Pico going Juniors
The second-most recognizable name in the sport of wrestling in the United States, Aaron Pico, has registered for the Junior division at the U.S. Open event, not the senior-level Open despite a year on the senior circuit.
Why?
Pico is likely trying to focus on limiting his competitions while optimizing the amount of technical work he can garner between two tournaments. Though the junior level in the USA might not be as difficult to master as the senior level, on the world scene an incredible number of Junior World champions go on to World and Olympic medals -- many more than half. The reason might be innate talent, but the other is that they are going through the developmental phases. Pico is hoping to face those competitors in Brazil later this year.
For Pico to washout in the senior tournament, then refocus his energies on winning the Junior World Team Trials is disingenuous. After Agon he must know that right now there is little chance of beating Brent Metcalf. On the contrary, there is an opportunity to experience some of the same world talent at Junior Worlds.
While Pico's absence causes some dismay for fans of the sport and those that enjoy the back-and-forth with Metcalf, Pico's choice to sit out was intelligent and a smart investment in his competitive future.
Can Ramos stay on top at 57 kilos?
Tony Ramos (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Ramos will be facing Andrew Hochstrasser, Angel Escobedo, Zach Sanders, Joey Dance, Matt McDonough, Nathan Tomasello, Nick Simmons and Tyler Graff. That's a lot of talent to slice through, including a former teammate in McDonough who showed the ability to score (and be score on) during a 26-point match at the Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk.
Watch for Ramos to bury much of the competition with more ease than many expect. His growth since Tashkent has been significant, and though he might have learned an Iowa style, he's shown to be adaptable and flexible in scoring positions.
Cox and Snyder challenge Varner
Jake Varner has an Olympic gold medal, but the two-time NCAA champion hasn't done much since 2012 and is currently ranked No. 17 in the world.
Some disappointing results at international events might not mean much when balancing Varner's accomplishments against those of youngsters Kyle Snyder and J'den Cox, but it does reveal some vulnerability. Olympic gold medals motivate people to train and with one hanging in the foyer of his home that motivation might not be as accessible to Varner as it is to hungry challengers.
Cox could actually pose the biggest threat to Varner. He can be explosive and, as was shown all season, is near-impossible to take down -- something even more beneficial when considering that freestyle rules are more forgiving. One technical weakness exposed by Snyder in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, was an ankle pick. Varner loves the ankle pick.
Snyder might also pose a threat to Varner and the rest of the 97-kilo field. He's strong, agile and has put together some big wins at the junior level. He's still learning the sport and how to wrestle opponents with particular strengths.
Will there be a changing of the guard? Unlikely this year, but the U.S. Open will help us gauge the time it'll take for Snyder and Cox to take over at the top of 97 kilos.
Victoria Anthony vs. Alyssa Lampe
Victoria Anthony and Alyssa Lampe are expected to renew their rivalry this weekend at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Maybe.
For several years Alyssa Lampe had seemed to figure out Victoria Anthony. Lampe had won the U.S. World Team Trials a few times, held a significant lead in overall wins and losses and won two World bronze medals.
But then Anthony made a big jump against Lampe earning a fall against her during the semifinals of the Cerra Pelado in Havana. Add-in Anthony's Dave Schultz title, great performance at the Women's World Cup and her past Junior World titles and the gap between her and Lampe is seemingly closed.
This also might be the most competitive of the big matches at the U.S. Open and later at the World Team Trials. Where most matchups end up causing eyes to bleed from boredom and tactical heft, these women have a habit of letting the action fly.
Watch. This. Match.
Brent Metcalf vs. Logan Stieber vs. Jordan Oliver vs. Awesome
The best American wrestler not named Burroughs, Brent Metcalf has shown spectacular growth over the past two seasons on the mat. He has yet to win a World medal, but a runner-up finish at the 2015 Ivan Yarygin showed that Metcalf could navigate a crowded field of competitors and come out on the medal stand. He's also taken bronze in Paris and had two straight years of World Cup dominance to pad the resume.
Navigation of a crowded field will be a great skill to have come the U.S. Open. In addition to Jordan Oliver -- who has shown flashes of brilliance in recent years -- Metcalf will have to deal with the likes of Jimmy Kennedy.
Kennedy, who trains in Ann Arbor, Michigan, had a brilliant run at 61 kilos the past two years and took bronze at this year's Yasar Dogu in Istanbul at 65 kilos. Kennedy's style doesn't do as much to threaten Metcalf as an offensive explosion from Oliver might seem to, but he can keep the match close and squeeze out a late takedown. Given his familiarity with Metcalf he'll be less susceptible to his left-side high crotch.
But the big question mark for Metcalf, and all of the 65-kilo field, is the impact of Logan Stieber. The four-time NCAA champion has a win over the current second-ranked wrestler in the world Magomed Kurbanaliev and a Junior World silver medal in his back pocket. That Stieber has been out of freestyle is not a disadvantage, especially when looking at the track record of other multiple-time NCAA champions like Herbert and Ruth in their first post-collegiate freestyle efforts. Herbert earned a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships and Ruth stepped right in to make the World Team in 2014.
Stieber could make a major impact on this weight heading into the 2016 Olympics. Will that push Metcalf to an even higher level? Or will Stieber surpass Metcalf midway through his gains? That has yet to be seen, but much more will be known after the U.S. Open.
Effect of new Greco-Roman rules
For many American wrestling fans, Greco-Roman is not a huge priority. Some of this is tradition and some of this has to do with a sport that is complicated and often times pretty boring at the highest levels.
To change the course of the sport, United World Wrestling readjusted the rules for Greco-Roman wrestling to help increase action and keep the wrestlers wrestling. One frustration with the old rules was that offensive wrestlers were getting penalized for stepping out of bounds, there was too much pushing, and cautions were too easily gained, though points were not.
The new rules are seeking to fix that issue by negating the pushout issues and increasing the penalties for leg fouls and failure to open from the bottom. For the casual fan this should mean a few more throws throughout the competition as wrestlers will have to chase points.
It's much too early to tell if the changes benefit one wrestler or wrestling style more than another, but the U.S. Open will be a showcase for how well the adjustments will work to improve the popularity of the sport on American soil.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now