USA Greco

Jones, Smith, and Haight Dominant As USA Topples Greece

Sammy Jones won via tech fall at the 2016 Greco Clubs Cup
Photo: John Sachs

After dropping the first two dual meets of the day at the 2016 Greco Clubs Cup in Budapest, Hungary, the US got back into the win column against Greece’s club team, Ethnikos. It was the third team match of the day for Team NYAC (USA). Earlier, the US dropped duals to both Europrofil-Budapest (Hungary) and Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (Turkey) with Patrick Smith (71 kg) and G’Angelo Hancock (98 kg) the two bright spots, as both athletes picked up wins. Against Greece, that number doubled.

Northern Michigan’s Sammy Jones (59 kg) came out like a ball of fire against Charis Agafandis. Following a step-out point, Jones lifted Agafandis up and over for a hard five points and then re-locked for another four. It was a 10-0 technical fall in just 36 seconds.

At 71 kilos, Smith nailed down his third win of the day. Doing battle versus Konstantinos Vasiliou, a step-out came first. Next, Smith used a front-headlock to scamper around for two points before immediately locking around for a gutwrench. Three rotations and that was a wrap, giving Smith a quick 9-0 victory.

Like Jones and Smith, Cheney Haight was similarly expedient in his method of destruction. Right from the whistle, Haight was all over Nikolaos Varkas. The American executed a beautiful arm throw followed immediately by two gutwrenches. 20 seconds was all it took to give Haight his first win of the event.

Notes:

  • Nick Tarpley (75 kg) had moments in his match with Giorgos Prevolarakis where it seemed he was close to grabbing a handle he could use. Tarpley was active in his ties but couldn’t convert opportunities, dropping the bout 6-1.
  • Marine Daniel Miller (98 kg) was the physically superior wrestler versus Spyridon Kountouratzis and came close on numerous high-dive attempts and bodylocks. But Kountouratzis capitalized on areas Miller didn’t, including a crucial sequence in the second period where Miller wrapped around Kountouratzis at the edge but got turned around for four points.
  • Austin Morrow won his bout via forfeit.

2016 Greco Clubs Cup —  Group B Round 3
Team NYAC (USA) – 4 Ethnikos (GRE) -4

59 kg: Sammy Jones (USA) def. Charis Agafandis (GRE) 10-0, TF
66 kg: Austin Morrow (USA) won by forfeit
71 kg: Patrick Smith (USA) def. Konstantinos Vasiliou 9-0, TF
75 kg: Giorgos Prevolarakis (GRE) def. Nick Tarpley (USA) 6-1
80 kg: Cheney Haight (USA) def. Nikolaos Varkas (GRE) 8-0, TF
85 kg: Stavros Katavelakos (GRE) def. Kevin Radford (USA) 4-1
98 kg: Spyridon Kountouratzis (GRE) def. Daniel Miller (USA) 7-4
130 kg: Majthaios Engonidis (GRE) def. Eric Fader (USA) 6-2

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