Brent Metcalf battles Jordan Oliver in the Challenge Tournament finals on Saturday. Tony Rotundo photo.

STILLWATER, Okla. – Brent Metcalf is back.

And ready to make his second World Team.

The past two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner overcame an early deficit to down two-time NCAA champion Jordan Oliver 6-3 to win the Challenge Tournament at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Metcalf now advances to the U.S. World Team Trials final-round freestyle series against U.S. Open champion Kellen Russell on Saturday night at Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena. The finals are set for 6 p.m.

Metcalf lost to Oliver in the semifinals of April’s U.S. Open, but stormed back strong in front of Oliver’s home crowd at Oklahoma State early Saturday afternoon. Metcalf trailed 1-0 after the first period, but came back with an aggressive attack to take control in the final three minutes.

“I needed to pick up the pace and get going,” Metcalf said. “With a six-minute match you let it fly out there, you let it fly. He did a good job, but I think I did a better job of getting my hands on him and moving where I could get to his legs and score.”

Russell was a two-time NCAA champion for Michigan. Metcalf is a Michigan native who wrestled for the University of Iowa.

Metcalf made the U.S. World Team in 2010 before finishing second in the 2011 World Team Trials and second in the 2012 Olympic Team Trials.

“I’m excited about wrestling Russell,” Metcalf said. “He’s the top dog – he won the Open. He put on a pretty good performance there. We’ve never wrestled live, but we’ve scrapped a little bit and he’s a very worthy competitor. I’m excited to get back to that stage.”

Past NCAA champion Angel Escobedo edged Olympian Sam Hazewinkel 3-1 to win the Challenge Tournament at 55 kg/121 lbs. Escobedo advances to face U.S. Open champion and past World Team member Obe Blanc in the best-of-3 final-round series.

”I wrestled Sam last year at the New York AC tournament and he’s a tough opponent,” Escobedo said. “He’s an Olympian and this tournament is in Oklahoma, so I knew it would be a good match.

“Me and Obe have probably wrestled about 10 times and recently he’s been beating me. I need to change things up for tonight and get a win against him.”

Past Junior World Team member and NCAA Division Ii champion Tyrell Fortune downed past NCAA Division I champion Zach Rey 2-0 to win the Challenge Tournament at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Fortune will meet past World bronze medalist and Olympian Tervel Dlagnev in the final-round freestyle series.

Past Oklahoma State All-American Clayton Foster downed past Iowa All-American Phil Keddy 9-2 to win the Challenge Tournament in freestyle at 84 kg/185 lbs. Foster led 3-2 after one period before taking control. Foster will meet U.S. Open champion Keith Gavin in the finals.

2012 World bronze medalist and U.S. Open champion Alyssa Lampe will battle past Junior World champion Victoria Anthony in the final-round series at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Anthony won the Challenge Tournament on Saturday afternoon in women’s freestyle.

2012 World champion and U.S. Open champion Elena Pirozhkova will face Erin Clodgo in the final-round series at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Clodgo won the Challenge Tournament to earn a shot at Pirozhkova.

Ryan Mango knocked off two-time World Team member Joe Betterman to reach the Greco-Roman finals at 60 kg/132 lbs. Mango, whose brother Spenser made his fourth World Team on Friday, will face Junior World bronze medalist Jesse Thielke in the finals.

Past World Team member Andy Bisek edged Olympian Ben Provisor 1-0 to reach the Greco finals at 74 kg/163 lbs. He will face Jon Anderson in the finals. Anderson rallied to beat past World Team member Jake Fisher 9-5 in the semifinals.

Caylor Williams will battle Marcus Finau in the Greco finals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

This event has been named an official Olympic Day Event by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

U.S. WORLD TEAM TRIALS
June 21-22, Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.

FINALS MATCHUPS

Men’s freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs.
Obe Blanc (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Angel Escobedo, Columbus Ohio (New York AC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Kellen Russell (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) vs. Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Keith Gavin (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) vs. Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC)

Women’s freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) vs. Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

Greco-Roman

60 kg/132 lbs.
Ryan Mango (St. Louis, Mo./Stanford – unattached) vs. Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./Badger WC)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) vs. Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Caylor Williams (Greensboro, N.C./U.S. Army) vs. Marcus Finau (Ewa Beach, Hawaii/New York AC/USOEC)