Burroughs Makes 10th Senior World Team

Monday, September 13, 2021 - 14:34 By Gary Abbott

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) won five matches over the weekend and punched his ticket to an eighth World Championships. (Photo: Sam Janicki)

LINCOLN, Nebraska (September 13) -- Jordan BURROUGHS of the Sunkist Kids won a new weight class to qualify for his 10th career U.S. World or Olympic Team, with an impressive victory at the World Team Trials in his college hometown of Lincoln, Neb. on Sunday.

Burroughs has made his eighth Senior World teams, along with two U.S. Olympic Team berths. In his previous nine World or Olympic appearances, he has won eight medals, five gold and three bronze.

He defeated talented Alex DIERINGER of the Titan Mercury WC/CKWC in the finals series to the delight of his local fans. He secured a 10-5 victory in the first match, winning the key positions, then got an early lead and scored a 4-3 win over Dieringer in match two. Burroughs was a Hodge Trophy winner for Nebraska, then trained there during his international career until recently moving back to his Jersey roots with the Pennsylvania RTC.

Two-time World champion J’den COX ox of the Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC secured a spot on his fourth Senior World team with two-match sweep over Kollin MOORE of the Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC at 97kg. Cox shut out Moore in both matches, winning 5-0 in the first match and 4-0 in the second bout. Cox boasts two World titles, an Olympic bronze and a World bronze in his four World-level appearances, winning a medal every time.

James GREEN of the Titan Mercury WC/SERTC is making his sixth trip to the Senior World Championships, after claiming the 70kg weight class with a two-match sweep over Ryan Deakin of the Titan Mercury WC/Wildcat WC. Green scored late in the first match to secure a 6-6 criteria decision over Deakin in bout one. He took the lead and kept the edge for a 4-2 win in bout two. Like Burroughs, he was a star for Nebraska and trained here for years, before moving to his new location at Virginia Tech.Green has won a World silver medal in 2017 and a World bronze medal in 2015.

Two-time World bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI of the Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC qualified for his fourth Senior World Championships, with a two-match sweep over 2019 Junior World champion Mason PARRIS of the Cliff Keen WC at 125kg. Gwiazdowski had an edge on power and technique, winning the first match 6-0, then adding more offense in a 10-3 win in bout two.

Making a second career Senior World Team was Daton FIX of the Titan Mercury WC/CWC, who secured a two-match sweep over Nathan Tomasello of the Titan Mercury WC/OKRTC at 61kg. Fix was aggressive in both of his wins, taking bout one by an 8-3 margin and bout two with a 7-0 shutout.

The only new Senior World Team member was Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS of the Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat WC, who needed three matches to defeat tough Joey MCKENNA of the Titan Mercury WC/PRTC) at 65kg. It was McKenna who had late heroics with a counter exposure for an 8-7 win in bout one. Diakomihalis rallied for a 5-2 victory in match two. In the deciding third bout, Diakomihalis opened up his scoring attack for a 12-2 technical fall and the team berth.

Four 2020 Olympic medalists chose to compete at the World Championships also, and their weight classes are not being contested this weekend: Olympic champion David Taylor (86kg), Olympic silver medalist Kyle Snyder (97kg), Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Gilman (57kg) and Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake (74kg).

*For more articles and recaps from USA Wrestling, please visit https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling.

Men’s freestyle Champions Series results

61kg
1st - Daton Fix (Titan Mercury WC/CWC) vs. Nathan Tomasello (Titan Mercury WC/OKRTC), two matches to none
Bout One –Fix dec. Tomasello, 8-3
Bout Two – Fix dec. Tomasello, 7-0
3rd – Carter Young (Cowboy WC) dec. Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids), 15-12

65kg
1st - Yianni Diakomihalis (Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Joey McKenna (Titan Mercury WC/PRTC) , two matches to one
Bout One –McKenna dec. Diakomihalis, 8-7
Bout Two – Diakomihalis dec. McKenna, 5-2
Bout Three – Diakomihalis tech. fall McKenna, 12-2
3rd –Evan Henderson (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) tech. fall Luke Pletcher (Titan Mercury WC/Pitt RTC)

70kg
1st - James Green (Titan Mercury WC/SERTC) dec. Ryan Deakin (Titan Mercury WC/Wildcat WC), two matches to none
Bout One – Green dec. Deakin, 6-6
Bout Two – Green dec. Deakin 4-2
3rd – Zain Retherford (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC) tech. fall Tyler Berger (Titan Mercury WC/California RTC), 11-0, 2:49

79kg
1st - Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids) dec. Alex Dieringer (Titan Mercury WC/CKWC), 4-3
Bout One –Burroughs dec. Dieringer, 10-5
Bout Two – Burroughs dec. Dieringer, 4-3
3rd – Carter Starocci (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC) dec. Jason Nolf (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC), 4-3

92kg
1st - J’den Cox (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) dec. Kollin Moore (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), two matches to none
Bout One – Cox dec. Moore, 5-0
Bout Two – Cox dec. Moore, 4-0
3rd – Trent Hidlay (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Drew Foster (Panther WC RTC), 8-1

125kg
1st - Nick Gwiazdowski (TMWC/Spartan Combat RTC) dec. Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC), two matches to none
Bout One – Gwiazdowski dec. Parris, 6-0
Bout Two – Gwiazdowski dec. Parris, 10-3
3rd – Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC RTC) dec. Dominique Bradley (Sunkist Kids), 4-2

Women’s freestyle championship series results

53kg
1st - Amy Fearnside (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) dec. Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout One – Fearnside dec. Heaton, 5-3
Bout Two – Fearnside dec. Heaton, 3:29
3rd – Arena Villaescusa (Army WCAP) by forfeit over Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids)

55kg
1st - Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) dec. Jacarra Winchester (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC), two matches to one
Bout One –Burkert dec. Winchester, 7-6
Bout Two – Winchester dec. Burkert, 9-8
Bout Three – Burkert dec. Winchester, 4-3
3rd – Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa WC) pin Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC), 4:49

59kg
1st - Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids) dec. Megan Black (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Bout One –Nelson dec. Black, 5-4
Bout Two – Nelson pin Black, 5:13
3rd – Xochilt Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC) tech. fall Michaela Beck (Sunkist Kids), 10-0, 1:59

62kg
1st - Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) vs. Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC/Beaver Dam RTC)
Bout One – Miracle dec. Velte, 5-3
Bout Two – Miracle dec. Velte, 10-2
3rd – Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC/NLWC) dec. Gracie Figueroa (Titan Mercury WC), 8-6

65kg
1st - Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids) dec. Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC/Bearcat WC), two matches to none
Bout One – Molinari dec. Bruntil, 4-3
Bout Two – Molinari dec. Bruntil, 9-0
3rd – Alara Boyd (McKendree Bearcat WC) dec. Skylar Grote (NYAC/Beaver Dam RTC), 7-4

72kg
1st - Kylie Welker (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Kennedy Blades (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0
Bout One – Welker dec. Blades, 4-4
Bout Two – Welker inj. dft. Blades, 4:02
3rd – Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC) dec. Dymond Guilford (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC), 10-8

Greco-Roman Championship Series results

55kg
1st - Max Nowry (Army WCAP) dec. Brady Koontz (TMWC), two matches to none
Bout One – Nowry dec. Koontz, 2-1
Bout Two – Nowry dec. Koontz, 3-1
3rd – Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP) pin Jacob Cochran (Florida), 1:52

60kg
1st - Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP) dec. Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP), two matches to one
Bout One –Hafizov dec. Roberts, 3-2
Bout Two – Roberts dec. Hafizov, 5-3
Bout Three -Roberts tech. fall Hafizov, 9-0
3rd – King Sandoval (Bandits WC) tech. fall Dylan Koontz (Titan Mercury WC)

63kg
1st - Sam Jones (NYAC) dec. David Stepanian (NYAC), two matches to none
Bout One –Jones tech fall Stepanian, 9-0, 2:01
Bout Two – Jones dec. Stepanian, 10-6
3rd – Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) tech. fall We Rachal (Illinois RTC/Illini WC)

67kg
1st - Peyton Omania (NYAC) dec. Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Bout One –Omania dec. Sancho, 6-3
Bout Two – Omania dec. Sancho, 3-2
3rd – Hayden Tuma (Suples WC) tech. fall Jesse Thielke (Army WCAP), 8-0, 1:08

72kg
1st - Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) dec. Benjamin Peak (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout One – Smith dec. Peak, 3-3
Bout Two – Smith dec. Peak 6-4
3rd –Jamel Johnson (Marines) dec. Michael Hooker (Army WCAP), 7-4

77kg
1st - Jesse Porter (NYAC) dec. Fritz Schierl (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), two matches to none
Bout One – Porter tech. fall. Schierl, 9-0
Bout Two – Porter dec. Schierl, 9-7
3rd – Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) tech. fall Peyton Walsh (Marines), 14-6, 3:57

82kg
1st - Ben Provisor (NYAC) dec. Spencer Woods (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Bout One – Provisor dec. Woods, 7-1
Bout Two – Provisor dec. Woods, 4-2
3rd - Richard Carlson (Minnesota Storm) dec. Tommy Brackett (Gator WC), 6-4

87kg
1st - Alan Vera (NYAC) dec.. Ryan Epps (Minnesota Storm), two matches to none
Bout One – Vera tech. fall Epps, 9-0
Bout Two – Vera tech. fall Epps, 8-0
3rd – Tanner Hannah (Combat WC School of Wrestling) dec. George Sikes (NYAC), 4-3

97kg
1st - G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids) dec. Nicholas Boykin (Sunkist Kids) , two matches to one
Bout One –Hancock dec. Boykin, 8-2
Bout Two – Hancock dec. Boykin, 5-0
3rd – Khymba Johnson (NYAC) tech. fall James Souza (Army WCAP), 9-0

130kg
1st - Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids) dec. Jacob Mitchell (Army WCAP), two matches to one
Bout One – Mitchell dec. Schultz, 4-2
Bout Two – Schultz tech. fall Mitchell, 8-0 in 1:00
Bout Three – Schultz dec. Mitchell, 6-0
3rd – Tanner Farmer (NYAC) tech. fall Donny Longendyke (Minnesota), 8-0, 2:03

#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo Day Four Preview: WW 50kg, 53kg, 65kg and 76kg

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 - 11:35 By Vinay Siwach

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 21) -- It may be missing the latest Olympic champion Aline FOCKEN (GER) but the 76kg weight class in women's wrestling at the Oslo World Championships promises to be another minefield for the competitors as four Olympic medalist including a former champion are wrestling on October 5 in Oslo, Norway. A young force of wrestlers will aim to show their dominance in Oslo as Wednesday will give them an opportunity to claim the world titles.

Tokyo Olympics silver medalist and five-time defending world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) will lead the field which will also has fellow Tokyo medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ). Rio Olympic bronze medalist Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) is also entered.

Gray become the first US wrestler in all styles to win the World Championships five times and she will be looking to defend the gold she won in Nursultan in Oslo. In Tokyo, she won the silver medal after falling to Focken in a close final. Focken announced her retirement after winning the medal.

Kyzy and Gray faced each other in the semifinal of the Tokyo Olympics and the American managed to pull off a late score to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestler. A highly anticipated rematch between the two looks a big possibility and could well be the match of the tournament in women's wrestling.

But Wiebe, who suffered an opening round loss at the Olympics, will look to bounce back and try to win a World Championships medal. The Canadian has suffered some unexpected losses since the quarterfinal loss to Epp MAEE (EST) at the 2019 World Championships. It was again Maee who defeated her in Tokyo in the opening round ending her Olympic defence. Oslo will offer her an opportunity to make a comeback and make a run for Paris in 2024.

Even Maee will look to put the disappointment of Tokyo behind her. The senior European champion lost to Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) in the quarterfinals and failed to progress further as the Japanese lost her next bout. With a number of wrestlers missing from Oslo, Maee can lay claim to the title.

Kazakhstan veteran Syzdykova is another wrestler trying to win a World medal. Since her bronze in Rio, she has not been able to keep up the performance but a gold at the Asian Championships earlier this year in Almaty have rekindled her career.

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

On the same day, the lightest weight class in women's wrestling 50kg will also be in action and all eyes will be on Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Sarah Hilderbrandt. It's an opportunity to win a world title in the same year as the Olympic medal and with other three medalists from Tokyo missing, the USA wrestler is the biggest contender. Her exceptional run at the Olympics saw her reach the semifinal where she was leading Sun YANAN (CHN) but the latter hit a front headlock late in the bout to win. Hilderbrandt has a silver medal at the Worlds from 2018 and three years later she has a chance to get one step further.

Trying to stop her from doing that will be Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) who won the gold medal at the 2020 European Championships and faced the USA wrestler in the quarterfinal of Tokyo Olympics. Hilderbrandt notched up a stunning 12-2 win and advanced to the semifinal. Selishka will now try to reverse that result if the two face each other in Oslo.

Another of Hilderbrandt's victim in Tokyo was Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) who lost to her in the first round. The USA wrestler scored a 11-0 shut out win. The Turkey wrestler will be eyeing her first World medal.

Three of world's best 50kg wrestler have decided to skip the event. Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and four-time Olympic medalist Maria STADNIK (AZE) will not be there is Oslo, putting an break on their fancied rivalry. Yanan, who won silver in Tokyo, will also be missing the event as the whole Chinese contingent has decided to give it a miss.

Japan will enter Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) who has won gold at cadet World and Asian Championships and will be under tremendous pressure on her international Worlds debut and keep the gold in her country in the absence of Susaki.

Another former cadet world champion and U23 world finalist Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RWF) will also be challenging her more accomplished opponents. Sokolova has been on the fringes of the national team for quite some time now but this is her first major break given that Russia in a transition phase after Tokyo Olympics. She recently won gold at the Alexander Medved tournament in Belarus.

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) will be Japan's representative at 53kg in Oslo. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

The second Olympic weight class that will be in action on Wednesday will be 53kg and it awaits the senior debut of Japan's much talked about star Akari FUJINAMI (JPN).

In May, Fujinami won the All Japan Championships to qualify for Oslo. The 2017 cadet world champion earned the spot with a 10-0 technical fall win in the final over Nanami IRIE (JPN), the 2019 world silver medalist at 55kg, in a repeat of the gold-medal match at the Emperor's Cup.

"It gives me some boost of confidence, but looking at the world, I feel I need to get much stronger," Fujinami had said after her victory in May. "Many issues that need to be addressed came out, and heading to the World Championships, I will have to practice harder."

That was not the only high profile win for her as she won the semifinal 11-2 over two-time former world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN), who has been trying to work out of a slump after losing out on the Olympic spot at 53kg to Mayu MUKAIDA.

Fujinami, who stands at 1.63 meters, has not lost since June 2017, when she was defeated in the final of the national junior high school championships to Umi ITO (JPN), who placed second on Thursday at 50kg.

But the youngster will face tough challenge from Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) and 2021 junior world champion Emma MALMGREN (SWE). Bat Ochir reached the semifinal in Tokyo but lost to eventual champion Mukaida. Then she defeated Joseph ESSOMBE (CMR) in the bronze medal match. She is now Mongolia's second ever Olympic medalist.

Malmgren will look to repeat her performance from Ufa, Russia as she won the world title in stunning fashion. The compact Malmgren has been performing at the senior level but has not registered significant results. But at the junior Worlds, she managed to overcome most opponents including a strong Moldovan in the final, winning 7-3. Malmgren, who trains at Helsingborg which has given Sweden multiple World medalists and Olympians, will now be hoping to step up at the senior level.

Irina RINGACI (MDA) and Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) are both entered at 65kg for Oslo. (Photo: UWW / Dogukan Karadag)

The final weight class on Wednesday is 65kg which will be a mix of experience and youth. Rio Olympic silver medalist Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) will lead the field with Tokyo Olympians Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) and Kriszta INCZE (ROU).

2021 junior world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) and 2020 Individual World Cup champion Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) are also entered for the competition. Japan is sending Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), a junior world champion from 2019.

Mamashuk failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics but will be a force to reckon at the Oslo Worlds. She won the 2021 Alexander Medved tournament but before that she had struggled to pull off results at major tournaments.

Manolova and Hritsova wrestled at the 68kg weight class in Tokyo while Incze wrestled at 62kg. Manolova lost to Blessing OBRUDUDU (NGR), the silver medalist, in the opening round and later to Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) in the repechage round. Her on and off performances at the international level make her a dark horse in Oslo but a lot will depend on her draw. Hritsova is also in a similar situation and it will be a wait-and-watch as she tries to win a World medal. She lost to Zhumanazarova in the open round in Tokyo.

Incze too has failed to win a medal at the World Championships despite winning medals at the European Championships and Games. She lost to Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) in the quarterfinal and later to Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) in the repechage rounds.

Ringaci and Rizhko will be resuming their fierce rivalry in Oslo and the two has exchanged finals at the 2020 Individual World Cup and senior European Championships in 2021. Ringaci won the final in Warsaw while it was Rizhko who won in Belgrade.

Ringaci has been part of Moldova's strong female contingent for some time but did not have any world title. But in August, she had a run of her life in Ufa, Russia to win the gold and claim her first one. In Oslo, she can well be on the part to claim her second one and first senior-level World gold. Rizhko on the other hand lost the senior Euros but won the U23 European gold.

Burroughs Makes 10th Senior World Team

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#WrestleOslo Day Four Preview: WW 50kg, 53kg, 65kg and 76kg