Lehigh to Wrap it Up

Three very compelling toss-up series highlight the last slate of matches for the freestyle World Trials giving the fans in the "Snake Pit" of Lehigh University plenty to anticipate. 

At 61 kg, Logan Stieber moved up in weight this year vacating the spot and now it is down to two veteran guys who both score and concede a ton of points. For example, their US Open final in April featured Joe Colon defeating Nahshon Garrett 20-13. No, my fingers didn't slip there. Both of these guys will provide Team USA with a unfamiliar wild card at the World Championships making their first trip. It should be fireworks this Saturday sorting out who it will be. 

Nick Gwiazdowski made his first trip to the World Championships in 2017 and brought home a bronze medal. Gwiz appears to be a very capable standard bearer for the next quad, but enter Adam Coon. The 6'6" 280 plus lbs future Mars resident missed over a year of competition after the 2016 Olympic Trials with a shoulder surgery. His return was startling and even attacking heavies had no answer for him. He won the US Open in Freestyle and took 2nd in Greco-Roman. The greco trials are in Tulsa and wrap up Friday afternoon. He plans to do both, but flying from Tulsa to Bethlehem is not exactly St Louis to Dallas. That might affect mortal beings, but many expect Gwiz to have more than his hands full to return to the World Championships this year. 

Haley Augello was our Olympian at 48 kg, but moved up to 53 kg in 2017. She fell to Sarah Hildebrandt in the US Open final 6-1, and has to avenge that loss to return to the World Championships. Sarah competed at 55 kg at the non-Olympic weight in 2016, but did not medal. Her and Becka Leathers, who eventually came home with a bronze, were battling for the spot last year but Sarah was injured at the trials. Now down at 53 kg, she will have a battle to claim this Olympic weight. 

Another women's match has people calling for either side to win with Whitney Condor taking on Victoria Anthony for the 50 kg spot.  Whitney is looking for her 4th trip to the World Championships. She went in 2011 and then had back to back trips at 53 kg in 2014 & 2015, but then Helen Maroulis dropped down for that spot. She did reach the quarterfinals in 2014, but dropped her one repechage match in those three trips. Her 7-3 win over Victoria in the US Open final put her in the driver's seat. Victoria is coming off a strong 2017 performance in her first trip to the World Championships, falling in the 48 kg bronze medal match. With the new weight classes, 50 kg is now the lowest. She now needs to avenge the US Open final to return to the world stage. This would be the third trip for Victoria with her falling in the bronze medal match in 2011 at 51 kg. Both of these women are past Junior World Champions. 

J'Den Cox will look to make his third trip and bring home a 3rd straight medal by facing Hayden Zillmer. Zillmer has made both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman world teams for the second year in a row. If he can get some par terre work going, he can rack up points to make this series interesting. 

Julia Salata will face Forrest Molinari in a familiar match with both being King College alumni. Salata has come down in weight to hopefully claim her first senior level trip to the World Championships. Molinari is also looking for her first trip to the world stage and will need to close the 5-0 gap that was the US Open final between the two. 

Helen Maroulis has successfully deferred her wrestle-off due to injury. It has not been announced when that will be. The World Championships are not until October though. 

Each year, there are sometimes wrestle-offs for the "true third" as the top three finishers at the trials are on Team USA with funding and access that comes with that. There are seven of these matches that will start at 5pm (Eastern) with the main card starting at 7pm. They are just one match for the spot and include some interesting bouts. 

FINAL X AT LEHIGH

Saturday, June 23 at Grace Hall, Bethlehem, Pa.

Bout Order for Main Card at 7:00 p.m.

Bout One - Men's freestyle 61 kg

2018 U.S. Open champion - Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC)

2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Nahshon Garrett, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)

Bout Two - Women's freestyle 50 kg

2018 U.S. Open champion - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)

2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Victoria Anthony, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)

Bout Three - Men's freestyle 92 kg

2018 U.S. Open champion - J’den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC)

2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion –Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Bout Four - Women's freestyle weight classes 53 kg

2018 U.S. Open champion - Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC)

Bout Five - Women's freestyle 65 kg

2018 U.S. Open champion - Julia Salata, Bristol, Tenn. (New York AC)

2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Forrest Molinari, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)

Bout Six - Men's freestyle 125 kg

2017 World bronze medalist – Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)

2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC)

NATIONAL TEAM TRUE THIRD PLACE BOUTS (5:00 p.m.)

NOTE: A preliminary card of True Third matches for the 2018-19 U.S. National Team will be held starting at 5:00 p.m. A true-third wrestle-off occurs when the overall runner-up and third-place finishers from the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament did not meet in the bracket. According to approved team selection procedures, the runner-up and third-place athlete must wrestle off to determine the No. 3 spot on the National Team.

Women’s freestyle

53 kg: Runner-up Cody Pfau (Titan Mercury) vs. third-place Gabrielle Weyhrich (Bearcat WC)

59 kg: Runner-up Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) vs. third-place Lauren Louive (Hawkeye WC)

68 kg: Runner-up Yvonne Galindo (Aries WC) vs. third-place Alex Glaude (Bearcat WC)

Men’s freestyle

57 kg: Runner-up Tony Ramos (Sunkist Kids) vs. third-place Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm)

65 kg: Runner-up Jaydin Eierman (Titan Mercury) vs. third-place Andy Simmons (New York AC)

86 kg: Runner-up Richard Perry (New York AC) vs. third-place Pat Downey (Titan Mercury)

97 kg: Runner-up Austin Schafer (New York AC) vs. third-place Ty Walz (Titan Mercury)