We have a huge weekend of wrestling coming up. That is great news for Iowa Wrestling fans because we will have a lot of great wrestlers to be following. The World Team Trials for Men’s and Women’s Senior Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and UWW Juniors will take place in Raleigh, NC. North Carolina State will host the action at the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum. The UWW Junior WTT will be on Friday and Saturday (May 17-18) and the Senior WTT will be on Saturday and Sunday (May 18-19).
The Hawkeye Wrestling Club will be in force to battle for a spot at Finals X. Even though this is called the World Team Trials for the Senior division, the winner of the WTT will then go to Final X. The winner of Final X will then represent Team USA at the World Championships. The winner of the UWW Junior World Team Trials will be on Team USA for the the World Championships.
Thomas Gilman will on the trial to win the WTT at 57 kg. Gilman dropped a match in the finals of the U.S. Open so he must now win the WTT to get a rematch with Daton Fix at Final X for a spot on our World Team. I am expecting a very motivated Thomas Gilman to win the WTT. Cory Clark (61kg), Brandon Sorensen (70kg), and Sammy Brooks (86kg) will be competing for a spot at Final X.
In the Women’s division, Kayla Miracle will be a strong favorite to win the WTT at 62 kg. Miracle is on a roll this year and is currently ranked #1 on Team USA. Miracle won the U.S. Open so she she has already advanced to the Best of 3 Finals. Miracle made her third straight U23 World Team last weekend. Lauren Louive will be competing at 59 kg. Michaela Beck, who just won a UWW Junior National title to compete in the UWW Junior Worlds, is registered to compete at 59 kg.
In the UWW Junior division (ages 18-20), Anthony Cassioppi has already qualified for the Best of 3 Finals at 125 kg. Cassioppi destroyed the competition at UWW Junior Nationals in Las Vegas last month to earn that spot. Nelson Brands (74kg) placed third at UWW Junior Nationals and will be in the WTT Challenge Tournament. The winner of that tournament will face David Car in the Best of 3 Finals.
I have not heard of any additional Iowa wrestlers that will be competing at the Junior World Team Trials at this time.
All of the wrestling will be on streamed on FloWrestling.
I will keep you up to date with all of the action.
Senior World Team Trials
Thomas Gilman (57kg)
Cory Clark (61kg)
Brandon Sorensen (70kg)
Sammy Brooks (86kg)
Women’s Senior World Team Trials
Michaela Beck (59kg)
Lauren Louive (59kg)
Kayla Miracle (62kg)
UWW Junior World Team Trials
Nelson Brands (74kg)
Anthony Cassioppi (125kg)
Alli Ragan (59kg) – Qualified for Final X at Lincoln, NE on June 15.
Forrest Molinari (65kg) – Qualified for Final X at Piscataway, NJ on June 8.
Kayla Miracle (62kg) – Qualified for U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary October 28-November 3.
Michaela Beck (59kg) – Qualified for the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia August 12-18.
Final X Senior World Team Trials Piscataway, NJ June 8
Men’s Freestyle: 65kg, 79kg, 86kg, 92kg, 125kg
Women’s Freestyle: 50kg, 57kg, 65kg, 68kg, 72kg
Final X Senior World Team Trials Lincoln, NE June 15
Men’s Freestyle: 57kg, 61kg, 70kg, 74kg, 97kg
Women’s Freestyle: 53kg, 55kg, 59kg, 62kg, 76kg
Junior World Championships Tallinn, Estonia August 12-18
Senior World Freestyle Championships Astana, Kazakhstan August 14-22
U23 World Championships Budapest, Hungary October 28-November 3
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
