Former UNI Panther Jordan Holm punched his ticket to Las Vegas last night with a win over Jon Anderson. The win was Holm’s second in the best-of-three matchup, with the first coming in the finals of the US Open last month. Holm won the first match by pinfall in 2:35.
As for the second match, Anderson came out fired up and throwing everything that he could at Holm. But Anderson got caught in a lull with an armdrag by Holm which earned Holm two points and caution, which would end up being the difference in the match. Anderson was aggressive in the first period, but could only manage a passivity call on Holm, and the match went to the break with Holm up 2-0.
After the first minute of the second period, Holm was dinged for another passivity call, which in Greco-Roman gives the non-offending wrestler choice of position. Anderson went on top and had a great opportunity to score but Holm was able to keep from exposing his back to the mat.
Anderson wouldn’t miss on a takedown near the edge however. Holm had nearly pushed Anderson out of bounds when Anderson had an underhook in and lifted Holm enough to get him off balance and down to the mat to tie the match.
That was all the action though. Anderson’s takedown came with 59 seconds on the clock and a 2-2 score. Both wrestlers were content to let the clock run out and not take anymore risks, because Anderson thought he had won on criteria, and Holm knew he had won because of the caution issued in the first period.
“I appreciate Jon’s effort today, he brought it, wrestled the way I thought he was going to wrestle,” Holm said after the match. “I’m definitely looking forward to Vegas, I’m really proud to represent the United States again at the World Championships.”
As it is though Jordan Holm will be the 85 kg representative for the United States at the World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas in September this year. This is the fourth time that Holm has represented the US at the World Championships.
Holm finished the night with a pretty simple statement: “I’m going there to win a medal.”