal, also from San Diego, was a 1999 World freestyle champion, a two-time NCAA champion for Cal-Bakersfield, and won three Super Bowl rings in the NFL with the New England Patriots. Abas, who won three NCAA titles for Fresno State, was a 2004 Olympic silver medalist.
With seating limited to 1,500 spectators, make sure to get your tickets now. For more information and to purchase tickets for the Battle on the Midway, please visit http://leftcoastwrestling.com
Fresno State, in its first season back in Div. I college wrestling after an 11-year hiatus, is led by coach Troy Steiner. They host their first home dual meet tonight since their return, facing national power Illinois before a large crowd in the SaveMart Center. Their Battle on the Midway match against Air Force will be their first Big 12 dual meet of the season.
BATTLE ON THE MIDWAY
On the USS Midway, San Diego harbor in San Diego, Calif.
Tuesday, November 21
International matches
Women’s Freestyle Senior bout – Jacarra Winchester (USA) vs. Emily Schaefer (Canada)
Women’s Junior/Cadet bout – Gracie Figueroa (USA) vs. Hannah Taylor (Canada)
Greco-Roman Senior bout – Robby Smith (USA) vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
Greco-Roman Junior/Cadet bout – Peyton Omania (USA) vs. TBA (Mexico)
Men’s Freestyle Senior bout – Joe Colon (USA) vs. Steven Takahashi (Canada)
Men’s Freestyle Junior/Cadet bout – Ryan Franco (USA-CA) vs. Dominik Serrano (USA-COL)
2016 Olympic Greco-Roman star Robby Smith is one of the headliners for six international wrestling matches held prior to the Battle on the Midway on Tuesday, Nov. 21. This will also feature a historic men’s college dual meet between Fresno State and the U.S. Air Force Academy on the USS Midway in San Diego harbor, the first college dual meet on an aircraft carrier.
There will be two international matches in each of the three Olympic disciplines, featuring one Junior/Cadet bout and one Senior bout each in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle.
All six of the U.S. competitors have been California residents, and five of the Americans competed in high school in California.
Smith, who has represented the USA at the 2016 Rio Games and at four Senior World Championships, will compete in Greco-Roman at 130 kg against Korey Jarvis of Canada. Smith wrestled for San Ramon High School. He has been fifth in the World Championships twice and won two U.S. Open titles. Smith made three Junior World Teams and a University World Team. Smith wrestled at the USOEC program at Northern Michigan before becoming a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Jarvis, who has competed in both freestyle and Greco-Roman for Canada, was a 2016 Olympian in freestyle and a 2011 Pan American medalist in Greco-Roman.
The men’s freestyle Senior bout features Joe Colon, an assistant wrestling coach at Fresno State who trains with the Valley RTC, and will battle Canada’s Steven Takahashi. Colon was third in the 2014 NCAA Championships for Northern Iowa, and was a member of Freestyle Team USA in 2015-16. He has won gold medals at the two major international events held in the USA, the 2014 Bill Farrell Memorial International in New York and the 20th Dave Schultz Memorial International held in Colorado in November 2017. Takahashi has been on two Canadian Senior World Teams (2014 and 2017), won a pair of Pan American Senior bronze medals (2014 and 2015) and also wrestled on Canadian Junior and University World Teams.
Jacarra Winchester will be the featured American in the women’s freestyle Senior bout, where will battle Emily Schaefer of Canada. Winchester was a CIF state champion for Arroyo High School, and went on to Missouri Valley College, where she was a WCWA national champion. Winchester has been on the Senior Women’s National Team twice in her career, and was also a 2014 University World bronze medalist. Schaefer competed on two Canadian Cadet World Teams, as well as a Junior World Team and a University World Team.
The three age-group international bouts will also showcase some outstanding California talents.
In women’s freestyle, Grace Figueroa of Selma High School, will battle Hannah Taylor of Canada in the women’s Junior/Cadet match. Figueroa has competed on four U.S. age-group World teams. She was a 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist, and also competed on the 2015 and 2017 Cadet World teams. In 2017, she wrestled in two age-group World Championships, as she was also on the Junior World Team. Taylor has competed on the 2015 Cadet World Team for Canada and the 2017 Canadian Junior World Team
Peyton Omania, who is from De La Salle High School, will compete in Greco-Roman against an athlete from Mexico to be announced. He was a 2016 Cadet World Greco-Roman team and was second in the 2017 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman.
Ryan Franco, who attends Clovis North High School, will wrestle in men’s freestyle against Dominik Serrano of Windsor, Colo. Franco was second in the 2017 USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in freestyle and was fourth in Greco-Roman. Serrano was a 2017 USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals freestyle runner-up and was third in Greco-Roman.
There will be a ton of wrestling celebrities on hand, including Hall of Fame members Dan Gable, J Robinson, Stephen Neal and Stephen Abas. Robinson, who coached three NCAA champion teams at Minnesota, is a San Diego native. Gable, an Olympic and World champion in freestyle, was a legendary coach for Iowa. Neal, also from San Diego, was a 1999 World freestyle champion, a two-time NCAA champion for Cal-Bakersfield, and won three Super Bowl rings in the NFL with the New England Patriots. Abas, who won three NCAA titles for Fresno State, was a 2004 Olympic silver medalist.
With seating limited to 1,500 spectators, make sure to get your tickets now. For more information and to purchase tickets for the Battle on the Midway, please visit http://leftcoastwrestling.com
Fresno State, in its first season back in Div. I college wrestling after an 11-year hiatus, is led by coach Troy Steiner. They host their first home dual meet tonight since their return, facing national power Illinois before a large crowd in the SaveMart Center. Their Battle on the Midway match against Air Force will be their first Big 12 dual meet of the season.
BATTLE ON THE MIDWAY
On the USS Midway, San Diego harbor in San Diego, Calif.
Tuesday, November 21
International matches
Women’s Freestyle Senior bout – Jacarra Winchester (USA) vs. Emily Schaefer (Canada)
Women’s Junior/Cadet bout – Gracie Figueroa (USA) vs. Hannah Taylor (Canada)
Greco-Roman Senior bout – Robby Smith (USA) vs. Korey Jarvis (Canada)
Greco-Roman Junior/Cadet bout – Peyton Omania (USA) vs. TBA (Mexico)
Men’s Freestyle Senior bout – Joe Colon (USA) vs. Steven Takahashi (Canada)
Men’s Freestyle Junior/Cadet bout – Ryan Franco (USA-CA) vs. Dominik Serrano (USA-COL)
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