The field is now set for this year’s US Senior World Team Trials after a short but significant tournament held in the Garden State.
The 2022 Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier began at 10:00am local time from Atlantic City, New Jersey and streamed live on FLOWrestling. Wrestlers who placed first in each weight category earned selection into next week’s World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.
Jessy Williams (Spartan Wrestling RTC) swept top prospect Logan Hatch (EAP) in two bouts to take the spot at 67 kilograms. Williams — ’18 US Open runner-up and the owner of several international medals — opened up a 4-0 lead in Match 1 thanks to his prowess from par terre top. After a gutwrench, Williams stepped to lift Hatch but was forced to settle for a step-out point. Three more knocks off the line put the score at 7-0, a deficit Hatch was unable to overcome.
Match 2 saw Williams use an off-balance maneuver to grab a takedown and follow-up gut in the first period. In the conclusive frame, Hatch was attempting to circle back inside from the zone against an advancing Williams; the exchange resulted in a step-out plus fleeing call, thereby elevating Williams’ advantage to 6-0, which represented the final score.
Wachsmuth
One of the “Undercover Stars” from last month’s Open was Noah Wachsmuth (72 kg, Cobra), who caught fire on the backside of the bracket by defeating (in order) two-time National runner-up Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota Storm), a then-returning Joe Betterman (Betterman Elite), and ’22 Farrell Memorial runner-up Orlando Ponce (Minnesota Storm). Michael Hooker (Army/WCAP) stopped Wachsmuth’s bid for a berth in the Trials in Vegas — but the up-and-comer would not be denied on Friday.
In the round-robin 72-kg bracket, Wachsmuth first escorted Logan Gumble (Bearcat WC) to an early exit via 10-2 VSU. The clincher offered an uptick in dynamism. Opposed by Jack Murphy (MT), Wachsmuth scooted around back for a takedown and proceeded to launch a bombing five ahead of ending it altogether with a four-point side lift. 72 will be one of the Trials Challenge Tournament’s deeper weight categories next week in Coralville, but Wachsmuth is certainly a name for whom to watch.
NMU Is Heard
Three athletes from Northern Michigan University’s National Training Site are also Iowa-bound: Jonathan Gurule (55 kg), Diego Romero (63 kg), and Timothy Eubanks (97 kg). Gurule was behind Alexander Logsdon (Cougar) 5-0 entering the second before passivity/par terre changed the complexion of the contest, with Gurule scoring eight unanswered points to eventually walk away the 8-7 victor. Then after downing Dominic Robertson (All-Navy) 8-0, the NMU’er outdueled talented Samuel Braswell IV (Cougar) 7-1 in the final round.
Romero went unopposed in punching his Trials ticket while upper-weight Eubanks had three matches.
And he dominated all three.
Two four-point bodylocks helped the former Williams Baptist rep push past William Baldwin (Cougar) in the first round; next came a quick fall against Erik Hinckley of Kansas. To wrap up his trip to the World Team Trials, Eubanks bombed Austin Craig (All-Navy) for five, and later executed his fourth bodylock of the event for a 9-1 VSU.
The 2022 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament takes place next weekend (May 21-22) at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa and will be broadcast live on FLOWrestling.
2022 US Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier
May 13 — Atlantic City, NJ
FINALS RESULTS
(Deciding bouts in round-robin brackets counted as finals)
55 kg: Jonathan Gurule (NMU/NTS) def. Samuel Braswell IV (Cougar WC) 7-1
60 kg: Greg Totten (NJ) unopposed
63 kg: Diego Romero (NMU/NTS) unopposed
67 kg: Jessy Williams (Spartan Wrestling RTC) def. Logan Hatch (EAP) 6-0
77 kg: Chad Walsh (NJ) def. Terrance Parks (NY) via fall
82 kg: Adrian Artsisheuskiy (Elite WA) def. Aaron Dobbs (NMU/NTS) via fall
87 kg: Gevorg Arakelov (NY) def. Christos Avgeros (Buise Creek WC) via fall
97 kg: Timothy Eubanks (NMU/NTS) def. Austin Craig (All-Navy) 9-1, TF
130 kg: Tom Foote (NYAC) def. Robert Gray (Prince William FCA Wrestling) via fall
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