World Team Trials features last eight Hodge winners

Photo: Jordan Burroughs (right) and David Taylor are both former Hodge Trophy winners who will be shooting to win the 2015 World Team Trials spot at 163 pounds this weekend in Madison, Wisc. The two stars met in last year’s Trials with Burroughs — the two-time World champ and 2012 Olympic gold medalist – winning.

Who are the nation’s best wrestlers since 2008? You will find many of them — including the last eight Hodge Trophy winners — and five World/Olympic medalists competing in the 2015 World Team Trials this Saturday and Sunday in Madison, Wisc.

A total of 67 men’s freestyle wrestlers will compete in the eight weight classes — four on Saturday and four on Sunday — in the Alliant Energy Center, where the majority of athletes will wrestle in the Challenge Tournament phase of the World Team Trials.

The winner of the challenge tournament will advance to the Best-of-3 Championship Series to meet a wrestler who automatically earned a spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open in May or by finishing in the top three in last year’s Worlds.

Those two 2014 World bronze medalists are 163-pound Jordan Burroughs, the two-time World champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, and 275-pound Tervel Dlagnev, whose 2014 bronze was the second in four previous Worlds.

Burroughs, a two-time NCAA champ from Nebraska, is also among seven wrestlers who have captured the WIN Magazine/Culture House Hodge Trophy — presented annually by ASICS to the nation’s best college wrestler — who will wrestle in the 2015 World Team Trials.

Two other Hodge Trophy winners will also compete in the 163-pound weight class: former Penn State star David Taylor (who won both the 2012 and ’14 Hodge Trophies) and Kyle Dake, the 2013 Hodge Trophy winner from Cornell. Taylor will be the No. 1 seed in the challenge tourney at that weight after winning the 2015 U.S. Open.

Brent Metcalf, the 2008 Hodge winner from Iowa, and Jake Herbert, who captured the 2009 Hodge for Northwestern, are the only other Hodge winners who have competed in previous World Championships.

Metcalf is coming off a U.S. Open championship at 143 pounds. He heads up a talented field, which includes 2010 Hodge Trophy winner Jayson Ness, formerly from Minnesota, and 2015 Hodge Trophy winner Logan Stieber, the first four-time NCAA champ from Ohio State.

Herbert, the 2009 World medalist, had not competed at this level since the 2012 Olympics, but won with 189-pound U.S. Open championship with a win over 2014 World Team member Ed Ruth, the three-time NCAA champ from Penn State.

Meanwhile, there are two 2012 Olympic medalists competing in Madison:

Coleman Scott, the bronze medalist from London, who hopes to emerge from the 134-pound challenge tourney to meet U.S. Open champ Reece Humphrey;

Jake Varner, the 2012 gold medalist, who finished second to current Ohio State freshman Kyle Snyder in the U.S. Open and must wrestle in the challenge tournament at 213 pounds.

All eight wrestlers who represented the U.S. in last year’s Worlds will also be in the field including 2015 U.S. Open champs Tony Ramos (125 pounds) and Nick Marable (154).

The winners of the 2015 World Team Trials — which also will decide the eight women’s freestyle champions (click here for that preview) — will advance to 2015 World Championships, which will be held in Las Vegas, Sept. 7-12, at the Orleans Arena.

The following is a breakdown of each of the eight weight classes; separated by the day the weights will be contested.

Schedule for Saturday, June 13

Challenge Tournament — 10 a.m.

Best-of-3 Championship Series — 5 p.m.

57 kg/125.5 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)

• Ramos earned the Championship Series spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Andrew Hochstrasser, 7-3
• Ramos, 24, a native of Illinois, wrestled in the 2014 Worlds — going 0-1 — after winning the 2014 NCAAs for Iowa.

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Tony Ramos in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Boise State)

2015 U.S. Open third place – Nick Simmons, Bloomington, Ind. (Sunkist Kids, wrestled for Michigan State)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Joe Colon, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Northern Iowa)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Iowa)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Bradley Pataky, West Point, N.Y. (West Point WC, wrestled for Penn State)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Frank Perrelli, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Cornell)

Wildcard selection – Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC, wrestled for Indiana)

70 kg/154 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)

• Marable earned the Championship Series spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Dustin Schlatter, 4-2
• Marable, 28, from Memphis, Tenn., wrestled in the 2014 Worlds, going 1-1. He wrestled for Missouri in college.)

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Nick Marable in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm, wrestled for Minnesota)

2015 U.S. Open third place – James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Nebraska)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm, wrestled for Bucknell)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Derek St. John, Fargo, N.D. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Iowa)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Nazar Kulchytskyy, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Boise State)

Wildcard selection – Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP, wrestled for Northern Iowa)

86 kg/189 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC)

• Herbert earned the Championship Series spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Keith Gavin, 5-2
• Herbert, 30, is a native of Pennsylvania, who has competed in two Worlds (2009 and ’10) and earned a silver medal in 2009. He also wrestled in the 2012 Olympics, finishing seventh. He wrestled at Northwestern and won the 2007 and ’09 NCAAs; earning the Hodge Trophy in 2009.

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Jake Herbert in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled at Pitt)

2015 U.S. Open third place – Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids, wrestled at Penn State)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Deron Winn, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids, wrestled at Iowa State)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Richard Perry, Washington, D.C. (NYAC/Penn WC)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled at Iowa)

Wildcard selection – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC, wrestled at Oklahoma State)

Wildcard selection – Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled at Oklahoma State)

125 kg/275 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

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

• Dlagnev earned the Championship Series spot by winning a bronze medal in the 2014 World Championships; he also won the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Zach Rey, 3-1
• Dlagnev, 29, was a two-time NCAA Div. II champion from Nebraska-Kearney and has competed in four Worlds — also earning a bronze in 2009 — and the 2012 Olympics, where he finished fifth.

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Tervel Dlagnev in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC, wrestled at Lehigh)

2015 U.S. Open third place – Dom Bradley, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids WC, wrested at Missouri)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (NYAC, wrestles for NC State, where he won the 2014 and ’15 NCAAs)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Tyrell Fortune, Phoenix, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Connor Medbery, Madison, Wis. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestles for Wisconsin)

Wildcard selection – Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC, wrestles for Michigan)

Schedule for Sunday, June 14

Challenge Tournament — 10 a.m.

Best-of-3 Championship Series — 5 p.m.

61 kg/134 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)

• Humphrey earned the Championship Series spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Kendric Maple, 7-6
• Humphrey, 28, from Indianapolis, Ind., wrestled in college at Ohio State and also represented the U.S. in the 2011 and ’13 Worlds.

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Reece Humphrey in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Kendric Maple, Norman, Okla. (New York AC, wrestled at Oklahoma)

2015 U.S. Open third place – Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids, wrestled at Oklahoma State)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled at Iowa)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Jon Morrison, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled at Oklahoma State)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Joey Lazor, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Panther WC RTC, wrestled at Northern Iowa)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Tyler Graff, Dublin Ohio (NYAC, wrestled at Wisconsin)

Wildcard selection – Joey McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC)

Wildcard selection – Kyle Hutter, Virginia Beach, Va. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled at Old Dominion)

65 kg/143 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)

• Metcalf earned the Championship Series spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Jordan Oliver, 2-1
• Metcalf, 28, the two-time NCAA champ and 2008 Hodge Trophy winner from Iowa, has competed in three previous Worlds (2010, ’13 and ’14)

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Brent Metcalf in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids, wrestled for Oklahoma State)

2015 U.S. Open third place – Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC, wrestled for Michigan)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Ohio State, where he won the 2015 Hodge Trophy)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (NLWC, wrestled for Penn State)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm, wrestled for Minnesota, where he won the 2010 Hodge Trophy)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC, wrestled for Boise State)

Wildcard selection – Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC, wrestled for Illinois and represented the U.S. in the 2014 Worlds)

74 kg/163 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC)

• Burroughs earned the Championship Series spot by winning a bronze medal in the 2014 World Championships; he did not compete in the U.S. Open
• Burroughs, 26, from Winslow Township, N.J., won the 2011 and ’13 Worlds and 2012 Olympics before finishing third in the 2014 Worlds. He won two NCAA titles at Nebraska, where he also earned the 2011 Hodge Trophy.

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Jordan Burroughs in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open champion- David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC); Taylor, the two-time NCAA champ and two-time Hodge Trophy winner (2012 and ’14) defeated Andrew Howe, 2-0 at 2015 U.S. Open

2015 U.S. Open second place – Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (NYAC, wrestled at Wisconsin and Oklahoma)

2015 U.S. Open third place – Anthony Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. (Sunkist Kids, won his third California state championship at St. John Bosco and will attend Arizona State next fall.)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids, wrestled at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Colton Sponseller, Edinboro, Pa. (NYAC, wrestled at Ohio State)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC RTC, wrestled at Cornell, where he won four NCAA titles and the 2013 Hodge Trophy)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg/213 pounds

Championship Series Qualifier

Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)

• Snyder earned the Championship Series spot by winning the 2015 U.S. Open; defeating Jake Varner, 2-1
• Snyder, 19, is a two-time Junior World medalist (gold in 2013 and bronze in 2014) and finished second for Ohio State in the 2015 NCAAs.

Challenge Tournament Qualifiers

(Winner advances to face Kyle Snyder in Championship Series)

2015 U.S. Open second place – Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC, wrestled for Iowa State. He competed in three Worlds, earning a bronze in 2011 and won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.)

2015 U.S. Open third place – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (NYAC, wrestled for Ohio State)

2015 U.S. Open fourth place – J’den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation, wrestled for Missouri)

2015 U.S. Open fifth place – Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Oklahoma State)

2015 Northeast Senior Regionals champion – David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC, wrestled for Iowa State)

2015 Northern Plains Senior Regionals champion – Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC, wrestled for Penn)

Wildcard selection – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/OTC, wrestled for Kent State)

Wildcard selection – Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC, wrestled for Central Michigan)

Wildcard selection – Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)