Cohlton Schultz (Photo/Larry Slater)
Schultz, a Cadet world champion and Junior world bronze medalist, was one of 10 Greco-Roman champions crowned at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
The 18-year-old Colorado native dropped the first match to Smith in the best-of-three finals, but rebounded to win the final two matches -- 2-1 and 5-1 -- to punch his ticket to Final X.
Schultz previously trained with Smith.
"He definitely had an impact on my journey so far," said Schultz. "To be able to beat him here was incredible. It's a crazy feeling. I've trained with him forever. I remember my first day at the OTC and him showing me body locks. It's crazy coming full circle."
Schultz will now face returning world silver medalist Adam Coon on June 15 at Final X for a spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team.
"The game plan doesn't change," Schultz said of facing Coon. "I'm just going to stay in my good position and make sure at the end of the day that I have more points than he does."
U.S. Marines wrestlers Xavier Johnson (63 kilograms), Jamel Johnson (67 kilograms) and John Stefanowicz at (82 kilograms) won Challenge Touranment titles on Saturday.
Xavier Johnson won in two consecutive matches over two-time U.S. Open finalist Sammy Jones. Johnson claimed a technical fall (8-0) in the first match before closing out the series with a 7-4 victory.
Jamel Johnson topped 2016 U.S. Open champion Hayden Tuma in two straight matches. He will now face Ellis Coleman at Final X. Coleman was a 2012 Olympian and won the U.S. Open in April.
Stefanowicz, a runner-up at the 2017 World Team Trials, cruised to a two-match victory over two-time World Team member Cheney Haight. The U.S. Marine picked up both victories by the identical score of 5-1.
Pat Smith earned a spot in Final X at 77 kilograms by beating Mason Manville in two consecutive matches. Smith and Manville were teammates on the 2017 U.S. World Team. Smith blanked Manville 3-0 in the first match and closed out the series with a 3-2 win.
Other World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champions crowned in Greco-Roman included Brady Koontz (55 kilograms), Ildar Hafizov (60 kilograms), Alex Mossing (72 kilograms), Ben Provisor (87 kilograms) and Lucas Sheridan (97 kilograms).
Best-of-three finals results
55 kilograms: Brady Koontz over Dalton Duffield, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Koontz dec. Duffield, 6-4
Match 2: Koontz dec. Duffield, 5-0
60 kilograms: Ildar Hafizov over Randon Miranda, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Hafizov dec. Miranda, 7-0
Match 2: Hafizov dec. Miranda, 6-1
63 kilograms: Xavier Johnson over Sam Jones, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Johnson tech. fall Jones, 8-0
Match 2: Johnson dec. Jones, 7-4
67 kilograms: Jamel Johnson over Hayden Tuma, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Johnson dec. Tuma, 4-1
Match 2: Johnson dec. Tuma, 5-1
72 kilograms: Alex Mossing over Michael Hooker, 2 matches to 1
Match 1: Hooker tech. fall Mossing, 9-0
Match 2: Mossing dec. Hooker, 7-4
Match 3: Mossing over Hooker, fall 3:56
77 kilograms: Pat Smith over Mason Manville, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Smith dec. Manville, 3-0
Match 2: Smith dec. Manville, 3-2
82 kilograms: John Stefanowicz over Cheney Haight, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Stefanowicz dec. Haight, 5-1
Match 2: Stefanowicz dec. Haight, 5-1
87 kilograms: Ben Provisor over Patrick Martinez, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Provisor dec. Martinez, 1-1
Match 2: Provisor dec. Martinez, 3-1
97 kilograms: Lucas Sheridan over Daniel Miller, 2 matches to 1
Match 1: Miller dec. Sheridan, 7-5
Match 2: Sheridan dec. Miller, 5-0
Match 3: Sheridan dec. Miller, 4-3
130 kilograms: Cohlton Schultz over Robby Smith, 2 matches to 1
Match 1: Smith dec. Schultz, 2-1
Match 2: Schultz dec. Smith, 2-1
Match 3: Schultz dec. Smith, 5-1
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