Semifinals set up for exciting Senior Greco and women's freestyle session at 2018 Marines Corp US Open

LAS VEGAS – After a morning full of wrestling, the semifinals for the Senior Greco-Roman and Senior women’s freestyle brackets are set. The semis will take place on Thursday night at 6 p.m. PT at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

Semis to watch out for:
Women’s freestyle

• 62 kg is the weight to watch this round with four hammers advancing to the semifinals. 2017 World Team member and three-time WCWA champion Mallory Velte is taking on past U.S. Open champion Amanda Hendey, who is back after an injury. On the bottom side of the bracket, we’ll see 2014 Senior World Team member Jenna Burkert challenge Kayla Miracle, a four-time WCWA champion and multiple-time age-group World Team member, who has been at the top of her game lately.
• At 53 kg, there will be a battle of 2017 World Team Trials finalists as Cody Pfau moves up a weight to face Sarah Hildebrandt, who is also a 2016 World Team member.
• Three-time World champion Adeline Gray is back on the mat after taking several months off and sailed to the 76 kg semifinals. She’ll face Mariah Harris and aims to claim her fourth U.S. Open title.
• Other notable women in the semis include two-time World Team member Victoria Anthony at 50 kg, 2016 Olympian and 2017 World Team member Haley Augello at 53 kg, 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell at 59 kg and 2017 World Team member Tamyra Stock at 68 kg.
  

  Greco-Roman

• Don’t miss out on the action at 72 kg because this bracket is loaded. The semifinals feature two Senior World Team members, a 2016 Olympic Trials champion and a U23 World Team member. On the top side of the bracket, RaVaughn Perkins, who won the 2016 Olympic Team Trials will face 2016 World Team member Chris Gonzalez, while 2017 Senior World Team member Pat Smith will see 2017 U23 World Teamer Alex Sancho, who bumped up a weight for the U.S. Open.
• 2012 freestyle Olympian and nine-time National Team member in freestyle and Greco Sam Hazewinkel made his return to wrestling and has shown no problems getting to the semis. He’ll face Randon Miranda, who is a young guy making a big name for himself. Miranda, a two-time Junior World Team member, has made the finals in his last seven tournament appearances, internationally and nationally.
• At 60 kg, former Junior World teammates will go head to. Dalton Roberts and Taylor LaMont have met up plenty of times in their young careers. It’ll be exciting to see who comes out on top in this matchup.
• 2016 Olympic Team Trials champion Joe Rau and two-time World Team member Cheney Haight will wrestle each other at 87 kg. Haight owns two U.S. Open titles, while Rau took gold at the event in 2016.
• Two other big names clashing in the semis are Jesse Thielke and Ryan Mango, who both moved up to 63 kg after the new UWW weights were announced. Thielke is a 2016 Olympian, looking to get back to level of dominance he showed in the 2016 season. Mango is a two-time National Team member.
• Other notable wrestlers in the Greco semis include four-time World teamer and 2016 Olympian Robby Smith at 130 kg, two-time Olympian and 2017 World Team member Ben Provisor, 2017 Junior World champion Kamal Bey at 77 kg, 2012 Olympian and 2017 World Team member Ellis Coleman at 67 kg and 2017 World Team member Ildar Hafizov at 60 kg.
  

  Notable upsets:
  Women’s freestyle

• U23 World Team member and four-time WCWA All-American Megan Black fell in the quarterfinals to Simon Fraser’s Lauren Mason in a 10-6 decision at 57 kg.
• Also at 57 kg, Michaela Beck, ranked No. 1 in the nation at the high school level, defeated 2017 National Team member Koral Sugiyama in the quarters, 10-0.
• Anna Naylor, a 2017 WCWA All-American, took down 2017 Junior World Team member and 2018 U23 World Teamer Alex Glaude with 12-2 tech fall in the first round at 68 kg.
• Cadet World Team member and high schooler Alisha Howk defeated 218 U23 World Team member and two-time All-American Charlotte Fowler in the first round at 53 kg, 10-0. Howk lost her next match to Sarah Hildebrandt.

Greco-Roman

• 2017 U.S. Open champion and World Team Trials runner-up Hayden Tuma was stopped in the 63 kg quarterfinals, losing to 2015 Junior World Team member Travis Rice, 3-1. Tuma entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, while Rice was the eight seed.
• Multiple-time National Team member and past U.S. Open champion Kendrick Sanders went down in the quarters at 77 kg, falling to Peyton Walsh, 11-2.

Other interesting info:

• There are two Xavier Johnson’s competing in Greco. One is at 67 kg, wrestling for the Marines, and the other is at 77 kg, wrestling unattached.
• McKendree University put five women in the semifinals, while Simon Fraser sent four to the semis.
• 2017 NCAA runner-up for Michigan, Adam Coon, is registered to compete in both freestyle and Greco this weekend. He has advanced to the 130 kg semifinals.
• U23 Greco World Team member Alex Mossing was forced out of the tournament due to an injury suffered in his first match.

2018 MARINE CORPS U.S. OPEN

at South Point Hotel, Las Vegas, Nev.

Women’s freestyle semifinal matchups
50 kg
Victoria Anthony (Sunkist Kids) vs. Erin Golston (New York AC)
Amy Fearnside (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Whitney Conder (Army WCAP)

53 kg
Haley Augello (New York AC) vs. Dajan Treder (Unattached)
Cody Pfau (Titan Mercury) vs. Sarah Hildebrandt (New York AC)

55 kg
Jacarra Winchester (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Tayler Resuriz (McKendree Bearcat WC)
Cameron Guerin (Team Takedown) vs. Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids)

57 kg
Lauren Mason (Unattached) vs. Michaela Beck (New York AC)
Alex Hedrick (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Brieana Delgado (Aries WC)

59 kg
Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) vs. Brenda Reyna (Bearcat McKendree WC)
Abby Nette (Lions WC) vs. Lauren Louive (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)

62 kg
Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Amanda Hendey (Titan Mercury WC)
Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) vs. Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids)

65 kg
Forrest Molinari (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Alexis Porter (New York AC)
Jayden Laurent (Musky WC) vs. Julia Salata (New York AC)

68 kg
Tamyra Stock (Titan Mercury) vs. Jasmine Bailey (McKendree Bearcat WC)
Randi Beltz (Army WCAP) vs. Anna Naylor (Univ. Of Cumberlands)

72 kg
Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids) vs. Hannah Gladden (Lions WC)
Alyvia Fiske (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Rachel Watters (New York AC)

76 kg
Adeline Gray (New York AC) vs. Mariah Harris (Campbellsville)
Leilani Camrgo-Noane (MWC Wrestling Academy) vs. Korinae Bullock (McKendree Bearcat WC)

Greco-Roman semifinal matchups
55 kg
Max Nowry (Army WCAP) vs. Jabari Moody (New York AC)
Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids) vs. Randon Miranda (New York AC)

60 kg
Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) vs. Mike Fuenffinger (Army WCAP)
Dalton Roberts (New York AC) vs. Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids)

63 kg
Travis Rice (NMU-OTS) vs. Sam Jones (New York AC)
Ryan Mango (Army WCAP) vs. Jesse Thielke (New York AC/Legends of Gold)

67 kg
Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) vs. Austin Morrow (New York AC)
Jessy Williams (New York AC) vs. Raymond Bunker (Marines)

72 kg
RaVaughn Perkins (New York AC) vs. Chris Gonzalez (New York AC)
Alejandro Sancho (New York AC) vs. Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm)

77 kg
Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jon Jay Chavez (New York AC)
Peyton Walsh (Marines) vs. Jesse Porter (New York AC)

82 kg
Jon Stefanowicz (Marines) vs. Barrett Stanghill (Minnesota Storm)
Courtney Myers (Army WCAP) vs. Geordan Speiller (Florida Jets)

87 kg
Ben Provisor (New York AC/Nittany Lion WC) vs. Kevin Radford (Sunkist Kids)
Joe Rau (Minnesota Storm) vs. Cheney Haight (New York AC)

97 kg
Lucas Sheridan (Army WCAP) vs. Micah Burak (Titan Mercury WC)
Dan Miller (Marines) vs. Enock Francois (New York AC)

130 kg
Robby Smith (New York AC) vs. Alton Meeks (Florida Jets)
Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm) vs. Adam Coon (New York AC/MWC)