A majority of the best freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers in the country will head to Las Vegas starting on April 26 at 9:00 a.m. for the 2018 Marine Corps U.S. Open. Both current, past and future Gophers will be competing in the event that will aim to finish in the top seven to qualify for the 2018 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in May.
Starting at the junior level, the Gophers will have one current wrestler and two future wrestlers that will compete. Soon-to-be redshirt sophomore Dylan Anderson will head out to Las Vegas to wrestle in the 86-kilogram bracket that is comprised of 36 wrestlers. Anderson finished last season with a record of 23-15, which gave him the third most wins on the team.
Future Gophers Brayton Lee and Patrick McKee will also compete at the junior level. Lee will wrestle at 70-kilograms while McKee will compete in the 57-kilogram division. Lee has a background in freestyle wrestling, placing in last year’s UWW junior trials. Lee committed to the Gophers from Brownsburg, Ind. where he was a three-time state champion and finished his career 165-1. McKee, who is the younger brother of current Gopher Wrestler Mitch McKee, was the 2017 Fargo freestyle champion at 120-pounds.
At the senior level, there will be four current Gopher wrestlers, one future wrestler, four alumni and two more Minnesota Storm wrestlers competing.
Incoming freshman Gable Steveson has generated headlines across the country with his ascension to the senior level despite being just 17 years old at the date of competition. Steveson entered as the No. 6 ranked wrestler by TheMat.com at 125-kilograms. He will be the No. 5 seed in the bracket. A special note will be made with Steveson, as he is also still able to hold a spot in the junior ranks. If Steveson finishes top-three at the U.S. Open, then he will delay the wrestle off for the junior level as he attempts to make the senior team.
Current Gopher Volunteer Assistant Coach Zach Sanders will compete in the 57-kilogram bracket and has been selected as the No. 4 seed. Sanders enters the U.S. Open as the No. 6 ranked wrestler in Senior Freestyle by TheMat.com.
Both Dylan and Jayson Ness will compete under the Minnesota Storm tag in their respective weight classes. Dylan Ness will wrestle at 70-kilograms where he is seeded No. 7, right on the fringe of qualifying for the Senior Challenge Tournament in May.
Jayson, who competed earlier this year during the Gophers halftime against Fresno State, will enter the 65-kilogram bracket as the No. 10 seed. Jayson most notably was the NCAA Champion in 2010 at the 133-pound division and was a four-time All-American. He holds the record at Minnesota with 73 career pins, 22 more than any other wrestler in Minnesota history.
One of the greatest Minnesota wrestlers in history will also be in Las Vegas. Tony Nelson will compete at 125-kilograms and is the No. 6 seed with the Minnesota Storm tag. Nelson was a two-time NCAA heavyweight champion and a four-time All-American. He will look to improve on his fifth-place finish at the 2017 U.S. Open.
Four current Gophers will also compete at the senior level. Skyler Petry (57kg), Steve Bleise (70kg), Carson Brolsma (74kg) and Rylee Streifel (125kg) will all step on to the mat as unseeded wrestlers.
Daniel DeShazer and Hayden Zillmer will also represent Minnesota Storm in Sin City. DeShazer sits firmly on the bubble area of the 57-kilogram weight class as the No. 7 seed while Zillmer sits at the No. 2 seed. Zillmer is coming off a showing at the World Cup in Iowa City where he helped Team USA earn gold for the first time in 15 years when he won his match against India.
In Greco-Roman, the Gophers have two former wrestlers that will compete. Pat Smith has been a dominant force in the Greco-Roman world. He took first at the U.S. World Team Trials in 2017, and won three straight years at the Pan American championships (2015-17). He has been a part of four U.S. National teams (2014-18) and was the 2017 U.S. Open champion. Smith was a wrestler from 2009-15.
Alec Ortiz will also compete in Greco-Roman. Ortiz was a member of the Golden Gophers from 2009-14, and has seen much success in Greco-Roman. He finished in seventh place last year the U.S. Open and will look to improve on that finish in the 77-kilogram bracket that has 19 wrestlers in it.
Coaches that will be in Las Vegas will include Jared Lawrence, Brandon Eggum, Luke Becker and Dustin Schlatter.
Here is the full list of Minnesota wrestlers that we will keep you up to date this weekend:
Junior Freestyle: Dylan Anderson, Brayton Lee, Patrick McKee
Senior Freestyle: Zach Sanders, Skyler Petry, Daniel DeShazer, Jayson Ness, Dylan Ness, Steve Bleise, Carson Brolsma, Hayden Zillmer, Rylee Streifel, Tony Nelson, Gable Steveson
Senior Greco-Roman: Pat Smith, Alec Ortiz, Richard Carlson, Joe Rau, Malcom Allen, Barrett Stanghill, Donny Longendyke
Be sure to follow Minnesota Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
Flowrestling will broadcast live video of the event. Brackets will also be available on Flowrestling.
Full Schedule (Pacific times):
Wednesday, April 25
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Junior Greco-Roman Western Regional – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semi-finals and Consolation
Cadet/Junior Women Greco-Roman Western Regional- Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals
Kids Greco-Roman Western Regional – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Masters Freestyle – (Session 1) Preliminaries, Consolation, Semi-Finals
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Cadet/Schoolboy(girl) Greco-Roman Western Regional – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation
Cadet/Junior Women Freestyle Western Regional — Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Masters Freestyle– (Session 2) Consolation Semi-Finals Finals, Medal Rounds
Thursday, April 26
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Kids Freestyle Western Regional – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals(if possible)
Cadet/Schoolboy(girl) Greco-Roman Western Regional – Medal Matches
9:00 AM – 1:30 PM: UWW Junior’s Greco-Roman – (Session 1) Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, and Consolation
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Senior Men’s Greco-Roman – (Session 1) Preliminaries, Quarterfinals
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Senior Women’s Freestyle – (Session 1) Preliminaries, Quarterfinals
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Kids Freestyle Western Regional – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals (if Possible)
Junior Greco-Roman Western Regional – Consolation Semi-Finals
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Kids Freestyle Western Regional – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals (if Possible)
Junior Greco-Roman Western Regional – FINALS
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Kids Freestyle Western Regional – Remaining matches and FINALS, Cadet/Schoolboy(Girl) Freestyle Western Regional – Preliminaries, Consolation, Quarter Finals
3:00 PM – 5:30 PM: UWW Junior’s Greco-Roman – (Session 2) Semi-Finals, Consolation, Consolation Semi-Finals, 3rd and 5th place matches
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: UWW Junior’s Greco-Roman – (Session 3) Finals
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Senior Men’s Greco-Roman – (Session 2) Semi-Finals, Consolation Rounds 1-4
6:00 PM- 9:00 PM: Senior Women’s Freestyle – (Session 2) Semi-Finals, Consolation Rounds 1-4
Friday, April 27
9:00 AM –1:30 PM: UWW Junior’s Freestyle – (Session 1) Preliminaries, Consolation
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Junior Freestyle Western Regional – Preliminaries, Consolation, Quarter Finals
9:00 AM- 11:00 AM: Senior Men’s Greco-Roman – (Session 3) Consolation Semi-Finals, 3rd 5th 7th place matches
9:00 AM- 11:00 AM: Senior Woman’s Freestyle – (Session 3) Consolation Semi-Finals, 3rd 5th 7th place matches
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Senior Men’s Freestyle – (Session 1) Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Consolation Rd 1-3
3:00 PM – 8:15 PM: UWW Junior’s Freestyle – (Session 2) Quarterfinals, Consolation
3:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Cadet/Schoolboy(Girl) Freestyle Western Regional –Semifinals, Consolation, 3rd Place Match
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Senior Men’s Freestyle – (Session 2) Consolation Round 4-5
Junior Freestyle Western Regional – Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Consolation, 3rd Place Match
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Senior Men’s Freestyle – (Session 2) Semi-Finals
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Senior Men’s Greco-Roman – (Session 4) Finals
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Senior Women’s Freestyle – (Session 4) Finals
Saturday, April 28
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: UWW Junior Freestyle – (Session 3) Semi-Finals, Consolation, Consolation Semi-Finals, 3rd 5th 7th place matches
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM: All Ages All Divisions – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation, Finals (No breaks during the day) Some bouts may be wrestled out of order if bout participant is within 15 minutes of a Freestyle finals match on the main stage)
Senior Men’s Freestyle – (Session 3) Consolation Rd 6, Consolation
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Semi-Finals, 3rd 5th 7th place matches
10:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Junior Freestyle Western Regional –Finals
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: UWW Junior’s Freestyle – (Session 4) Finals
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Cadet/Schoolboy(girls) Freestyle Western Regional – Finals
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Senior Men’s Freestyle – (Session 4) Finals