The 2018 World Team Trials challenge tournament is less than three weeks away from getting underway in Rochester, MN. The field is set, and the storylines have been laid.

At 57kg, the Iowa room has produced the last four world team members, and they are in great position to do so once again. Three of the top four contenders are either current or former Hawkeyes, including the one sitting in Final X.

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May 19-20

Thomas Gilman's silver medal last year in Paris was the first world medal for America at the lowest weight since Henry Cejudo won gold at the 2008 Olympics. The upper echelon at this weight is trying to make the USA more like it was from 2003-08 when America won three medals and wrestled for another over a six-year span.

In Final X: Thomas Gilman

In WTT Finals: Tony Ramos

WTT Qualifiers

Commentary: For the third time in his career, Tony Ramos has a bye to the World Team Trials finals. In 2015, Ramos took out Andrew Hochstrasser for the right to sit out and then beat Joe Colon 6-0 and 3-1 to make his second straight world team.

Last year, Ramos knocked off Nahshon Garrett at the U.S. Open but ultimately fell to Gilman in two matches in Lincoln, NE, at WTT. Gilman would go on to win world silver, which is why he is sitting out until Final X in Lincoln on June 9.

The top two challengers to face Ramos in the finals both graduated high school less than a year ago. Iowa’s Spencer Lee became the first true freshman to win the NCAA title at 125lb in March, while Daton Fix redshirted this season for Oklahoma State. Both have extensive age-level freestyle experience at the world level.

Lee never wrestled in Fargo because he spent the entirety of his Cadet-eligible years preparing for world championships. In 2013, the Pennsylvania native teched Fix in under a minute to make his first world team. The next year, he won the world title at 50kg, while Fix made the team and finished 10th at 54kg. However, Fix also won Pan Ams and finished with a silver at the Youth Olympic Games.

Going into 2015, Lee decided to go up a weight to challenge himself in his pursuit of another world title. He and Fix met in the Cadet finals once again, but this time around Fix won two matches to none, the last time those two have ever met. Fix would go on to win bronze in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meanwhile, Lee dropped back down to 50kg for Junior trials and then teched his way to a gold medal.

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Two years ago, they were both on the Junior world team together. Lee won his second straight junior world title and Fix brought home a bronze medal. With Spencer tearing his ACL in January 2017, he did not compete in freestyle last summer. Fix, on the other hand, teched his way through Junior Worlds.

That brings us up to now. Fix bested Nathan Tomasello twice in a row at the U23 Trials, and Lee took 2 of 3 from NaTo this college season, including a pin in the NCAA semis. Fix just made the Open finals at a weight in which Spencer Lee did not compete.

The story on Lee is that he has been using the same moves for years to devastating effect. Lee has a remarkable dump as well as an always incredibly efficient single leg, which he then turns into a quick leg lace, usually for a tech. Fix has been more about inside trips and slide-bys to a trap arm on his way to many freestyle techs.

Those two meeting would be a titanic battle of epic proportions. It’s a match the wrestling community has been clamoring for, and we could finally see it in Rochester.

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As for the rest of the field, Zach Sanders has wrestled in every World Team Trials since 2009. The Minnesota Storm veteran was third at the Open, highlighted by wins over NCAA champ Darian Cruz as well as Frank Perrelli, and he hung a big four off an arm spin on Ramos in their semifinal.

Perrelli makes the trials yet again. David Terao reversed a loss to Austin Miller from the Dave Schultz in November and always presents a danger due to his judo prowess. Brent Fleetwood qualifies after transferring from Central Michigan to North Dakota State this past season.

Zane Richards held leads late in both of his matches but came away 0-2. I think he improves on that performance in Rochester. Tim Lambert qualified by placing highly in fields devoid of other qualifiers and may have some trouble getting close to a national team. Eddie Klimara's only win over another qualifier this season was a November win over Perrelli in France.

WATCH 2018 WORLD TEAM TRIALS LIVE ON FLO

It's not an easy decision picking this weight. Lee hasn't competed in freestyle since 2016 Junior Worlds and has never done it at this high of a weight, while Fix just looked great at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas. However, the Spencer Lee on display in Cleveland at the NCAA championships is the best lightweight in the country. He'll win the hand-fight, score more takedowns, and is better on top than anyone else, in either style. Fix won't make it easy and could even get his trap arm.

Once in the finals, it will be more of the same. Ramos is a crafty veteran and no one should be surprised if he wins or makes it go three matches. But I think Lee gets his dump in one of the matches for four and gets his lace in the other. His matches with Tomasello also prove Lee is pretty adept at fighting off go-behinds. Ramos might not have the strength advantage either, so coming back against Lee will prove difficult.

Nomad's Picks

Challenge Tournament: 1) Spencer Lee 2) Daton Fix 3) Frank Perrelli 4) Zach Sanders

Finals: Spencer Lee, two matches to none, over Tony Ramos