USAW announces men’s freestyle rankings

By TheMat.com

The 2016 United States Olympic Wrestling Trials begin next weekend, April 9-10, in Iowa City, Iowa … and USA Wrestling has announced its updated Senior-level men’s freestyle rankings.

Rankings have been set for the top eight wrestlers for each of the six Olympic weight classes based on following criteria: 1) head-to-head victories, 2) wins over common opponents and 3) whether or not an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team. Results that were considered include any tournament an athlete has competed in since Jan. 1, 2015. This includes both domestic and international matches during that time period.

If an athlete was a member of the 2015 U.S. World Team and qualified the weight, he will be competing at in Iowa City for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, then that athlete was automatically granted the No. 1 ranking and will be the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

A computer system which compiled all of the relevant data was used to help create these rankings.

The three athletes automatically earning the No. 1 ranking include Tony Ramos at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Kyle Snyder at 97 kg/213 lbs.

By winning a medal at the 2015 World championships (both gold), Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder have advanced to the best-of-three Championship Series in their weight class and will not participate in the morning Challenge Tournament in Iowa City.

The following rankings will serve as the baseline for which athletes will be seeded at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All athletes who have currently qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are listed below, but only the top-eight have received a ranking. At the seeding meeting in Iowa City, all of the athletes entered will receive a seed and byes will be placed accordingly to the highest seeded wrestlers.

Official U.S. Olympic Team Trials seeding per weight class is subject to change based on the outcome of the Last Chance Olympic Qualifier to be held this weekend in Cedar Falls, Iowa and the coaches seeding meeting after wrestlers weigh-in in Iowa City.

U.S. Olympic Team Trials Men’s Freestyle Qualifier Rankings

57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
2. Tyler Graff, New Brunswick, N.J. (New York AC)
3. Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa. (Titan Mercury WC)
4. Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Erkin Tadzhimetov, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
6. Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Joe Colon, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
8. Nathan Tomasello, Parma, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC)

Additional Qualifiers
Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC)
Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
Nico Megaludis, Murraysville, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
Nahshon Garrett, Chico, Calif. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg/143 lbs.
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)
2. James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
3. Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
4. Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
5. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
6. Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
7. Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
8. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)

Additional Qualifiers
Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)
Jayson Ness, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Dean Heil, Brunswick, Ohio (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
Zain Retherford, Benton, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (New York AC)
3. Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
4. Dan Vallimont, Long Beach, N.Y. (New York AC/Blue and Gold WC)
5. Kevin LeValley, Lewisburg, Pa. (Buffalo Valley RTC)
6. Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Logan Massa, St. Johns, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
8. Adam Hall, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)

Additional Qualifiers
Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore, Calif. (Illinois/Titan Mercury WC)
Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)

86 kg/189 lbs.
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
2. Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
3. David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
4. Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC)
5. Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids)
7. Richard Perry, Philadelphia, Pa. (New York AC/Penn WC)
8. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics /Wyoming RTC)

Additional Qualifiers
Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
Austin Trotman, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Myles Martin, Penns Grove, N.J. (Ohio State/Titan Mercury WC)
Gabe Dean, Lowell, Mich. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
J’Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri/Missouri Wrestling Foundation)

97 kg/213 lbs.
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC)
2. Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
3. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
4. Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
8. Scott Schiller, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Additional Qualifiers
Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Jeffery Felix, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)

125 kg/275 lbs.
Top-Eight Rankings
1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
2. Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
3. Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (New York AC/Wolfpack WC)
4. Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Tyrell Fortune, Tempe, Ariz. (Titan Mercury WC)
6. Bobby Telford, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC)
7. Anthony Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
8. Eric Thompson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Additional Qualifiers
Connor Medbery, Loveland, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Justin Grant, Bloomsburg, Pa. (New York AC)
Matt Meuleners, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)