Marines send three more to Final X in Greco-Roman

RALEIGH, N.C. – The U.S. Marines Corps wrestling team came away with three Final X spots and two other guaranteed National Team members on Saturday afternoon at the 2019 Greco-Roman World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Raleigh, N.C.

Winning for Marines was Xavier Johnson at 63 kg, Jamel Johnson at 67 kg and John Stefanowicz at 82 kg.

Securing the Final X bid at 63 kg, Xavier Johnson rolled past Sam Jones, collecting an 8-0 tech fall and a 7-4 decision. Xavier advances to Final X at Rutgers, where he will go up against 2019 U.S. Open champion Ryan Mango.

Jamel Johnson bested 2016 U.S. Open champion Hayden Tuma in the best-of-three series, with two-consecutive wins, 4-1 and 5-1. Jamel will challenge 2019 U.S. Open winner and multiple-time World and Olympic Team member Ellis Coleman at Final X Rutgers.

Stefanowicz was impressive in his finals at 82 kg, shutting down two-time World Team member Cheney Haight in straight-set matches, 5-1 and 5-1.

He looks to avenge his U.S. Open loss to 2019 Open champion Kendrick Sanders at Final X Rutgers.

Overall the Marines have four in Final X as Raymond Bunker secured a bid in late-April winning the U.S. Open at 72 kg.

High school senior Cohlton Schultz continued an amazing run through the heavyweight bracket, with a series win over 2016 Olympian and four-time World Team member Robby Smith in a series that went to three matches.

After losing the first bout, Schultz battled back with a pair of decisions, 2-1 and 5-1, to earn a spot in Final X. For the World Team, Coon will face 2018 World silver medalist Adam Coon on June 15 in Lincoln.

Two other finals series went to three matches today, including 72 kg and 97 kg.

At 72 kg, 2017 U23 World Team member and the No. 9 seed Alex Mossing bounced back from a first-round loss to Michael Hooker, 9-0, and stormed back with a 7-4 win and a second-period fall to claim the Final X spot.

Mossing heads to Final X Lincoln to face Bunker.

In the 97 kg finals, Lucas Sheridan dropped the first match to Dan Miller, who scored in the last few seconds. Sheridan forced it to three matches with a 5-0 shutout in the second match and wrapped up the series with a 4-3 victory to land a spot in Final X.

Sheridan will face two-time Senior World Teamer G’Angelo Hancock at Final X Lincoln.

In addition to Stefanowicz vs. Sanders, we’ll see two other U.S. Open finals rematches, which will take place at 60 kg and 77 kg.

At 60 kg, 2017 U.S. Senior World Team member and four-time World and Olympic rep for Uzbekistan Ildar Hafizov advanced to Final X Lincoln, where he will face Army WCAP teammate and 2019 U.S. Open champion Mike Fuenffinger.

The last time they met, Fuenffinger won 6-4.

Patrick Smith won the day at 77 kg, defeating Mason Manville in the finals. At Final X Rutgers, Smith looks to avenge his Open finals loss to 2017 Junior World champion Kamal Bey.

Also winning spots in Final X on Saturday were 2018 Junior World Team member Brady Koontz at 55 kg and 2017 Senior World Team member Ben Provisor at 87 kg.

Koontz will take on Max Nowry at Final X Rutgers and Provisor will go up against 2014 Senior World Team member Joe Rau, also at Final X Rutgers.

2019 GRECO-ROMAN WORLD TEAM TRIALS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT

at Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, N.C.), May 17-18

Final X Rutgers matchups (June 8)
55: Max Nowry (Army WCAP) vs. Brady Koontz (Ohio RTC)
67: Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) vs. Jamel Johnson (Marines)
77: Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids) vs. Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm)
82: Kendrick Sanders (NYAC) vs. John Stefanowicz (Marines)
87: Joe Rau (TMWC/Chicago RTC) vs. Ben Provisor (NYAC/Nittany Lion WC)

Final X Lincoln matchups (June 15)
60: Mike Fuenffinger (Army WCAP) vs. Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP)
63: Ryan Mango (Army WCAP) vs. Xavier Johnson (Marines)
72: Raymond Bunker (Marines) vs. Alex Mossing (Air Force RTC)
97: G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids) vs. Lucas Sheridan (Army WCAP)
130: Adam Coon (NYAC) vs. Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids)

Senior Greco-Roman finals results
55 kg
1st - Brady Koontz (Ohio RTC) df. Dalton Duffield (Aries WC), two matches to none
Round one: Koontz dec. Duffield, 6-4
Round two: Koontz dec. Duffield, 5-0

3rd - Britain Longmire (Unattached) dec. Ibrahim Bunduka (Inland Northwest WTC), 4-3

60 kg:
1st - Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) df. Randon Miranda (NYAC), two matches to none
Round one: Hafizov dec. Miranda, 7-0
Round two: Hafizov dec. Miranda, 6-1

True 2nd - Taylor Lamont (Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Randon Miranda (New York AC), 4-2

63 kg:
1st - Xavier Johnson (Marines) df. Sam Jones (NYAC), two matches to none
Round one: Johnson TF Jones, 8-0
Round two: Johnson dec. Jones, 7-4

True 2nd – Sam Jones (NYAC) dec. Dylan Gregerson (Wolverine WC), 5-2

67 kg:
1st - Jamel Johnson (Marines) df. Hayden Tuma (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Round one: Johnson dec. Tuma, 4-1
Round two: Johnson dec. Tuma, 5-1

3rd - Nolan Baker (Northern Illinois Elite WC) df. Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids), fall 0:25

72 kg:
1st - Alex Mossing (Air Force RTC) df. Michael Hooker (Army WCAP), two matches to one
Round one: Hooker TF Mossing, 9-0
Round two: Mossing dec. Hooker, 7-4
Round three: Mossing df. Hooker, fall 3:56

3rd - Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) dec. Colin Schubert (New York AC), 5-3

77 kg:
1st - Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm) df. Mason Manville (Nittany Lion WC), two matches to none
Round one: Smith dec. Manville, 3-0
Round two: Smith dec. Manville, 3-2

True 2nd - Peyton Walsh (Marines) df. Mason Manville (Nittany Lion WC), 7-6

82 kg:
1st - John Stefanowicz (Marines) df. Cheney Haight (NYAC), two matches to none
Round one: Stefanowicz dec. Haight, 5-1
Round two: Stefanowicz dec. Haight, 5-1

True 2nd - Geordon Speiller (Florida Jets) dec. Cheney Haight (NYAC), 7-0

87 kg:
1st - Ben Provisor (NYAC/Nittany Lion WC) df. Patrick Martinez (NYAC), two matches to none
Round one: Provisor dec. Martinez, 1-1
Round two: Provisor dec. Martinez, 3-1

True 2nd – Patrick Martinez (NYAC) dec. Barrett Stanghill (Minnesota Storm), 2-1

97 kg:
1st - Lucas Sheridan (Army WCAP) df. Daniel Miller (Marines), two matches to one
Round one: Miller dec. Sheridan, 7-5
Round two: Sheridan dec. Miller, 5-0
Round three: Sheridan dec. Miller, 4-3

3rd - Eric Twohey (Minnesota Storm) dec. Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids), 7-0

130 kg:
1st - Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids) df. Robby Smith (NYAC/Chicago RTC), two matches to one
Round one: Smith dec. Schultz, 2-1
Round two: Schultz dec. Smith, 2-1
Round three: Schultz dec. Smith, 5-1

True 2nd – Jacob Mitchell (Army WCAP) dec. Robby Smith (NYAC), 2-1