The finals has been set for the Special Wrestle-off for the 84 kg/185 lbs. position on the 2013 U.S. Freestyle World Cup Team on Sunday afternoon, January 6. 

Past NCAA champion from Missouri, Max Askren (Somers, N.Y./New York AC) will face past Iowa All-American Phil Keddy (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) for the spot on the U.S. team.

The championship match will be held at 4:40 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, just prior to the start of the Iowa vs. Purdue Big Ten dual meet, which is set for 5:00 p.m. 

Six nationally-ranked wrestlers accepted invitations to compete in the Special Wrestle-off. Preliminary matches were held at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

The Special Wrestle-off featured a single-elimination bracket, with two wrestlers receiving first-round byes, based upon recent competitive results.

Winning quarterfinal matches were Askren and former Oklahoma State star Clayton Foster (Laramie, Wyo./GRIT Athletics WC).

Askren stopped Tyrel Todd (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC), 2-1, 3-0. Foster stopped past Iowa State NCAA champion. Jon Reader (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), 0-5, 2-1, 3-1.

In the semifinals, Askren won his second match of the morning, stopping Austin Trotman (Boone, N.C./AppState RTC), 1-1, 5-2, 2-1. Trotman, the past All-American for Appalachian State, had received a bye in the quarterfinals.

Keddy, who had a quarterfinal bye, defeated Foster in two periods, 1-0, 8-0.

The winner of the bout at 4:40 p.m. Central makes the World Cup team. The 2013 Freestyle World Cup, which is the annual international dual meet championships and is one of the most important events of the year, is scheduled for Tehran, Iran, February 21-22.

The Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the University of Iowa wrestling program is serving as hosts for a Freestyle National Team training camp at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, January 5-9.

84 KG FREESTYLE WORLD CUP SPECIAL WRESTLE-OFF
At Iowa City, Iowa, January 6

Preliminaries held in Dan Gable Wrestling Complex

Quarterfinals results top bracket
Austin Trotman, Boone, N.C. (AppState RTC), bye
Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC) dec. Tyrel Todd, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 2-1, 3-0

Quarterfinals results bottom bracket
Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics WC) dec. Jon Reader, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 0-5, 2-1, 3-1
Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), bye

Semifinals results
Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC) dec. Austin Trotman, Boone, N.C. (AppState RTC), 1-1, 5-2, 2-1
Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) dec. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics WC), 1-0, 8-0

Finals pairings
set for 4:40 p.m. Central time in Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC) vs. Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)