While the Titan Mercury squad wasn't made up entirely of Team USA's first-string freestyle squad, the guys who made the trip impressed.
Outside of Kyle Snyder, the biggest eye-opening performance belonged to Kyle Dake who took home a 5-0 record and a total combined score of 53-0 at 79 kilograms. That's a positive sign for Team USA, the defending team champions.
To repeat as team champions in Budapest next October they are going to need top-level performances from the new weights of 79 kilograms and 90 kilograms. With the new team scoring system there is renewed incentive to get wrestlers into the placing rounds to ensure they stay on pace with the likes of Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Dake's path to freestyle success has been checkered with injuries and dotted with disappointing losses to Jordan Burroughs. His chance to grab 79 kilograms and make it his own is well-deserved. He's offensive, punishing and level-headed -- the exact type of wrestler that can (and will) win a world title in 2018.
To your questions ...
Gabe Dean coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: I know Gabe Dean is coaching at Cornell. Is he done competing? I thought I heard he might be, but haven't been able to confirm it. I know he has dabbled in Greco, but he also has a junior world medal in freestyle.
-- Mike C.
Foley: I know that he's into crypto currency! From all indications he is taking time to focus on coaching, but I do hope he still competes. I think that he could slot in nicely at 90 kilograms for Team USA in Budapest.
Q: Why were you so upset about Shoe Gate?
-- Ryan O.
Foley: Any behavior by coaches or athletes, which attempts to move the attention away from wrestling and towards telenovela-inspired subplots lacks discipline by both actor and promoter.
There have been incidents of Russian wrestling parents doing far worse than what we saw last weekend. Here or there coaches and athletes lashing out in a non-wrestling manor, or posturing for what looks to be a physical altercation is intolerable behavior.
At its root wrestling's purpose is to provide a positive, healthy, and non-violent outlet for young men and women of different races, tribes, teams, ethnicities, SES, etc. to engage in non-striking combat competition. Moving away from that inspiration is never OK, and those who engage in that behavior should be reprimanded, not celebrated.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Two undefeated Iowa wrestlers put it on the line ...
Link: Video
Q: "If" Gable Steveson entered the Midlands at heavyweight later this month, how do you think he would do against the field below? Note: I don't think he will enter.
No. 4 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)
No. 6 Sam Stoll (Iowa)
No. 9 Billy Miller (Edinboro)
No. 10 Youssif Hemida (Maryland)
No. 14 Shawn Streck (Purdue)
No. 18 Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan)
No. No. 19 Conan Jennings (Northwestern)
-- Mike C.
Foley: I could go match-by-match, but I don't see Gable losing to any of the aforementioned wrestlers, save Tanner Hall who might be able to outwit the young gun.
Gable has to be granted the benefit of the doubt. He's a multiple-time world champion, undefeated against college competition and only seems to be growing more powerful every week.
And yes, I agree, I don't think he's entering.
Q: A potential Nick Suriano-Spencer Lee match could happen at the Midlands. If that happens, how do you see it playing out?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Nick Suriano and Spencer Lee matching up at Midlands would absolutely bring some fire back to the winter classic. I remember heading out to the Midlands for the first time as a junior and thinking that I'd never been that cold in my life. Fast forward five years I was living there, but I can honestly say that the Midlands was always a fun, fan-friendly event I loved attending no matter the temperature.
As for Suriano and Lee on the mats I have to think that Suriano's mat work will give Lee fits. I know that the Iowa redshirt has said his knee is one-hundred percent, but it'll be tested against Suriano who will aim to hold Lee down for as long as possible.
Working in Lee's favor is the fact he's more wood chipper than teenager. One of my favorite anecdotes about toughness and not showing weakness was Lee's comeback during the finals of the 2016 Junior World finals in Macon. He was absolutely without power and yet kept charging forward. His knees wobbled. His elbows flung inward during head ties. Yet, his face was stoic. Loved to watch every minute of the match.
I'm still not sure you can get up on wrestling from bottom as a freshman, so I'll take Suriano in a close slug match. However, I think that Lee will one day be considered an all-time great lightweight wrestlers. He's just special.
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