Wrestlers who haven't already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will get their final opportunity at this weekend’s Last Chance Trials Qualifier in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The tournament will begin with Greco-Roman wrestling on Friday, April 1, continue with men’s freestyle wrestling on Saturday April, 2, and conclude with women’s freestyle wrestling on Sunday, April 3rd. Tune into FloWrestling to catch it live!

But first, check out these intriguing storylines heading into this weekend's action:

59kg (130 lbs) Greco-Roman

This is the old guard, former world champion Joe Warren, against the new guard, up-and-coming talents Taylor LaMont, Mitchell McKee and Dack Punke.

Warren has been active all year long, but has yet to make weight at 59kg. Regardless, he has fought well despite contending outside of his ideal weight class. 

Punke and LaMont made multiple world teams in the cadet age group in Greco-Roman, and McKee gained experience on the global platform after making the cadet freestyle team in 2012. The qualification spot might not go to any of these athletes, but it will sure be fun to watch Warren and three competitors half his age battle for the spot.

57kg Freestyle

With so many relatively unknown talents and just one qualifying spot, the 57kg freestyle matches will surely feature breakout performances. Let’s start with Montell Marion* (yes, you read that correctly -- Montell Marion is registered at 57kg). The former Iowa Hawkeye was a three-time All-American at 64kg (141 lbs). I'm skeptical of his ability to fight at 57kg, but if he can compete well below his ideal weight class, I'm sure his skills will make him a serious contender.

(*Marion confirmed the weight class was a registration mistake via twitter, he will be at 65kg)

Andrew Hochstrasser and Obe Blanc will also compete for a chance to revitalize their careers with a spot at the Trials. In 2010, Blanc made the world team, and Hochstrasser was a U.S. Open finalist in 2014. Since then, both have struggled to recapture the form that made them national standouts.

In addition to the more experienced competitors, 57kg features a strong crop of up-and-coming talent that includes Stevan Micic and Earl Hall. In 2015, Micic brought home a junior world bronze medal, while and Hall won University Nationals at 61kg (134 lbs). 

74kg (163 lbs) Freestyle

High school phenoms highlight this weight class with the No. 1 recruits of 2014, 2015, and 2016 putting the field on notice. Anthony Valencia, the No. 1 prep in 2015, made the 2014 junior world team and placed third at the U.S. Open in 2015. Although he was still eligible for junior competition, he elected to pursue a spot on the senior team.


Chance Marsteller, 2014's No. 1 recruit, made the cadet world semifinals before an injury derailed him into fifth place. He returned to battle for the junior world team spot last year, but fell in the championship series to Mark Hall.

Hall is the third No. 1 recruit in this weight class. Although he's still a high school prep, that doesn’t mean he lacks major event experience. Hall won a cadet world title in 2014, and quickly dispatched Marsteller in their best-of-three series for the junior world team spot in 2015.

86kg (189 lbs) Freestyle

After losing in the finals of the NCAA tournament, Bo Nickal's incredible freshman season at Penn State didn’t finish the way he hoped. Now, he is registered at 86kg -- a full 15 pounds above his in-season weight of 174. An experienced wrestler who competed on the 2013 cadet world team, Nickal has racked up big points with his unique approach to freestyle. Will he be able to knock off the long list of veterans in the 86kg field?

Event Schedule
Friday, April 1
10:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Session I (Preliminaries through Semifinals, Consolations)
4:30 p.m. – Greco-Roman Session II (Consolations, 3rd Place)
5:30 p.m. – Greco-Roman Session III (Championship Finals)

Saturday, April 2
8:30 a.m. – Men’s Freestyle Session I (Preliminaries through Semifinals, Consolations)
2:30 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Session II (Consolations, 3rd Place)
4:00 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Session III (Championship Finals)

Sunday, April 3
9:00 a.m. – Women's Freestyle Session I (Preliminaries through Championship Finals)