USA Wrestling had previously announced that its No. 1 ranked athlete at all eight weights would be on the World Cup team. Today, Team USA added a second athlete in each of the eight international weight classes.
The new additions to the World Cup team include three more past NCAA champions and a Cadet World champion.
Added to the team are past NCAA champions Matt McDonough (Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs., Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 97 kg/213 lbs. and Zack Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC) at 125 kg/275 lbs.
McDonough won two NCAA titles for Iowa. Also winning an NCAA title were Kilgore at Kent State and Rey at Lehigh.
2013 Cadet World champion and 2014 Junior World silver medalist Aaron Pico (Whittier, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) joins the team at 65 kg/143 lbs. Pico, an 18-year old, who is focusing entirely on freestyle wrestling instead of high school wrestling, has won a number of international medals in the last year.
Two wrestlers added to the World Cup team won silver medals at last year's University World Championships, Kilgore and James Green (Willingham, N.J./Titan Mercury WC) at 70 kg/154 lbs.
Also added to the team were Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise, Idaho/Titan Mercury WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) at 74 kg and Clayton Foster (Laramie, Wyo./GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC) at 86 kg/189 lbs.
In the most current USA Wrestling freestyle rankings, Green, Kilgore and Rey are ranked No. 2, while Pico is No. 3 and McDonough and Foster are No. 4.
"My expectation is that our No. 1 athletes will want to wrestle in all of the matches. However, it is hard to predict if that will happen. All of our athletes are training hard and ready to compete. There is always the potential for an injury or other factors. We need be ready for somebody to step in and perform. The guys we have backing up are the kind of people who, if given the opportunity, will rise to the occasion and compete at their best," said National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett.
These new athletes join a very talented U.S. team, which features 2012 Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 97 kg/213 lbs. along with 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott (Chapel Hill, N.C./Titan Mercury WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs.
Burroughs also boasts three World medals, including gold medals in 2011 and 2013, and a World bronze medal in 2014. Varner was also a 2011 World bronze medalist.
Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC), who competes at 125 kg/275 lbs. is a two-time World bronze medalist, reaching the podium in 2009 and 2015. He was also a 2012 Olympian.
Members of the 2014 U.S. World Team on the roster include Tony Ramos (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC/Hawkeye WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs., Nick Marable (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids/Mountaineer RTC) at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Ed Ruth (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 86 kg/189 lbs.
The final U.S. Freestyle World Cup team won a combined three Olympic medals, six World medals and 17 NCAA titles during their career.
The World Cup is the international dual meet championships, one of the most important events of the year. The top eight teams in the world will compete in dual meets. This year's field includes Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey and the United States.
The U.S. placed third at the 2014 Freestyle World Cup, also held in Los Angeles, with Iran winning the team title and Russia placing second.
All-Session tickets are available, as well as Single-Day tickets. Fans can purchase All-Session tickets for $60 for General Admission and $85 for Preferred Seating. Single-Day tickets, on either Saturday or Sunday, are $35 for General Admission and $55 for Preferred Seating. Fees apply for tickets purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com
A group discount offer for clubs is also available. There is a 20% discount for all USA Wrestling members. Both offers can also be found at www.wrestlingworldcup.com
FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP
At Los Angeles, Calif., April 11-12
Tentative U.S. men's freestyle team
57 kg/125.5 lbs. -- Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
57 kg/125.5 lbs. -- Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg/134 lbs. -- Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg/134 lbs. -- Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
65 kg/143 lbs. -- Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC/Hawkeye WC)
65 kg/143 lbs. -- Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
70 kg/154 lbs. -- Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids/Mountaineer RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs. -- James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
74 kg/163 lbs. -- Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
74 kg/163 lbs. -- Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
86 kg/189 lbs. -- Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
86 kg/189 lbs. -- Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC)
97 kg/213 lbs. -- Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
97 kg/213 lbs. -- Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
125 kg/275 lbs. -- Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC)
125 kg/275 lbs. -- Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
Freestyle Team Leader -- Andy Barth, San Marino, Calif.
National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Assistant National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Assistant National Freestyle Coach Brandon Slay, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nutritionist -- Jennifer Gibson, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Masseur Amy Murray, Seattle, Wash.
Referees -- William Grant, Inverness, Fla. and Danny Blackshear, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Team delegates -- Les Gutches, Cody Bickley, Jaimie McNab, all of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Colleges represented: Iowa (Ramos, Metcalf, McDonough), Nebraska (Burroughs, Green), Oklahoma State (Scott, Foster), Missouri (Marable), Penn State (Ruth), Iowa State (Varner), Nebraska-Kearney (Dlagnev), Boise State (Hochstrasser), Northern Iowa (Fay), Kent State (Kilgore), Lehigh (Rey)
High School states represented: New Jersey (Burroughs, Green, Rey), Pennsylvania (Scott, Ruth), California (Varner, Pico), Iowa (McDonough, Fay), Ohio (Kilgore), Illinois (Ramos), Michigan (Metcalf), Tennessee (Marable), Texas (Dlagnev), Utah (Hochstrasser), Idaho (Foster)
World Rankings of USA World Cup wrestlers (March 2015): No. 3 (Burroughs), No. 5 (Dlagnev), No. 8 (Metcalf), No. 9 (Marable), No. 11 (Foster), No. 14 (Pico), No. 16 (Rey), No 18 (Ramos)
FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
(all times Pacific Time)
Saturday, April 11
3:00 p.m. -- Session I -- Pool Competition
6:15 p.m. -- Session II -- Opening Ceremonies and Pool Competition
Sunday, April 12
11:00 a.m. -- Session III -- Pool Competition, Fifth and Seventh Place Dual Meets
4:15 p.m. -- Session IV -- First and Third Place Dual Meets
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