97kg World Team Trials Preview: Revenge Is Coming
97kg World Team Trials Preview: Revenge Is Coming
Previewing 97kg at the 2018 World Team Trials challenge tournament in Rochester, Minnesota, including predictions.
For some, any 97kg bracket in America that doesn't feature Kyle Snyder is glossed over. If that was you, then you missed the Cinderella story that came out of Las Vegas last month.
A one-time NCAA qualifier at Oklahoma State, Austin Schafer teched Gadisov-slayer Blaize Cabell, beat NCAA champ Kyven Gadson on a last-second go-behind, and avenged a loss from a month earlier to Ty Walz. All of this led to Schafer winning the U.S. Open and earning the bye to the finals at this weekend's World Team Trials challenge tournament.
WATCH 2018 WORLD TEAM TRIALS LIVE ON FLO
WHEN: May 19-20 | WHERE: Rochester, MN
Starting with the challenge tournament on Friday, May 19, Gadson, Walz, and a few others will battle to get another crack at Schafer. Any one of them would like to win the best-of-three finals on Saturday, May 20, and prove that Schafer's Vegas performance was nothing more than a fluke.
In Final X: Kyle Snyder
WTT Qualifiers
Weight | Name | RTC | Club | Qualifier |
97kg | Blaize Cabell | Valley RTC | Dave Schultz runner-up | |
97kg | Ty Walz | Southeast RTC | Titan Mercury | Bill Farrell Champ |
97kg | Kyven Gadson | Cyclone RTC | Sunkist Kids | US Open 3rd place |
97kg | Nathan Burak | Titan Mercury | US Open 4th place | |
97kg | Ben Honis | New York RTC | US Open 5th place | |
97kg | Ross Larson | Viking WC | US Open 6th place | |
97kg | Braden Atwood | Sunkist Kids | US Open 7th place |
Commentary: It's hard not to think that Schafer won't be able to replicate his performance at the Open. That doubt only creeps in harder when he changes his training situation immediately after the biggest tournament of his life. It's not that the Oklahoma RTC is a bad place to train, it's just that Schafer has been working with the New York RTC this whole season.
Still though, it's been a fascinating journey for Schafer. As recently as November's Dave Schultz, he was wrestling Greco and took fifth at both 2017 U.S. Open and University Nationals.
Gadson was in the WTT finals last year against Snyder and since then won the Henri Deglane and made the finals at both Pan Ams and the Ion Corneanu. He was also a part of the World Cup squad, so his international resume suggests he should have been the favorite to be opposite Snyder at the Final X in Lincoln, NE.
Last year at the Trials, Ty Walz lost to both Nathan Burak and Micah Burak. Since then, he's won a U23 world bronze medal, beat both Buraks and Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba at the Cerro Pelado, and won the Bill Farrell by beating Braden Atwood and Schafer.
WTT Previews: 57kg | 61kg | 65kg | 70kg | 74kg | 79kg | 86kg | 92kg
At the Open, Nathan Burak lost tight ones to Walz and Gadson, scoring late to make it close with Walz and leading early against Gadson. However, he did tech Open fifth-placer Ben Honis 10-0, pointing to the tiering of this weight right now.
Two college assistants round out the qualifiers, with Ross Larson on the Grand View staff and Braden Atwood coaching at Army West Point.
The fact that Schafer is sitting in the finals does little to dissuade me from thinking that Walz or Gadson is still the best one in this weight. Gadson was leading 3-1 with under 30 seconds remaining, and Walz has already beaten Schafer 10-3. It's not flashy, but I think Gadson beats Walz by a couple in the challenge tournament and then controls two matches against Schafer in the finals.
Nomad's Picks
Finals: Gadson over Schafer, two matches to none
Third Place: Walz over Burak