Another USA Trials event, another appearance by Ildar Hafizov (63 kg, Army/WCAP) in the finals.
The semifinal round of the 2024 US Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials began at 5:00pm CT from Omaha, Nebraska and streamed live on FLOWrestling.
On an evening which saw five other athletes with previous Trials finals experience also prevail in their semifinal bouts, it was Hafizov who carried with him history. With his defeat of talented two-time U23 World representative Phillip Moomey (MWC), Hafizov has assured himself of a spot in a US Trials best-of-three series for a 10th-consecutive time.
From the outset, Hafizov pursued a takedown against Moomey and eventually got behind for two at the edge. The multi-time World Team member and ’20 US Olympian then achieved his patented high lock before turning an understandably frustrated Moomey the requisite number of times to force a halt to the contest at 10-0.
Hafizov, 36, has made the finals of each World/Olympic Team Trials since he began competing for the US entering the ’15-’16 Olympic Year following a long career in his native Uzbekistan.
— ’16 Olympic Trials (2nd)
— 17′ World Team Trials (1st)
— ’18 World Team Trials (2nd)
— ’19 Final X (1st)
— ’21 Olympic Trials (1st)
— ’21 World Team Trials (2nd)
— ’22 Final X (1st)
— ’23 Final X (1st)
— ’24 Olympic Trials (2nd)
— ’24 World Team Trials (TBD)
Peak & Perkins
One of the more hotly-anticipated potential series of the ’24 World Team Trials will come to fruition after both Benji Peak (72 kg, Combat WC) and RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) won their respective semifinal matches on Saturday.
Facing Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling TC), Peak scored a step-out point and was then awarded the bout’s first passivity/par terre opportunity, upon which he capitalized by executing a lift that yielded a full five. Robb answered with a step-out point of his own in the second period; but, after a reset, Peak settled over the top of Robb, clamped a front chest wrap, and finished the hold, as well as the match, by a score of 11-1.
On the other side of the bracket, #2 seed Perkins trailed Hunter Lewis 3-1 in the second period when, in an instant, he darted an arm drag to grab a takedown that put him ahead via criteria. Perkins briefly attempted to gather his lock from top but soon abandoned the opportunity. They jousted from then on, with Lewis unable to penetrate through the ties in search of an opening. Perkins held his ground till the whistle, thus setting up a thrilling showdown between two of the nation’s best competitors.
Koontz; Crosby & Black Propel NMU
The reigning USA World Team representative at 55 kg (’23) is Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC), who stands one match away from solidifying his second-consecutive placement on the top-level roster. Koontz had defeated Fabian Gutierrez (West Point WC) in the quarterfinal. In the next round, Peter Del Gallo (Southside WC) was in deep trouble as soon as par terre became a factor. Koontz lasered to a 7-0 advantage on the scoreboard thanks to a succession of guts, and it seemed as though Del Gallo’s time was short. However, he hung in there admirably and, in the second period, Del Gallo used his chance from top par terre to acquire a trap-arm gutwrench that proved effective enough to gain one rotation. The score stood at 7-3 for Koontz, and Del Gallo worked to crack open windows for attempts. Koontz, the much more seasoned athlete of the pairing, wrangled two-on-ones and busied up the ties through the remainder as he reaches a World Trials final for a fifth time.
Northern Michigan University’s impact on this Trials arrived courtesy of Kenny Crosby (55 kg) and Max Black (63 kg), though Crosby’s advancement to Sunday’s finals might have come as a surprise given his opposition in the semifinal round. Crosby — who has varied in his young career between 55 and 60 kg — went against ’21 U20/’24 U23 World Teamer Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP), who last month in Lithuania put forth a strong performance that was accompanied by bronze. That tournament was in preparation for October’s U23 Worlds, and so Sullivan had his eye on appearing in both World tournaments that are scheduled for next month.
Crosby got on the board first after dragging and scrambling behind for a takedown, but Sullivan responded towards the end of the opening period by unfurling a correct throw-arm throw; amid the action, Crosby reversed position and, following a challenge from the NMU corner, walked into the break up 3-2. Not long into the second frame, Sullivan executed a two-point headlock but, again, Crosby managed to reverse and the score was updated to 4-4 — with Sullivan owning criteria. With just over a minute remaining, Crosby locked around Sullivan and transitioned to a duck-under that helped him swoop behind for his second takedown of the match. Try as he might, Sullivan could not negotiate another score, and Crosby had stamped his place in the finals on the heels of an eyebrow-raising decision at the expense of a very accomplished opponent.
Difficult it is to log Black’s 5-3 decision over Dylan Gregerson (NYAC/Minnesota Storm) as an “upset” if only because a) Black has quickly made his case as one of the nation’s premier lightweights and b) he had already defeated Gregerson by a score of 4-1 at the Olympic Trials in April. But with Gregerson back at his more comfortable weight of 63, a 180 of their previous outcome was not hard to imagine.
To be sure, Gregerson affected his influence on the proceedings by taking advantage of the bout’s first passivity/par terre and cranking Black over for two points and a 3-0 lead. Such is where the score stayed into the second period. That was when Black surged ahead. Gregerson had position over the top of Black with a front headlock — and from his knees, Black cut the corner behind Gregerson to score a takedown and eventually followed with an elevated gut that delivered to him two additional points. Passivity on Gregerson came next, thus rendering a 5-3 score. Gregerson fought as hard as he could in the race to the finish and had a line on a couple of throw attempts; but Black defended the charges and made it to the bell without surrendering any damage. He will now face Hafizov on Sunday afternoon with the 63 kg World Team spot on the line.
82 kg: Kikiniou & Porter
Aliaksandr Kikiniou (82 kg, NYAC) will move on to the Trials finals after surviving a tough effort from Ryan Epps (Army/WCAP).
The match, which became a messy affair, started cleanly for Kikiniou. He had yanked an arm throw that netted four and a follow-up gutwrench brought him two more. The score was still 6-0 in the second period, but Kikiniou had seemed to be wearing down. Epps scored a step-out point midway through the period, and a similar sequence had looked to add another until the point went to Kikiniou instead. Then with less than a minute to go, Epps bodied Kikiniou again off the boundary and a caution-plus-one was distributed to his column. Kikiniou required extra time in order to return to center. On the very next restart, Epps broke forth on an exchange and put Kikiniou to his back, and a pin was called — but, Epps had stepped out of bounds amid the action, thus nullifying the sequence entirely. One more reset, and somehow Kikiniou had himself a takedown. Epps — visibly frustrated with the dynamics of the match — bullied forward in an effort to crash a score. He did get to the body and finish his attack, but time had expired and Kikiniou had held on for a 10-3 decision.
’20 Olympic Trials champ/’21 World Team member Jesse Porter (NYAC) emerged from the bottom side of the bracket’s semifinal by defeating Tyler Eischens (Tarheel WC), and this one was not without controversy, as well. Eischens led 1-0 in Period 2 when Porter made good on a correct throw. Down 3-1, Eischens soon swam behind Porter and unleashed a highlight-reel suplex (his second of the tournament) with the officials confirming the attack for five; but, Porter had apparently signaled for an injury time-out whilst in mid-air, resulting in a review and the points for Eischens being erased from the board. Eischens did manage to receive a passivity point as the match ebbed towards its conclusion but it was Porter who got the nod and will do battle against Kikiniou later on Sunday.
Sunday’s Schedule
The ’24 Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials continues on Sunday at 10:00am with consolation round matches. The best-of-three finals are scheduled to commence at 1:00pm. All times Central (-1 hr ET). All of the action can be viewed live on FLOWrestling.
2024 US Non-Olympic World Team Trials
September 14-15 — Omaha, NE
FINALS PAIRINGS
55 kg: Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC) vs. Kenny Crosby (NMU/NTS)
63 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) vs. Max Black (NMU/NTS)
72 kg: Benji Peak (Combat WC) vs. RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC)
82 kg: Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) vs. Jesse Porter (NYAC)
SEMIFINAL RESULTS
55 kg
Brady Koontz (TMWC/Dubuque RTC) def. Peter Del Gallo (Southside WC) 7-3
Kenny Crosby (NMU/NTS) def. Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) 6-4
63 kg
Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) def. Phillip Moomey (MWC) 10-0, TF
Max Black (NMU/NTS) def. Dylan Gregerson (NYAC/Minnesota Storm) 5-3
72 kg
Benji Peak (Combat WC) def. Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling TC) 11-1, TF
RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) def. Hunter Lewis (OTC) 3-3 (criteria)
82 kg
Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) def. Ryan Epps (Army/WCAP) 10-3
Jesse Porter (NYAC) def. Tyler Eischens (Minnesota Storm) 3-1
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