20 USA wrestlers get draws for Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial

KIEV, Ukraine – 20 more Americans received draws for the Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial, highlighted by 16 men’s freestyle wrestlers and four women’s freestyle wrestlers.

The U.S. entered six men at 61 kg/134 lbs. Of them, two Americans, Nahshon Garrett and Nico Megaludis, will face off against each other to open their tournaments.

The Red, White and Blue also registered four at 92 kg/202 lbs., including 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World bronze medalist J’den Cox, who is moving up from 86 kg/189 lbs. Cox drew Armenia’s Shamir Atyan, who took seventh at the 2013 World Military Championships.

Other notable Americans in men’s freestyle include U.S. National Team members Joe Colon (2015-16), Alex Dieringer (2016-18) and Dom Bradley (2009-12, 2015-18).

Colon, who enters the tournament at 61 kg, will face off against Aital Zakarov of Russia.

Wrestling at 79 kg/174 lbs., Dieringer drew Jakob Makarashvili of Georgia in the first round. Makarashvili finished 11th at the 2016 Olympics and took home a fifth-place finish in the 2013 World Championships.

At 125 kg/275 lbs., Bradley will take on Vitali Piasniak of Belarus, who won bronze at the 2017 World Military Championships and silver at the U23 European Championships.

Competing for the women is 2016 World Team member Sarah Hildebrandt, three-time National Team member Jacarra Winchester and Junior-aged athletes Michaela Beck and Emma Bruntil.

Hildebrandt made the move down to 53 kg/117 lbs., and will open against 2017 Junior and U23 European bronze medalist Katerina Pichkovskaya of Belarus.

The other three will face past age-group World medalists in their first matches.

Winchester, at 57 kg/125 lbs., has 2012 Senior World silver and 2011 Junior World bronze Zalina Sidakova of Belarus.

Also at 57 kg, Beck, a 2017 Cadet Pan Am bronze winner, will face Alina Akobiyan of Ukraine, who won bronze at the 2017 U23 World Championships.

Wrestling at 62 kg/136 lbs., 2017 Junior Pan Am champion Bruntil drew 2017 U23 World silver medalist Ilona Prokopevniuk of Ukraine.

Saturday prelims will start at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) with semifinals set for 5 p.m. (10 a.m. ET). Finals will be contested on Sunday at 2 p.m. (7 a.m. ET).

U.S. men’s freestyle draws

61 kg/134 lbs. – Jon Morrison (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC)
vs. Ivan Bileichuk (Ukraine), 10th at 2017 World Championships

61 kg/134 lbs. – Nahshon Garrett (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
vs. Nico Megaludis (USA), 2017 Grand Prix of Paris champion, 2016 Bill Farrell International champion

61 kg/134 lbs. – Nico Megaludis (State College, Pa./Titan Mercury WC)
vs. Nahshon Garrett (USA), 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial silver

61 kg/134 lbs. – Alan Waters (Columbia, Mo./Titan Mercury)
vs. Georgi Revazshvili (Georgia), 2017 Golden Grand Prix bronze, 2016 Grand Prix of Paris bronze

61kg/134.4 lbs. – Brandon Wright (Indianapolis, Ind./RNO/IPWA)
vs. Petr Bileichuk (Ukraine), 2017 Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial silver

61kg/134.4 lbs. – Joe Colon (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury)
vs. Aital Zakarov (Russia)

70 kg/154 lbs. – Dylan Ness (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)
vs. Narek Sirunyan (Armenia), 2017 Yasar Dogu silver, four-time Stepan Sargsyan Tournament medalist

70 kg/154 lbs. – Nazar Kulchytskyy (Madison, Wisc./Titan Mercury)
vs. Bulat Ataev (Russia)

79 kg/174 lbs. – Josh Asper (Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marines Corps RTC)
vs. Ali Khuzheiry (Belarus)

79 kg/174 lbs. – Alex Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury)
vs. Jakob Makarashvili (Georgia), 11th at 2016 Olympics, fifth at 2013 World Championships

92 kg/202 lbs. – J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Titan Mercury)
vs. Shamir Atyan (Armenia), seventh at 2013 World Military Championship

92 kg/202 lbs. – Riley Lefever (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)
vs. Oleinyk Pavlo (Hungary)

92 kg/202 lbs. – Timmy McCall (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury)
vs. Ivan Yankouski (Belarus), 2017 Grand Prix of Paris champion, 2016 World Military Championships bronze, 2015 World Military Games bronze, 2010 World Military Championships silver

92 kg/202 lbs. – Josh Manu (Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marines Corps RTC)
vs. Islam Azizov (Kazakhstan), 2011 Junior World bronze, two-time age-group Asian champion

125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Roseberry (Annapolis, Md./Navy-Marines Corps RTC)
vs. Giorgi Sakandelidze (Qatar), 2009 Junior World silver, 2010 Junior World bronze

125 kg/275 lbs. – Dom Bradley (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
vs. Vitali Piasniak (Belarus), 2017 World Military bronze, 2017 U23 European silver

U.S. women’s freestyle draws

53 kg/117 lbs. – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, New York AC)
vs. Katerina Pichkovskaya (Belarus), 2017 Junior European bronze, 2017 U23 European bronze, two-time Grand Prix of Germany bronze

57 kg/125 lbs. – Jacarra Winchester (Marshall, Mo./Titan Mercury)
vs. Zalina Sidakova (Belarus), 2012 Senior World silver, 2011 Junior World bronze, 2017 Lady Klippan Open champion

57 kg/125 lbs. – Michaela Beck (New York, N.Y./New York AC)
vs. Alina Akobiyan (Ukraine), 2017 U23 World bronze, 2017 Junior European champion, 2016 Cadet European champion

62 kg/136 lbs. – Emma Bruntil (Acme, Wash./Choker WC)
vs.  Ilona Prokopevniuk (Ukraine), 2017 U23 World silver, fifth at 2017 Junior Worlds