PREVIEW: Senior Greco Trials set for Thursday and Friday in Tulsa

The 2018 U.S. Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials are set to take place Thursday and Friday at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa, Okla.

Competition begins on Thursday at 10 a.m. Central Time live on Flowrestling. With the 2018 U.S. Open winners sitting out until Friday’s best-of-three finals, the entire challenge tournament will be wrestled Thursday and the other finalist will be determined.

The finals series will take place on Friday, starting at 12 p.m. CT.

Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the athletes that were registered as of Tuesday:

55 kg/121 lbs.

Sitting out in best-of-three finals: Max Nowry, 2018 U.S. Open champion

Max Nowry, the 2018 U.S. Open champion, has already sealed a spot on his fourth U.S. National Team with a bye to the finals. In the Open finals, Nowry, a past University World champion, bested 2012 freestyle Olympian and 2008 Greco Olympic Trials runner-up Sam Hazewinkel, 10-3.

Recently named the head coach at Oklahoma City University, Hazewinkel, who is back on the competition mat after nearly two years off, will continue his comeback bid as he is registered for this weekend’s event.

Also at this weight is Dalton Duffield of Oklahoma, who recently earned a spot on the U23 Greco World Team earlier this month. Duffield was coached by Hazewinkel during some of the 2017-18 season as he transferred to the University of Central Oklahoma, where Hazewinkel was assisting at the time.

hers to watch out for are for U23 Trials runner-up Jabari Moody and U.S. Open placers Kyndall Rutz, Britain Longmire and Schuyler Swanton.

60 kg/132 lbs.

Sitting out in best-of-three finals: Dalton Roberts, 2018 U.S. Open champion

This weight class might be one of the most exciting brackets to watch as there is a ton of World experience at different levels registered. It should be interesting to see who emerges to take on U.S. Open champion and four-time age-group World Team member Dalton Roberts in the best-of-three finals.

Roberts made his first World Team in 2012, wrestling at the Cadet World Championships. He made back-to-back Junior World teams in 2015 and 2016. His most recent Worlds appearance came in 2017 at the U23 World Championships last November.

Looking to challenge Roberts is returning World Team member and 2008 Olympian for Uzbekistan Ildar Hafizov, who aims to punch a ticket to his fifth World Championships. Before becoming a U.S. citizen, Hafizov was a three-time World Teamer for his home country of Uzbekistan. His highest finish was a fifth-place finish at the 2007 World Championships. Last year, Hafizov made his first World Team for the U.S.

Other past World Team members at this weight include 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Taylor LaMont and Randon Miranda.

LaMont has represented the U.S. on the World stage four times, making one Cadet team and three Junior teams, while Miranda will head to his third World Championships later this year as he defeated Roberts in the best-of-three finals at the U23 World Team Trials in early June.

Also at this weight is 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Mike Fuenffinger, who was a two-time Junior World Teamer, representing the Red, White and Blue in 2011 and 2012.

63 kg/139 lbs.

Sitting out in best-of-three finals: Ryan Mango, 2018 U.S. Open champion

A new UWW weight, 63 kg is loaded with talent. Sitting out in the finals is U.S. Open champion Ryan Mango, who is now a three-time National Team member after securing spot in the finals after falling short of a top-three finish in 2017.

There are several notable athletes registered in this bracket, including 2016 Olympian Jesse Thielke. Thielke is looking to make his second Senior World Team and first since 2013. In his 2016 Olympic showing, Thielke tallied the highest finish for U.S. Greco, taking ninth. During his age-group career, Thielke was a four-time Junior World Team member and won a bronze medal at the 2012 Junior Worlds.

Others at this weight include 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Sam Jones and 2015 Junior World Team member Travis Rice. Both are looking to make their first Senior World and National Teams.

Jones suited up for Team USA in 2014, claiming a bronze medal at the University World Championships. Rice is fresh off a championship performance at the U23 World Team Trials and will go to Bucharest, Romania, in November to compete for a World title.

67 kg/147 lbs.

Sitting out in best-of-three finals: Ellis Coleman, 2018 U.S. Open champion

Holding a spot in the finals this weekend is 2012 Olympian and two-time World Team member Ellis Coleman, who is also a two-time Junior World bronze medalist. Coleman has had a successful year since the 2017 Trials, getting more international experience at both the Senior Worlds and CISM Military Worlds. He also won his fourth U.S. Open championship and represented the USA at the Senior Pan American Championships.

It should be fun to see who comes out of the mini tournament to challenge Coleman. Among those registered is 2017 U.S. Open champion Hayden Tuma, 2017 U23 World Team member Alejandro Sancho and 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Jessy Williams.

Tuma won the 2017 Open at 59 kg and later went on to advance to the World Team Trials finals, where he came up just of a Senior Worlds bid, falling to Hafizov. Since the announcement of the new weights and weigh-in procedures, Tuma decided to bump up to 67 kg. A four-time age-group World Team member, Tuma looks to make his first Senior World Team this weekend.

After wrestling the 2018 U.S. Open at 72 kg, where he finished second, Sancho is expected to come down to 67 kg for the Trials. He has competed for the U.S. twice on the World stage, but has fallen short of a Senior World Team, taking second at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 World Team Trials. He also took third at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials.

Should Sancho make it to the finals, fans should expect fireworks as the two have had some crazy showdowns in the past.

Others who can make an impact at this weight are 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.

72 kg/158 lbs.

Sitting out in best-of-three finals: RaVaughn Perkins, 2018 U.S. Open champion

Already in the finals at 72 kg RaVaughn Perkins, who has been a perennial threat at whatever weight he competes. In 2016, Perkins won the Olympic Team Trials at 66 kg but was unable to qualify the weight for Rio. In April, Perkins won his second-career U.S. Open title, defeating returning World Team member Pat Smith in the finals, 9-0. Shortly after winning the Open, Perkins went to Lima, Peru, for the Pan AM Championships, bringing home gold.

On a mission to knock off Perkins are past Senior World Teamers Pat Smith and Chris Gonzalez. Also in the mix is 2018 U23 World Team member Logan Kass, who earned the spot last month in Akron, Ohio.

Smith is three-time Senior Pan American champion, who finally broke through as the top guy nationally last year, winning his first U.S. Open title and earning a spot on the 2017 World Team. He looks to avenge his loss to Perkins and defend his spot on the World Team.

Since making the 2016 Team, Gonzalez finished second at last year’s World Team Trials, won bronze at the 20th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International and claimed silver at the Bill Farrell International, all while balancing a career in mixed martial arts.

Making the move down to 72 kg is Jon Jay Chavez, who is a past Cadet World bronze medalist and 2017 U.S. Senior National Team member. Since last year’s Trials, where he finished third, Chavez took third at the 2017 U23 World Team Trials and was sixth at this year’s Open.

Also registered are past U.S. Open placers Nick Tarpley, Colin Schubert and Sergio Guererro.

77 kg/169 lbs.

Sitting out in best-of-three finals: Kamal Bey, 2018 U.S. Open champion

Despite a runner-up-finish at last year’s World Team Trials, Kamal Bey, a 2017 Junior World champion, is favored at this event and has earned a bid to the best-of-three finals, claiming his second-straight U.S. Open title.

Last year, Bey represented the Red, White and Blue at the Junior Worlds and U23 Worlds, coming away with the first Junior Greco gold for the USA since 1999. This year, while still Junior eligible, Bey aims to make his first Senior World Team.

Standing in his way is 2017 Senior World Team member Mason Manville, who knocked off Bey in the best-of-three finals last year for the spot. At the Senior World Championships, Manville went 1-1, falling short of placing in his first Senior outing. Manville, a wrestler at Penn State, won the 2014 Cadet World Championships in freestyle. He also competed in Greco at that tournament.

Two-time U23 World Team member Jesse Porter is registered at this weight. He and Bey have had some exciting head-to-heads in their Junior and young Senior careers. Since last year’s Senior Trials, Porter made the 2017 and 2018 U23 World Teams. He picked up a silver medal at the Bill Farrell in March.

Others to look out for at this weight include 2014 U.S. Open champion Kendrick Sanders, 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Peyton Walsh and Cody Pack.

82 kg/180 lbs.

Sitting out in the best of three finals: Geordan Speiller, 2018 U.S. Open champion

Holding a spot in the finals is U.S. Open champion Geordan Speiller. In 2016, he took second at the Olympic Team Trials and has several accolades to his name, including a 2016 Pan-Am championship, a 2018 Pan Am silver and a 2016 U.S. Open title.

This is one of the smaller weight classes of the weekend, but there is still a lot of experience here.

Two-time World Team member and two-time U.S. Open champion Cheney Haight is registered. He has been a solid force on the Senior-level, winning several international medals, including two Pan Am golds.

Others at 82 kg include six-time National Team member Jake Fisher, 2018 U23 World Team member Carter Nielsen, 2017 U23 World Team member Barrett Stanghill and 2017 World Team Trials runner-up John Stefanowicz.

87 kg/191 lbs.

Sitting out in the best of three finals: Ben Provisor, 2018 U.S. Open champion

2017 World Team member and two-time Olympian Ben Provisor is the favorite at 87 kg and will sit out until the best-of-three finals. Provisor is coming off a U.S. Open championship and double titles at the 2018 Pan American Championships, stepping in to wrestle freestyle as well.

Two-time World Team member Patrick Martinez is registered at 87 kg. He competed for the U.S. at the World Championships in 2015 and 2016. Martinez is also a 2015 U.S. Open champion and trains at the United States Olympic Training Center.

Others here are 2017 U.S. Open winner Kevin Radford, 2017 Open runner-up Khymba Johnson and multiple-time National Team member Courtney Myers.

2017 Trials runner-up and 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Joe Rau is not expected to compete this weekend.

97 kg/213 lbs.

Sitting out in the best of three finals: Daniel Miller, 2018 U.S. Open champion

This will be a fun weight to watch play out for the other finalist as the U.S. Open champion Daniel Miller is sitting out until Friday. Miller jumped from seventh at the 2017 Open to the 2018 champ.

Miller represented the U.S. Marines at the 2017 CISM Military World Championships and went on to finish seventh.

Expected to make it through the challenge bracket is 2017 Senior World teamer G’Angelo Hancock, who recently just landed a spot on his second-straight U23 World Team. Last year, Hancock suited up for Team USA three times, wrestling in the Senior, U23 and Junior Worlds. Overall, he was on three Junior World Teams and claimed bronze in 2016.

After wrapping up his college career earlier this spring, Kevin Beazley is taking on a Senior career in Greco-Roman. In his age-group days, Beazley made Junior Greco World Teams in 2013 and 2014. In his first Senior tournament since returning to Greco, Beazley scored bronze at the City of Sassari International in May.

Also registered at this weight is 2017 U23 World Team member Blake Smith.

130 kg/286 lbs.

Sitting out in the best of three finals: Robby Smith, 2018 U.S. Open champion

One of this week’s most intriguing story lines is Adam Coon’s attempt to make both the Greco-Roman and Freestyle World Teams. To do so, he will first have to navigate the challenge tournament featuring a bevy of talented wrestlers. Waiting at the end of that road is four-time World Team member and 2016 Olympian Robby Smith.

Smith, who has taken fifth at the World Championships twice (2013 and 2015), has owned this weight class nationally for years. In April he picked up his third U.S. Open championship, defeating Coon in the finals, 5-0.

Despite battling injuries earlier this year, 2017 National Team members Toby Erickson and Jacob Mitchell will be present in the field after not participating in the U.S. Open. Also in the mix is six-time freestyle National Team member Dom Bradley.

Despite being a veteran on the freestyle scene, this is Bradley’s first Senior-level Greco-Roman tournament. Coon defeated Bradley, 3-3, at the U.S. Open in freestyle on his way to a title. In Greco-Roman, Coon shut out his first three opponents with a tech and two pins before falling to Smith.

Other notable wrestlers in bracket are U.S. Open third placer David Tate Orndorff, fifth placer Alton Meeks and seventh placer Malcolm Allen.

2018 SENIOR GRECO-ROMAN WORLD TEAM TRIALS

at Cox Convention Center, Tulsa, Okla. June 21-22

Schedule

Thursday, June 21
10 a.m. – Session I (preliminaries through quarterfinals)
5 p.m. – Session II (semifinals through challenge tournament finals and consolation rounds)

Friday, June 22
10 a.m. – Session III (consolation rounds through third-place matches)
12 p.m. – Session IV (best-of-three finals)