Ryan Mango with his U.S. Army WCAP coaches (Photo/Larry Slater)LAS VEGAS -- Ryan Mango, Max Nowry, Ellis Coleman and Kamal Bey repeated as U.S. Open champions in Greco-Roman on Friday at South Point Arena in Las Vegas.
Mango became the first wrestler to punch a ticket to Final X. He repeated as U.S. Open champion, defeating Sam Jones by 9-1 technical fall in the finals at 63 kilograms. The match was competitive until the final two minutes. After the two wrestlers traded passivity points, Mango blew the match open with a series of turn to earn a technical fall.
Nowry topped Dalton Duffield 5-3 in the finals at 55 kilograms. Duffield scored first to take a 2-0, but Nowry controlled the rest of the match to claim the victory.
Coleman, a 2012 Olympian, earned a 12-3 technical fall over Hayden Tuma in the finals at 67 kilograms.
Bey, a 2017 Junior world champion, held on to defeat Pat Smith 7-5 in the finals at 77 kilograms. Bey raced out to a 5-0 lead and appeared to be in firm control of the match. But Smith battled back in the final 90 seconds, scoring five unanswered points to make the score 5-5, but still trailed on criteria. Bey was able to extend his lead late and hold on for the victory.
The U.S. Army WCAP program crowned five of the 10 champions in Greco-Roman. In addition to Mango, Nowry and Coleman, Army wrestlers Leslie Fuenffinger and Jacob Mitchell won titles.
Fuenffinger overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat Army WCAP teammate Ildar Hafizov 6-4 in the 60-kilogram finals. Hafizov won the previous meeting at the Schultz finals in January.
Mitchell scored a 7-0 shutout over Tate Orndorff in the finals at 130 kilograms. He used a takedown and two gut wrenches on help pace him to the victory. Mitchell is the lone U.S. Open Greco-Roman champion who did not earn an automatic berth in Final X. Adam Coon, a returning world silver medalist, will face the winner of the World Team Trials.
G'Angelo Hancock rolled to a U.S. Open title at 97 kilograms with a 7-0 win over Lucas Sheridan. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event.
Kendrick Sanders picked up a 10-0 technical fall victory over Spencer Woods to take the title at 82 kilograms. Sanders led 2-0 with two minutes remaining before scoring off a lift and multiple exposures to secure the technical fall.
At 87 kilograms, Joe Rau picked up a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Patrick Martinez in a battle of past World Team members.
Raymond Bunker found himself in an early 3-0 hole in his 72-kilogram finals match against RaVaughn Perkins, but methodically battled his way back and ultimately picked up a 4-3 win.
Finals results:
55 kilograms: Max Nowry dec. Dalton Duffield, 5-3
60 kilograms: Leslie Fuenffinger dec. Ildar Hafizov, 6-4
63 kilograms: Ryan Mango tech. fall Sam Jones, 9-1 4:16
67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman tech. fall Hayden Tuma, 12-3 3:33
72 kilograms: Raymond Bunker dec. Ravaughn Perkins, 4-3
77 kilograms: Kamal Bey dec. Pat Smith, 7-5
82 kilograms: Kendrick Sanders tech. fall Spencer Woods, 10-0 4:19
87 kilograms: Joe Rau dec. Patrick Martinez, 3-1
97 kilograms: G'Angelo Hancock tech. fall Lucas Sheridan, 9-0 1:05
130 kilograms: Jacob Mitchell dec. Tate Orndorff, 7-0
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