Vera, Smith, Bey, Hancock win Greco-Roman titles for USA on Friday at Dave Schultz Memorial
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
In the 77 kg finals, Pat Smith of the Minnesota Storm battles Mason Manville of the Nittany Lion WC in a battle of past World Team members. Photo by Robbert Wijtman.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It was another good night for U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers, who won four of the five Greco-Roman weight classes contested on Friday at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Over the two day tournament, the USA won nine of the 10 golds.
In his first tournament wrestling for the United States, Cuban immigrant Alan Vera was powerful in winning the 87 kg title, scoring a 12-2 technical fall over veteran Greco-Roman star Jon Anderson of the U.S. Army WCAP. He was named Outstanding Wrestler for his dominating performances.
In the finals, Vera dominated on his feet and jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the second period. Anderson was able to reverse Vera and put him in danger on his back, before Vera rolled out with a 7-2 lead. Vera continued to win the positions the rest of the match and closed out the technical fall with 34 seconds on the clock.
Vera, a 2016 Pan American champion for Cuba, is a member of the Florida Jets and trains at the Southeast RTC there. United World Wrestling recognizes him as from the United States, but he will not be eligible to compete for the USA at the World, Olympic or Pan American levels until he receives citizenship.
In a battle of past U.S. World Team members at 77 kg, Patrick Smith of the Minnesota Storm beat Mason Manville of the Nittany Lion WC., 5-1. Smith led 1-0 at the break on passivity, and pushed his lead to 3-0 in the second period on a clutch takedown, and went on to hold off a late Manville charge. They were teammates on the 2017 U.S. World Team, with Smith at 71 kg and Manville at 75 kg.
2017 Junior World champion Kamal Bey of the Sunkist Kids won his second career Dave Schultz Memorial International title, to go along with a 2017 title. Bey stopped Carter Nielsen of NMU-OTS, 6-4. The bout was tied at 2-2, but Bey stretched it to a 6-2 lead. Officials hit Bey with a caution and two-point penalty to bring Nielsen within two points, but Bey held strong in the closing seconds.
Also claiming his second Dave Schultz Memorial gold medal was G’Angelo Hancock of the Sunkist Kids, the 97 kg champion who was also a 2017 champion here. In a battle of Colorado Springs-based athletes who are both on the Greco-Roman National Team, Hancock scored a solid 7-0 decision over Lucas Sheridan of the U.S. Army WCAP. Hancock, a two-time World Team member, scored all of his points in a dominant first period.
The U.S. was unable to sweep the gold medals when in the final match of the Greco-Roman tournament, as Georgia’ Gocha Davitadze edged Toby Erickson of the U.S. Army WCAP, 7-6 at 130 kg. Erickson led 3-0, but the Georgian was able to get a takedown and three turns to lead 7-4. Erickson closed it to 7-6 in the closing seconds, but was unable to get a winning score.
The Team champions in Greco-Roman at this year’s Dave Schultz Memorial was the New York AC with 58 points, followed by the U.S. Army WCAP with 36 points
DAVE SCHULTZ MEMORIAL INTERNATIONAL
At Colorado Springs, Colo., January 25
Greco-Roman results
77 kg
1st - Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) dec. Mason Manville (Nittany Lion WC), 5-1
3rd – Jesse Porter (NYAC) dec. Brandon Mueller (Air Force WCAP), 7-1
82 kg
1st - Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids) vs. Carter Nielsen (NMU/OTS), 6-4
3rd – Vlad Dombrovskiy (U.S. Army WCAP) tech. fall Spencer Woods (NYAC), 8-0
87 kg
1st - Alan Vera (Florida Jets) tech. fall Jon Anderson (U.S. Army WCAP), 12-2, 5:26
3rd – Joe Rau (Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC) tech. fall Cheney Haight (NYAC), 10-0, 0:58
97 kg
1st - G'Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids) dec. Lucas Sheridan (WCAP), 7-0
3rd – Eric Twohey (Minnesota Storm) dec. Khymba Johnson (NYAC), 6-4
130 kg
1st - Gocha Davitadze (Georgia) dec. Toby Erickson (WCAP), 7-6
3rd –West Cathcart (Stoopstyle) tech. fall Pete Gounaridis (U.S. Army WCAP), 8-0, 2:24
Outstanding Wrestler – Alan Vera (Florida Jets), 87 kg
Team Champions – 1. New York AC, 58 points, 2. U.S. Army WCAP, 36 pts.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It was another good night for U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers, who won four of the five Greco-Roman weight classes contested on Friday at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Over the two day tournament, the USA won nine of the 10 golds.
In his first tournament wrestling for the United States, Cuban immigrant Alan Vera was powerful in winning the 87 kg title, scoring a 12-2 technical fall over veteran Greco-Roman star Jon Anderson of the U.S. Army WCAP. He was named Outstanding Wrestler for his dominating performances.
In the finals, Vera dominated on his feet and jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the second period. Anderson was able to reverse Vera and put him in danger on his back, before Vera rolled out with a 7-2 lead. Vera continued to win the positions the rest of the match and closed out the technical fall with 34 seconds on the clock.
Vera, a 2016 Pan American champion for Cuba, is a member of the Florida Jets and trains at the Southeast RTC there. United World Wrestling recognizes him as from the United States, but he will not be eligible to compete for the USA at the World, Olympic or Pan American levels until he receives citizenship.
In a battle of past U.S. World Team members at 77 kg, Patrick Smith of the Minnesota Storm beat Mason Manville of the Nittany Lion WC., 5-1. Smith led 1-0 at the break on passivity, and pushed his lead to 3-0 in the second period on a clutch takedown, and went on to hold off a late Manville charge. They were teammates on the 2017 U.S. World Team, with Smith at 71 kg and Manville at 75 kg.
2017 Junior World champion Kamal Bey of the Sunkist Kids won his second career Dave Schultz Memorial International title, to go along with a 2017 title. Bey stopped Carter Nielsen of NMU-OTS, 6-4. The bout was tied at 2-2, but Bey stretched it to a 6-2 lead. Officials hit Bey with a caution and two-point penalty to bring Nielsen within two points, but Bey held strong in the closing seconds.
Also claiming his second Dave Schultz Memorial gold medal was G’Angelo Hancock of the Sunkist Kids, the 97 kg champion who was also a 2017 champion here. In a battle of Colorado Springs-based athletes who are both on the Greco-Roman National Team, Hancock scored a solid 7-0 decision over Lucas Sheridan of the U.S. Army WCAP. Hancock, a two-time World Team member, scored all of his points in a dominant first period.
The U.S. was unable to sweep the gold medals when in the final match of the Greco-Roman tournament, as Georgia’ Gocha Davitadze edged Toby Erickson of the U.S. Army WCAP, 7-6 at 130 kg. Erickson led 3-0, but the Georgian was able to get a takedown and three turns to lead 7-4. Erickson closed it to 7-6 in the closing seconds, but was unable to get a winning score.
The Team champions in Greco-Roman at this year’s Dave Schultz Memorial was the New York AC with 58 points, followed by the U.S. Army WCAP with 36 points
DAVE SCHULTZ MEMORIAL INTERNATIONAL
At Colorado Springs, Colo., January 25
Greco-Roman results
77 kg
1st - Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) dec. Mason Manville (Nittany Lion WC), 5-1
3rd – Jesse Porter (NYAC) dec. Brandon Mueller (Air Force WCAP), 7-1
82 kg
1st - Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids) vs. Carter Nielsen (NMU/OTS), 6-4
3rd – Vlad Dombrovskiy (U.S. Army WCAP) tech. fall Spencer Woods (NYAC), 8-0
87 kg
1st - Alan Vera (Florida Jets) tech. fall Jon Anderson (U.S. Army WCAP), 12-2, 5:26
3rd – Joe Rau (Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC) tech. fall Cheney Haight (NYAC), 10-0, 0:58
97 kg
1st - G'Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids) dec. Lucas Sheridan (WCAP), 7-0
3rd – Eric Twohey (Minnesota Storm) dec. Khymba Johnson (NYAC), 6-4
130 kg
1st - Gocha Davitadze (Georgia) dec. Toby Erickson (WCAP), 7-6
3rd –West Cathcart (Stoopstyle) tech. fall Pete Gounaridis (U.S. Army WCAP), 8-0, 2:24
Outstanding Wrestler – Alan Vera (Florida Jets), 87 kg
Team Champions – 1. New York AC, 58 points, 2. U.S. Army WCAP, 36 pts.
