New U.S. citizen Sebie makes Senior Nationals Greco-Roman finals, as finalists set in all six weights
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
FORT WORTH, Texas – The championship finals have been set in all six Greco-Roman weight classes at the 2023 Senior Nationals on Friday.
One of the surprise finalists was Mahmoud Sebie, a 2016 Olympian for Egypt, who was competing in his first competition since becoming a U.S. citizen. Sebie came in as the No. 10 seed at 87 kg, and won four matches to earn a spot in the finals against two-time U.S. World Team member Spencer Woods, the No. 4 seed.
Among his wins was a second-round 5-4 victory over two-time U.S. Olympian Ben Provisor. In the semifinals, Sebie defeated No. 3 seed Richard Carlson, 7-1.
Woods, who competed at the last two World Championships at non-Olympic 82 kg, defeated the 2023 World Team member at 87 kg, Zach Braunagel, 4-2 in the semifinals.
USA Wrestling is using the 2023 Senior Nationals as its qualifying event for the U.S. Greco-Roman team that will compete in the 2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico, February 28-March 1.
Sitting out until Saturday’s Senior Nationals finals, based upon the qualifying procedures, are 2023 World Team members and 2023 Pan American Games medalists Ildar Hafizov (60 kg), Kamal Bey (77 kg) and Cohlton Schultz (130 kg). All three did not compete on Friday, waiting for the winners of the first-place match in their weight classes from tonight.
Hafizov will wrestle No. 2 seed Hayden Tuma who scored an impressive 9-0 technical fall over Max Black in their first-place match.
Bey will battle 2022 Senior World Team member Benji Peak who won a 1-1 criteria decision over Payton Jacobson in their finals bout.
Schultz has drawn long-time rival Adam Coon, a 2018 World silver medalist, in the finals. Coon secured a 16-6 technical fall over Courtney Freeman in their finals match.
Just like at 87 kg, the semifinal winners at 67 kg and 97 kg advanced to the finals on Saturday night.
Top seed and 2020 Olympic Alejandro Sancho reached the 67 kg finals with a 3-1 decision over his 2023 Final X opponent Robert Perez III. Sancho will face 2021 World Team member Peyton Omania, the No. 6 seed, who stopped David Stepanian in the semifinals, 7-5.
A pair of past U.S. World Team members will battle at 97 kg, where No. 1 seed Joe Rau and No. 3 seed Alan Vera will compete. Rau fell behind 4-0, then took out Nicholas Boykin, 10-4. Vera, who has just recently moved up to 97 kg from 86 kg, pinned No. 2 seed Christian DuLaney in 1:58.
The top five finishers in each weight class will earn a berth in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling at Penn State, April 19-20.
The Greco-Roman championship finals are set for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, alongside the finals for three women’s freestyle weight classes. (See separate article on Greco-Roman action). Also on Saturday, all six men’s freestyle weight classes, and the final three women’s freestyle weight classes, begin their competition.
All of the action is live on FloWrestling. https://flosports.link/3uqzaJr
SENIOR NATIONALS
At Fort Worth, Texas, December 15
Greco-Roman finals pairings
60 kg – Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) vs. Hayden Tuma (New York Athletic Club)
67 kg - Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) vs. Peyton Omania (Michigan)
77 kg – Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) vs. Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)
87 kg - Spencer Woods (Army (WCAP) vs. Mahmoud Sebie (Florida)
97 kg - Josef Rau (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) vs. Alan Vera (New York Athletic Club)
130 kg – Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) vs. Adam Coon (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club)
Special first place Greco-Roman match (in three weight classes
60 kg 1st place bout - Hayden Tuma (New York Athletic Club) tech fall Max Black (NMU-National Training Center), 9-0. Tuma to face Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) in the finals on Saturday
77 kg 1st place bout -Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Payton Jacobson (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 1-1. Peak to face Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) in the finals on Saturday
130 kg 1st place bout - Adam Coon (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club) tech fall Courtney Freeman (Marines), 16-6. Coon to face Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) in the finals on Saturday
Greco-Roman semifinal results
60 kg
Max Black (NMU-National Training Center) dec. Randon Miranda (GR National Team), 2-1
Hayden Tuma (New York Athletic Club) dec. Sammy Jones (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 3-1
67 kg
Alejandro Sancho (Army (WCAP) dec. Robert Perez III (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 3-1
Peyton Omania (Michigan) dec. David Stepanian (New York Athletic Club), 7-5
77 kg
Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Aliaksandr Kikiniou (California), 5-1
Payton Jacobson (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. RaVaughn Perkins (New York Athletic Club). 5-1
87 kg
Spencer Woods (Army (WCAP) dec. Zachary Braunagel (Illinois RTC/Illini WC), 4-2
Mahmoud Sebie (Florida) dec. Richard Carlson (Minnesota Storm), 7-1
97 kg
Josef Rau (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) dec. Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 10-4
Alan Vera (New York Athletic Club) pin Christian DuLaney (Minnesota Storm), 1:58
130 kg
Adam Coon (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club) tech fall Aden Attao (Beaver Dam Regional Training Center), 9-0
Courtney Freeman (Marines) tech fall Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm), 8-0