Stieber and Green take freestyle World Team spots with wins at Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
James Green secures a leg attack on Jordan Oliver in the 70 kg finals series at the Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials. Photo by Larry Slater.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The U.S. World Team for the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships has its men’s freestyle team members, Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. and James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC) at 70 kg/154 lbs.
Green, 2015 World bronze medalist, scored a two-match sweep over Jordan Oliver (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in two very close matches. Green scored on a stepout and a shot clock violation in the first match for a 2-1 win. In the second match, trailing 3-2 in the second period, Green hit a counter ankle pick with 1:30 left for a 4-3 victory.
Based upon the Trials procedures in men’s freestyle,Green sat out until the Championship Series because of his 2015 World medal, while Oliver had to win a loaded Challenge Tournament on Friday morning to earn his spot in the finals series.
“You just do what you do best, because when you are sitting in the finals, you never know who you are going to get. Once we knew we were wrestling Jordan, we watched a little film. We set a game plan to go out there and get it done. He got going more than I did the second match, but I had some good leg defense and held my ground, kept my position on the mat. It was definitely a good match and I am prepared for the World Championships,” said Green.
Stieber, who was seeded No. 1, met the No. 2 seed Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./New York AC) and scored a pair of 10-0 technical falls for a dominant victory and his first U.S. Senior World Team berth.
In the first match, Stieber had three takedowns and two gut wrench turns. In the second match, it was two takedowns and three gut wrenches which did the trick for him.
Stieber dropped down from 65 kg/145.5 lbs., where he has competed in recent seasons. He served as a training partner for Olympian Frank Molinaro this summer, where he began his preparation for this World Team Trials.
Stieber, who was a four-time NCAA champion for Ohio State, was named Outstanding Wrestler in the combined U.S. Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials and Bill Farrell International, receiving $500 in prize money.
“I wasn’t too big for 65 kg. 61 is a cut, but when they announced it as a World Championships, I started to do better and I got down to a reasonable weight. Then I just prepared myself to be ready for November. I am usually getting ready in April. I felt really good. There was one period I didn’t feel the best, but besides that, I recovered fast and felt good,” said Stieber
The winners in these two weight classes will compete for the United States at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on December 10-11.
The tournament concludes with Greco-Roman on Saturday, with action starting at 1:00 p.m. ET, and the finals expected at 6:30 p.m. All of the action will be broadcast by Flowrestling.
U.S. NON-OLYMPIC WEIGHT WORLD TEAM TRIALS
Men’s freestyle Best of Three Final Series pairings
61 kg/134 lbs. - Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) dec. Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./New York AC), two matches to none
Bout One – Stieber tech. fall Graff, 10-0, 4:06
Bout Two – Stieber tech. fall Graff, 10-0, 1:46
3rd –Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Cody Brewer, Evanston, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC), 12-2, 1:49
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) dec. Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout One – Green dec. Oliver, 2-1
Bout Two – Green dec. Oliver, 4-3
3rd – Jason Chamberlain, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC), 6-1
True third place – Jimmy Kennedy (Ann Arbor, Mich. Titan Mercury WC) dec. Jason Chamberlain, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 10-0, 4:02
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The U.S. World Team for the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships has its men’s freestyle team members, Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) at 61 kg/134 lbs. and James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC) at 70 kg/154 lbs.
Green, 2015 World bronze medalist, scored a two-match sweep over Jordan Oliver (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in two very close matches. Green scored on a stepout and a shot clock violation in the first match for a 2-1 win. In the second match, trailing 3-2 in the second period, Green hit a counter ankle pick with 1:30 left for a 4-3 victory.
Based upon the Trials procedures in men’s freestyle,Green sat out until the Championship Series because of his 2015 World medal, while Oliver had to win a loaded Challenge Tournament on Friday morning to earn his spot in the finals series.
“You just do what you do best, because when you are sitting in the finals, you never know who you are going to get. Once we knew we were wrestling Jordan, we watched a little film. We set a game plan to go out there and get it done. He got going more than I did the second match, but I had some good leg defense and held my ground, kept my position on the mat. It was definitely a good match and I am prepared for the World Championships,” said Green.
Stieber, who was seeded No. 1, met the No. 2 seed Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./New York AC) and scored a pair of 10-0 technical falls for a dominant victory and his first U.S. Senior World Team berth.
In the first match, Stieber had three takedowns and two gut wrench turns. In the second match, it was two takedowns and three gut wrenches which did the trick for him.
Stieber dropped down from 65 kg/145.5 lbs., where he has competed in recent seasons. He served as a training partner for Olympian Frank Molinaro this summer, where he began his preparation for this World Team Trials.
Stieber, who was a four-time NCAA champion for Ohio State, was named Outstanding Wrestler in the combined U.S. Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials and Bill Farrell International, receiving $500 in prize money.
“I wasn’t too big for 65 kg. 61 is a cut, but when they announced it as a World Championships, I started to do better and I got down to a reasonable weight. Then I just prepared myself to be ready for November. I am usually getting ready in April. I felt really good. There was one period I didn’t feel the best, but besides that, I recovered fast and felt good,” said Stieber
The winners in these two weight classes will compete for the United States at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on December 10-11.
The tournament concludes with Greco-Roman on Saturday, with action starting at 1:00 p.m. ET, and the finals expected at 6:30 p.m. All of the action will be broadcast by Flowrestling.
U.S. NON-OLYMPIC WEIGHT WORLD TEAM TRIALS
Men’s freestyle Best of Three Final Series pairings
61 kg/134 lbs. - Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) dec. Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./New York AC), two matches to none
Bout One – Stieber tech. fall Graff, 10-0, 4:06
Bout Two – Stieber tech. fall Graff, 10-0, 1:46
3rd –Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Cody Brewer, Evanston, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC), 12-2, 1:49
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) dec. Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout One – Green dec. Oliver, 2-1
Bout Two – Green dec. Oliver, 4-3
3rd – Jason Chamberlain, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC), 6-1
True third place – Jimmy Kennedy (Ann Arbor, Mich. Titan Mercury WC) dec. Jason Chamberlain, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 10-0, 4:02
