Team USA put out a release today regarding the upcoming freestyle schedule and quite a few Iowans and former Iowa wrestlers are listed as competitors expected to compete. Also, former Hawkeye Bill Zadick will be present to coach for Team USA.
We’ll start with the Yarygin International in Russia which will have a heavy Hawkeye influence in attendance. 57 kg 2014 World Team member Tony Ramos will be joined by his former college teammate and 2014 University World bronze medalist Matt McDonough in this weight. Last season Ramos was still competing for the Hawkeyes at 133 pounds and McDonough opted to go to the Dave Schultz memorial tournament instead, where he went 3-2.
At 65 kg three time World Team member Brent Metcalf will be looking for a stronger performance than last year, when he went 1-1. He will be joined in his weight by the young phenom Aaron Pico, whom he will face off against in a AgonWC event in Carver in April. Last year Kurbanaliev, the guy Metcalf beat at the Beat the Streets event, won the Yarygin at Metcalf’s weight. Metcalf also had a win over the wrestler who eliminated him last year, Soslan Ramonov (Russia).
The final competitor from Iowa at Yarygin will be former Hawkeye All-American Phil Keddy at 86 KG.
Ivan Yarygin International, Krasnoyarsk, Russia (Jan. 23-25)
57 kg/125.5 lbs – Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
57 kg/125.5 lbs – Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
65 kg/143 lbs – Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (NYAC/Hawkeye WC)
65 kg/143 lbs – Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
74 kg/163 lbs – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
74 kg/163 lbs – Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (New York AC)
70 kg/154 lbs – Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
86 kg/189 lbs – Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC)
86 kg/189 lbs – Phillip Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
125 kg/275 lbs – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
Assistant National Freestyle Coach – Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Jeff Buxton, Oak Ridge, N.J.
Coach –Valentin Kalika, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Medical – Dan Clearfield, Ft. Worth, TX
Official: Pete Kuisle, Fairmont, Minn.
Team Leader: Paul Kieblesz, Middle Village, N.Y.
Next up would be the Grand Prix of Paris, where last year former Hawkeye Phil Keddy brought home bronze in the 86 kg weight class.
This year there will be a lot of Iowa wrestlers at the Grand Prix. McDonough and Ramos will be back in action at 57 kg just a week after they both competed at the Yarygin. Hopefully Iowa will becoming home with four medals at this weight class.
Metcalf (65 kg) and Keddy (86 kg) will also be headed to France with their fellow Hawkeyes.
Former Cyclone wrestlers Cyler Sanderson (70 kg) and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner (97 kg) will also be at the Grand Prix, although both now train out east with Cael Sanderson at Penn State.
Former NAIA champion Eric Thompson of Grand View will also be competing at 125 KG.
Grand Prix of Paris, Paris, France (Jan. 31-Feb. 1)
57 kg/125.5 lbs – Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
57 kg/125.5 lbs – Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
65 kg/143 lbs – Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (NYAC/Hawkeye WC)
65 kg/143 lbs – Frank Molinaro, South Plainfield, N.J. (Nittany Lion WC)
70 kg/154 lbs – Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
70 kg/154 lbs – Cyler Sanderson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
74 kg/163 lbs – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC)
74 kg/163 lbs – Michael Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif.
86 kg/189 lbs – Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC)
86 kg/189 lbs – Phillip Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
97 kg/213 lbs – Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
125 kg/275 lbs – Eric Thompson, Des Moines, Iowa (Viking Wrestling Club)
Assistant National Freestyle Coach – Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Jeff Buxton, Oak Ridge, N.J.
Official – James Dozier, Inverness, Fla.
Official – Karla Dozier, Inverness, Fla.
Medical – Warren Flautt, Aidlingen, Germany