Final X: Lincoln came and went on Saturday from the Bob Devaney Sports Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska, providing the US with five new 219 World Team members.
The proceedings in Lincoln continued the trend that was set the week before in New Jersey with all five series ending in two matches. Overall, nine of the ten Final X best-of-three series were sweeps with only one that went the distance, Patrick Smith‘s (Minnesota Storm) defeat of Kamal Bey (Sunkist, world no. 5).
Ildar Hafizov (60 kg, Army/WCAP) is set to make his second Worlds appearance as an American after downing teammate Mike Fuenffinger Saturday afternoon. The 31-year-old’s remarkable resume now includes five World Team selections (three for his native Uzbekistan), an Olympiad (2008, for UZB), and four consecutive US Trials finals.
Two-time US Open champ Ryan Mango (Army/WCAP) triumphed at 63 kilos with two comeback wins over Xavier Johnson (Marines). Mango’s deficit in Match 1 was a mere two points, but in Match 2 the former Stanford Cardinal was behind by four in the second period when he capitalized from par terre with a four-point lift. On the contrary, fellow first-time World Teamer Ray Bunker (72 kg, Marines) never trailed against Alex Mossing (Air Force RTC) in either bout, outscoring Mossing by a combined margin of 10-1 (3-1, 7-0).
The US program’s pair of top-ranked upper-weights, G’Angelo Hancock (97 kg, Sunkist, world no. 3) and Adam Coon (130 kg, NYAC/Cliff Keen, world no. 2), both engineered series wins in two matches. Hancock raced to victory over Lucas Sheridan (Army/WCAP) in Match 1, though Sheridan switched up his approach for the second go-round and gave Hancock a stiff test only to fall 5-2. As for Coon, he endured a few moments that saw Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist) deliver some challenges on the feet, so he managed to get it done from par terre. The 2018 World silver defeated Schultz by scores of 8-0 and 5-1, respectively, with eight of those 13 points coming from gutwrenches.
The Team is Now Set
The 2019 US Senior Greco-Roman World Team will be heading to Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan with four first-timers, though most can claim a significant amount of high-level experience.
*First-time World Team member
*55 kg: Max Nowry (Army/WCAP, world no. 12)
60 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP)
*63 kg: Ryan Mango (Army/WCAP, world no. 17)
67 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP, world no. 14)
*72 kg: Ray Bunker (Marines)
77 kg: Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm)
*82 kg: John Stefanowicz (Marines)
87 kg: Joe Rau (TMWC/Chicago RTC)
97 kg: G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist, world no. 3)
130 kg: Adam Coon (NYAC/Cliff Keen, world no. 2)
Much of the Team’s summer will be spent training at home and abroad. For the athletes competing in Olympic weight classes (60, 67, 77, 87, 97, and 130 kilos), the Pan Am Games in August will serve as a meaningful stepping stone prior to the World Championships. Those exact plans, as well as the training schedule, will be revealed in the forthcoming Coach Lindland’s Report.
2019 NCWA Go Greco Nationals Results
While most of the nation was gearing up for the happenings at Final X: Lincoln, the third annual NCWA Go Greco Nationals unfolded at Richland College in Dallas. And for the third year in a row, the University of North Texas earned the team title, this time thanks to tournament champs Scott Akers (68 kg) and Christian McLellan (130 kg) along with six All-Americans. The 2019 running of the event welcomed in a total of ten schools for the most expansive field in its short history.
2019 NCWA Go Greco Nationals Team Champions — University of North Texas. (Photo: Jim Giunta)
2019 NCWA Go Greco Nationals
June 15th — Richland College (Dallas, TX)
TEAM SCORES
1. University of North Texas — 83 points
2. Richland College — 42 points
3. Wayne State College — 19 points
4. Winona State University — 18 points
5. Austin Community College — 18 points
6. Texas State University — 17 points
7. Schreiner University — 15 points
8. Lone Star Community College — 12 points
9. Southern Virginia University — 11 points
10. Montana Tech University — 10 points
College abbreviation key:
Austin CC – Austin Community College
Lone Star – Lone Star Community College
MT – Montana Tech University
RC – Richland College
SU – Schreiner University
SVU – Southern Virginia University
TXST – Texas State University
UNT – University of North Texas
WSC – Wayne State College
59 kg
Andrew Willi (TXST) — gold
WON Demetri Koures (MTU) 14-4, TF
WON Foster Griffin (UNT) via forfeit
Demetri Koures (MTU) — silver
WON Foster Griffin (UNT) via fall
LOSS Andrew Willi (TXST) 14-4, TF
Foster Griffin (UNT) — bronze
LOSS Demetri Koures (MTU) via fall
LOSS Andrew Willi (TXST) via forfeit
68 kg
Scott Akers (UNT) — gold
WON Chris Guzman (RC) 10-0, TF
WON Chris Guzman (RC) 10-0, TF
Chris Guzman (RC) — silver
LOSS Scott Akers (UNT) 10-0, TF
LOSS Scott Akers (UNT) 10-0, TF
71 kg
Eric Goodman (WSC) — gold
WON Tyrek Brown (UNT) via fall
WON Bobby Guerrero (UNT) via forfeit
WON John Teed (Lone Star) via fall
John Teed (Lone Star) — silver
WON Bobby Guerrero (UNT) via fall
WON Tyrek Brown (UNT) 19-8, TF
LOSS Eric Goodman (WSC) via fall
Tyrek Brown (UNT) — bronze
LOSS Eric Goodman (WSU) via fall
LOSS John Teed (Lone Star) 19-8, TF
WON Bobby Guerrero (UNT) via forfeit
Bobby Guerrero (UNT)
LOSS John Teed (Lone Star) via fall
LOSS Eric Goodman (WSC) via forfeit
LOSS Tyrek Brown (UNT) via forfeit
75 kg
Hunter Weiss (WSC) — gold
WON Izaiah Salazar (RC) via fall
LOSS Austin Kolada (UNT) 11-1, TF
WON Matt Thompson (RC) via fall
Izaiah Salazar (RC) — silver
LOSS Hunter Weiss (WSC) via fall
WON Matt Thompson (RC) via fall
WON Austin Kolada (UNT) 10-0, TF
Austin Kolada (UNT) — bronze
WON Matt Thompson (RC) 12-2, TF
WON Hunter Weiss (WSC) 11-1, TF
LOSS Izaiah Salazar (RC) 10-0, TF
Matt Thompson (RC)
LOSS Austin Kolada (UNT) 12-2, TF
LOSS Izaiah Salazar (RC) via fall
LOSS Hunter Weiss (WSC) via fall
80 kg
Dustin Basham (SU) — gold
WON Ryan Thompson (RC) 8-0, TF
WON Hunter Townsend (UNT) 17-4, TF
Hunter Townsend (UNT) — silver
LOSS Dustin Basham (SU) 17-4, TF
WON Ryan Thomson (RC) via fall
Ryan Thompson (RC) — bronze
LOSS Dustin Basham (SU) 8-0, TF
LOSS Hunter Townsend (UNT) via fall
85 kg
Luis Garcia (UNT) — gold
LOSS Matthew Rohrdanz (SVU) via fall
WON Matthew Rohrdanz (SVU) 14-13
WON Matthew Rohrdanz (SVU) 6-2
Matthew Rohrdanz (SVU) — silver
WON Luis Garcia (UNT) via fall
LOSS Luis Garcia (UNT) 14-13
LOSS Luis Garcia (UNT) 6-2
98 kg
Matt Dean (Austin CC) — gold
WON Taro Johnson III (UNT) via fall
WON Ryan Melanson (UNT) via fall
WON Jonathan Carranza (RC) via fall
Jonathan Carranza (RC) — silver
WON Ryan Melanson (UNT) 11-6
WON Taro Johnson III (UNT) 11-1, TF
LOSS Matt Dean (Austin CC) via fall
Ryan Melanson (UNT) — bronze
LOSS Jonathan Carranza (RC) 11-6
LOSS Matt Dean (Austin CC) via fall
WON Taro Johnson III (UNT) 14-4, TF
Taro Johnson III (UNT)
LOSS Matt Dean (Austin CC) via fall
LOSS Jonathan Carranza (RC) 11-1, TF
LOSS Ryan Melanson (UNT) 14-4, TF
130 kg
Christian McLellan (UNT) — gold
Uncontested
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