Gonzalez, Martinez earn Greco-Roman titles at Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Jon Anderson (left) and Patrick Martinez slug it out in the 80 kg Non-Olympic Weights World Team Trials finals. Photo by Justin Hoch.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The U.S. World Team has been completed with two champions in Greco-Roman at the U.S. Non-Olympic Weights World Team Trials at the New York Athletic Club on Saturday.
Claiming titles were Chris Gonzalez (Bolingbrook, Ill./U.S. Army WCAP) at 71 kg/156 lbs. and Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) at 80 kg/176 lbs.
Both of the Championship Series went the full three matches and were very close and hotly contested battles between warriors.
Gonzalez, who entered as the No. 4 seed, lost the first match of the finals series, then rallied with two straight wins over No. 2 seed Alejandro Sancho (Miami, Fla./NYAC/NMU).
Sancho won the first match, 2-1, scoring a two-point takedown in the first period, with Gonzalez getting a point on a stalling call against Sancho. The second match was also very close, with the only points coming on stalling calls. Gonzalez led 1-0 at the break, and both wrestlers were penalized for passivity in the second period, with Gonzalez winning 2-1.no
In the deciding third match, passivity calls were important in determining the champion. Gonzalez led 1-0 after the first with a passivity point against Sancho. The match was tied 1-1 after Gonzalez was hit for a passivity penalty. Gonzalez took a 2-1 lead when Sancho was penalized late in the second period. Gonzalez added a takedown in the closing portion of the bout with Sancho pushing for a score and won 4-1.
Gonzalez will be competing in his first Senior World Championships, with the World Team Trials event the first Senior-level Greco-Roman event he has won. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the combined Bill Farrell International and the Non-Olympic World Team Trials, and he received $500 in prize money for the honor.
“I want to congratulate Sancho. He is a hell of an opponent. He has been a teammate of mine and a competitor for some time, so a shout to him. Frankly, I haven’t been in this position before. This is the first Senior tournament win for me, and hopefully a lot more to come,” said Gonzalez.
Martinez, a 2015 World Team member at this weight and the No. 1 seed, won the first and third matches to beat 2015 Pan American Games champion and No. 2 seed Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP).
The first match went to Martinez, 3-1, who scored points on two passivity calls against Anderson and his final point on a stepout. The second bout went to Anderson, 4-2, who scored all four of his points on a first-period throw. Martinez had a dominant double underhook, but Anderson took a double overhook and threw Martinez for four points on the edge.
The deciding third match was tied at 1-1 in the second period, as both Martinez and Anderson were hit with passivity penalties. Martinez took a 2-1 lead on a stepout. He added a takedown on the edge with 20 seconds to go to win the match 2-1.
This will be Martinez’s second U.S. Senior World Team.
“The last match, I had to control my position. All three matches, I felt I was controlling my position. I got out of whack a little bit and he ended up getting a four (in bout two). I was dominating the pummel and keeping good position. I was more technical which I could feel in the pummel,” said Martinez.
Gonzalez and Martinez will compete for the United States at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on December 10-11.
The U.S. World Team has been finalized with women’s freestyle athletes Sarah Hildebrandt and Alli Ragan on the team, and men’s freestyle stars Logan Stieber and James Green also on the squad.
U.S. NON-OLYMPIC WEIGHT WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At New York, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2016
Greco-Roman Best of Three Final Series
71 kg/156 lbs. – Chris Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Alejandro Sancho, Miami, Fla. (NYAC/NMU), two matches to one
Bout One – Sancho dec. Gonzalez, 2-1
Bout Two – Gonzalez dec. Sancho, 2-1
Bout Three – Gonzalez dec. Sancho, 4-1
80 kg/176 lbs. - Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), two matches to one
Bout One – Martinez dec. Anderson, 3-1
Bout Two – Anderson dec. Martinez, 4-2
Bouth Three – Martinez dec. Anderson, 4-1
Third place matches
71 kg/156 lbs. – Pat Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) by inj. dft. over Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
80 kg/176 lbs. – Jon Jay Chavez, Ithaca, N.Y. (unattached) dec. Barrett Stanghill, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 3-2
2016 U.S SENIOR WORLD TEAM
To compete at Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in Budapest, Hungary
Women’s freestyle
55 kg/121 lbs. – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Men’s freestyle
61 kg/134 lbs. - Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
Greco-Roman
71 kg/156 lbs. – Chris Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (U.S. Army WCAP)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The U.S. World Team has been completed with two champions in Greco-Roman at the U.S. Non-Olympic Weights World Team Trials at the New York Athletic Club on Saturday.
Claiming titles were Chris Gonzalez (Bolingbrook, Ill./U.S. Army WCAP) at 71 kg/156 lbs. and Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) at 80 kg/176 lbs.
Both of the Championship Series went the full three matches and were very close and hotly contested battles between warriors.
Gonzalez, who entered as the No. 4 seed, lost the first match of the finals series, then rallied with two straight wins over No. 2 seed Alejandro Sancho (Miami, Fla./NYAC/NMU).
Sancho won the first match, 2-1, scoring a two-point takedown in the first period, with Gonzalez getting a point on a stalling call against Sancho. The second match was also very close, with the only points coming on stalling calls. Gonzalez led 1-0 at the break, and both wrestlers were penalized for passivity in the second period, with Gonzalez winning 2-1.no
In the deciding third match, passivity calls were important in determining the champion. Gonzalez led 1-0 after the first with a passivity point against Sancho. The match was tied 1-1 after Gonzalez was hit for a passivity penalty. Gonzalez took a 2-1 lead when Sancho was penalized late in the second period. Gonzalez added a takedown in the closing portion of the bout with Sancho pushing for a score and won 4-1.
Gonzalez will be competing in his first Senior World Championships, with the World Team Trials event the first Senior-level Greco-Roman event he has won. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the combined Bill Farrell International and the Non-Olympic World Team Trials, and he received $500 in prize money for the honor.
“I want to congratulate Sancho. He is a hell of an opponent. He has been a teammate of mine and a competitor for some time, so a shout to him. Frankly, I haven’t been in this position before. This is the first Senior tournament win for me, and hopefully a lot more to come,” said Gonzalez.
Martinez, a 2015 World Team member at this weight and the No. 1 seed, won the first and third matches to beat 2015 Pan American Games champion and No. 2 seed Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP).
The first match went to Martinez, 3-1, who scored points on two passivity calls against Anderson and his final point on a stepout. The second bout went to Anderson, 4-2, who scored all four of his points on a first-period throw. Martinez had a dominant double underhook, but Anderson took a double overhook and threw Martinez for four points on the edge.
The deciding third match was tied at 1-1 in the second period, as both Martinez and Anderson were hit with passivity penalties. Martinez took a 2-1 lead on a stepout. He added a takedown on the edge with 20 seconds to go to win the match 2-1.
This will be Martinez’s second U.S. Senior World Team.
“The last match, I had to control my position. All three matches, I felt I was controlling my position. I got out of whack a little bit and he ended up getting a four (in bout two). I was dominating the pummel and keeping good position. I was more technical which I could feel in the pummel,” said Martinez.
Gonzalez and Martinez will compete for the United States at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on December 10-11.
The U.S. World Team has been finalized with women’s freestyle athletes Sarah Hildebrandt and Alli Ragan on the team, and men’s freestyle stars Logan Stieber and James Green also on the squad.
U.S. NON-OLYMPIC WEIGHT WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At New York, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2016
Greco-Roman Best of Three Final Series
71 kg/156 lbs. – Chris Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Alejandro Sancho, Miami, Fla. (NYAC/NMU), two matches to one
Bout One – Sancho dec. Gonzalez, 2-1
Bout Two – Gonzalez dec. Sancho, 2-1
Bout Three – Gonzalez dec. Sancho, 4-1
80 kg/176 lbs. - Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), two matches to one
Bout One – Martinez dec. Anderson, 3-1
Bout Two – Anderson dec. Martinez, 4-2
Bouth Three – Martinez dec. Anderson, 4-1
Third place matches
71 kg/156 lbs. – Pat Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) by inj. dft. over Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
80 kg/176 lbs. – Jon Jay Chavez, Ithaca, N.Y. (unattached) dec. Barrett Stanghill, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 3-2
2016 U.S SENIOR WORLD TEAM
To compete at Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in Budapest, Hungary
Women’s freestyle
55 kg/121 lbs. – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Men’s freestyle
61 kg/134 lbs. - Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green (Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
Greco-Roman
71 kg/156 lbs. – Chris Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (U.S. Army WCAP)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
