Cael Sanderson lifts Jon Reader during the Challenge Tournament finals. Larry Slater photo.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Olympic champion Cael Sanderson’s still got it.

Even at age 31 and even without competing in nearly seven years, Sanderson showed he is serious about his comeback after winning the U.S. World Team Trials Challenge Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Cox Convention Center.

Sanderson earned wins over three strong wrestlers – Raymond Jordan, Chris Pendleton and Jon Reader – to advance to Saturday night’s best-of-3 final-round series against 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert. The finals are set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

"After seven years, it's not the same thing as practice," said Cody Sanderson, Cael's older brother and his top assistant coach at Penn State. "He's finding a way to get the job done. He's having fun and we'll see how it goes tonight. It's been a long time. It's a fast-paced sport out there. He's competing against some of the best guys in the country and best guys in the World."

Herbert earned a spot in the finals by virtue of winning April’s U.S. Open. Champions at the Trials advance to September’s World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

Herbert, 26, and Sanderson have trained together, but will meet in competition for the first time.

"They have worked out," Cody Sanderson said. "Cael got the better of him, but again it was practice. We know what he does. He comes hard with that single leg. We know what to expect."

Sanderson beat Jordan, third in the 2010 World Team Trials, 4-0, 0-1, 2-0 in the Challenge Tournament quarterfinals at 84 kg/185 lbs. in freestyle. He followed by pinning Pendleton, a two-time NCAA champion and past National Team member, in the semifinals.

Sanderson then beat Reader, a 2011 NCAA champion who he coached for two seasons at Iowa State, 4-1, 1-0 in the Challenge finals.

"These guys he's wrestling are good," Cody Sanderson said. "I think Cael's getting stronger as he moves along in the tournament. You can't mimic competition in the practice room."

Sanderson, fresh off coaching Penn State to the NCAA team title in March, moved well and attacked the legs similar to when he won an Olympic gold medal in 2004 in Athens, Greece.

He returned to the mat for the first time since 2004 when he won the Northeast Regional in March at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. He then dropped down to his old weight class of 84 kilos for the first time since the 2004 Olympics.

It has been a busy week for Sanderson, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday night in Stillwater, Okla.

Nick Simmons advanced to the finals at 55 kg/121 lbs. after pinning 2010 World Team member Obe Blanc in the Challenge finals. Simmons advances to face U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel in the final-round series. Simmons placed second in the 2009 Trials.

2010 World Team member Brent Metcalf advanced to the final-round series after beating Josh Churella in the finals of the Challenge Tournament at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Metcalf will battle U.S. Open champion Teyon Ware for the spot on the World Team. Ware beat Metcalf in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

Long-time rivals Steve Mocco and Tommy Rowlands battled in the Challenge finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., with Mocco prevailing. Mocco, a 2008 Olympian, will face 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev in the best-of-3 finals. Dlagnev beat Mocco in the U.S. Open finals and in the 2009 World Team Trials finals.

Past World Team members Joe Betterman and Jeremiah Davis reached the Greco-Roman finals series at 60 kg/132 lbs.

U.S. Open champion Ben Provisor and 2010 World Team member Jake Fisher landed spots in the Greco-Roman finals series at 74 kg/163 lbs. Provisor beat Fisher in the U.S. Open finals.

John Lorenz won the Challenge Tournament at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. to earn the right to face World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz in the finals series. Ruiz won the U.S. Open and is looking to make his sixth World Team.

Alyssa Lampe will look to make her second straight World Team after winning the Challenge Tournament at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Lampe will battle World champion Clarissa Chun in the finals series. Chun won the U.S. Open this year.

Past World Team member Adeline Gray downed two-time World champion Kristie Davis in the Challenge Tournament finals at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Davis came out strong, but Gray came back after Davis suffered an ankle injury. Gray will face 2010 World silver medalist and U.S. Open champion Elena Pirozhkova in the finals series.

SATURDAY NIGHT’S FINALS MATCHUPS

FREESTYLE

55 kg/121 lbs.
Sam Hazewinkel (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) vs. Nick Simmons (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Teyon Ware (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) vs. Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Jake Herbert (Evanston, Ill./New York AC) vs. Cael Sanderson (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC)

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) vs. Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) vs. Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)

GRECO-ROMAN

60 kg/132 lbs.
Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) vs. Jeremiah Davis (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Ben Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) vs. Jake Fisher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Justin Ruiz (Meridian, Idaho/New York AC) vs. John Lorenz (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)