Senior Nationals Greco-Roman Preview: Numerous National Team members will battle for Olympic Team Trials berths

Photo of Ryan Mango at the 2019 Bill Farrell International by Larry Slater.

Tomorrow, the top domestic wrestlers in the country will square off at Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas, for a chance to earn a berth to the Olympic Team Trials at Penn State this April. There are 30 spots available (five per weight class), and the competition should be fierce. Be sure to check out the Greco-Roman pre-seeds here.

60 kg: World Team member Mango moves down a weight class; Graff changes styles
Ryan Mango was the U.S. representative at 63 kg for the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakahstan, where he finished seventh. Mango, a two-time All-American at Stanford, has already seen some success since moving down, claiming gold at the Bill Farrell Memorial International several weeks ago.

Tyler Graff is another 2019 World Team member in the bracket. Graff finished fifth in Nur-Sultan competing on the men’s freestyle team at 61 kg. Graff was a four-time All-American for Wisconsin and an NCAA finalist. He also competed on two Men’s Freestyle Junior World Teams in 2007 and 2008. How he fares wrestling Greco is one of the biggest questions of the week.

This weight class features five other current National Team members including No. 2 and No. 3 at 55 kg Brady Koontz and Dalton Duffield, No. 2 and No. 3 at 60 kg Leslie Fuenffinger and Taylor LaMont and No. 3 at 63 kg Sammy Jones. Also in the bracket is 2018 Senior World Team member Dalton Roberts.

60 kg entries, as of 10 a.m. MT Thursday
Bernardino Gomez (Blue Chip Wrestling Club)
Brady Koontz (Titan Mercury WC)
Brandon McNab
Britain Longmire
Cordney Chairs
Corbin Nirschl (Williams Baptist)
Dalton Roberts (New York Athletic Club)
Dalton Duffield (New York Athletic Club)
David Stepanian
Drake Foster
Dylan Koontz
Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC)
Ibrahim Bunduka (Cougar Wrestling Club)
Jon Massey
Joseph Palmer (Cyclone Regional Training Center C-RTC)
Leslie Fuenffinger (Army WCAP)
Lillashawn Coleman (Army WCAP)
Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (Community Youth Center - Concord Campus)
Matthew Schmitt (Team Battlegear)
Nate Cervantez (San Francisco Wrestling Club)
Ryan Mango (Army WCAP)
Sam Jones (New York Athletic Club)
Sean Sesnan
Skyler Petry (Minnesota Storm)
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
Travis Rice (New York Athletic Club)
Tyler Graff (Titan Mercury WC)

67 kg: World champion Warren is registered; Chamberlain another high-profile style transfer
Under normal circumstances, it would be surprising to see 43 year-old Joe Warren listed in the registrations. However, the 2006 World champion competed in the Bill Farrell International recently and has been training at Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. At the Farrell, Warren went 1-1, falling by an 8-0 technical fall to the eventual champion Alejandro Sancho in round of 16. Sancho is also registered for Senior Nationals, and is currently seeded No. 1 in the pre-seeds.

Jason Chamberlain, who was No. 2 at 70 kg on the Men’s Freestyle National Team in 2018, is another big name making the move over to Greco. Chamberlain was a two-time All-American at Boise State.

Several National Team members are registered including No. 2 at 63 kg Xavier Johnson, No. 2 at 67 kg Jamel Johnson and No. 3 at 72 kg Michael Hooker.

Other wrestlers to watch in include Peyton Omania, who is a 2019 Junior World bronze medalist and U23 World Team member and Nolan Baker who recently took bronze at the Bill Farrell International.

67 kg entries, as of 10 a.m. MT Thursday
Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP)
Andrew Collins (Marines)
Andrew Ibarra
Anthonie Linares (New York Athletic Club)
Austin Morrow (New York Athletic Club)
Baltazar Loza
Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
Blane Hayes
Calvin Germinaro
Christopher Anderson (Rise Wrestling)
Colin Schubert (New York Athletic Club)
Colton Rasche (Marines)
Dominic Damon
Erik Spence (Battle Born Wrestling Club)
Jamel Johnson (Marines )
Jason Chamberlain (Titan Mercury WC)
Jessy Williams (New York Athletic Club)
Joe Warren (New York Athletic Club)
Jordan Auen
Lenny Merkin (New York Athletic Club)
Logan Hatch
Logan Savvy (New York Athletic Club)
Michael Hooker (Army WCAP)
Morgan Flaharty (New York Athletic Club)
Noah Wachsmuth
Nolan Baker (USOPTC)
Peyton Omania (New York Athletic Club)
Raun Smith (Marines)
Reese Dalton
Taylor Zippe (Marines)
Xavier Johnson (Marines)
Youssef Khalil (USOPTC)

77 kg: Three No. 2s will duke it out
No. 2 at 72 kg Alex Mossing, No. 2 at 77 kg Kamal Bey and No. 2 at 82 kg Kendrick Sanders will all be fighting for the No. 1 spot in the 77 kg bracket. Bey, a 2018 Senior World Team member, is the most credentialed of the group also owning a 2017 Junior World Gold. The other National Team member in the fray is No. 3 at 77 kg Peyton Walsh

2018 World Team member at 72 kg, RaVaughn Perkins is another wrestler to keep your eye on. Perkins won the 2016 Olympic Team Trials, but the U.S. did not qualify the weight for the Olympic Games.

2018 Junior World silver medalist Andrew Berreyesa is in the bracket as well. Berreyesa is currently taking an Olympic redshirt at Cornell.

77 kg entries, as of 10 a.m. MT Thursday
Aaron Kliamovich
Alex Mossing (Airforce RTC)
Andrew Berreyesa (New York Athletic Club)
Austin Farabaugh (Army WCAP)
Brandon Mueller (505 Wrestling Club)
Britton Holmes
Burke Paddock (New York Athletic Club)
Connor Myers (Army WCAP)
Fritz Schierl
Hunter Muskrat
Jesse Porter (New York Athletic Club)
Josh Anderson (MWC Wrestling Academy)
Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
Kendrick Sanders (New York Athletic Club)
Logan Brunick (Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club)
Peyton Walsh (Marines)
RaVaughn Perkins (New York Athletic Club)
Riley Briggs (Community Youth Center - Concord Campus)
Ryan Whittle (Beat the Streets Wrestling Program Lancaster)
Sean Lees (Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Club)
Timothy Johnson-Thompson
Tommy Brackett
Tony Raupp (Minot MatWrats Wrestling Club)
Vladyslav Dombrovskiy (Army WCAP)
Weston Milnes
Zachary Grimes

87 kg: Three-time World Team member Patrick Martinez strives for first Olympic Team
Pat Martinez, who is currently No. 3 on the National Team, is a veteran on the Greco scene. He made his first Senior World Team in 2015 and more recently made the team in 2016 (Non-Olympic weight class Worlds) and 2018. Martinez finished fourth at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials.

Martinez will see stiff competition from six-time National Team member Jon Anderson and Chandler Rogers, a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State. Rogers finished third at the Bill Farrell International.

87 kg entries, as of 10 a.m. MT Thursday
Barrett Stanghill (Minnesota Storm)
Brennan Giffin
Carter Nielsen
Chandler Rogers (Titan Mercury WC)
Christian DuLaney
Dan Olsen
Dane Harter
Dillon Cowan (Army WCAP)
Dylan Buschow (MWC Wrestling Academy)
George Sikes (New York Athletic Club)
Isaiah Sellers
Joel Niver (Marines)
Joey Clark
Jonathan Anderson (West Point Wrestling Club)
Jordan Lara (505 Wrestling Club)
Josh Kolenda (Northwood Grapplers)
Marcus Finau (New York Athletic Club)
Matthew Dean (Rise Wrestling)
Patrick Martinez (New York Athletic Club)
Richard Carlson (Minnesota Storm)
Vaughn Monreal-Berner (Marines)
Zackery Bickford

97 kg: Sheridan and Miller are the frontrunners
No. 2 Lucas Sheridan and No. 3 Daniel Miller are the only current National Team registered. The pair are quite familiar with each other, wrestling six matches against each other so far in 2019. Sheridan leads the series, 4-2, with his most recent win coming by fall at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden in late November.

Wrestlers that could potentially throw a wrench in Sheridan vs. Miller part seven include Eric Twohey, who finished third at the 2019 U.S. Open and 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International and 2019 Junior World Team member Nicholas Boykin.

97 kg entries, as of 10 a.m. MT Thursday
Arthur Walthour (Marines)
Chad Porter (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
Daniel Miller (Marines)
Diante Cooper (Air Force Regional Training Center)
Eric Twohey (Minnesota Storm)
Erik Hinckley (Army WCAP)
Jaime Miranda
Jeff Henry
John Kent
Kaleb Gaede
Karl Oeser (505 Wrestling Club)
Keaton Fanning
Khymba Johnson (New York Athletic Club
Lucas Sheridan (Army WCAP)
Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
Orry Elor
Roy Nash
Timothy Eubanks
Trey Hardy

130 kg: The youngster vs. the veterans
Cohlton Schultz, who is spending his freshman season at Arizona State redshirting, is the top dog at this weight class. Schultz is the current No. 2 and is a 2017 Cadet World champion, a 2018 Junior World bronze medalist and a 2019 Junior World silver medalist.

The two men most likely to challenge Schultz are Army WCAP wrestlers Jacob Mitchell and Toby Erickson. Schultz defeated both wrestlers at the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, pinning Mitchell and besting Erickson, 6-0. Mitchell is the current No. 3 and the 2019 U.S. Open champion and Bill Farrell runner-up. Erickson finished third at both tournaments.

130 kg entries, as of 10 a.m. MT Thursday
Bryson McGowan
Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
Donald Neuffer
Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake Wrestling Club)
Gage Johnson
Jacob Mitchell (Army WCAP)
Jacob Evans
Kaleb Reeves
Matthew Paeth (Empire Wrestling Club)
Ronald Dombkowski (Bad Karma)
Thomas Helton
Toby Erickson (Army WCAP)
West Cathcart (New York Athletic Club)

Action begins tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET and can be streamed live on Flowrestling.