2019 US Open Senior Men’s Freestyle semifinals set after wild quarterfinals.

Yianni Diakomihalis defeated Frank Molinaro 7-3. Photo by John Sachs.

Las Vegas, NV The senior men’s freestyle brackets at the 2019 U.S. Open are loaded with talent, which led to some thrilling quarterfinals matches.

At 57 kg, Thomas Gilman ran through two-time Illinois All-American, Zane Richards 10-2. Richards defeated recent 2019 Pan American champion Jose Rodriguez to reach the quarterfinals, but was no match for the 2017 World silver medalist Gilman. In the semifinals Gilman will face long-time college rival Nathan Tomasello.

On the other side of the bracket two college studs, with international credentials to match, met up when Daton Fix defeated Vito Arujau in a come-from-behind victory. Arujau rushed out to a 6-0 lead, but it was all Fix from there. He took the win 18-8 securing a technical fall in the closing seconds. To reach the quarterfinals Arujau, who just finished his freshman year at Cornell, took out two-time NCAA Champion Jesse Delgado in a 14-10 thriller. Fix, who just concluded his redshirt freshman season at Oklahoma State, took second at the NCAA tournament at 133 pounds. Arujau took fourth at 125. Fix will face 2017 NCAA Champion Darian Cruz in the semifinals.

At 61 kg there was a Hawkeye vs. Hawkeye battle with Tony Ramos squaring off against Cory Clark. Both wrestlers were National Champions for Iowa. Ramos is currently coaching at the University of North Carolina while Clark is competing for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Clark took this round 6-3. He had previously defeated Ramos 8-0 at the inaugural American Wrestling League event in November. Clark will wrestle top-seeded Nico Megaludis in the semifinals.

No. 10 seed Joey Palmer pulled a big upset on the other side of the bracket taking out No. 2 Tyler Graff 6-6. He will wrestle new Virginia Tech assistant coach Cody Brewer in the semifinals.

Arguably the most anticipated match in the opening session featured a veteran vs. a rising star at 65 kg. Two-time NCAA Champion and two-time Cadet World Champion Yianni Diakomihalis wrestled 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro. The young buck, Diakomihalis controlled the entire match leading to a dominant 10-3 victory. This was Molinaro’s first time down to 65 kg since the 2017 World Team Trials. He had previously been competing at 70 kg. In the semifinals Diakomihalis will face his training partner, top-seeded Jordan Oliver

On the other side of the bracket No. 3 on the National Team ladder Jaydin Eierman pinned Dean Heil to advance to the semifinals. Heil knocked off No. 2 on the National ladder Joey McKenna, preventing an all National Team matchup. Eierman will have 2017 World Team member Zain Retherford in the semifinals. Retherford has earned three technical falls outscoring his opponents 30-0 in his first three matches.

At 70 kg Jason Nolf showed he didn’t have much freestyle rust to shake off as he rolled to the semifinals with four technical falls including a 13-2 technical fall over men’s freestyle stalwart Nazar Kulchytskyy. This sets up a highly anticipated match with two-time World medalist James Green. Green defeated Nolf 9-7 at the 2017 US Open.

On the other side of the bracket No. 10 seed Ryan Deakin pulled the biggest upset of the opening session defeating No. 2 Jason Chamberlain 12-3. Deakin, a previous Junior World silver medalist, will face No. 6 Alec Pantaleo in the semifinals. Pantaleo pulled an upset of his own defeating No. 3 Brandon Sorenson 5-3.

74 kg featured top-seeded Isaiah Martinez dominating his way to the semifinals on the strength of two technical falls. He will face unseeded Brian Murphy who defeated No. 5 Dan Vallimont and No. 4 Quinton Godley.

Anthony Valencia returned to wrestling after a long layoff, reminding everyone he is still very much a threat, earning an 11-0 technical fall over Chase Pami, and a hard-fought 9-8 decision over No. 3 Evan Wick. He will wrestle No. 2 Tommy Gantt who has outscored his first three opponents 32-1.

79 kg only has two-seeded wrestlers, top seeded Alex Dieringer and No. 2 Chance Marsteller. Dieringer had no trouble making the semifinals earning 10-0, 10-0, and 12-0 technical falls, each clocking in under one minute. Marsteller had a tougher time after an opening 10-0 technical fall, he took his next two matches 6-2 and 5-2. Dieringer will face Geno Morelli in the semifinals while Marsteller will take on Stacey Davis.

The top-four seeds advanced to the semifinals at 86 kg. No. 1 seed Sammy Brooks outscored his first three opponents 31-0 and will face No. 4 Nick Heflin in the semifinals. No 2. Myles Martin, competing in his first post-collegiate tournament, earned three technical falls and an 8-1 decision in his opening matches. He will face No. 3 Pat Downey.

Like his Nittany Lion Teammate Jason Nolf, Bo Nickal has been defeating his opponents in dominating fashion at 92 kg. He opened the tournament with a 44-second pin, and followed it up with a nine-second pin. In the quarters he scored a 10-0 technical fall. He will face No. 3 Michael Macchiavello, a 2018 NCAA Champion. In the top-half of the bracket, No.2 on the National ladder, Hayden Zilmer will wrestle 2018 U23 silver medalist Kollin Moore.

A7 97 kg Kyven Gadson made the semifinals in a hurry winning his first two bouts 10-0, 10-0 in 14 seconds and 18 seconds. He will face unseeded Michael Boykin who upset No. 4 seed Blaize Cabell and No. 5 seed Kevin Beazley. The other side of the bracket will feature No.2 seed Ty Walz vs. No. 3 seed Ben Honis.

At heavyweight Greco-Roman World silver medalist Adam Coon has been showing off his freestyle chops with three technical falls. He has outscored his opponents 31-0. He will face No. 5 seed Derek White in the semifinals. Two seasoned competitors, No. 2 Dom Bradley and No. 3 Tony Nelson will wrestle in the other semifinal.

Miscellaneous fun

41 year-old Jared Frayer entered the tournament at 74 kg to show he could still handle some of these young whippersnappers. After telling Mekhi Lewis he would enter if the Virgina Tech redshirt freshman won the NCAA tournament, Frayer kept his word winning his opening bout before dropping a 7-5 decision to Joey LaVallee. He will face Seth Seneca in the consolations.

At 65 kg Brandon Wright and Jessse Vasquez had a barnburner-and-a-half, putting up 35 points in a match. Wright ultimately won 18-17.

Semifinal Matchups

57 kg

Thomas Gilman (TMWC) vs Nathan Tomasello (TMWC)

Darian Cruz (NYAC/LVWC) vs Daton Fix (TMWC)

61 kg

Nico Megaludis (TMWC) vs Cory Clark (TMWC)

Cody Brewer (TMWC) vs Joey Palmer (Unattached)

65 kg

Jordan Oliver (Sunkist Kids) vs Yianni Diakomihalis (TMWC)

Jaydin Eierman (TMWC) vs Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC)

70 kg

James Green (Sunkist Kids) vs Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC)

Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) vs Ryan Deakin (TMWC)

74 kg

Isaiah Martinez (TMWC) vs Brian Murphy (NYAC/NJRTC)

Anthony Valencia (ASU) vs Tommy Gantt (TMWC)

79 kg

Alex Dieringer (TMWC) vs Geno Morelli (Nittany Lion WC)

Stacey Davis (TMWC) vs Chance Marsteller (TMWC)

86 kg

Sammy Brooks (NYAC/Hawkeye WC) vs Nick Heflin (TMWC)

Pat Downey (TMWC) vs Myles Martin (TMWC)

92 kg

Hayden Zilmmer (GWC) vs Kollin Moore (tOSU)

Mike Macchiavello (TMWC) vs Bo Nickal (Nittany Lion WC)

97 kg

Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids) vs Michael Boykin (TMWC/Wolfpack WC)

Benjamin Honis (TMWC) vs Ty Walz (TMWC)

125 kg

Adam Coon (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC) vs Derek White (TMWC)

Anthony Nelson (GWC) vs Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids)

Quarterfinal Results

57Daton Fix Sand Springs, OK (TMWC/ Cowboy RTC) VSU1 Vitali Arujau Ithaca, NY (TMWC/ FLWC), 18-8 6:00

57Darian Cruz Allentown, PA (NYAC/LVWC) VPO Zach Sanders Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm), 5-0

57Thomas Gilman Council Bluffs, IA (TMWC/ HWC) VSU1 Zane Richards Champaign, IL (TMWC/ IRTC), 12-2 5:52

57Nathan Tomasello Columbus, OH (TMWC/ Ohio RTC) VSU Frank Perrelli Charlottesville, VA (TMWC/ LVWC), 11-0 2:30

61Nico Megaludis Murrysville, PA (TMWC) VSU Shelton Mack Charlottesville, VA (TMWC/ Cavalier WC), 10-0 3:39

61Cory Clark Pleasant Hill, IA (TMWC/ HWC) VPO1 Anthony Ramos Chapel Hill, NC (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 6-3

61Cody Brewer Evanston, IL (TMWC/ Chicago RTC) VSU Earl Hall Ames, IA (TMWC/ Cavalier WC), 10-0 0:42

61Joey Palmer Edmonds, WA (Unattached) VPO1 Tyler Graff Pewee Valley, KY (TMWC/ SERTC), 6-6

65Yianni Diakomihalis Ithaca, NY (TMWC/ FLWC) VPO1 Frank Molinaro Norman, OK (TMWC/ OKRTC), 10-3

65Jordan Oliver Scottsdale, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) VPO Evan Henderson Cary, NC (TMWC/ NYCRTC), 8-0

65Jaydin Eierman Columbia, MO (TMWC) VFA Dean Heil Stillwater, OK (TMWC/ OKRTC), 13-4 5:25

65Zain Retherford PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) VSU Jayson Ness Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm), 10-0 2:31

70James Green Willingboro, NJ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) VPO1 Anthony Collica Aurora, OH (TMWC/ OKRTC), 9-2

70Alec Pantaleo Canton, MI (Michigan) VPO1 Brandon Sorensen Iowa City, IA (TMWC/ HWC), 5-3

70Jason Nolf PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) VSU1 Nazar Kulchytskyy Madison, WI (TMWC), 13-2 5:22

70Ryan Deakin Broomfield, CO (TMWC/ Chicago RTC) VPO1 Jason Chamberlain Fresno, CA (TMWC/ VALLEY RTC), 12-3

74Isaiah Martinez Urbana, IL (TMWC/ IRTC) VSU1 Joey Lavallee Columbia, MO (TMWC/ VALLEY RTC), 13-2 3:37

74Thomas Gantt Raleigh, NC (TMWC/ WOLFPACK WC) VSU Logan Massa Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan), 10-0 2:55

74Brian Murphy Princeton, NJ (NYAC/NJRTC) VPO1 Quinton Godley Raleigh, NC (TMWC/ WOLFPACK WC), 7-6

74Anthony Valencia Tempe, AZ (ASU Wrestling) VPO1 Evan Wick Madison, WI (TMWC), 9-8

79Alex Dieringer Stillwater, OK (TMWC/ Cowboy RTC) VSU Matthew Finesilver Englewood, CO (Blue Blood Wrestling Club), 12-0 0:48

79Chance Marsteller New Park, PA (TMWC/ LVWC) VPO1 Nick Becker Kenosha, WI (Askren Wrestling Academy), 5-2

79Geno Morelli State College, PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) VPO1 Muhamed Mcbryde Buffalo, NY (Bulls wrestling club), 4-1

79Stacey Davis Raleigh, NC (TMWC/ WOLFPACK WC) VIN Joshua Llopez Washington, DC (NOVA Wrestling Club), 7-6 4:39

86Nicholas Heflin Norman, OK (TMWC/ OKRTC) VPO1 Brett Pfarr Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm), 12-9

86Samuel Brooks Iowa City, IA (NYAC/HWC) VSU Maxwell Dean Ithaca, NY (TMWC/ FLWC), 10-0 1:17

86Pat Downey Iowa City, IA (TMWC/ NJRTC) VPO1 Kenneth Courts Harrisburg, PA (TMWC/ FLWC), 9-4

86Myles Martin Columbus, OH (TMWC/ Ohio RTC) VPO1 Kevin Radford Tempe, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 8-1

92Hayden Zillmer Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm) VPO Riley Lefever State College, PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club), 4-0

92Bo Nickal PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) VSU Scottie Boykin Murfreesboro, TN (TMWC), 10-0 0:59

92Michael Macchiavello Raleigh, NC (TMWC/ WOLFPACK WC) VPO1 Timothy Dudley Columbia, SC (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 9-2

92Kollin Moore Burbank, OH (Ohio State-Unattached) VSU Timmy Mccall Raleigh, NC (TMWC/ WOLFPACK WC), 10-0 3:26

97Kyven Gadson Ames, IA (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) VSU Jeremiah Imonode West Point, NY (West Point RTC), 10-0 0:18

97Ty Walz Blacksburg, VA (TMWC/ SERTC) VPO1 Danny Chaid Stanford, CA (California RTC), 2-1

97Benjamin Honis Ithaca, NY (TMWC/ FLWC) VPO1 Wynn Michalak Lansing, MI (TMWC), 8-5

97Michael Boykin Raleigh, NC (TMWC/ WOLFPACK WC) VPO1 Kevin Beazley Highland Charter Township, MI (NYAC/CKWC), 7-2

125Derek White Stillwater, OK (TMWC/ Cowboy RTC) VPO1 Tanner Hall Tempe, AZ (ASU Wrestling), 6-2

125Dom Bradley Lincoln, NE (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) VSU Ceron Francisco University, VA (TMWC/ Cavalier WC), 11-0 1:38

125Anthony Nelson Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm) VPO1 Youssif Hemida College Park, MD (Terrapin Wrestling Club), 3-2

125Adam Coon Fowlerville, MI (NYAC/CKWC) VSU Tate Orndorff Orem, UT (Utah Valley RTC), 10-0 1:44