2018 Bill Farrell Men's Freestyle Preview
2018 Bill Farrell Men's Freestyle Preview
Men's freestyle preview for the 2018 Bill Farrell Memorial International
The men's freestyle portion of the 2018 Bill Farrell Memorial International kicks off tomorrow morning at 9am eastern time. It serves as the final qualifier for the World Team Trials challenge tournament before the U.S. Open at the end of April.
Typically held in November, this year the Farrell switched with the Dave Schultz and is now at the beginning of the Spring. Held at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan, right across from Central Park, it always draws a good international field.
Here's a quick rundown of the top talent in every weight, along with finals picks and the matches we would most like to see.
57kg
There is an interesting composition to this field. You have both finalists from the Dave Schultz in November in Samat Nadyrbek Uulu (KAZ) and Tim Lambert. It also includes guys like 2016 University Nationals champ and two-time All American for Illinois Zane Richards and former Oklahoma State All American Eddie Klimara. An interesting international competitor is Mukhamed Kuatbek, who represented Kazakhstan at junior worlds the past two years and was the 55kg runner-up at the junior Asian championships.
Nadyrbek Uulu has one of the nastiest head pinches you're going to see this weekend, and is a two-time medalist at the Asian championships. Richards is coming off a trip to Russia with the Illini RTC and might just have a few tricks up his sleeve, which is scary considering the speed of his shot.
Finals Pick: Nadyrbek Uulu over Zane Richards
Match we'd like to see: Nadyrbek Uulu vs Kuatbek
61kg
The most stacked field in the whole tournament. Tyler Graff and Alan Waters probably walk in as the favorites in a bracket that also includes the 133lb NCAA champ in Seth Gross. There are also veteran presences in Earl Hall, Jon Morrison, Chris Dardanes and Shelton Mack. But perhaps the most intriguing entry is AJ Schopp, now an assistant at Purdue. Schopp was always a maven on top in folkstyle and had a little bit of success in his limited freestyle experience. A matchup between he and Gross, who he spent the previous couple years training, would be fascinating.
Finals Pick: Graff over Waters
Match we'd like to see: Schopp vs Gross
65kg
There are few guys as intriguing in both folkstyle and freestyle as Jaydin Eierman. I would love to see him match up with a guy like Joey Lazor for an early round points bonanza. We also get the return to the mat of Kanen Storr, his first action since wrestling for Iowa State against WVU and fresh off his transfer to Michigan. Storr has an excellent front headlock that he used to devastating effect at the Dave Schultz in November of 2016. But the favorite should be former NCAA finalist and European bronze medalist Dave Habat, training at Michigan but wrestling for Slovenia.
Finals Pick: Habat over Eierman
Match we'd like to see: Storr vs Eierman
70kg
This is an excellent weight for a lesser known guy to make his way into the World Team Trials challenge tournament and possibly avoid having to go to the US Open. Mario Mason has been out on the streets the most, competing and going to camps and staying active on the senior freestyle circuit. Kyle Ruschell is once again in the mix, having won a Pan Am title last year up at 74kg. Josh Heil pulled up a couple nice upsets at the Southern Scuffle en route to the finals there, perhaps he can do it again tomorrow.
Finals Pick: Ruschell over Mason
Match we'd like to see: Ganbayar Sanjaa vs Josh Heil
74kg
We’re going to see a cagey group of veterans take the mats at the NYAC at 74kg. It’s hard to forget Dan Vallimont making the finals here in November of 2015, securing an early spot in the Olympic Trials. Joining him are Wolfpack RTC training partners in Quinton Godley and Tommy Gantt. However, we'll also get a look at Layne Van Anrooy, who redshirted this year for Michigan.
Finals Pick: Vallimont over Gantt
Match we'd like to see: Godley vs Van Anrooy
79kg
This is Alex Dieringer’s weight and everyone else is competing for second. That battle could likely come down to Mike Evans, making his return to the freestyle mat, and Josh Asper, who is dropping down from 86kg to a weight that is better suited for him. Dieringer won this last year down at 74kg and looked great a few weeks ago rolling around with J'Den Cox at FanFest. The new weight should do him well and he very well could make his way into Final X.
Finals Pick: Dieringer over Asper
Match we'd like to see: Asper vs Evans
86kg
The foreign wrestlers are in mass effect at 86kg, outnumbering the Americans. Perhaps the most interesting of those entries is Galymzhan Usserbayev (KAZ), a former world Military champ who wrestled for a bronze medal in the Rio Olympics. Also in the mix will be last year's Pan Am silver medalist in Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes (VEN).
On the American side of things, Vic Avery leads the way for Ohio RTC, with a couple young bucks getting some mat time against international competition. Nick Reenan and Jelani Embree redshirted this past year for NC State and Michigan, respectively.
Finals Pick: Ussserbayev over Ceballos Fuentes'
Match we'd like to see: Embree vs Reenan
92kg
We still don’t have much data on this brand new weight class, but the turnout appears to be pretty good thus far. You’d have to favor Timmy McCall and Nikko Reyes based on the lasat year or so of competition. Deron Winn is coming back to keep himself fresh from MMA, and Kenny Courts looks like he found his weight class now that there's a 92kg.
Finals Pick: McCall over Reyes
Match we'd like to see: Winn vs Courts
97kg
My first question looking at the entries is: how does Blaize Cabell follow up his Schultz performance, in which he pinned world champ Abdusalam Gadisov of Russia? He went 0-2 in Ukraine, and it’ll be tough for him to win with U23 world bronze medalist Ty Walz in the bracket, and Walz looks like he is more than ready to make a national team and compete for medals overseas, such as the silver he got in Cuba. Notable international competitors include Mamed Ibragimov (KAZ) and Nicolai Ceban (MDA).
Finals Pick: Walz over Ibragimov
Match we'd like to see: Cabell vs Ibragimov
125kg
A good balance of American and international competitors are slated to wrestle heavyweight. Michael Kosoy got some international experience this summer and has a world bronze medalist for a training partner down at the Wolfpack RTC. Jon Gingrich of the Pittsburgh WC is trying to earn himself a medal and some money ahead of the U.S. Open. Ceron Francisco is one of the most physically imposing wrestlers you'll ever see. No matter how he does, the Cavalier RTC newbie will be appointment viewing, make sure to set your FloArena alerts. Kazakhstan is bringing a very strong team and I think Shabanbay Daulet makes the finals for them.
Finals Pick: Kosoy over Daulet
Match we'd like to see: Francisco vs the field