Tervel Dlagnev gets ready to compete in the finals of the Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"I had a really, really weird, scary pain go down my back and into my legs," said Dlagnev, who had back surgery last year. "I don't want to go through that again. At that point I wasn't even thinking about performance. I was thinking about my future and playing with my boys and being a dad and being a husband."
His coaches told him that he if at any time he was scared, that he should hang it up.
The pain did not return.
On Saturday night, Dlagnev came through to make his second straight U.S. Olympic team, beating Zack Rey in two straight matches at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa.
Dlagnev grinded out a 3-1 victory in the first match on the strength of a takedown early in the second period. The second match was a back-and-forth affair. Rey went up 3-1 in the second period after countering a Dlagnev attack. Dlagnev responded with a takedown in the final minute to make the score 3-3 and take the lead on criteria. Rey shot a low single late in the match and was in deep, but Dlagnev countered for a takedown to win 5-3.
"It's cool to go the first day if you win because then you get to watch it as the Olympian that's already on the team and see the guys battle tomorrow," said Dlagnev.
Dlagnev was one of three wrestlers to secure a spot in the Rio Games on Saturday night. Joining him on the 2016 Team USA Olympic roster are Ben Provisor and Elena Pirozhkova. All three wrestlers who punched their tickets to Rio were 2012 Olympians.
Ben Provisor walks out onto the mat for his finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Provisor has battled several injuries since the London Games. He moved up a weight class this year ... and also recently moved from Colorado to Florida to train.
"The best thing that I've done in the last two months is move to Florida and start training with the Florida Jets and with Geordan Speiller," said Provisor. "It's a lot of one-on-one stuff. I didn't feel like I was getting the right things in Colorado, so I had to move."
Pirozhkova, a four-time World medalist, became the first wrestler to secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team by beating Erin Clodgo in two straight matches. Pirozkhova claimed a 3-1 victory in the first match, and then was able to pin Clodgo in the second match after going up 6-0.
"Making an Olympic team is awesome and exciting," said Pirozhkova. "But last time it was awesome just to make the team. This time I made the team and I was like it's just a step in the way for me to get my gold."
Six other champions were crowned on Saturday, but those six wrestlers will have to qualify their weight classes for the Olympic Games at one of the final two qualifying events.
Frank Molinaro came through as the No. 9 seed to win the title at 65 kilos, arguably America's deepest men's freestyle weight class. After beating three multiple-time NCAA champions, including top-seeded Brent Metcalf, in the opening session, Molinaro defeated 19-year-old rising star Aaron Pico in the finals. Pico won the first match 4-2, but Molinaro battled back to take the second and third matches by scores of 4-3 and 4-4 to claim the championship.
"That was a battle out there," said Molinaro. "Aaron's an animal. I knew that was going to be a dog fight. It hasn't really set in yet, really."
Kelsey Campbell remained undefeated at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in two trips, winning her second straight U.S. Olympic Team Trials title. In the finals she topped three-time returning World Team member Alli Ragan in two straight matches at 58 kilos. Campbell won both matches by identical scores of 2-1. In the final match, Ragan scored first when Campbell failed to score when on the shot clock. Campbell, though, battled back to score two points in the final period to take the match.
"I really didn't know what was going to happen today," said Campbell. "I truly didn't know. I just knew what I could control and focus on, and that's what I did focus on. It just worked out. I'm just really thankful, and I'm in shock right now."
Tamyra Mensah lived up to her No. 1 seed, winning the Olympic Team Trials at 69 kilos with two dominating victories over Brittney Roberts in a battle of Texas natives. Mensah, a WCWA national champion for Wayland Baptist won both matches 8-1. All 16 of Mensah's points in the finals were scored off takedowns.
"I can't even put it into words, but it feels amazing," said Mensah. "I want to cry, and I'm trying not to."
She will now head to Mongolia in two weeks to attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games.
"I'm excited," Mensah said of wrestling in Mongolia. "I want to be able to wrestle the same way there like I did here. Hopefully I'll get top two."
Jesse Thielke, a 2013 World Team member, capped off an impressive day with two straight victories over 2008 Olympian Ildar Hafizov to win the title at 59 kilos. In the first match Thielke went up 5-0 and then executed a five-point throw to finish the match. Thielke took the second match 9-3.
"I've wanted it for so long," said Thielke. "I've been here four years ago. I lost to my friend Ellis [Coleman] in the quarters. I couldn't feel that way again, especially in this arena in front of these fans. I'm doing that twice in a lifetime."
The 23-year-old Thielke was an NCAA qualifier for Wisconsin in 2015, but decided to take an Olympic redshirt in the 2015-16 season.
"Greco is my passion," said Thielke. "I live for this. I thrive for this. It's my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world."
Joe Rau captured the title at 98 kilos with a hard-fought three-match victory over Caylor Williams. Williams used a big throw in the first period of the first match to pin Rau and go up 1-0 in the series. Rau came back to win the next match 5-2, setting the stage for a third and deciding match. In the final match Rau jumped out to a 4-0 lead and looked to be in command. Williams came back with a four-point throw to make the score 4-4 and take the lead on criteria. Williams would add a step out point to go up 5-4. Rau stayed aggressive, and with 40 seconds left scored a takedown off a high dive to take the lead 6-5, which is how the match would end.
"It feels great, but it's not over yet," said Rau, who trains with the Minnesota Storm. "I still have to qualify this weight for the Olympics. I'm happy for tonight, and then tomorrow it's back to work."
RaVaughan Perkins topped Pat Smith two matches to one to claim the crown at 66 kilos. After losing the first match 4-0, Perkins edged Smith 2-2 on criteria in the second match, and then rolled to a 9-2 win in the third match.
In 2014, Perkins won both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. However, he was unable to compete at the 2014 World Championships after testing positive for a banned substance. He served a six-month suspension.
"It's been a tough couple years in my life," said Perkins. "I just feel amazing."
Sunday action is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT. The final nine weight classes will be contested.
Finals Results
Men's freestyle
65 kilos: Frank Molinaro defeats Aaron Pico 2 matches to 1
Match 1: Pico dec. Molinaro, 4-2
Match 2: Molinaro dec. Pico, 4-3
Match 3: Molinaro dec. Pico, 4-4
125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev defeats Zack Rey 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Dlagnev dec. Rey, 2-0
Match 2: Dlagnev dec. Rey, 5-3
Greco-Roman
59 kilos: Jessie Thielke defeats Ildar Hafizov 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Thielke dec. Hafizov, 10-0
Match 2: Thielke dec. Hafizov, 9-3
66 kilos: RaVaughan Perkins defeats Pat Smith 2 matches to 1
Match 1: Smith dec. Perkins, 2-0
Match 2: Perkins dec. Smith, 2-2
Match 3: Perkins dec. Smith, 9-2
85 kilos: Ben Provisor defeats Jake Clark 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Provisor dec. Clark, 3-0
Match 2: Provisor pinned Clark, 2:30
98 kilos: Joe Rau defeats Caylor Williams 2 matches to 1
Match 1: Williams pinned Rau, 1:37
Match 2: Rau dec. Williams, 5-2
Match 3: Rau dec. Williams, 6-5
Women's freestyle
58 kilos: Kelsey Campbell defeats Alli Ragan 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Campbell dec. Ragan, 2-1
Match 2: Campbell dec. Ragan, 2-1
63 kilos: Elena Pirozkhova defeats Erin Clodgo 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Pirozkhova dec. Clodgo, 3-1
Match 2: Pirozkhova pinned Clodgo, 4:00
69 kilos: Tamyra Mensah defeats Brittney Roberts 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Mensah dec. Roberts, 8-1
Match 2: Mensah dec. Roberts, 8-1
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