Pirozhkova, Lampe, Thielke, Metcalf among champs crowned at U.S. World Team Trials

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
06/22/2013


Alyssa Lampe defeated Victoria Anthony in the finals on Saturday night. Tony Rotundo photo.

STILLWATER, Okla. – World champion Elena Pirozhkova and World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe took different routes to earning U.S. World Team Trials championships.

They were among nine wrestlers who landed spots on the U.S. World Team on Saturday night at Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Pirozhkova rolled to two straight victories over Erin Clodgo to win the championship in women’s freestyle at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

"I'm excited to be going back to the Worlds," said Pirozhkova, who also owns a World silver medal. "I have a gold medal, but I want more. I'm looking forward to having an opportunity to do this again."

Lampe recorded pins in the first and third matches to defeat Junior World champion Victoria Anthony in the women’s freestyle finals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.

"After I lost the second match, the coaches were building me up and helping me with my confidence," Lampe said. "I want to make my mark and I'm ready to wrestle whoever comes my way."

Champions in this event advance to September’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Junior World medalist Jesse Thielke pulled out an entertaining finals series over Ryan Mango that went the full three matches in Greco-Roman at 60 kg/132 lbs. There were an assortment of throws, big moves and momentum changes in the gritty, tough series between two 21-year-olds.

"Everything just fell into place for me," Thielke said. "I've been training hard and preparing to peak for this. I'm always trying to make the highest level I can and now I'm here."

Brent Metcalf capped a strong performance by sweeping Kellen Russell in two straight matches in a battle of two-time NCAA champions in freestyle at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Metcalf made his second World Team after finishing second at the World Team Trials in 2011 and second in the Olympic Trials in 2012.

"This is wrestling," Metcalf said. "Do these rules favor me? Maybe. But it favors the guy I'm wrestling too because if he wrestles and trains the way he should it's to his advantage too. You can wear a guy down. These rules make you stay out there and wrestle for six minutes."

Past World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev swept past Junior World Team member Tyrell Fortune by scores of 6-0 and 7-0 to win the freestyle title at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Dlagnev, a 2012 Olympian, made his third World Team.

Past Oklahoma State wrestler Obe Blanc made his second World Team after sweeping past NCAA champion Angel Escobedo in two straight matches in freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Past NCAA champion Keith Gavin swept hometown favorite Clayton Foster in two straight matches in the freestyle finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Gavin made his first World Team.

Caylor Williams recorded a pair of pins to down Marcus Finau in the Greco-Roman finals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Andy Bisek made his second World Team in dominating fashion by sweeping Jon Anderson in the Greco-Roman finals at 74 kg/163 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 RESULTS

Men’s freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs.
Obe Blanc (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) def. Angel Escobedo, Columbus Ohio (New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Blanc dec. Escobedo, 4-0
Blanc dec. Escobedo, 3-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC/Titan Mercury WC) def. Kellen Russell (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC), 2 matches to 0 
Metcalf dec. Russell, 7-0
Metcalf dec. Russell, 8-1

84 kg/185 lbs.
Keith Gavin (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC) def. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC), 2 matches to 0
Gavin dec. Foster, 6-4
Gavin dec. Foster, 3-2

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) def. Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC), 2 matches to 0
Dlagnev dec. Fortune, 6-0
Dlagnev dec. Fortune, 7-0

Women’s freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) def. Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 1
Lampe pinned Anthony, 2:54
Anthony dec. Lampe, 10-8
Lampe pinned Anthony, 4:35

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) def. Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0
Pirozhkova dec. Clodgo, 6-0
Pirozhkova dec. Clodgo, 6-1

Greco-Roman

60 kg/132 lbs.
Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./Badger WC) def. Ryan Mango (St. Louis, Mo./Stanford – unattached), 2 matches to 1
Thielke dec. Mango, 9-2
Mango dec. Thielke, 8-5
Thielke dec. Mango, 7-4

74 kg/163 lbs.
Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) def. Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 2 matches to 0
Bisek dec. Anderson, 10-1
Bisek dec. Anderson, 9-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Caylor Williams (Greensboro, N.C./U.S. Army) def. Marcus Finau (Ewa Beach, Hawaii/New York AC/USOEC), 2 matches to 0
Williams dec. Finau, 7-2
Williams pinned Finau, 1:54