Wild Card Process Under Fire
/USA Wrestling is taking some heat for the Wild Card process for determining who the entrants are to the World Team Trials wound up not making any sense. It seemed like a simple thought in the beginning where win these tournaments or place in the top 5 at the US Open and be in. Otherwise appeal for the one wild card spot and see if you get in the field of 7 in the challenge tournament.
Lord knows why 7 and not an even bracketed number like 8, but it seemed simple enough. However, more wild cards were released without explanations leading to confusion and speculation. I accuse the Stonecutters as the picture indicates.
I'm all for inclusion when it comes to the trials. I'm not sure why keeping the number so low is the goal. We have a lot of talent, and we should see that talent try to make World and Olympic teams. Within reason, let's see them wrestle.
You can read USA Wrestling's response here
Here is an update list for the qualifiers:
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2015 U.S. Open champion- Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open third place – Nick Simmons, Bloomington, Ind. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Joe Colon. Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC),
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion - Bradley Pataky, West Point, N.Y. (West Point WC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Frank Perrelli, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC)
61 kg/134 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2015 U.S. Open champion- Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Kendric Maple, Norman, Okla. (New York AC),
2015 U.S. Open third place – Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Jon Morrison, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion - Joey Lazor, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Panther WC RTC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Tyler Graff, Dublin Ohio (NYAC)
Wildcard selection – Joey McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC)
Wildcard selection – Kyle Hutter, Virginia Beach, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)
65 kg/143 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2015 U.S. Open champion- Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids
2015 U.S. Open third place – Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (NLWC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion - Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC)
Wildcard selection – Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
70 kg/154 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2015 U.S. Open champion- Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm),
2015 U.S. Open third place – James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Derek St. John, Fargo, N.D. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Nazar Kulchytskyy, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
74 kg/163 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2014 World bronze medalist – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open champion- David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
2015 U.S. Open second place – Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open third place – Anthony Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Colton Sponseller, Edinboro, Pa. (NYAC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC RTC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
86 kg/189 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2015 U.S. Open champion- Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC),
2015 U.S. Open third place – Edward Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Deron Winn, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Richard Perry, Washington, D.C. (NYAC/Penn WC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC)
Wildcard selection – Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
97 kg/213 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2015 U.S. Open champion- Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC),
2015 U.S. Open third place – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – J`den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)
Wildcard selection – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/OTC)
Wildcard selection – Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
125 kg/275 lbs.
Final Wrestle-off Qualifier
2014 World bronze medalist – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
Trials Tournament Qualifiers
2015 U.S. Open second place – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
2015 U.S. Open third place – Dom Bradley, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids WC)
2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (NYAC)
2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Tyrell Fortune, Phoenix, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Connor Medbery, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC)
Wildcard selection – Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)
