Snyder, Dieringer, Taylor headlines strong Titan Mercury WC team for World Clubs Cup in Ukraine
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Nico Megaludis graphic by Jonny Ruggiano, Titan Mercury WC
The Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will bring a loaded team of stars to compete in the World Clubs Cup of freestyle wrestling in Kharkov, Ukraine, Nov. 30- Dec. 1
This is the third straight year that Titan Mercury has entered a team in this world-level club championship event featuring top clubs and athletes from around the world. The last two years, when the tournament was held in Iran, the Titan Mercury WC placed second in the standings.
Leading the Titan Mercury WC roster is 2016 Olympic champion and 2015 World champion Kyle Snyder at 96 kg/213 lbs. Snyder, a junior at Ohio State, will take time off from the collegiate season, to return to the mats in freestyle wrestling at this event.
Two other members of the 2016-17 U.S. Freestyle National Team are also on the roster, Alex Dieringer at 74 kg/163 lbs. and David Taylor at 86 kg/189 lbs. Both were third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Dieringer is in his first full season competing exclusively in freestyle, after completing his college career at Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner. Dieringer recently won a gold medal at the Bill Farrell International in New York City.
Taylor moved up to 86 kg last year, after a number of years wrestling at 74 kg. He was a two-time NCAA champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner at Penn State.
The Titan Mercury team will feature two other past NCAA champions on their team, Nico Megaludis at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. and Nick Gwiazdowski at 125 kg/275 lbs. Both completed their college careers in 2016.
Megaludis was an 2016 NCAA champion for Penn State and Gwiazdowski won 2014 and 2015 NCAA titles for NC State, and placed second behind Snyder at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Both are also talented freestylers. Megaludis was also a champion at the Bill Farrell International this fall.
Two other successful USA freestylers will also be competing, B.J. Futrell at 65 kg/143 lbs. and Nazar Kulchytskyy at 70 kg/154 lbs. Kulchytskyy is a native of Ukraine.
Based upon the rules of the event, clubs can have as many as two foreign athletes on their team, competitors who are not from their host country. This year, Titan Mercury WC is featuring Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia, a 2016 Olympic champion, 2015 World champion and 2014 World silver medalist. Khinchegashvili normally competes at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., but is moving up to 61 kg/134 lbs. for the World Clubs Cup.
The Titan Mercury WC will be led by the club’s founder Andy Barth, along with a delegation of staff to include Wayne Boyd, Royce Alger, Bobby Reisz, Mo Tavakolian, Lee Schniederman, Valentin Kalika and Andrew Barth Jr. Kalika is a native of Ukraine.
Competition will be held on Wednesday, November 30 and Thursday, December 1.
According to the rules of the event, only host Ukraine and defending champion Iran can enter more than one team. The format will include four pools, in which the winners advance to a semifinal round. The semifinal winners compete for 1st and 2nd place, while the semifinal losers will compete for 3rd and 4th place. There will be placement matches for the top 10 teams in the tournament.
There is prize money for the top three teams, with $25,000 going to the first-place team, $15,000 to the second-place team and $10,000 for the third-place team.
The Titan Mercury WC will be posting graphics each day on its Twitter site of the athletes on the team. Check out some great images of the following: Nico Megaludis (Wednesday), Alex Dieringer (Thursday), Nick Gwiazdowski (Friday), Nazar Kulchytskyy (Saturday), David Taylor (Sunday), B.J. Futrell (Monday), Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Tuesday) and Kyle Snyder (next Wednesday). Check them out at the link below:
https://twitter.com/titan_mercury
FREESTYLE WORLD CLUBS CUP
At Kharkov, Ukraine, Nov. 30- Dec. 1
Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (USA) roster
57 kg/121 lbs. - Nico Megaludis
61 kg/134 lbs. - Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
65 kg/143 lbs. - BJ Futrell
70 kg/154 lbs. - Nazar Kulchytskyy
74 kg/163 lbs. - Alex Dieringer
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor
97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder
125 kg/27 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski
Team Staff - Andy Barth
Team Staff - Wayne Boyd
Team Staff - Royce Alger
Team Staff - Bobby Reisz
Team Staff - Mo Tavakolian
Team Staff - Lee Schniederman
Team Staff - Valentin Kalika
Team Staff - Andrew Barth Jr.
Referee - Jim Woolnough
The Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will bring a loaded team of stars to compete in the World Clubs Cup of freestyle wrestling in Kharkov, Ukraine, Nov. 30- Dec. 1
This is the third straight year that Titan Mercury has entered a team in this world-level club championship event featuring top clubs and athletes from around the world. The last two years, when the tournament was held in Iran, the Titan Mercury WC placed second in the standings.
Leading the Titan Mercury WC roster is 2016 Olympic champion and 2015 World champion Kyle Snyder at 96 kg/213 lbs. Snyder, a junior at Ohio State, will take time off from the collegiate season, to return to the mats in freestyle wrestling at this event.
Two other members of the 2016-17 U.S. Freestyle National Team are also on the roster, Alex Dieringer at 74 kg/163 lbs. and David Taylor at 86 kg/189 lbs. Both were third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Dieringer is in his first full season competing exclusively in freestyle, after completing his college career at Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner. Dieringer recently won a gold medal at the Bill Farrell International in New York City.
Taylor moved up to 86 kg last year, after a number of years wrestling at 74 kg. He was a two-time NCAA champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner at Penn State.
The Titan Mercury team will feature two other past NCAA champions on their team, Nico Megaludis at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. and Nick Gwiazdowski at 125 kg/275 lbs. Both completed their college careers in 2016.
Megaludis was an 2016 NCAA champion for Penn State and Gwiazdowski won 2014 and 2015 NCAA titles for NC State, and placed second behind Snyder at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Both are also talented freestylers. Megaludis was also a champion at the Bill Farrell International this fall.
Two other successful USA freestylers will also be competing, B.J. Futrell at 65 kg/143 lbs. and Nazar Kulchytskyy at 70 kg/154 lbs. Kulchytskyy is a native of Ukraine.
Based upon the rules of the event, clubs can have as many as two foreign athletes on their team, competitors who are not from their host country. This year, Titan Mercury WC is featuring Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia, a 2016 Olympic champion, 2015 World champion and 2014 World silver medalist. Khinchegashvili normally competes at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., but is moving up to 61 kg/134 lbs. for the World Clubs Cup.
The Titan Mercury WC will be led by the club’s founder Andy Barth, along with a delegation of staff to include Wayne Boyd, Royce Alger, Bobby Reisz, Mo Tavakolian, Lee Schniederman, Valentin Kalika and Andrew Barth Jr. Kalika is a native of Ukraine.
Competition will be held on Wednesday, November 30 and Thursday, December 1.
According to the rules of the event, only host Ukraine and defending champion Iran can enter more than one team. The format will include four pools, in which the winners advance to a semifinal round. The semifinal winners compete for 1st and 2nd place, while the semifinal losers will compete for 3rd and 4th place. There will be placement matches for the top 10 teams in the tournament.
There is prize money for the top three teams, with $25,000 going to the first-place team, $15,000 to the second-place team and $10,000 for the third-place team.
The Titan Mercury WC will be posting graphics each day on its Twitter site of the athletes on the team. Check out some great images of the following: Nico Megaludis (Wednesday), Alex Dieringer (Thursday), Nick Gwiazdowski (Friday), Nazar Kulchytskyy (Saturday), David Taylor (Sunday), B.J. Futrell (Monday), Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Tuesday) and Kyle Snyder (next Wednesday). Check them out at the link below:
https://twitter.com/titan_mercury
FREESTYLE WORLD CLUBS CUP
At Kharkov, Ukraine, Nov. 30- Dec. 1
Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (USA) roster
57 kg/121 lbs. - Nico Megaludis
61 kg/134 lbs. - Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia)
65 kg/143 lbs. - BJ Futrell
70 kg/154 lbs. - Nazar Kulchytskyy
74 kg/163 lbs. - Alex Dieringer
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor
97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder
125 kg/27 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski
Team Staff - Andy Barth
Team Staff - Wayne Boyd
Team Staff - Royce Alger
Team Staff - Bobby Reisz
Team Staff - Mo Tavakolian
Team Staff - Lee Schniederman
Team Staff - Valentin Kalika
Team Staff - Andrew Barth Jr.
Referee - Jim Woolnough
