LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - After a dominant performance at the US Open Championships in Las Vegas this past week, seven Little Rock wrestlers qualified for the World Team Trials next month with a chance to make the World Team and compete at the U20 World Championships in Poland.
13 past, present, and future Trojans competed at the championships, turning in two finalists across the two styles of wrestling offered as well as four other placers. While representing the Arkansas Regional Training Center (RTC), Little Rock wrestlers turned in a 4th-place team finish in the U20 Freestyle competition.
"Our young guys showed up, competed hard, and beat some of the best guys in the country their age," added head coach
Neil Erisman. "There are a lot of teams here, so seeing that result is a big deal."
Although Folkstyle wrestling is the standard throughout the collegiate wrestling season, competing in Greco-Roman and Freestyle at the national and potentially international level when not in season can be a game-changer for when the Trojans return to NCAA wrestling in the fall.
"It translates into going out and winning big time matches in big time situations," explained Coach Erisman. "You're going to be wrestling these same guys to win a collegiate national title that you'll see at the US Open. It's common that those that make the World Team become All-Americans. It's all about that constant pursuit of excellence and what you can accomplish."
Those that have the chance to make the World Team include
Brendon Abdon,
Matty Bianchi,
Kyle Dutton,
KJ Miley,
Stephen Little,
Brennan Van Hoecke, and incoming freshman Nasir Bailey.
Stephen Little finished runner-up in the 92kg U20 Freestyle bracket, going 4-1 overall and taking out both the No. 1 and No. 4 seed in the process.
Brendon Abdon also claimed a runner-up finish, but in the 72kg U20 Greco competition after turning in a record of 3-1.
KJ Miley,
Kyle Dutton,
Matty Bianchi, and Nasir Bailey all walked away with hardware after claiming podium finishes. Miley took third in the 130kg U20 Greco division, finishing 4-1 and defeating the No. 3 and No. 5 seeds. Bianchi and Dutton placed sixth and seventh in the 128-man 74kg U20 Freestyle bracket, respectfully, as Bianchi came away with a record of 6-3 while Dutton posted a 5-2 result. Meanwhile, Bailey took sixth in the 61kg U20 Freestyle competition after a loss in the semis.
Brennan Van Hoecke put together a 3-2 week wrestling at 65kg in the U20 Freestyle class, another loaded 128-man bracket. Thanks to his win at junior nationals his senior year of high school, he automatically qualifies for the World Team Trials and will join the placers in Geneva, Ohio on June 2.
View full results from the US Open Championships on
FloWrestling.
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out
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