Ramos to face Fix at 57 kg as all 10 men’s freestyle finals set after Marine Corps U.S. Open semifinals

Tony Ramos of the Sunkist Kids won his semifinal match over Zach Sanders of the Minnesota Storm at the U.S. Open. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The men’s freestyle semifinals at the Marine Corps U.S. Open pushed 20 amazing wrestlers into Saturday afternoon’s finals at the South Point Arena. The session went quickly, with some entertaining and action packed matches.
The highly anticipated finals at 57 kg became a reality, as two-time World Team member Tony Ramos of the Sunkist Kids will battle 2017 Junior World champion Daton Fix of the Titan Mercury WC for the title.
Ramos earned his spot with an 8-4 win over Zach Sanders of the Minnesota Storm. Ramos fell behind 4-0 on a Sanders arm throw, but scored four straight takedowns to take the victory. On the other side, Fix scored a quick takedown and executed four straight turns from the mat for a 10-0 technical fall over David Terao of the DCAC.
“I wrestled really good. On the top, I am getting my turns. That is the name of the game in freestyle, to get my turns. I am going out there with the same mentality that I always talk about. I don’t care who is across from me on the mat, I am going to go out there, look to score points and wrestle my style of wrestling,” said Fix.
Another big-time finals will happen at 79 kg, as four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake of the Titan Mercury WC will face three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer of the Titan Mercury WC. This is a new weight class internationally, and both wrestlers are National Team members. Both had technical falls in the semifinals, Dake over Josh Asper of the Navy-Marine Corps RTC, 11-0, and Dieringer over Michael Evans of the Buies Creek RTC, 11-0.
2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner of the Nittany Lion WC, competing for the first time in almost two years, made the 125 kg finals, after a 2-0 victory over Tanner Hall of the Sunkist Kids. Varner competed most of his career down at 97 kg. His finals opponent is Michigan star Adam Coon of the New York AC, who scored a 3-3 criteria decision over past U.S. Open champion Dom Bradley of the Sunkist Kids.
2016 Olympic bronze medalist J’den Cox of the Titan Mercury WC reached the finals at his new weight class, 92 kg, which was added to international wrestling this year. Cox defeated a fellow Missouri native, veteran Deron Winn of the Titan Mercury WC, 3-0. He will face Hayden Zillmer of the Minnesota Storm, who scored a dominant 14-2 technical fall over Enoch Francois of New York AC. Zillmer was a member of Team USA in both freestyle and Greco-Roman last year, but only entered freestyle at the U.S. Open this year.
Missouri sophomore Jaydin Eierman continued his torrid wrestling with a 10-0 technical fall over Nick Dardanes of the Titan Mercury WC in the 65 kg semifinals. Eierman beat 2016 World champion Logan Stieber of the Titan Mercury WC in the quarterfinals. Eierman’s finals opponent will be Junior World and U23 World medalist Joey McKenna, who just finished his college career at Ohio State. McKenna beat Evan Henderson of the Titan Mercury WC in a 10-0 technical fall in the other semifinal.
One of the bigger upsets in the semifinals came when Jason Chamberlain of the Titan Mercury WC came on strong in the second period to defeat 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro of the Titan Mercury WC, 4-2 at 70 kg. Trailing 2-1, Chamberlain scored a clutch second-period takedown for the lead he never relinquished. His finals opponent is NC State freshman Hayden Hidlay of the Wolfpack WC, who scored a two point takedown with 18 seconds left to edge Alec Pantaleo of the Michigan RTC, 7-5.
Another big upset came at 97 kg, when Austin Schafer scored a takedown on the buzzer to defeat 2017 U.S. Open champion Kyven Gadson of the Sunkist Kids, 4-3. His finals opponent is 2017 U23 medalist Ty Walz of the Titan Mercury WC, a 4-3 winner over Nathan Burak of the Titan Mercury WC.
David Taylor of the Nittany Lion WC scored a fast 12-2 technical fall over Timothy Dudley of the Sunkist Kids at 86 kg. The Magic Man will face talented Richard Perry of the New York AC, who also got a technical fall over unattached Ryan McWatters, 13-1. Perry fired up the crowd with a pair of exciting four-point throws.
The 61 kg finals will feature veteran Joe Colon of the Titan Mercury WC against Nahshon Garrett of the Sunkist Kids. Garrett won a crazy 18-13 semifinal over 2018 NCAA champion Seth Gross of the Sunkist Kids. After the first period ended 10-10, Garrett scored a pair of four-point throws to break open the bout. Colon advanced with a close 7-5 win over 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Brandon Wright of the New York AC.
Four-time NCAA finalist Isaiah Martinez of the Titan Mercury WC made the 79 kg finals, with a 11-0 technical fall over Jake Sueflohn of the Boilermaker RTC. His opponent is veteran Dan Vallimont of the New York AC, a 6-3 winner over Quinton Godley of the Wolfpack WC.
The men’s freestyle finals will be held on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, and will be broadcast live by Flowrestling.


MARINE CORPS U.S. OPEN

At Las Vegas, Nev., April 27, 2018


Men’s freestyle finals
57 kg - Tony Ramos (Sunkist Kids) vs. Daton Fix (TMWC)
61 kg - Joe Colon (TMWC) vs. Nahshon Garrett (Sunkist Kids WC)
65 kg - Jaydin Eierman (Missouri Wrestling RTC) vs. Joseph McKenna (OSC-unattached)
70 kg - Jason Chamberlain (TMWC) vs. Hayden Hidlay (Wolfpack WC)
74 kg - Isaiah Martinez (TMWC) vs. Dan Vallimont (NYAC/Penn RTC)
79 kg - Kyle Dake (TMWC) vs. Alex Dieringer (TMWC)
86 kg - David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Richard Perry (NYAC/Penn RTC)
92 kg - J’den Cox (TMWC) vs. Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm)
97 kg - Austin Schafer (NYAC/FLWC) vs. Ty Walz (TMWC)
125 kg - Adam Coon (NYAC/MWC) vs. Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC)
Semifinals results


57 kg
Tony Ramos (Sunkist Kids) dec. Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm), 8-4
Daton Fix (TMWC) tech. fall David Terao (DCAC), 10-0

61 kg
Joe Colon (TMWC) dec. Brandon Wright (NYAC/IndWC), 7-5
Nahshon Garrett (Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids WC), 18-13

65 kg
Jaydin Eierman (Missouri Wrestling RTC) tech. fall Nick Dardanes (TMWC), 10-0
Joseph McKenna (OSC-Unattached) tech. fall Evan Henderson (TMWC), 10-0

70 kg
Jason Chamberlain (TMWC) dec. Frank Molinaro (TMWC), 4-2
Hayden Hidlay (Wolfpack WC) dec. Alec Pantaleo (Michigan RTC), 7-5

74 kg
Isaiah Martinez (TMWC) tech. fall Jake Sueflohn (Boilermaker RTC), 11-0
Dan Vallimont (NYAC/Penn RTC) dec. Quinton Godley (Wolfpack WC), 6-3

79 kg
Kyle Dake (TMWC) tech. fall Joshua Asper (Navy-Marine Corps RTC), 11-0
Alex Dieringer (TMWC) tech. fall Michael Evans (Buies Creek RTC), 11-0

86 kg
David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Timothy Dudley (Sunkist Kids WC), 12-2
Richard Perry (NYAC/Penn RTC) tech. fall Ryan McWatters (Unattached), 13-1

92 kg
J’den Cox (TMWC) dec. Deron Winn (TMWC), 3-0
Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Enock Francois (NYAC/FLWC), 14-2

97 kg
Austin Schafer (NYAC/FLWC) dec. Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 4-3
Ty Walz (TMWC) dec. Nathan Burak (TMWC), 4-3

125 kg
Adam Coon (NYAC/MWC) dec. Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids WC), 3-3
Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Tanner Hall (Arizona State University), 2-0