Molinaro, Ramos, Rey among eight U.S. freestylers who get draws for Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Tony Ramos, shown at the 2015 World Championships, will compete on Thursday at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
BAKU, Azerbaijan – The team of eight talented U.S. freestyle wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for the star-studded UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals, which begin on Thursday.
U.S. star Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), who was fifth in the 2016 Olympic Games, opens up against two-time Military World champion Aghahuseyn Mustafayev of Azerbaijan at 65 kg/143 lbs.
Two-time U.S. World Team member Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tar Heel RTC) gets started at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. against Mirjalal Hasan-Zada of Azerbaijan, a 2014 Junior World silver medalist.
2015 U.S. World Team member Zach Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC) also draws a top wrestler from Azerbaijan, Ali Isayev, who was fifth in the 2010 World Championships.
These three USA stars are past NCAA champions, with Molinaro at Penn State, Ramos at Iowa and Rey at Lehigh.
Two U.S. wrestlers have drawn top stars from Pan American rival Cuba.
At 61 kg/134 lbs., Alan Waters (Columbia, Mo./Missouri Wrestling Foundation) opens against 2014 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne of Cuba. Bonne, who has an explosive offense, was fifth in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Past NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC) has drawn three-time World medalist Reineris Salas of Cuba at 97 kg/213 lbs. Salas normally competes at 86 kg/189 lbs., where he lost in the 2016 Olympic bronze medal match to American J’Den Cox in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kilgore won his NCAA title at Kent State.
The USA has two entries at 86 kg/189 lbs. on Thursday. Austin Trotman (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC) opens with 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili of Georgia. Richard Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./NYAC/Pennsylvania RTC) faces 2016 Oceania champion Toby Fitzpatrick of New Zealand.
Joining Kilgore at 97 kg/213 lbs. is JT Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), who opens against Erik Thiele of Germany, a 2016 Junior World silver medalist.
United World Wrestling will provide a live stream of this tournament, which starts with men’s freestyle on Thursday, moves on to women’s freestyle on Friday and concludes with Greco-Roman on Saturday.
For live stream video and results, visit the UWW website for the event at:
https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/golden-grand-prix-final
The event provides prize money to medalists, including $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $1,000 for bronzes.
Baku is nine hours ahead of USA Eastern time zone. The preliminary session begins at 10:00 a.m. Baku time, which is 1:00 a.m. in USA Eastern time zone. The finals begin at 5:00 p.m. in Baku, which is 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.
GOLDEN GRAND PRIX FINALS
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 24-26
U.S. men’s freestyle first round draws
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Tony Ramos, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Mirjalal Hasan-Zada (Azerbaijan), 2014 Junior World silver medalist, 5th in 2015 European Championships, 5th in 2016 World Military Championships
61 kg/134 lbs. – Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Vs. Yowlys Bonne (Cuba), 2014 World bronze medalist, 5th in 2016 Olympic Games, 2015 Pan American Games champion, 2012 Olympian, 2002 Junior World champion
65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Vs. Aghahuseyn Mustafayev (Azerbaijan), 2010 and 2016 World Military champion, 5th in 2016 European Championships, 2013 World Team member, 2nd in 2009 Junior World championships
86 kg/189 lbs. – Austin Trotman, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia), 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 2011 World bronze medalist, 3rd in 2016 European Championships, 2011 Junior World champion
86 kg/189 lbs. – Richard Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. (NYAC)
Vs. Toby Fitzpatrick (New Zealand), 2016 Oceania champion, 2007 Oceania Junior Greco-Roman champion
97 kg/213 lbs. – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Reineris Salas (Cuba), 2013 and 2014 World silver medalist, 2010 World bronze medalist, 5th in 2016 Olympic Games
97 kg/213 lbs. – JT Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
Vs. Erik Thiele (Germany), 2016 Junior World silver medalist, 2016 European bronze medalist,
125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley WC)
Vs. Ali Isayev (Azerbaijan), 5th in 2010 World Championships, 2nd in 2013 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan), 2008 Olympian
BAKU, Azerbaijan – The team of eight talented U.S. freestyle wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for the star-studded UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals, which begin on Thursday.
U.S. star Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), who was fifth in the 2016 Olympic Games, opens up against two-time Military World champion Aghahuseyn Mustafayev of Azerbaijan at 65 kg/143 lbs.
Two-time U.S. World Team member Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tar Heel RTC) gets started at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. against Mirjalal Hasan-Zada of Azerbaijan, a 2014 Junior World silver medalist.
2015 U.S. World Team member Zach Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC) also draws a top wrestler from Azerbaijan, Ali Isayev, who was fifth in the 2010 World Championships.
These three USA stars are past NCAA champions, with Molinaro at Penn State, Ramos at Iowa and Rey at Lehigh.
Two U.S. wrestlers have drawn top stars from Pan American rival Cuba.
At 61 kg/134 lbs., Alan Waters (Columbia, Mo./Missouri Wrestling Foundation) opens against 2014 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne of Cuba. Bonne, who has an explosive offense, was fifth in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Past NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC) has drawn three-time World medalist Reineris Salas of Cuba at 97 kg/213 lbs. Salas normally competes at 86 kg/189 lbs., where he lost in the 2016 Olympic bronze medal match to American J’Den Cox in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kilgore won his NCAA title at Kent State.
The USA has two entries at 86 kg/189 lbs. on Thursday. Austin Trotman (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC) opens with 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili of Georgia. Richard Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./NYAC/Pennsylvania RTC) faces 2016 Oceania champion Toby Fitzpatrick of New Zealand.
Joining Kilgore at 97 kg/213 lbs. is JT Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), who opens against Erik Thiele of Germany, a 2016 Junior World silver medalist.
United World Wrestling will provide a live stream of this tournament, which starts with men’s freestyle on Thursday, moves on to women’s freestyle on Friday and concludes with Greco-Roman on Saturday.
For live stream video and results, visit the UWW website for the event at:
https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/golden-grand-prix-final
The event provides prize money to medalists, including $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $1,000 for bronzes.
Baku is nine hours ahead of USA Eastern time zone. The preliminary session begins at 10:00 a.m. Baku time, which is 1:00 a.m. in USA Eastern time zone. The finals begin at 5:00 p.m. in Baku, which is 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.
GOLDEN GRAND PRIX FINALS
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 24-26
U.S. men’s freestyle first round draws
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Tony Ramos, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Mirjalal Hasan-Zada (Azerbaijan), 2014 Junior World silver medalist, 5th in 2015 European Championships, 5th in 2016 World Military Championships
61 kg/134 lbs. – Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Vs. Yowlys Bonne (Cuba), 2014 World bronze medalist, 5th in 2016 Olympic Games, 2015 Pan American Games champion, 2012 Olympian, 2002 Junior World champion
65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Vs. Aghahuseyn Mustafayev (Azerbaijan), 2010 and 2016 World Military champion, 5th in 2016 European Championships, 2013 World Team member, 2nd in 2009 Junior World championships
86 kg/189 lbs. – Austin Trotman, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia), 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 2011 World bronze medalist, 3rd in 2016 European Championships, 2011 Junior World champion
86 kg/189 lbs. – Richard Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. (NYAC)
Vs. Toby Fitzpatrick (New Zealand), 2016 Oceania champion, 2007 Oceania Junior Greco-Roman champion
97 kg/213 lbs. – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Reineris Salas (Cuba), 2013 and 2014 World silver medalist, 2010 World bronze medalist, 5th in 2016 Olympic Games
97 kg/213 lbs. – JT Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
Vs. Erik Thiele (Germany), 2016 Junior World silver medalist, 2016 European bronze medalist,
125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley WC)
Vs. Ali Isayev (Azerbaijan), 5th in 2010 World Championships, 2nd in 2013 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan), 2008 Olympian
Read More#
Turner and Fowler to go for gold, Crull to battle for bronze in women’s freestyle at U17 World Championships
Five U.S. men’s freestyle champions crowned on final day of Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial
Villasenor, Lockett advance to semifinals in men’s freestyle at U17 World Championships
Lilledahl, Mendez and Shapiro advance to U20 World finals
