Smith, Ortiz and Briggs to wrestle for bronze at Granma Cup in Cuba
by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling
HAVANA, Cuba – Eight Greco-Roman wrestlers represented the United States at the Granma Cup on Tuesday in Havana, Cuba.
Of the eight wrestlers, three are still in the hunt for medals as Riley Briggs, Alec Ortiz and Robby Smith will compete for bronze medals on Wednesday.
Smith, a 2016 Olympian and four-time Senior World team member, took to the mat for his first international competition since last April, competing at 130 kg.
Smith opened the day with a 9-0 technical fall over Hernandez from Cuba but dropped his second bout to 2019 Pan American bronze medalist Angel Pacheco of Cuba, 6-0. For bronze, Smith will battle 2019 Pan Am runner-up Luciano Del Rio from Argentina.
2010 Junior World Team member Ortiz competed at 77 kg, where he fell short in his first match against three-time Senior World finalist and 2019 World champ Tamas Lorincz of Hungary, 8-0.
For bronze, Ortiz will go up against Cuba’s Dairon Salomon.
At 72 kg, Northern Michigan student-athlete Briggs went 1-1 in the first day of competition, taking out two-time Cadet Pan Am silver medalist Lautaro Seghesso of Argentina, 9-0, before falling to 2016 World champion Balint Korpasi from Hungary, 8-0.
In the bronze match, Briggs will face Sablon from Cuba.
USA Wrestling will update as results are made available. There is no live stream available.
Greco-Roman results
67 kg: Peyton Omania (New York AC)
LOSS Rodriguez (Cuba), 8-5
67 kg: Dominic Damon (NMU-OTS)
LOSS Antomarchi (Cuba), 10-0
LOSS Daniel Coles (Canada), 8-0
72 kg: Riley Briggs (NMU-OTS)
WIN Lautaro Seghesso (Argentina), 9-0
LOSS Balint Korpasi (Hungary), 8-0
vs. Sablon (Cuba)
72 kg: Colby Baker (NMU-OTS)
LOSS Sablon (Cuba), 8-0
LOSS Luis Barrios (Honduras), 8-0
77 kg: Nate Grimes (NMU-OTS)
LOSS Ariel Fis (Cuba), 10-0
LOSS Yosvanys Pena (Cuba), 10-0
77 kg: Alec Ortiz (Minnesota Storm)
LOSS Tamas Loerincz (Hungary), 8-0
vs. Dairon Salomon (Cuba),
130 kg: Trace Schirmers (NMU-OTS)
LOSS Bradley Hildebrand (Canada), 12-4
130 kg: Robert Smith (New York AC/Chicago RTC)
WIN Hernandez (Cuba), 9-0
LOSS Angel Pacheco (Cuba), 6-0
vs. Luciano Del Rio (Argentina)