Skip to content
USA Wrestling
International
College
High School & Youth
USAW

Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier and Cliff Keen/USA Folkstyle Nationals underway in Cedar Falls, Iowa

Share:

by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

Two major events, the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier and the Cliff Keen/USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals are underway at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.


There will be three days of outstanding action, with competition from the youth levels, to the Olympic level and up to the Veterans level. All three days will be broadcast LIVE on Flowrestling.org


Friday’s action begins with Senior Greco-Roman competition in the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier, which kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Central Time. The six Olympic Greco-Roman weight classes are being contested (59 kg, 66 kg, 75 kg, 85 kg, 98 kg, 130 kg).


The champion in each of the weight classes earns the final spot at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to be held on April 9-10 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.


Past Junior Nationals champions Taylor LaMont and Hayden Tuma are among the younger entrants in the Greco-Roman field. (Tuma has been on Cadet and Junior World Teams, while LaMont has been on Cadet World Teams). Two-time NCAA Div. II champions for Nebraska-Kearney, Daniel Deshazer and Romero Cotton, will try their hands at Greco-Roman in Cedar Falls.


Past Greco-Roman national team member Marco Lara is competing at 66 kg. Past Div. III national champion and Junior World Team member Mike Fuenffinger is at 59 kg. NCAA Div. I finalist Dylan Ness is entered at 66 kg. Other past Junior World Team members Sahid Kargbo (59 kg), Travis Rice (66 kg) and Alec Ortiz (75 kg) are also in the field.


Men’s freestyle will take the mat on Saturday and women’s freestyle will round out the competition on Sunday. This is the last of the #Road2IowaCity U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifying tournaments.


The Cliff Keen/ USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals will wrestle side-by-side with the U.S. Olympic Team Trials hopefuls, with a start time on Friday of 10:30 a.m. The tournament starts with preliminary matches on the Cadet and Junior levels.


Other age divisions which will have Folkstyle National titles up for grabs this weekend are Bantam, Intermediate, Novice and Schoolboy and Veterans divisions.


This is the first leg of the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown, which is awarded each year to any wrestler who wins folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle national titles in one age group during the same year.


Over 1,500 wrestlers from across the U.S. are registered for Folkstyle Nationals.

LAST CHANCE OLYMPIC TRIALS QUALIFIER

April 1-3 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa



Event Schedule

Friday, April 1

10:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Session I (Preliminaries through Semifinals, Consolations)

4:30 p.m. – Greco-Roman Session II (Consolations, 3rd Place)

5:30 p.m. – Greco-Roman Session III (Championship Finals)

Saturday, April 2

8:30 a.m. – Men’s Freestyle Session I (Preliminaries through Semifinals, Consolations)

2:30 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Session II (Consolations, 3rd Place)

4:00 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Session III (Championship Finals)

Sunday, April 3

9:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Session I (Preliminaries through Championship Finals)

CLIFF KEEN/USA WRESTLING FOLKSTYLE NATIONALS

April 1-3 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa



Event Schedule

Friday, April 1

10:30 a.m. – Junior and Cadet Session I

4:30 p.m. – Junior and Cadet Session II

Saturday, April 2

8:30 a.m. – Junior and Cadet Session II (Semifinals, 3rd, 5th, 7th)

12:00 p.m. – Junior and Cadet Session IV (Championship Finals)

2:30 p.m. – Bantam, Intermediate, Novice and Schoolboy Session I

Sunday, April 3

9:00 a.m. – Bantam, Intermediate, Novice and Schoolboy Session II, Veterans Competition

Read More#