Last night in Fort Worth, Texas, the 2019 US Nationals/Olympic Trials Qualifier ended with a card of six five finals bouts that, for the most part, were entertaining from start to finish. This is always a good thing in America. Greco doesn’t get too many opportunities to present its product in front of a mainstream audience. When it does, delivering a measure of drama and excitement helps move the chains forward just a little more, to borrow a football term.
But as good as the finals matches might have been, they lacked consequence. Of the 20 participants, six were already qualified for April’s Olympic Trials before they ever arrived in Fort Worth; and of course by virtue of advancing to the finals, the 14 athletes who entered the tournament needing to place in the top-five had done so the moment they won in their respective semifinal matches.
In fact, one featured finals bout did not even happen. Three-time World Team member Patrick Martinez (87 kg, NYAC), one of the aforementioned six whose berth in the Trials was secured previously, was compelled to bow out due to injury, providing fan-favorite Jon Anderson (Army/WCAP) with his first Senior National title via default. There is no word yet on the severity of Martinez’s injury other than that it occurred during warm-ups and he is expected to recover in time for the Matteo Pellicone ranking tournament next month.
The real heat at the Nationals burned up the arena in the consolation semifinals and 5th/6th matches. Those were the rounds when Trials qualification was firmly on the line, the closest approximation to the NCAA Division I tournament’s “bloodrounds” — with the exception that there is at least one more qualifying opportunity available in March (military athletes have the Armed Forces Championships in February, as well). Each of the six Olympic weight classes will take on one more athlete from Armed Forces and two more from the “Last Chance Qualifier” (March 26-28 in Millersville, PA)
As it stands now, there are 52 athletes qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Trials (April 4-5 at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University). Below is the full list along with how each athlete punched his ticket (in alphabetical order).
Note: one Senior World Team appearance this quad (2017 onward) serves as a qualifying factor.
60 kg
Ildar Hafizov (Army/WCAP) — 2017/’19 World Team
Sam Hazewinkel — 2018 World Team
Mike Fuenffinger (Army/WCAP) — 2019 US National Champion
Sammy Jones (NYAC/OTS) — 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist/UVRTC) — 3rd at 2019 US Nationals
Ryan Mango (Army/WCAP, world no. 6) — 2019 World Team
Max Nowry (Army/WCAP, world no. 5 at 55 kg) — 2019 World Team
Joey Palmer (Cyclone RTC) — 4th at 2019 US Nationals
Dalton Roberts (NYAC/OTS) — 2018 World Team
Jesse Thielke (NYAC/LOG) — 2018 World Team
67 kg
Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP, world no. 14) — 2017/’18/’19 World Team
Nolan Baker (NYAC) — 4th at 2019 US Nationals
Ray Bunker (Marines) — 2019 World Team
Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota Storm) — 2019 US National runner-up
Jamel Johnson (Marines) — 5th at 2019 US Nationals
Xavier Johnson (Marines) — 3rd at 2019 US Nationals
Alston Nutter (Sunkist/OTS) — 2019 Junior World bronze
Peyton Omania (MSU/CYC) 2019 Junior World bronze
Alex Sancho (Army/WCAP) — 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial gold
77 kg
Kamal Bey (Sunkist) — 2018 World Team
Jon Jay Chavez (NYAC/FLWC) — 2018 World Team
Jake Fisher (Curby 3-Style) — 2019 US National runner-up
Corey Hope (NYAC) — 5th at 2019 US Nationals
Mason Manville (Army/WCAP) — 2017 World Team
RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) — 2018 World Team
Ben Provisor (NYAC) — 2017 World Team member
Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) — 2017/’19 World Team
Geordan Speiller (Florida Jets) — 2018 World Team
John Stefanowicz (Marines) — 2019 World Team
Peyton Walsh (Marines) — 4th at 2019 US Nationals
Spencer Woods (NYAC/OTS) — 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial silver
87 kg
Jon Anderson (Army/WCAP) — 2019 US National Champion
Rich Carlson (Minnesota Storm) — 4th at 2019 US Nationals
Cheney Haight (NYAC) — 2017 World Team
Patrick Martinez (NYAC/FLWC) — 2018 World Team
Carter Nielsen (Minnesota Storm) — 3rd at 2019 US Nationals
Joe Rau (TMWC/Chicago RTC) — 2019 World Team
Chandler Rogers (TMWC) — 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze
Barrett Stanghill (Minnesota Storm/OTS) — 5th at 2019 US Nationals
97 kg
Nick Boykin (Sunkist) — 4th at 2019 US Nationals
G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist, world no. 2) — 2017/’18/’19 World Team
Khymba Johnson (NYAC/OTS) — 5th at 2019 US Nationals
Daniel Miller (Marines) — 2019 US National Champion
Lucas Sheridan (Army/WCAP) — 2019 US National runner-up
Eric Twohey (Minnesota Storm) — 3rd at 2019 US Nationals
130 kg
West Cathcart (IRTC) — 4th at 2019 US Nationals
Adam Coon (NYAC/Cliff Keen) — 2018/’19 World Team
Toby Erickson (Army/WCAP) — 3rd at 2019 US Nationals
Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm) — 5th at 2019 US Nationals
Jacob Mitchell (Army/WCAP) — 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial silver
Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist) — 2019 Junior World silver
Robby Smith (NYAC/Chicago RTC) — 2017 World Team
Listen to “5PM32: Previewing Senior Nationals with Dennis Hall” on Spreaker.
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