Men's Freestyle: 60 kilos, 74 kilos, 96 kilos
Greco-Roman: 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos
Women's Freestyle: 55 kilos, 72 kilos
Men's Freestyle
60 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Coleman Scott, Derek Moore, Matt Valenti, Tyler Graff, Martin Berberyan, Jimmy Kennedy, Justin Pearch, Drew Headlee, Andrew Hochstrasser, Mike Zadick, Logan Stieber, Jordan Oliver, Kellen Russell
Synopsis: This is one of only two weight classes that the U.S. has not qualified a spot for the Olympic Games. (The other weight class is 96 kilos in Greco-Roman.) Humphrey and Bunch will not compete this weekend, and the Trials winner, assuming the weight class gets qualified, will be placed in a three-man bracket with Humphrey and Bunch. Zadick, a 2007 World silver medalist, is the only past U.S. World Team member expected to compete in this weight class this weekend. Scott won the Dave Schultz Memorial this year and has been knocking on the door. College stars Logan Stieber, Jordan Oliver, Kellen Russell, and Tyler Graff will be looking to make some noise in this weight class. Stieber, a Junior World silver medalist, was fourth at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials.
74 Kilos
Returning World champion Jordan Burroughs earned an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals at 74 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Synopsis: Burroughs has become the face of USA Wrestling after winning a World championship shortly after graduating from college. He has not lost an international match and has won eight events. Burroughs' World title gives him an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals. He will await the winner of the Challenge Tournament, which is very much up for grabs. Howe was runner-up to Burroughs at the Trials a year ago, and took this past year season off from college to focus on freestyle. Paulson is a past U.S. World Team member down a weight at 66 kilos. NCAA champions Taylor and Dake add intrigue to this weight class.
96 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Jake Varner, Dustin Kilgore, J.D. Bergman, Trevor Brandvold, Craig Brester, Tanner Hall, Brent Jones, Wynn Michalak, Chris Pendleton, Tommy Rowlands, David Zabriskie
Synopsis: Varner, as a returning World bronze medalist, gets an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals. Ohio RTC wrestlers Bergman and Rowlands are past U.S. World Team members. Bergman was 10th at the 2010 World Championships, while Rowlands was fifth at the 2007 World Championships. Kent State's Kilgore, who took an Olympic redshirt, has put together a strong season, winning the Sunkist Kids International, Cerro Pelado International, and Pan American Championships. Brester was fourth at the Sunkist Kids International and won the Olympic Trials Qualifier. Pendleton, a three-time Sunkist Kids International champion, has moved up to 96 kilos from 84 kilos.
Greco-Roman
55 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Spenser Mango, Jermaine Hodge, Max Nowry, Nikko Triggas, Mike Fuenffinger, Nathan Engel, Tyler Cox, Ryan McQuade, Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Paul Tellgren, Isaiah Varona
Synopsis: Mango is the prohibitive favorite in this weight class. He was eighth at the 2008 Olympic Games, and represented the U.S. at the World Championships in each of the past three years. He was a University World champion and Junior World bronze medalist, but he's still looking for his first World or Olympic medal on the senior level. Hodge was a 2009 U.S. Open champion, and finished runner-up to Mango at this year's U.S. Open. He claimed a silver at this year's Pan American Championships. Nowry placed third at the U.S. Open, and was a fifth-place finisher at the 2010 Junior World Championships. Tellgren finished runner-up at both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials in 2011. There are some capable wrestlers with strong pedigrees in this weight class, but it's Mango title to lose.
66 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Justin Lester, C.P. Schlatter, Ben Sanchez, Glenn Garrison, Josh Castellano, Zach Lamano, John Cox, Ravaughn Perkins, Faruk Sahin, Kendrick Sanders, Pat Smith
Synopsis: Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist, is expected to compete in this weight class after winning the U.S. Open up a weight class at 74 kilos. Had Lester made the decision to compete at 74 kilos this weekend, he would have received an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals based on his fifth-place finish at the 2011 World Championships coupled with his U.S. Open title. At 66 kilos, Lester must go through the Challenge Tournament where he will see some stiff competition. Schlatter is having a very strong season. He won the U.S. Open, and also claimed gold medals at the Sunkist Kids International and the New York AC International. Army wrestlers Garrison and Sahin are seasoned veterans who should figure into the mix. Sanders, Perkins, and Smith are young, rising stars to keep an eye on.
84 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Chas Betts, Zac Nielsen, Jordan Holm, Donald Simmons, Peter Hicks, Mark Stenberg, Cheney Haight, Jake Clark, Jason Plamann, Travis Rutt, T.C. Dantzler
Synopsis: This is one of the more wide-open weight classes. Five of the top challengers in this weight class -- Betts, Clark, Nielsen, Holm, and Rutt -- are Minnesota natives. Betts, a 2009 U.S. World Team member, claimed the U.S. Open title. He has wrestled well in both domestic and international events this season. Clark, who has been living and training in Hawaii, is a two-time U.S. World Team member. He has been at or near the top of this weight class for the past 10 years. Nielsen dropped down from 96 kilos, and had a strong U.S. Open, finishing runner-up to Betts. Holm was a U.S. Open champion last year, but fell short of making his first U.S. World Team. Rutt, a college athlete who took an Olympic redshirt season, was eighth at the U.S. Open, but recently won the Final U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, which included a win over 2008 Olympian T.C. Dantzler, who made a comeback. Haight made the U.S. World Team last year, but was seventh at this year's U.S. Open.
120 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Dremiel Byers, Brandon Rupp, Pete Kowalczuk, Toby Erickson, Nikola Bogojevic, Jake Kettler, Joseph Sheffield, Steve Andrus, Rulon Gardner, Nick Severson, Timothy Taylor
Synopsis: Byers, a 2008 Olympian, has been the dominant force in this weight class in the U.S. for many years. He was a World champion in 2002, World bronze medalist in 2007, and World silver medalist in 2009. Byers has claimed 10 U.S. Open titles. One of the biggest storylines of this year's Trials is the return of Gardner, an Olympic gold medalist in 2000, World champion in 2001, and Olympic bronze medalist in 2004. The 40-year-old Gardner let his weight balloon to 474 pounds at one during his retirement from the sport, so it remains to be seen if he will make weight and how he will perform after a long layoff. Rupp finished runner-up to Byers at the U.S. Open, and has been knocking on the door for the past four years, finishing runner-up at the Trials twice and third once. Taylor has been near the top of this weight class for several years. He was runner-up to Byers at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The Minnesota Storm has three highly-capable wrestlers in this weight class: Bogojevic, Kettler, and Severson. Kowalczuk is a past University World bronze medalist and placed third at the U.S. Open. Erickson was Junior World bronze medalist last year and placed fourth at this year's U.S. Open.
Women's Freestyle
55 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Helen Maroulis, Leigh Jaynes, Kelsey Campbell, Katherine Fulp-Allen, Amy Whitbeck, Schuyler Brown, Haley Augello, Sarah Hildebrandt, Ashley Hudson, Michaela Hutchison, Sharon Jacobson
Synopsis: Maroulis has solidified herself as the No. 1 wrestler in this weight class and has earned an automatic berth in the best-of-three finals. She was fifth at last year's World Championships and won her third U.S. Open title this year. Maroulis has also won three Junior World medals. Jaynes and Campbell, both past U.S. World Team members, lead the group of wrestlers in the Challenge Tournament. Jaynes, a 2007 U.S. World Team member, was runner-up to Maroulis at the U.S. Open. Campbell, who was fifth at the World Championships in 2010, finished third at the U.S. Open, losing only to Jaynes. Fulp-Allen is a past University World champion. The weight class also includes college stars like Michaela Hutchison, a three-time WCWA women's college national champion.
72 Kilos
Expected Competitors: Ali Bernard, Iris Smith, Stephany Lee, Kristie Davis, Brittany Roberts, Julia Salata, Christen Dierken, Kendra Lewis, Brittany Delgado, Sydney Nelson, Christina Zamora
Synopsis: Bernard, who represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games, claimed a bronze medal at last year's World Championships, which qualified the weight class for the Olympic Games and earned her a spot in the best-of-three finals on Saturday. Bernard also has two Junior World titles and a University World title on her resume. The Challenge Tournament at this weight class is filled with talent and experience. Two past World champions, Smith and Davis, are expected to compete. Smith, a World champion in 2005, picked up her fifth U.S. Open title of her career this year. Davis is a U.S. wrestling legend. She is a two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist. There are several college wrestlers who could make noise in this weight class.
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