One of the coolest things about the US going over to Sweden and having such wonderful hosts is that there is a collective effort to get the most out of the experience, for everyone involved. A byproduct of this partnership is putting together a dual meet, which is what we all have to look forward to tomorrow.
Just like in 2016, a group of wrestlers on the Team USA roster will be taking on athletes from Swedish club Team Skåne Brottning at 7:00pm Wednesday evening (local time — 2:00pm EST). While it is, of course, a friendly dual meet — after all, many of these athletes know each other from previous training camps and duals — there are some intriguing match-ups fans of both squads to feast their eyes on.
Two-time Junior World Team member Randon Miranda (59 kg, NYAC/OTS) will be going up against 2016 Cadet Nordic Championships gold medalist Anton Rosen (TSB). These two are extremely familiar with each other and share similar qualities — they’re both young, experienced, and dedicated full-timers. The pair last met on Saturday at the Klippan Cup with Miranda taking the bout 7-1 en-route to his tournament victory. They faced off last summer at the Superior Camp, as well, which was another Miranda win. As is the case with many of the wrestlers going tomorrow, Miranda and Rosen have also spent a good deal of time training together, but there is a special element in play when it’s a team vs. team setting.
Young Mr. Britton Holmes (NMU/OTS) will be up a weight class tomorrow as he gets set to do battle with Elias Andersson (TSB). Holmes won the Malar Cupen last year and finished 6th on Saturday. 2017 Fargo champ Hunter Lewis (58 kg, WI) has himself a good test in Samuel Trellid (TSB). Trellid defeated Lewis at the USA/Sweden dual held in conjunction with the Superior Camp over the summer, making this one of a few nifty rematches on the docket. Lewis, although still in high school, stands as one of the most well-traveled age-groupers in the US and the fact he keeps tacking on overseas experience bodes extremely well for his future in the sport.
Speaking of rematches, how does uber-prospect Peyton Robb (71 kg, Minnesota Storm) versus Lukas Ahlgren (TSB) sound? Saturday at the Klippan Cup, Robb and Ahlgren combined for a whopping 35 points in what was one of the most exciting, hard-hitting, and suspenseful bouts of the entire tournament. Ahlgren got the win 18-17, so if tomorrow’s match is anything close to what went down on Saturday, they might very well steal the show.
2016 Junior Nordic Championships runner-up Anton Olsson (80 kg, TSB) is another Swede the US boys have gotten to know, and his dance partner for the dual meet is 2016 Fargo winner/U23 Trials runner-up Tommy Brackett, who will be looking to notch one in the win column following his 0-2 performance on Saturday. Brackett, like Lewis, is a high schooler who makes training and competing across the Atlantic a high priority, and that approach has paid dividends as he continues to advance on the national circuit.
Austin Almauger (58 kg) and Jacob Olson (82 kg) are operating with a unique set of circumstances. The pair are classmates at Kamiakin High School in Washington. Now? They’re representing the US together at a dual meet in an European country. Not the sort of thing that happens every day. Neither wrestler competed at the Klippan Cup since it was more of a Senior event, but they are both getting a match tomorrow to gear them up for the Malar Cupen this coming weekend.
YOU can watch the USA/Team Skåne Brottning dual meet tomorrow on Facebook. Matches begin at 7:00pm (2:00 EST, 1:00pm CT).
Notes:
- Team Skåne Brottning won last year’s fall dual 7-3.
- There will be no matches contested tomorrow above 85 kilograms.
- Following the dual, the US delegation will be heading to Västerås for the 2017 Malar Cupen.
- Out of the 15 scheduled matches, eight of them feature wrestlers from Northern Michigan.
Team USA vs. Team Skåne Brottning (SWE) — 11/1/2017
63 kg: Eric Spence (NMU/OTS) vs. Max Scharfenort (TSB)
58 kg: Hunter Lewis (WI) vs. Samuel Trellid (TSB)
63 kg: Logan Hatch (WI) vs. Armando Molin (TSB)
75 kg: Corey Fitzgerald (NMU/OTS) vs. August Eriksson (TSB)
82 kg: Jacob Olson (WA) vs. Andreija Maletin (TSB)
58 kg: Austin Almauger (WA) vs. Albin Borgström
63 kg: Mason Hartshorn (NMU/OTS) vs. Markus Tjörnby (TSB)
71 kg: Colby Baker (NMU/OTS) vs. Erik Persson (TSB)
71 kg: Britton Holmes (NMU/OTS) vs. Elias Andersson (TSB)
60 kg: Randon Miranda (NYAC/OTS) vs. Anton Rosen (TSB)
71 kg: Peyton Robb (Minnesota Storm) vs. Lukas Ahlgren (TSB)
80 kg: Tommy Brackett (TN) vs. Anton Olsson (TSB)
85 kg: Keaton Fanning (NMU/OTS) vs. Aleksander Stjepanetic (TSB)
76 kg: George Sikes (NMU/OTS) vs. Algot Källman (TSB)
63 kg: Dominic Damon (WA) vs. Zackarias Gustavsson (TSB)
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