A condensed field featuring a collection of the United States’ top Greco-Roman competitors produced a four-man World Team that will now prepare to do battle next month in Albania.
The final round of the 2024 US Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials began at 1:00pm local time from Omaha, Nebraska and streamed live on FLOWrestling.
Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC) repeated as champion of the 55 kg division by defeating Kenny Crosby of Northern Michigan University’s National Training Site in two straight matches. Crosby put in an inspired effort, and it was one that had gathered steam with his defeat of ’24 U23 World Teamer Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) in the semifinals on Saturday. But Koontz got the scores he needed to in both matches, particularly from top par terre, and prevailed by margins of 9-0 and 8-0, respectively.
As reported on Saturday, when he downed Phillip Moomey (MWC) in the 63 kg semifinal, Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) had earned his 10th-straight appearance in a US best-of-three World (or Olympic) Trials final. Waiting for him on Sunday afternoon was Max Black (NMU/NTS) who although has made two U20 World rosters and is on this year’s U23 Team, was suiting up for his first Senior Trials series.
Hafizov took Match 1 thanks in large part to his work from top par terre, from whence he had locked Black in a high-gut and both elevated and rotated the hold en-route to an 11-0 VSU. However, Black recovered in fine fashion for Match 2 and in one instance knocked Hafizov down and off the line for two points in what eventually became a 3-1 decision victory for the NMU wrestler. The key for Black in the second bout was defending from par terre bottom. That was the position that made the difference and it was why Black was able to force a third and decisive contest.
But in Match 3, Hafizov would not be stopped. He had barred his way to an arm throw attempt that torqued Black’s left shoulder and the mat official intervened. Hafizov protested, and the match was restarted. Soon enough, Black was dinged for passive and the curtain was closing. Hafizov wasted no time in settling his lock and proceeded to use a misdirection high-gut to turn Black four times, thus securing both the match and the series in his favor.
Hafizov’s victory means that he has made his sixth World-level Team since he began competing for the US entering the ’15-’16 season (’17, ’19, ’22, ’23 and ’24 World; ’20 Olympic). Prior to that, Hafizov appeared in three World Championships and one Olympiad for his native Uzbekistan.
Peak on 2nd WT; Kikiniou 1st for USA
There would be no suspenseful series between Benji Peak (72 kg, Combat WC) and RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) on Sunday as Perkins was scratched from the final round. Peak automatically receives the World Team spot at 72 kg, the same weight in which he made his first Senior Team two years ago.
After initially breaking in as an American competitor in the spring of ’23, Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) will return to the World Championships for the first time in 14 years after sweeping ’21 World Teamer Jesse Porter (NYAC). In Match 1, Kikiniou escaped out of par terre bottom and immediately clamped a front headlock that netted four points, which escorted the Belarusian to a 5-1 decision. Kikiniou held a 1-1 passive lead in the second period of Match 2 and was trying to gain traction for a lift attempt. When the official blew the whistle for a restart, Kikiniou challenged, for he had claimed that Porter fouled with his leg. Upon review, Kikiniou was proven correct, and he received two caution points plus another chance from top par terre. Porter defended, but there was no further scoring in the match and Kikiniou had clinched his first spot on a US World Team at 44 years of age.
Kikiniou was a World bronze medalist for Belarus in ’09 and a gold medalist at the European Championships a year later. Following various sporadic appearances in international competitions conducted on US soil, Kikiniou received American citizenship in time for the ’23 campaign and won the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament before falling to Kamal Bey (Army/WCAP) at Final X: Newark. Bey also defeated Kikiniou in April at the Olympic Team Trials.
Greco-Roman begins at the ’24 Non-Olympic World Championships in Tirana, Albania on Monday, October 28.
2024 US Non-Olympic World Team Trials
September 14-15 — Omaha, NE
FINALS RESULTS
55 kg
Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC) def. Kenny Crosby (NMU/NTS) 2 matches to 0
MATCH 1: Koontz def. Crosby 9-0, TF
MATCH 2: Koontz def. Crosby 8-0, TF
63 kg
Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) def. Max Black (NMU/NTS) 2 matches to 0
MATCH 1: Hafizov def. Black 11-0, TF
MATCH 2: Black def. Hafizov 3-1
MATCH 3: Hafizov def. Black 9-0, TF
72 kg
Benji Peak (Combat WC) def. RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) 2 matches to 0
MATCH 1: Peak def. Perkins via injury default
MATCH 2: Peak def. Perkins via injury default
82 kg
Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) def. Jesse Porter (NYAC) 2 matches to 0
MATCH 1: Kikiniou def. Porter 5-1
MATCH 2: Kikiniou def. Porter 3-1
THIRD-PLACE RESULTS
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) def. Peter Del Gallo (Southside WC) 9-0, TF
63 kg: Dylan Gregerson (NYAC/Minnesota Storm) def. Aidan Nutter (NYAC/NTS) 9-0, TF
72 kg: Peyton Robb (Nebraksa Wrestling TC) def. Hunter Lewis (OTC) 8-0, TF
82 kg: Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) def. Tyler Eischens (Tarheel WC) 11-2, TF
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