Only one of the four 2006 U.S. Nationals champions competing in Sunday morning's session, Donny Pritzlaff of the New York AC at 74 kg, won both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches to advance to the Challenge Tournament finals.
Tolly Thompson of the Sunkist Kids WC at 120 kgs, a 2005 world bronze medalist who claimed the third U.S. Nationals title in April, did not have to wrestle in the morning session and advanced directly into the finals. Only 2006 U.S. Nationals champions who are returning world medalists in freestyle (like Thompson) or returning top five world finishers in Greco-Roman receive automatic berths into the finals. For the second straight year, Thompson will face Steve Mocco in the Trials finals. Mocco defeated a pair of ex-collegiate heavyweight stars, both of the Sunkist Kids WC, in four-time NCAA Division II champion Les Sigman and Tommy Rowlands.
Pritzlaff, who shocked the wrestling world last month when he handed Joe Williams his first loss against a U.S. wrestler in six years, defeated Travis Paulson of the Sunkist Kids WC in the quarterfinals, 2-0, 4-1, and then went on defeat longtime rival Joe Heskett of the Gator WC, 4-1, 4-4, 3-0, to advance to the finals. Trent Paulson the Sunkist Kids pulled the biggest upset of the morning session when he handed Williams his second loss in two months in a USA Wrestling event, 1-0, 2-0. Tyrone Lewis of the Gator WC then defeated Paulson in the semifinals, 3-0, 0-1, 3-0, to advance to the finals against Pritzlaff.
Jared Frayer of the Sunkist Kids at 66 kg had arguably the toughest road en route the finals. Frayer, who finished third at this event in 2005, won a pair of hard-fought battles over U.S. National Team members Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Storm, 1-1, 3-3, 2-1, and Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids, 1-0, 0-3, 4-0. He will now face another tough test in the finals against 33-year-old veteran Bill Zadick of the New York AC, who finished runner-up at last month's U.S. Nationals and was on the 2001 U.S. World Team. Zadick came through the Challenge Tournament by beating Mitch Mueller of the Sunkist Kids WC, 6-0, 7-1, and Doug Schwab of the Gator WC, 2-0, 1-0.
At 84 kg, Andy Hrovat of the New York AC pulled a huge upset when he pinned defending Trials champion Mo Lawal at 1:52 of the first period. Hrovat, who has placed fifth at the U.S. Nationals, will now face fellow New York AC wrestler Clint Wattenberg in the finals in 2005. Wattenberg pulled an upset of his own in the semifinals by defeating five-time Trials runner-up Lee Fullhart of the Gator WC, 3-0, 2-1.
Greco-Roman:
All three U.S. Nationals champions competing in Greco-Roman on Sunday, Lindsey Durlacher of the New York AC at 55 kg, Jeremiah Davis of the Sunkist Kids at 60 kg, and Jake Clark of the U.S.Marines at 84 kg, advanced to the afternoon session's Challenge Tournament finals.
Durlacher, who won his first U.S. Nationals title in April, advanced to the finals with wins over two U.S. Army wrestlers, Duaine Martin (6-0, 3-0) and Neil Rodak (1-1, 5-0, 6-0). Durlacher will now face the same he wrestler he defeated to make his first U.S. World Team last June: Sam Hazewinkel of the Gator WC. Hazewinkel had to battle through two very tough opponents in Josh Habeck of the U.S. Army and Spencer Mango of the Gator WC. Habeck defeated Hazewinkel at the U.S. Nationals, while Mango was a U.S. Nationals runner-up to Durlacher.
Davis lost in the U.S. Nationals finals last month in Las Vegas, but was later awarded the title after Joe Warren of the Michigan WC tested positive for a prohibited substance (metabolites of cannabis or THC). He was given a three-month deferred suspension, which means that Warren was allowed to immediately return to competition. Both Davis and Warren came out victorious in their quarterfinal and semifinal matches and will now face off against one another for the second time in two months.
Clark cruised through to the finals with win over Chas Betts of the Minnesota Storm 3-3, 7-0, 6-0, and Brad Ahearn of the U.S. Army, 1-1, 1-1, 2-1. He will now face surprise finalist Aaron Sieracki of the U.S. Army, who scored a big upset victory over four-time Trials champion Brad Vering of the New York AC, 4-0, 3-0.
The finals will begin at 4 p.m. CST.
Complete Brackets
Saturday Afternoon Session Recap
Saturday Morning Session Recap
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