US OPEN GRECO PREVIEW: Exciting talent at every weight sets up for intriguing US Open

Photo: Ellis Coleman represented the U.S. at the 2017 World Championships in Paris at 66 kg.

With the addition of two more UWW weight classes, some who have been on the cusp of national glory in Greco-Roman will get a chance to break through at the U.S. Open next weekend at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, April 26-28.

The U.S. Open will serves as a qualifier for the 2018 World Team Trials as the top-seven finishers will earn a bid to the tournament in Tulsa, Okla., June 21-22. The winner of the Open will earn an automatic bid to the World Team Trials finals at that weight.

With several of the top wrestlers in the nation already qualified, some may elect to sit out of next week’s competition.

Below is a short breakdown at each weight and who fans should keep an eye out for.

55 kg/121 lbs.
Sitting out: N/A
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: New weight class

We’ll see some exceptional talent move down to this new UWW weight class, including 2017 Junior World Team member Randon Miranda (Palmdale, Calif./New York AC) and National Team member Max Nowry (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP).

Miranda is a two-time Junior World Team member, finishing seventh at the 2016 Worlds. A wrestler at the Northern Michigan Olympic Training Site, Miranda has stayed active nationally and internationally since his 2017 Worlds appearance, competing in seven tournaments and winning golds at the Bill Farrell International, Malar Cup and Klippan Cup and securing silver at Thor Masters.

Three-time National Team member and past University World champion Nowry took third at last year’s Trials, which took place in Vegas last April. Since then, Nowry took second at the 20th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International and won double gold at the Armed Forces Championships in February, dominating in freestyle and Greco.

There are rumors swirling that nine-time National Team member in both Greco and freestyle Sam Hazewinkel will make a comeback at next week. Hazewinkel, now a full-time head coach at Oklahoma City University, was a 2012 Olympian in freestyle and finished second at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials in Greco. The last time Hazewinkel competed was at the 2016 Pan American Championships, where he won gold in freestyle.

DSMI bronze medalist Kyndall Rutz (Engelwood, Colo./NMU-OTS) is also in the mix at 55 kg.

2017 Junior World Team Trials champion Elijah Varona and 2017 Junior World silver medalist Cevion Severado are registered the UWW Junior Nationals tournament, which will be one of the several tournaments contested in Vegas next week.

60 kg/132 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Hayden Tuma (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

With reigning U.S. Open champion Hayden Tuma expected to move up to 63 kg, this weight will get a new champion.

One of the favorites at 60 kg is returning World Team members Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP). Originally from Uzbekistan, Hafizov made his first U.S. World Team last year, but he had represented Uzbekistan at three other World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

After the 2017 World Championships, Hafizov competed at the CISM World Military Championships, where he placed fifth. Earlier this year, Hafizov snagged a silver medal at the Armed Forces Championships in Greco. His only loss came at the hands of Xavier Johnson, who is registered to wrestle at 63 kg next week.

Not to be looked over are two athletes who have had significant success at the younger age-group levels and are transitioning quite well into the Senior level.

Taylor LaMont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids) is a two-time Junior World Team member and three-time Cadet World Team member with a 2016 Junior World bronze medal to his name. Currently a student-athlete at Utah Valley University, LaMont has not competed in Greco since the 2017 World Championships last summer in Tampere, Finland. He’s proved himself as someone to watch out for at the Senior level, finishing fourth at last year’s Open and taking sixth at World Team Trials in a tough weight class.

Dalton Roberts (Fowlerville, Mich./New York AC) is a 2017 U23 World Team member, two-time Junior World Team member and a 2012 Cadet World Team member. Of those four World Championships, he tallied top-10 finishes at two of them, including taking ninth at the inaugural U23 Worlds last fall. At the Senior level, he boasts four international medals, counting his most recent bronze at the Granma Cup in Cuba earlier this year.

63 kg/139 lbs.
Sitting out: N/A
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: New weight class

A new UWW weight, 63 kg features an Olympian, U.S. Open champion and multiple-time National Team member.

Jesse Thielke (Beresford, S.D./Legends of Gold) has Greco success dates back to his time as a Cadet athlete. Thielke, a Cadet Pan-Am champion, Junior World bronze medalist and four-time Junior World Team member, was at the top of his game in 2016, making the 2016 U.S. Olympic squad. He fell short of making the 2017 World Team due to weight issues, but now up at 63 kg, he is sure to be in the running for the U.S. Open crown. Since he’s been at the new weight, Thielke has tallied a silver medal at Thor Masters and a bronze at the 20th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International.

Joining Thielke in the hunt for national glory at 63 kg is returning U.S. Open champion Hayden Tuma (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) and 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Ryan Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP).

In addition to winning the national title last year, Tuma made it to the finals of the World Team Trials to make his first Senior World Team. Most recently, the two-time Junior World Team member won gold at the Bill Farrell International, held last month.

Mango is a two-time National Team member with his last top-three finish at Trials coming in 2016 at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. A two-time All-American for Stanford, Mango owns multiple international medals as well as a few national gold medals. Most recently, he won both the Greco and freestyle divisions at the Armed Forces Championships in February.

Also registered at 63 kg is Xavier Johnson (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines), who picked up a gold in Greco and a silver medal in freestyle at the Armed Forces Championships. At the event he picked up a win over Greco star Ildar Hafizov. Johnson has become a threat lately, winning two international bronze medals at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open and the Bill Farrell International.

67 kg/147 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Ellis Coleman (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

Two-time Senior World Team member at 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman is the returning U.S. Open winner, who looks to repeat his championship season from 2017.

A three-time U.S. Open champion, Coleman suited up for the U.S. at the World Championships at 66 kg last summer, before being invited to represent USA once again at the CISM Military World Championships in September. Since then, he’s won gold in both freestyle and Greco at the Armed Forces Championships. Coleman has a rich past as a Greco wrestler, holding two Junior World bronze medals to his name.

Other names to look out for at this weight include Bill Farrell International gold winner and 2017 University National champion Raymond Bunker, Bill Farrell runner-up and Dave Schultz bronze medalist Jessy Williams and Dave Schultz bronze medalist at 72 kg Jamel Johnson.

2017 U.S. Open runner-up Alex Sancho is expected to compete at 72 kg for the Open and will move down to 67 kg for the World Team Trials in June.

72 kg/158 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)

This weight looks to be one of the deepest of the event as there are several contenders for the title at 72 kg, including 2017 U.S. Open champion and World Team member Pat Smith.

In addition to his success from last season, Smith is a three-time Senior Pan-American champion, 2014 University World silver medalist and has been on the National Team for the last four-consecutive years. Since the World Championships, Smith has competed against international competition three times, including the Thor Masters, Kolov-Petrov Tournament and USA’s dual vs. Serbia in February.

Other big names expected to compete at this weight include Chris Gonzalez (Sacramento, Calif./New York AC), RaVaughn Perkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), Alex Sancho (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Alex Mossing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Foxfire).

Gonzalez, Sancho and Mossing have all made at least one Senior or age-group World Team and Perkins won the 2016 Olympic Team Trials at 66 kg but his weight was not qualified for the Games.

Gonzalez beat out Sancho in a best-of-three finals for a spot on the 2016 Non-Olympic Weight World Team but fell to Smith in the 2017 World Team Trials finals. Since then, he has won bronze at the 20th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International and silver at the Bill Farrell International, all while balancing a career in mixed martial arts.

Olympic Team Trials champion Perkins won both DSMIs that were competed in 2017 and finished third at last year’s Trials to make his second-consecutive National Team. In the 2018 season, he picked up a bronze medal at Thor Masters in February.

Sancho and Mossing were both members of the 2017 U23 World Team, with Sancho representing at 66 kg and Mossing holding down the 71 kg spot. Both wrestlers train in Colorado Springs, Sancho at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Mossing at the Air Force Academy.

A past Junior World Team member, Sancho has been on the cusp of winning major national events, finishing second at the World Team Trials twice and taking home silver at the U.S. Open twice. Most recently, he won gold at the Bill Farrell International in New York City.

While he is expected to compete at 72 kg next week in Vegas, Sancho will likely move down to 67 kg for June’s Senior World Team Trials.

Mossing, who is a cadet at the Air Force Academy, is fairly new to the Senior Greco scene. He won the 2017 University Nationals before making his first World Team at the 2017 U23 World Team Trials.

77 kg/169 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

Junior World champion and last year’s U.S. Open champion Kamal Bey is heading back to Vegas to defend his crown.

There to challenge him will be U23 World Team member Jesse Porter (Clifton Park, N.Y./New York AC/NMU-OTS). Over the last couple of years Bey and Porter have had quite the rivalry, almost always guaranteeing an exciting match every time they go toe-to-toe.

Bey and Porter were teammates on the U23 World Team, with Porter representing at 75 kg and Bey winning the spot at 80 kg.

Since winning his World title at the Junior level, Bey, who still has a year of eligibility left at the Junior level, has been just as unstoppable in other international appearances, winning the Granma Cup in Cuba and the Bill Farrell International. Bey also took second at the Senior World Team Trials last April, falling to Mason Manville, who is not expected to compete at the U.S Open but will be at World Team Trials.

Porter, 2017 U.S. Open runner-up, owns four Senior international medals with his most recent coming at the Bill Farrell International, where he earned silver.

Others who are likely to make an impact at the weight include 2014 U.S. Open champion Kendrick Sanders (Homestead, Fla./New York AC/NMU-OTS), U23 World Team Trials runner-up Jon Jay Chavez (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC) and Cody Pack (Beresford, S.D./Legends of Gold).

82 kg/180 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Cheney Haight (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)

With 2017 U.S. Open champion and World Team member Cheney Haight registered at 87 kg, it will be interesting to see who rises to the top at 82 kg.

The top contenders at this weight include Barrett Stanghill (Philipsburg, Mont./New York AC/NMU-OTS), Jon Stefanowicz (Hubert, N.C./U.S. Marines) and Geordan Speiller (Oviedo, Fla./Florida Jets).

Stanghill was a U23 World Team member last year and finished third at the 2017 U.S. Open. Since the U23 World Championships, Stanghill notched a bronze medal at the Bill Farrell International.

Stefanowicz took fifth at last year’s Open but made an impressive run to the World Team Trials finals at 80 kg for his first spot on the Senior National Team. In the fall, he went on to wear the Red, White and Blue at the CISM Military World Championships, where he finished ninth. So far this season, he own double gold at the Armed Forces Championships in Greco and freestyle.

Speiller, who took second at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials, has several accolades to his name, including a 2016 Pan-Am championship and a 2016 U.S. Open title. His only competition in 2018 was the Bill Farrell International, where he brought home a silver medal.

87 kg/191 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Kevin Radford (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)

Lots of fun names at this weight, including the reigning U.S. Open champion, a two-time Olympian, two other past World Team members and the 2016 Olympic Team Trials champion.

Last year’s U.S. Open champ Kevin Radford looks to defend his title. Fairly new to Greco, Radford has already showed great promise, holding two international medals, including a silver from the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial (November) and a bronze medal from the Granma Cup.

Two-time Olympian Ben Provisor (State College, Pa./New York AC), also a two-time U.S. Open champion, looks for vengeance as he was upset in last year’s Open. Although he’s made two Olympic Teams, last year was the first time Provisor had earned a spot on the Senior World Team. Since the World Championships in August, Provisor has competed at Thor Masters and in USA’s dual against Serbia.

Cheney Haight was also a member of the 2017 U.S. World Team, taking the spot at 80 kg. It was his second time on the World stage for the USA as he was also on the 2011 team. Haight, a two-time Pan American champion, was also the 2017 U.S. Open champion at 80 kg. He seeks his third overall U.S. Open national title.

2016 Olympic Teams Trials champion Joe Rau finished second at the World Team Trials at 85 kg last season after moving down from 98 kg from the year before. Heading into the Open, Rau is on a roll, winning gold at the Bill Farrell International in freestyle and taking bronze in Greco at the same event.

Another top name to look out for is two-time World Team member Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who won spots on the 2015 team and the 2016 Non-Olympic Weight Team. Owning several international medals, Martinez most recently competed at the Granma Cup in Cuba.

97 kg/213 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: G’Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)

The 2017 U.S. Open champion, G’Angelo Hancock, and runner-up, Hayden Zillmer, have both qualified for June’s World Team Trials and are not expected to compete at the Open.

That leaves the door wide open for a new champion.

Lucas Sheridan (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP), who finished fourth at last year’s Trials, is one of the top contenders at 97 kg. Sheridan has good momentum entering Vegas, having just won the Bill Farrell International just weeks ago.

Greco may see a new face soon as Jacob Kasper (Mansfield, Ohio/Roughhouse WC) transitions out of his collegiate career at Duke, where he was a two-time All-American. The last Kasper competed in Greco was last summer at University Nationals, where he took fourth.

Also at the weight is National Team member and Bill Farrell bronze medalist Enock Francois (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC).

Other names to look out for include Daniel Miller (Camp LeJeune, N.C./U.S. Marines), James Souza (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) and Micah Burak (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC). Miller and Souza are past Armed Forces champions.

130 kg/286 lbs.
Sitting out: No one
Dec. 2016 U.S. Open champion: Toby Erickson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

While 2017 U.S. Open champion Toby Erickson is not expected to compete due to injury, there is still a multiple-time World Team member and a two-time Junior World bronze medalist at the weight.

Robby Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) has owned the heavyweight spot for the last several years, making the last four Senior World Teams as well as the 2016 Olympic Team. As a U.S. representative, Smith has collected fifth-place finishes at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. He was also a three-time Junior World Team member in his days as a youth wrestler. His last Greco competition was at Thor Masters in Denmark earlier this year.

Looking to push him is Adam Coon (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC), who is registered to compete in Greco and freestyle next week. Coon is a Junior World bronze medalist in both styles and just wrapped up his collegiate career at Michigan earlier this month, where he was a three-time All-American and a 2018 NCAA runner-up. The last time he competed in an international style, Coon finished second at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Greco.

Other names to look out for include Donald Longendyke (Vadnais Heights, Minn./Minnesota Storm), Trent Osnes (Camp LeJeune, N.C./Marines) and Malcolm Allen (Mankato, Minnesota/Minnesota Storm).