LaMont vs. Peak Special Wrestle-off for UWW Junior World Greco-Roman Team in Atlanta on Saturday
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Taylor LaMont, shown competing at the 2017 Junior World Championships, will seek to make a third straight U.S. Junior World Greco-Roman Team. Photo by Richard Immel.
There will be a Special Wrestle-off for the 60 kg spot on the 2018 UWW Junior World Team between Taylor LaMont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids) and Benji Peak (Elkhorn, Wis/NMU-OTS) in Atlanta, Ga. tomorrow (Saturday, June 30).
The best-of-three series will being at 12:00 noon ET at the Georgia World Congress Center. This will be held alongside the Greco-Roman competition at the 2018 USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, which is also held at the Georgia World Congress Center.
The best-of-three series will be broadcast live by TrackWrestling.
The winner will compete at the UWW Junior World Championships, set for Trnava, Slovakia, September 17-23.
Peak won the 2018 Junior Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind. on June 8. Peak defeated Malik Johnson in the championship finals, 6-6 in bout one and 12-8 in bout two.
Peak competes with the Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site Greco-Roman team. Earlier in the season, Peak placed second at the 2018 UWW Junior Nationals in Las Vegas, losing to Johnson in the finals. He won a gold medal at the Malar Cup in Sweden in November.
LaMont was eligible for the Special Wrestle-off based upon the Junior World Team Selection Procedures, which states “a delay in a final wrestle-off may occur if a 2017 Junior GR World Team Member places in the top 4 at the April 2018 U.S. Senior Greco-Roman Open and then competes in the June 2018 U.S. Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials.”
LaMont was a member of the 2017 U.S. Junior World Team, where he placed fifth at the UWW Junior World Championships. LaMont placed third in the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at 60 kg in Las Vegas in April. LaMont then competed at the 2018 Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Tulsa, Okla. in June, where he was defeated in the semifinals by Mike Fuenffinger then did not compete in the consolation rounds.
LaMont has competed on five previous U.S. age-group Greco-Roman World Teams. He won a bronze medal at the 2016 UWW Junior World Championships, and also competed at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cadet World Championships.
LaMont was a freshman at Utah Valley University in 2018, where he was seeded No. 7 at the NCAA Championships and reached the round of 16 at 125 pounds.
There was another potential Special Wrestle-off for the 77 kg spot on the UWW Junior World Greco-Roman Team. Like LaMont, 2017 Junior World champion Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo.,/Sunkist Kids) met all of the requirements to get a delayed series at this weight class. However, 2018 UWW Junior World Team Trials champion Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif./Oklahoma RTC) chose not to enter a Special Wrestle-off against Bey, and the team spot will go to Bey.
There will be a Special Wrestle-off for the 60 kg spot on the 2018 UWW Junior World Team between Taylor LaMont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids) and Benji Peak (Elkhorn, Wis/NMU-OTS) in Atlanta, Ga. tomorrow (Saturday, June 30).
The best-of-three series will being at 12:00 noon ET at the Georgia World Congress Center. This will be held alongside the Greco-Roman competition at the 2018 USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, which is also held at the Georgia World Congress Center.
The best-of-three series will be broadcast live by TrackWrestling.
The winner will compete at the UWW Junior World Championships, set for Trnava, Slovakia, September 17-23.
Peak won the 2018 Junior Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind. on June 8. Peak defeated Malik Johnson in the championship finals, 6-6 in bout one and 12-8 in bout two.
Peak competes with the Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site Greco-Roman team. Earlier in the season, Peak placed second at the 2018 UWW Junior Nationals in Las Vegas, losing to Johnson in the finals. He won a gold medal at the Malar Cup in Sweden in November.
LaMont was eligible for the Special Wrestle-off based upon the Junior World Team Selection Procedures, which states “a delay in a final wrestle-off may occur if a 2017 Junior GR World Team Member places in the top 4 at the April 2018 U.S. Senior Greco-Roman Open and then competes in the June 2018 U.S. Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials.”
LaMont was a member of the 2017 U.S. Junior World Team, where he placed fifth at the UWW Junior World Championships. LaMont placed third in the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at 60 kg in Las Vegas in April. LaMont then competed at the 2018 Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Tulsa, Okla. in June, where he was defeated in the semifinals by Mike Fuenffinger then did not compete in the consolation rounds.
LaMont has competed on five previous U.S. age-group Greco-Roman World Teams. He won a bronze medal at the 2016 UWW Junior World Championships, and also competed at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cadet World Championships.
LaMont was a freshman at Utah Valley University in 2018, where he was seeded No. 7 at the NCAA Championships and reached the round of 16 at 125 pounds.
There was another potential Special Wrestle-off for the 77 kg spot on the UWW Junior World Greco-Roman Team. Like LaMont, 2017 Junior World champion Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo.,/Sunkist Kids) met all of the requirements to get a delayed series at this weight class. However, 2018 UWW Junior World Team Trials champion Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif./Oklahoma RTC) chose not to enter a Special Wrestle-off against Bey, and the team spot will go to Bey.
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