One of the more wide open weight classes in the current men's freestyle landscape is at 55 kg (121 pounds). The championship bracket of 16 featured 11 wrestlers that had earned All-American honors at the NCAA Division I tournament. Angel Escobedo, a four-time All-American, and Paul Donahoe, a three-time All-American, were NCAA champions; while Sam Hazewinkel and Nick Simmons were also four-time NCAA All-Americans.
However, the two main stories ended up being a one-time All-American that placed sixth, and a wrestler that has yet to graduate from high school. Eventual champion Obe Blanc did not give up a point in his four matches, while defeating two-time All-American Brandon Precin 3-0, 3-0, 2009 World Team representative Danny Felix, 1-0, 2-0, and Escobedo, 1-0, 4-0.
High school senior Logan Stieber, ranked first by InterMat in the Class of 2010, advanced to the semifinal round on the strength of a three-period win over Hazewinkel (1-1, 4-0, 1-1) capped off by a double leg takedown right before the buzzer. Then, in the semifinal round, he was seconds away from defeating a second four-time All-American before Escobedo hit a three-point throw to win the match in three periods (1-0, 0-2, 4-1). Stieber lost two more matches to place sixth -- which meant that a wrestler who went 180-1 in high school had lost three consecutive matches.
On the other hand, the landscape at 84 kg (185 pounds) seems to possibly be in the hands of Jake Herbert -- a 2009 World silver medalist, four-time NCAA All-American, and two-time champion. Most interesting is that the second-ranked wrestler in this weight, who also finished second at the U.S. Open, is an individual that never earned All-American honors while competing at Bloomsburg, Bryce Hasseman.
Keep in mind that this was a bracket, which including Herbert, featured 11 total Division I All-Americans, plus two-time Division II champion Tom Meester. Herbert, Keith Gavin, and Chris Pendleton all have Division I championships to their credit as well. Given that context, the post-collegiate performance of Hasseman is very impressive.
Other weight brackets that featured three Division I champions were 60 kg (132 pounds) and 66 kg (145.5 pounds).
Matt Valenti, Coleman Scott, and Derek Moore were the NCAA Division I champions in the 60 kilogram bracket at the U.S. Open. However, the top two wrestlers in this weight class according to the rankings and the finish at this past weekend's tournament were Shawn Bunch and Mike Zadick; Bunch was a two-time All-American taking home second and third, while Zadick earned three All-American honors (seventh, third, and seventh). Though not competing at the U.S. Open, three-time All-American and NCAA champion Nate Gallick was ranked third in this weight in the most recent TheMat.com U.S. senior freestyle rankings.
Doug Schwab, Teyon Ware, and J Jaggers were the NCAA champions appearing in the bracket at 66 kg -- with Ware and Jaggers having two titles to their credit. Two-time All-American and NCAA runner-up Jared Frayer is the top-ranked wrestler, and the one who emerged as U.S. Open champion in this weight class, while three-time All-American, also a NCAA runner-up, Josh Churella finished runner-up in the tournament. This weight class should also expect the injection of NCAA champions Darrion Caldwell and Brent Metcalf -- if not by the World Team Trials, then for sure in time to prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The weight in which the United States seems most equipped with high-level international depth is at 120 kg (264.5 pounds). Two NCAA Division I champions appeared in the U.S. Open bracket, along with three of the best ever to compete at heavyweight outside of Division I. Fresh off an NCAA championship last month, David Zabriskie placed eighth at the U.S. Open, while fresh off of an almost two-year retirement, four-time All-American (and two-time champion) Tommy Rowlands finished third.
Rowlands was seconds away from defeating eventual champion Les Sigman in the semifinals, as Sigman needed a last second score to extend the match to three periods in his 0-2, 2-2, 3-0 victory. Sigman, a four-time Division II champion at Nebraska-Omaha then defeated Tervel Dlagnev in three periods for the championship (3-4, 2-1, 2-0). Dlagnev was a World bronze medalist in 2009, and won titles in Division II at Nebraska-Kearney the two seasons after Sigman left the collegiate scene. Finishing fourth in this weight class was Blake Gillis, a four-time Division III finalist (only one title) while competing at Wartburg.
Just when there isn't enough for quality depth within the United States, 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco did not compete in this tournament but could be back by the World Team Trials -- and for sure will be in the mix for the 2012 Olympic Games. Mocco was a four-time Division I finalist winning titles as a true sophomore and redshirt junior.
Along with Zabriskie, two other 2010 NCAA champions competed in the U.S. Open this past weekend.
The first was 2009 World Team member Jake Varner, who was top seed in the 96 kilogram (211.5-pound) weight class after capping off a career in which he was a four-time Division I finalist and two-time champion. After not giving up a point in matches prior to the final, Varner fell in three periods to J.D. Bergman (0-1, 2-0, 5-0). Bergman was a three-time All-American while in college, including a runner-up finish at heavyweight as a senior. Though he did not compete this weekend, the 2008 Olympic representative at 84 kg (185 pounds) is ranked third in this weight behind Varner and Bergman; Andy Hrovat was a three-time Division I All-American.
Andrew Howe, champion at 165 pounds five weekends ago as a true sophomore at the NCAA Division I Championships, earned three-period victories against both Paulson twins on the way to the U.S. Open title at 74 kg (163 pounds). In the semifinals, he defeated defending U.S. Open champion Travis Paulson, 0-1, 1-0, 4-0, while in the final, he upended World Team member (though it was down one weight class at 66 kg) Trent Paulson, 0-7, 1-0, 6-2.
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