Vera beats Rau as Friday’s finals set at Dave Schultz Memorial, featuring all three Olympic disciplines

Alan Vera of the Florida Jets tosses Joe Rau of the Minnesota Storm in the 87 kg semifinals in Greco-Roman. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Alan Vera, the Cuban immigrant Greco-Roman wrestler living and training in Florida, came to the Dave Schultz Memorial International with a new status. His national affiliation, according to United World Wrestling, is now with the United States.
In his first tournament as an American competitor, Vera has reached the finals of the Dave Schultz Memorial International at 87 kg. He defeated 2014 World Team member Joe Rau of the Minnesota Storm in the semifinals, with a quick 9-0 technical fall in just 49 seconds, scoring a number of big moves.
Vera is a member of the Florida Jets, which has been supporting his training and helping with his immigration status. Although he can compete internationally for the USA, he can not yet compete at a World, Olympic or Pan American event (or tournaments that qualify for them) until he secures his citizenship and passport.
Vera was a 2016 Pan American Champion for Cuba and third in the 2015 Pan American Games. Since coming to the USA, he has competed in one international event, taking a silver medal at the 2016 Bill Farrell Memorial in New York City.
In the other 87 kg semifinal, past Greco-Roman National Team member Jon Anderson scored his first big win since returning to competition after his deployment as an Army officer. He defeated two-time World Team member Cheney Haight of the New York AC, 1-1, to earn his spot in the finals against Vera.
Friday at the Dave Schultz Memorial was a display of all three Olympic disciplines, with five Greco-Roman weight classes, three men’s freestyle and two women’s freestyle weight classes on the mats.
One of the women’s champions has already been determined, as Alyvia Fiske of the Titan Mercury WC went 2-0 at 76 kg this morning in a three-athlete round robin, clinching the gold medal. The only bout left in the weight class will determine the silver medal tonight. A Californian, Fiske attends Simon Fraser University in Canada, and will compete in the WCWA college nationals in Georgia in a few weeks.
Among those who have secured spots in the Greco-Roman finals are 2017 Junior World champion and 2018 World Team member Kamal Bey of the Sunkist Kids at 82 kg and two-time World Team member G’Angelo Hancock of the Sunkist Kids at 97 kg.
Bey will battle Carter Nielsen of Northern Michigan-OTS in his finals, while Hancock will battle Lucas Sheridan of the U.S. Army WCAP for the gold.
The 77 kg Greco-Roman finals will pit a pair of past U.S. World Team members, Mason Manville of the Nittany Lion WC and Patrick Smith of the Minnesota Storm. Smith scored a semifinal technical fall over 2018 World Team member Ravaughn Perkins of the New York AC.
The only final in Greco-Roman with an international finalist is at 130 kg, where Gocha Davitadze of Georgia will battle Toby Erickson of the Army WCAP.
The three men’s freestyle weights were deep with young talent. .
 At 65 kg , there will be an all-American finals, as Bernard Futrell of Titan Mercury WC will battle Evan Henderson of the NYCRTC .
At 61 kg , past NCAA champion Cody Brewer of the Titan Mercury WC draws Samat Nadyrbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan.
The 68 kg women’s three-athlete round robin is not yet determined. In the first bout, Olivia Dibacco of Canada, who was fifth in the 2018 Senior Worlds, edged 2018 Cadet World champion Macey Kilty of the Sunkist Kids, 2-1. Kilty rebounded with an impressive technical fall win over Final X runner-up Randyll Beltz of WCAP in round two. Dibacco can clinch the gold with a win Friday night, but a Dibacco loss opens an opportunity for Kilty to win the title.
Three members of the Elite Accelerator Program, who train fulltime at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, competed on Friday, all who dropped their first match against experienced international talents. Still alive in the consolation rounds are brothers Julian Tagg at 57 kg and Gabriel Tagg at 61 kg.
The championship finals are set for 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The entire tournament is being broadcast live by FloWrestling.


DAVE SCHULTZ MEMORIAL INTERNATIONAL

At Colorado Springs, Colo., January 25


Friday, January 25


Greco-Roman finals pairings
77 kg - Mason Manville (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) vs. Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm)
82 kg - Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) vs. Carter Nielsen (NMU/OTS)
87 kg - Alan Vera (Florida Jets) vs. Jon Anderson (WCAP)
97 kg - G'Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) vs. Lucas Sheridan (WCAP)
130 kg - Gocha Davitadze (Georgia) vs. Toby Erickson (WCAP)
Men's Freestyle finals pairings
57 kg - Anatolii Buruian (Moldova) vs. Steven Takahashi (Canada)
61 kg - Cody Brewer (TMWC) vs. Samat Nadyrbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
65 kg -  Bernard Futrell (TMWC) vs. Evan Henderson (NYCRTC)


Greco-Roman semifinals results
77 kg
Mason Manville (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) dec. Jesse Porter (NYAC), 5-1
Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Ravaughn Perkins (NYAC), 11-3 4:19
82 kg
Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) tech. fall Vlad Dombrovskiy (WCAP), 11-2 2:32
Carter Nielsen (NMU/OTS) tech fall Terrence Zaleski (Marines), 9-0 2:09
87 kg
Alan Vera (Florida Jets) tech fall Josef Rau (TMWC), 9-0 0:49
Jon Anderson (WCAP) dec. Cheney Haight (NYAC), 1-1
97 kg
G'Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) pin Eric Twohey (Minnesota Storm), 7-0 1:36
Lucas Sheridan (WCAP) pin Khymba Johnson (NYAC), 4-2 0:59
130 kg
Gocha Davitadze (Georgia) pin West Cathcart (Stoopstyle), 4-0 0:28
Toby Erickson (WCAP) pin Trent Osnes (Marines), 8-0 1:13
Freestyle semifinals results
57 kg
Anatolii Buruian (Moldova) dec. Darian Cruz (NYAC), 10-3
Steven Takahashi (Canada) dec. Darthe Capellan (Canada), 8-7
61 kg
Cody Brewer (TMWC) tech. fall Josh Rodgriguez (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:22
Samat Nadyrbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Kamol Begakov (Tajikistan/Sunkist), 4-0
65 kg
Bernard Futrell (TMWC) tech. fall Bryce Meredith (GRIT Athletics Wrestling Club), 12-1 3:44
Evan Henderson(NYCRTC) tech fall Dean Heil (TMWC), 14-3 3:23 

Women's Freestyle final round robin pairings
68 kg
Olivia Dibacco (Canada) vs. Randyll Beltz (WCAP)
Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids), bye
76 kg
Anna Naylor (Univ. of the Cumberlands) vs. Payton Rigert (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
Alyvia Fiske (Titan Mercury WC), but
Women’s freestyle round robin results so far
68 kg
Dibacco dec. Kilty, 2-1
Kilty tech. fall Beltz, 14-4, 3:40
76 kg
Fiske pin Anna Naylor, 0:43
Fiske dec. Rigert, 8-2
Elite Development Program (EAP) athletes


EAP Men’s freestyle results
57 kg - Julian Tagg, Maple Heights, Ohio (EAP)
LOSS Steven Takahashi (Canada), tech. fall 10-0, 3:56
WIN Nodirjon Safarov (Uzbekistan), inj. dft, 0:00
Consi match – Vs. Alex Moher (Canada)
61 kg – Gabriel Tagg, Maple Heights, Ohio (EAP)
LOSS Cody Brewer (Titan Mercury WC), tech. fall 11-1, 2:10
WIN Job Greenwood (EAP), 17-15
Consi match – Vs. Sheldon Mack (Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg – Job Greenwood. Livermore, Colo. (EAP)
LOSS Ali Naser (Sunkist Kids), 4-3