Will it be Burroughs vs. Taylor again for U.S. Open Supremacy?

By Mike Finn

In last year’s U.S. Open, the featured men’s freestyle match took place at 163 pounds where a pair of Dan Hodge Trophy winners met in the finals: Jordan Burroughs, the former Nebraska star who went on to win both World and Olympic championships; and Penn State’s David Taylor, who eventually appeared in four straight NCAA title bouts and won two championships.

When the nation’s best freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers face off in this year’s Las Vegas ASICS Senior Open at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 18-19, these two stars are once again expected to meet in the finals of this year’s event.

This year’s nationals will also feature the new weight classes in all three styles — men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle — with all 24 championship matches slated to take place Saturday night at 7 p.m. (Las Vegas time).

Below is a listing of the preseeds who are expected to compete in this year’s men’s freestyle tournament. The winner of this event will earn a No. 1 spot in this year’s World Team Trials, which will take place May 31-June 1 in Madison, Wisc.

57 kg/125.5 lbs.

 Notes: Angel Escobedo, the former Indiana All-American, finished second in last year’s World Team Trials against Obe Blanc. Both Andrew Hochstrasser, the former Boise State All-American, and Tyler Graff, the four time Wisconsin All-American, wrestled at 132 pounds in 2013, Graf third and Hochstrasser claimed seventh in last year’s U.S. Open.

2014 Pre-seeds

1. Angel Escobedo, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)

2. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)

3. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC)

4. Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)

5. Brandon Precin, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

6. Frank Perrelli, Itahca, N.Y. (New York AC)

7. Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

8. Brad Pataky, West Point, N.Y. (New York AC)

9. Kyle Hutter, Norfolk, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)

10. Steve Mytych, Coplay, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)

11. Dan Mitcheff, Kent, Ohio (NEORTC)

12. Mark McKnight, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

13. Ryan Mango, Palo Alto, Calif. (Cardinal WC)

61 kg/134 lbs.

Notes:  Both Jimmy Kennedy and B.J. Futrell are University of Illinois alumni. Coleman Scott, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, finished second in last year’s U.S. Open at 132 pounds against Reece Humphrey, who is wrestling at 143 pounds this year. Matt McDonough is the two-time NCAA champion from Iowa.

2014 Pre-seeds

1. Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

2. B.J. Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)

3. Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy RTC)

4. Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)

5. Joe Colon, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Panther WC)

65 kg/143 lbs.

Notes: Brent Metcalf, the former NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner from Iowa, finished third in last year’s Open, but came back to beat Open champion Kellen Russell in the finals of the World Team Trials at 145 pounds. Russell, the two-time NCAA champion from Michigan, defeated Jordan Oliver, the two-time NCAA champ from Oklahoma State, in last year’s U.S. Open finals. Meanwhile, both Reece Humphrey and Logan Stieber — past Ohio State NCAA champions — have moved up from wrestling at 132 pounds last year.

2014 Preseeds

1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

3. Jordan Oliver, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy RTC)

4. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)

5. Frank Molinaro, New Brunswick, N.J. (Nittany Lion WC)

6. Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)

7. Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC)

8. Chase Pami, Champaign, Ill. (Sunkist Kids/Illinois RTC)

9. Montell Marion, College Park, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg/154 lbs.

Notes:  Nick Marable, the former All-American from Missouri, made international news this past February when he defeated Jordan Burroughs to end a 69-match winning streak by Burroughs. But he is competing at a lower weight in Las Vegas. Moza Fay is a former All-American from Northern Iowa.

2014 Preseeds

1. Nick Marable, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids/Missouri RTC)

2. Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

3. Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

4. Jason Welch, Evanston, Ill. (Chicago RTC)

5. James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling Training Center)

6. Dan Vallimont, Long Beach, N.Y. (Blue & Gold WC)

7. Kyle Ruschell, Madison, Wis. (Badger WC)

8. Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)

9. Hunter Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (Ohio RTC)

10. Nate Carr Jr., College Park, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)

11. Vladyslav Dombrovskiy, Rocklin, Calif. (U.S. Army)

74 kg/163 lbs.

Note: Jordan Burroughs gave up a takedown to David Taylor in last year’s U.S. Open final, but won the title and also eventually claimed the World Team Trials championship against Kyle Dake, the former champion and Hodge Trophy winner from Cornell who is injured and will not compete in this year’s Open. Tyler Caldwell, a four-time All-American from both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, twice reached the NCAA finals; only to lose to Burroughs (2011) and Taylor (2014).

2014 Preseeds

1. Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling Training Center)

2. David Taylor, St. Paris, Ohio (Nittany Lion WC)

3. Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)

4. Quinton Godley, Greenville, N.C. (Wolfpack WC)

5. Taylor Massa, St. Johns, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)

86 kg/189 lbs.

Notes: Keith Gavin, the former NCAA champion from Pittsburgh, defeated Clayton Foster — the former All-American from Oklahoma State — in last year’s U.S. Open finals at 185 pounds. Phil Keddy, the former Iowa All-American, and Jon Reader, the former NCAA champ from Iowa State, finished fifth, and third, respectively, in last year’s U.S. Open.

Preseeds

1. Keith Gavin, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)

2. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (Cowboy WC/GRIT Athletics)

3. Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)

4. Jon Reader, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/OTC)

5. Raymond Jordan, Atlanta, Ga. (Sunkist Kids)

6. Ed Ruth, Harrisburg, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

7. Robert Hamlin, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)

8. Enock Francois, New Windsor, N.Y. (West Point WC)

9. Austin Trotman, Boone, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)

10. Quentin Wright, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

11. Tyrel Todd, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)

12. Bryce Hasseman, Cheektowaga, N.Y. (New York AC)

13. Matt Brown, West Valley City, Utah (Nittany Lion WC)

97 kg/213 lbs.

Notes:  J.D. Bergman, who trains in Columbus, Ohio, where he was an All-American at Ohio State, won both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials last year at 211 pounds, but he did not face 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner, who did not compete in international competition in 2013. Bergman defeated Chris Pendleton, the former Oklahoma State national champion and current Wyoming assistant coach, in last year’s U.S. Open final.

2014 Preseeds

1. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)

2. Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

3. Chris Pendleton, Laramie, Wyo. (Titan Mercury WC)

4. Jack Jensen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

5. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Illinois RTC)

6. Deron Winn, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone WC)

7. Cam Simaz, Ithaca, N.Y. (Finger Lakes WC)

8. David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)

9. Evan Brown, Dubuque, Iowa (Cyclone WC)

10. Micah Burak, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)

11. Cayle Byers, Chugiak, Alaska (Titan Mercury WC)

12. Kyven Gadson, Waterloo, Iowa (Cyclone WC)

13. Ryan Flores, Norman, Okla. (Sooner WC)

125 kg/275 lbs.

Notes:  Tervel Dlagnev, the former NCAA Division II champion from Nebraska-Kearney and World bronze medalist, competed in last year’s Worlds … but only after he finished second to Dom Bradley — the former Missouri All-American — in last year’s U.S. Open. Tyrell Fortune, the 2013 NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year from Grand Canyon, finished third in last year’s U.S. Open.

2014 Preseeds

1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)

2. Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC)

3. Dom Bradley, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)

4. Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC)

5. Matt Meuleners, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)

6. Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

7. Jarod Trice, Mount Pleasant, Mich. (New York AC)