Steveson defeats Coon, nine others qualify for Men's freestyle Final X

Gable Steveson defeated Adam Coon in two matches. Photo by Justin Hoch. 

Gable Steveson did not make the National Team in 2018. He’s already checked that box for 2019.
Winning the World Team Trials Tournament, Steveson earned a spot in Final X. There he will wrestle two-time World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski for the World Team spot. While it’s a tall order, Gable has improved substantially as a wrestler in the past 12 months. In last year’s Challenge Tournament finals he lost to Tony Nelson 4-4. Yesterday he avenged that loss 5-1.
At the 2018 U.S. Open he lost by technical fall, 11-0, to Adam Coon. Today, he defeated Coon in two straight matches, 13-3 and 8-1. Steveson took third at the NCAA Championships as a true freshman in March, and now he is a best-of-three series away from earning a spot on the Senior World Team.
At 57 kg, Thomas Gilman defeated Darian Cruz in two straight matches, 4-0 and 5-2. Gilman will face Daton Fix for the second straight year in Final X. Last year, Gilman defeated Fix two matches to none. However, Fix defeated Gilman in the 2019 U.S. Open Finals, 8-4, to earn his spot in Final X.
Tyler Graff powered his way through the 61 kg bracket. After a fourth place finish at the Open, where he lost to Joey Palmer, twice, he defeated Palmer in the semifinals, 4-0. In the Challenge Tournament Finals he took out Nico Megaludis, 6-4. In the best-of-three finals, he handled Open Champion Cody Brewer in two straight matches, 22-16 and by fall in 1:26. Graff will face returning World bronze medalist Joe Colon in Final X.
Zain Retherford earned the Final X spot at 65 kg by defeating Jordan Oliver in two matches, 7-6 and 7-6. Retherford and Oliver have wrestled several times over the years, and these were Retherford’s first victories over Oliver. At Final X, he will have a rematch with Yianni Diakomihalis, who defeated him in the Open finals, 6-4.

Two-time World medalist James Green earned the right to compete in Final X by defeating Anthony Ashnault. Green earned a 10-0 technical fall in the first match. Unfortunately Ashnault was injured defending a leg lace and defaulted out of the second match. Green will face Ryan Deakin in Final X. Deakin beat Green 8-6 at the Open, clinching the match with a last second takedown.
74 kg featured the only series to go the full three matches. Isaiah Martinez took match one over Jason Nolf, 9-4. In a highly dramatic match two, Nolf bombed Martinez for four in the closing seconds to win, 7-5. Martinez dominated match three with a 12-2 technical fall to earn his spot in Final X. He will face American Wrestling legend, Jordan Burroughs.
Last year at 79 kg, Zahid Valencia defeated Alex Dieringer two matches to none to earn a berth in Final X. This year was all Dieringer. He took the series with 12-1 and 12-2 technical falls. Dieringer will face returning World Champion Kyle Dake at Final X.
Pat Downey defeated Nick Heflin 6-2 and 4-2 at 86 kg to earn his spot in Final X. Downey also defeated Heflin in the finals of the Open, 10-4. He will face returning World Champion David Taylor in Final X.
At 97 kg, Kyven Gadson took out Ty Walz, 3-2 and 3-0. Gadson will face returning two-time World Champion, and 2016 Olympic Champion, Kyle Snyder in Final X.

2019 MEN’S FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
at Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, N.C.), May 17-18


Final X Rutgers matchups (June 8)
65 kg Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (TMWC/FLWC)
79 kg Alex Dieringer (TWMC/ Cowboy RTC) vs. Kyle Dake (TMWC/NYRTC)
86 kg Pat Downey (TMWC/NJRTC) vs. David Taylor (NLWC)
92 kg Bo Nickal (Nittany Lion WC) vs. J’den Cox (TMWC/USOTC)
125 kg Gable Steveson (MNRTC) vs. Nick Gwiazdowski (TMWC/Wolfpack RTC)
Final X Lincoln matchups (June 15)
57 kg Thomas Gilman (TMWC/Hawkeye WC) Daton Fix (TMWC/Cowboy RTC)
61 kg Tyler Graff (TMWC/NJRTC) Joe Colon (TMWC/ Valley RTC)
70 kg James Green (Sunkist Kids) Ryan Deakin (TMWC/Wildcat WC)
74 kg Isaiah Martinez (TMWC/IRTC) vs. Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids)
97 kg Kyven Gadson (TMWC/CRTC) Kyle Snyder (TMWC/ Ohio RTC)
Senior Men’s Freestyle finals results
57 kg
1st – Thomas Gilman (TMWC/Hawkeye WC) df. Darian Cruz (TMWC/LVAV), two matches to none
Round one: Gilman dec. Cruz, 4-0
Round two: Gilman dec. Cruz, 5-2
3rd – Josh Rodriguez (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Jack Mueller (TMWC/CWC), 7-5
61 kg:
1st – Tyler Graff (TMWC/NJRTC) df. Cody Brewer (TMWC/Chicago RTC), two matches to none
Round one: Graff dec. Brewer, 22-16
Round two: Graff FALL Brewer, 1:26
True 2nd – Nico Megaludis (TMWC/PWC) TF Cody Brewer (TMWC/CRTC), 18-8
65 kg:
1st – Zain Retherford (NLWC) df. Jordan Oliver (Sunkist Kids/NYRTC), two matches to none
Round one: Retherford dec. Oliver, 7-6
Round two: Retherford dec. Oliver, 7-6
True 2nd – Frank Molinaro (TMWC/OKRTC) dec. Jordan Oliver (Sunkist Kids/NYRTC), 4-2
70 kg:
1st – James Green (Sunkist kids) df. Anthony Ashnault (SKWC), two matches to none
Round One: Green TF Ashnault, 10-0
Round Two: Green def Ashnault, INJ DEF
3rd – Jason Chamberlain (TMWC/Valley RTC) dec. Brandon Sorenson (TMWC/ Hawkeye WC), 4-2
74 kg:
1st – Isaiah Martinez (IRTC) df. Jason Nolf (NLWC), two matches to one
Round one: Martinez dec Nolf, 9-4
Round two: Nolf dec. Martinez, 7-5
Round three: Martinez TF Nolf, 12-2
3rd – Tommy Gantt (TMWC/Wolfpack WC) dec. Richie Lewis (LVWC), 8-2
79 kg:
1st – Alex Dieringer (TMWC/Cowboy RTC) df. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Round one: Dieringer TF Valencia, 12-1
Round two: Dieringer TF. Valencia, 12-2
3rd – Nick Becker (Badger RTC) dec. Brian Harvey (West Point WC), 11-6
86 kg:
1st – Pat Downey (TMWC/NJRTC) df. Nick Heflin (TMWC/OKRTC), two matches to none
Round one: Downey dec. Heflin, 6-2
Round two: Downey dec. Heflin, 4-0
3rd – Myles Martin (TMWC/Ohio RTC) TF Nate Jackson (NYAC/PWC), 10-0
92 kg:
1st – Bo Nickal (NLWC) df. Michael Macchiavello (TMWC/Wolfpack WC), two matches to none
Round one: Nickal dec. Macchiavello, 10-1
Round two: Nickal dec. Macchiavello, 5-0
3rd – Riley Lefever (NLWC) tf Kollin Moore (TMWC), 10-0
97 kg:
1st – Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids/CRTC) df. Ty Walz (TMWC/SERTC), two matches to none
Round one: Gadson dec. Walz, 3-2
Round two: Gadson dec. Walz, 3-0
3rd – Ben Honis (TMWC/FLWC) dec. Michael Boykin (TMWC/Wolfpack RTC), 13-11
125 kg:
1st – Gable Steveson (MNRTC) df. Adam Coon (MN Storm), two matches to none
Round one: Steveson dec. Coon, 13-3
Round two: Steveson dec. Coon, 8-1
True 2nd – Tony Nelson (MN Storm) dec. Adam Coon (NYAC), 4-1