The weekend itself was pretty quiet for the Seniors but it was a different story for age-group wrestlers, as a bunch of Greco state tournaments took place. Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia were among the 14 states to hold their pre-Fargo competitions and a lot of talent at the youth levels rose to the forefront. We will be providing background on some of these athletes in the future as well as putting a spotlight on some of the new names to look out for come July.
Beat the Streets Is This Week
The annual Beat the Streets Gala in Times Square is going down this Thursday and the lone Greco match will feature US star Andy Bisek (Minnesota Storm, world no. 5 at 75 kg), who takes on World and Olympic champ Kim Hyeon-woo (KOR, world no. 3). Getting some competition in before the upcoming Rio Games is one thing, but throwing down against someone like Kim is quite another. This isn’t a mere “tune-up”, or at least it won’t appear to be for the fans in attendance. Kim is a slick, skilled competitor with the hardware to back it up. But then again so is Bisek, who himself could certainly be considered a favorite to medal in August. While it would be great if there were other Greco matches at Beat the Streets, the one they are hosting couldn’t be much better.
Robby Smith (NYAC, 130 kg) won’t be wrestling, but he will be in attendance. The popular heavyweight is serving as the event’s emcee.
Junior Camp into Senior Camp…kind of
Over the past two weeks or so, a good brunt of the nation’s top Juniors have been down in Colorado Springs at the OTC participating in training camp. However, things are getting a bit more serious for everyone involved later this week when the collective moves to Concord, California. That is where those on the 2016 US Greco Roman Olympic Team will be kicking off their initial training push for August. The Concord Greco Camp is a unique setup on a couple of fronts. The Seniors will be getting their work in during the mornings with US National Team Head Coach Matt Lindland and others. And then in the afternoons, those same Olympians will be instructing Juniors on technique and other aspects of the sport.
On top of that, a couple of international Junior teams will be in attendance for some training and competition. Representatives from Hungary and Sweden will be there along with a hybrid Nordic team. This all leads up to the Concord Cup, which will pit the US Juniors against their international counterparts.
The 1st Annual Freestyle and Greco Duals
The Wrestlers in Business Network is sponsoring the first ever Freestyle and Greco Duals on the campus of George Mason University from May 20th through the 22nd. The US Naval Academy, University of Maryland, American University, and the host school will have wrestlers participating in both styles. Five Point Move will be offering up a preview of the event along with some perspectives to kind of hone in on its direction. A career day is also a part of the program so the athletes can check out other opportunities potentially waiting for them when they graduate. All in all, it sounds like a great idea!
Coming up on Five Point Move…
- Continued coverage of the Junior Camp in the next “Coach Lindland’s Report” along with some insights on what it’s like for the Olympic athletes as they start to gear up for the summer.
- We are working on our next “Five Point Move: CSI” so when it drops, look out!
- Interviews with more Greco pros.
- A look at what is poised to be a groundbreaking new training method.
- And a preview of the Greco Roman World Cup.
Notes:
If you have yet to check out our Jesse Thielke interview, do so – it is an incredible read from start to finish as Thielke, never one to mince words, tells it like it is in what was an extremely engaging conversation…
…Also, several Olympians, including Thielke and Ben Provisor (NYAC, 85 kg), are trying to raise some money to get their families to Rio. If you have the time and the funds please donate. Our US athletes need your support!
Last but not least, Five Point Move welcomes Abbie Ruckdashel and MarcAntoni Macias to the team! Abbie is a talented young journalist whose work has appeared in The Crossface Wisconsin and elsewhere. In addition to being a gifted writer and reporter, Abbie knows the in’s and out’s of all things wrestling and her knowledge will no doubt be an asset to our cause.
MarcAntoni is a name many may know for his work as a coach at Bloomsburg University, Colorado State University-Pueblo, and for the Beat the Streets NYC program. He also brings with him a definitive understanding of Greco Roman wrestling as well as unique coaching perspectives. “MA” is also just the passionate sort we need more of around here. We’re excited to have them both and look forward to their contributions going forward!
