How Will The New Senior Weights Shake Out?
How Will The New Senior Weights Shake Out?
When United World Wrestling announced last week the 10 weight classes that men's freestyle would compete in 2018, a lot of USA wrestling fans got excited at the prospect of splitting up certain logjams that we have at classes such as 74 kg and 86kg.
When United World Wrestling announced last week the 10 weight classes that men's freestyle would compete in 2018, a lot of USA wrestling fans got excited at the prospect of splitting up certain logjams that we have at classes such as 74 kg and 86kg. Collectively, the U.S. wrestling community started pencilling in Kyle Dake at 79kg and David Taylor at 86kg if J'Den Cox moves up.
While everyone pretty much agrees that there are front-runners for each weight class, the real question has to be, "What does the rest of the field look like?"
We won our first world title in over 20 years last week, and while this can be attributed to a number of different things, a big part of the success that we've had recently has to do with the very logjams that we mentioned earlier. Domestic depth produces international success.
New weight classes are not the only thing to consider when looking ahead to 2018. UWW also changed the format of major tournaments. Weigh-ins will be on the same day of competition as opposed to 18 hours before competition. Another major alteration starting in January 2018 will be that tournaments have to be contested over two days. That means that not only do you have to make weight the day of the event, but you also have to hold it for the next day.
Based on the 2017 U.S. Open, the 2017 World Team Trials, and some informal conversations we've had with coaches and athletes, this is what the national team race could look like at the new weights (names in no particular order).
Nathan Tomasello
Daton Fix
Spencer Lee
Zach Sanders
Darian Cruz
Nico Megaludis
Frank Perrelli
Commentary: Pretty exciting to see two guys who are still junior eligible emerge as threats to make the national team. Gilman should sit in the finals and Tomasello is looking like the best bet to be the one seed heading into trials.
Nahshon Garrett
Tyler Graff
Seth Gross
Alan Waters
Joe Colon
Commentary: We could see a rematch of this year's U.S. Open finals up a weight or perhaps a rematch of the 2014 NCAA finals. Alan Waters is also an interesting prospect up a weight, though he did better at the 2017 Trials at 57kg than he did at Bill Farrell at 61kg last November.
Kendrick Maple
Brandon Wright
Chris Dardanes
Nick Dardanes
Jayson Ness
Josh Kindig
Zain Retherford
Jaydin Eierman
BJ Futrell
Commentary: This one isn't as surprising. It's essentially all of the guys who went 65kg at the Olympic trials and then dropped to 61kg in 2017. A day of weigh-ins at 65kg, on paper right now at least, points to favoring 61kg finalists Stieber and Maple the most.
Jordan Oliver
Frank Molinaro
Nazar Kulchytskyy
Jimmy Kennedy
Jason Nolf
Hunter Stieber
Commentary: With James Green likely sitting in the finals, everyone else is still playing catch-up, just as they were at last year's Farrell.
Isaiah Martinez
Chance Marsteller
Logan Massa
Anthony Valencia
Kevin LeValley
Commentary: The introduction of 79kg will almost surely clear out this weight and make it a little bit easier for Burroughs to extend his reign.
Mark Hall
Alex Dieringer
Zahid Valencia
Nick Reenan
Jon Reader
Commentary: Now THIS will be a fun U.S. Open weight! There are nine NCAA titles and four junior world finals appearances just in the group listed above.
Bo Nickal
Pat Downey
Pete Renda
Commentary: Unquestionably the best chance Taylor has ever had to make a team.
Nick Heflin
Rich Perry
Nikko Reyes
Timmy McCall
Commentary: That's a pretty strong potential national team (top three) in Cox, Heflin, and Perry.
Kyven Gadson
Micah Burak
Hayden Zillmer
Commentary: Snyder should sit in the finals once again.
Zach Rey
Dom Bradley
Ty Walz
Tony Nelson
Bobby Telford
Gable Steveson
Commentary: The least-affected weight, for obvious reasons, with Ty Walz looking like the only potential tweener.
While everyone pretty much agrees that there are front-runners for each weight class, the real question has to be, "What does the rest of the field look like?"
We won our first world title in over 20 years last week, and while this can be attributed to a number of different things, a big part of the success that we've had recently has to do with the very logjams that we mentioned earlier. Domestic depth produces international success.
New weight classes are not the only thing to consider when looking ahead to 2018. UWW also changed the format of major tournaments. Weigh-ins will be on the same day of competition as opposed to 18 hours before competition. Another major alteration starting in January 2018 will be that tournaments have to be contested over two days. That means that not only do you have to make weight the day of the event, but you also have to hold it for the next day.
Based on the 2017 U.S. Open, the 2017 World Team Trials, and some informal conversations we've had with coaches and athletes, this is what the national team race could look like at the new weights (names in no particular order).
57kg
Thomas GilmanNathan Tomasello
Daton Fix
Spencer Lee
Zach Sanders
Darian Cruz
Nico Megaludis
Frank Perrelli
Commentary: Pretty exciting to see two guys who are still junior eligible emerge as threats to make the national team. Gilman should sit in the finals and Tomasello is looking like the best bet to be the one seed heading into trials.
61kg
Tony RamosNahshon Garrett
Tyler Graff
Seth Gross
Alan Waters
Joe Colon
Commentary: We could see a rematch of this year's U.S. Open finals up a weight or perhaps a rematch of the 2014 NCAA finals. Alan Waters is also an interesting prospect up a weight, though he did better at the 2017 Trials at 57kg than he did at Bill Farrell at 61kg last November.
65kg
Logan StieberKendrick Maple
Brandon Wright
Chris Dardanes
Nick Dardanes
Jayson Ness
Josh Kindig
Zain Retherford
Jaydin Eierman
BJ Futrell
Commentary: This one isn't as surprising. It's essentially all of the guys who went 65kg at the Olympic trials and then dropped to 61kg in 2017. A day of weigh-ins at 65kg, on paper right now at least, points to favoring 61kg finalists Stieber and Maple the most.
70kg
James GreenJordan Oliver
Frank Molinaro
Nazar Kulchytskyy
Jimmy Kennedy
Jason Nolf
Hunter Stieber
Commentary: With James Green likely sitting in the finals, everyone else is still playing catch-up, just as they were at last year's Farrell.
74kg
Jordan BurroughsIsaiah Martinez
Chance Marsteller
Logan Massa
Anthony Valencia
Kevin LeValley
Commentary: The introduction of 79kg will almost surely clear out this weight and make it a little bit easier for Burroughs to extend his reign.
79kg
Kyle DakeMark Hall
Alex Dieringer
Zahid Valencia
Nick Reenan
Jon Reader
Commentary: Now THIS will be a fun U.S. Open weight! There are nine NCAA titles and four junior world finals appearances just in the group listed above.
86kg
David TaylorBo Nickal
Pat Downey
Pete Renda
Commentary: Unquestionably the best chance Taylor has ever had to make a team.
92kg
J'den CoxNick Heflin
Rich Perry
Nikko Reyes
Timmy McCall
Commentary: That's a pretty strong potential national team (top three) in Cox, Heflin, and Perry.
97kg
Kyle SnyderKyven Gadson
Micah Burak
Hayden Zillmer
Commentary: Snyder should sit in the finals once again.
125kg
Nick GwiazdowskiZach Rey
Dom Bradley
Ty Walz
Tony Nelson
Bobby Telford
Gable Steveson
Commentary: The least-affected weight, for obvious reasons, with Ty Walz looking like the only potential tweener.