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2019 US Open Wrestling Championships

U.S. Open Men's Freestyle Finals Match Notes

U.S. Open Men's Freestyle Finals Match Notes

Match notes for the 2019 U.S. Open senior men's freestyle finals.

Apr 27, 2019 by Andrew Spey
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It's the finals of the 2019 U.S. Open! We're inside the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa! How lovely!

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It's the finals of the 2019 U.S. Open! We're inside the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa! How lovely!

I'll try to bring you as much action as possible but all the dedicated internet hardlines are being used by our production folks, and they get first dibs, so this blog will be as live as possible but it may not all post until after finals are complete. But no big deal, dead blogging is a thing too!

I've returned from stuffing my face at the buffet and assumed my blogging station. It's time for the fun to begin!

97 Kilograms

Kyven Gadson vs Benjamin Honis

1st period: Final X runnerup Kyvan Gadson is in on a double against surprise Open finalist and Cornell All-American Ben Honis right off the whistle. He finished clean for a quick two points. Gadson drops down on another shot a minute later but it's blocked by Honis and we get a restart with 90 seconds left in the first. Honis hasn't been very offensive in the first and gets put on the clock. He takes his first shot of the match but Gadson defends and picks up his third point. We go to the break with Gadson leading 3-0.

2nd period: 30 seconds in and we've got collar ties but not much else. Hones looking for a single but Gadson counters ferociously and smothers Honis. Gadson looking for a cradle but he can't lock it up and we go back to neutral. Gadson leads 5-0, 1:37 left in the match. Honis shoots on a single leg, he's got a hold of it, but Gadson sprawls out of danger. One minute to go. Honis much more active. He's taken a couple of shots now but he hasn't put Gadson in much danger. Honis continues to shoot but he can't break through Gadson's defenses. Kyvan Gadson is the 2019 US Open champ!

Gadson won the Open in 2017 and took third in 2016 and 2018. He trains out of the Cyclone RTC in Ames, also home of his alma mater, Iowa State. 

Gadson gets a bye to the finals fo the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Raleigh.

86 Kilograms 

Nicholas Heflin vs Pat Downey

1st period: It's a good bet we'll see some upper body throws in this match. Lots of pummeling in the first period minute but no scores. Heflin hits a lat drop but it comes after the action was already blown dead. The crowd enjoys it though. The whistle was for passivity and Heflin goes on the clock. Slide by attempt by Downey gets Heflin stumbling out of bounds just after the clock expired. Downey picks up two points as Drowning Pool's 'Let the Bodies Hit the Floor' is absolutely blasting on the loudspeakers. That's all the action for the rest period and we go to the break. The DJ turns up the early 2000's nu metal. The intermission ends and the nu metal is turned off. 

2nd period: Heflin dives in on a show. Downey defends. Downey counters for two with an exposiure and takes a 4-0 lead. Pat nearly had Heflin with a touch fall Heflin shoots in again and Downey belly whizzers him for another exposure, but Heflin is in perfect position to hit a lace, which he does to make it 6-2. Make that 6-3 after a review. Not sure for what but I will try and investigate. Downey wraps up a body lock and throws Heflin over his shoulder for a massive 4 point toss. The crowd is ecstatic. This what they came to see. Downey now leads 10-3 with a minute to go in the match. Heflin looks for a standing front head pinch but Downey is too strong. Heflin continues to attack and gets a step out point but it's too little too late. 7 seconds remain. And Downey is your 2019 US Open Champion!

He runs into coach Reece Humphreys arms and Humphreys throws him for five! Downey then dances for the crowd with his stop sign. A crowd pleaser through-and-through.

Downey gets a bye to the finals fo the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Raleigh.

79 Kilograms

Alex Dieringer vs Chance Marsteller

1st period: Dieringer the heavy favorite after finishing third at the trials last year. Head pinch in the first 20 seconds gives Ringer a 2 point lead over Marsteller. Chance going for an armspin but Dieringer counters with a go behind to make it 4-0. Three quick gut tilts later and it's 10-0 Dieringer in barely a minute of wrestling! Marsteller's corner wants to challenge, but this is very much a yolo brick. 

Make it 11-0 as the challenge fails and Dieringer is the Open champion! Alex was stopped by Kyle Dake via criteria in last year's Open. Dieringer has now earned a bye to the challenge tourney finals, which, if he wins, will give him another crack at Dake in Final X.

74 Kilograms

Isaiah Martinez vs Tommy Gantt

1st period: IMar won last year's Open. He's the favorite here but Gantt has some impressive freestyle wins under his belt. A counter from IMar off of Gantt's shot gives him a takedown and the first two points of the match. No more scores in the next minute of the match. Imar pressuring in and nearly has a step out by Gantt tip toes the boundary and stays in bounds. More attacks from Martinez and Gantt gives up the step out point, but just barely. The period ends with the score still 3-0 IMar.

2nd period: Gantt charges in to start the second but IMar gets him in a front head pinch for two. They restart and the same sequence happens but no exposure. It's still 5-0 in favor of Martinez. A failed challenge (I think, will try and verify, but internet is spotty right now) makes it 6-0 IMar. Time running out on Gantt. He shoots in but IMar counters with a front head and chews up a lot of valuable clock in short offense. Time running out and Gantt goes for an inside trip. Martinez backs up but falls to his back as time expires. The crowd responds to the big four-point move but it has no effect on the outcome of the match. Martinez goes back-to-back at consecutive US Opens. 

IMar will get a bye to the challenge tourney finals, which, if he wins, will give him another shot at Jordan Burroughs at Final X in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

61 Kilograms

Nico Megaludis vs Cody Brewer

1st period: Two NCAA champs collide in this Open finals matchup. Both wrestlers trade shots but neither is able to finish for points after a minute of action. Tough decision on who to call passivity on but it's Brewer who gets the honor of going on the clock first. Brewer goes for a headlock while on the clock but Megaludis stops his momentum and powers it down the mat for two points. Megaludis tries a lace but Brewer doesn't turn. Lots of activity but no more points and we go to the second Mega leading 2-0.

2nd period. Shot by Megaludis and a scramble ensues. Nico gets a step out point to make it 3-0. Brewer goes lat drop city! Nico hits the mat hard. Brewer squeezes for the pinfall! Just like, Brewer is the US Open champ! And he is pumped about it! 

Brewer will get a bye to the challenge tourney finals! If he wins, Joe Colon awaits. And upon further review, Brewer also used an outside trip on that match winning throw. Just for the record. 

125 Kilograms

Adam Coon vs Anthony Nelson

1st period: Look at the size of these lads. Absolute units. It's a typical heavyweight match, very tactical but not a lot of action, and Nelson goes on the clock after a minute or so of non-scoring. Nelson can't score and concedes a point to Coon. A snatch single in short time has Nelson hopping, but Nelson moves Coon out of bounds just before stepping out and scores the point. We'll go to the break Nelson leading on criteria with the score at 1-1. 

2nd period: Nelson driving forward, Coon has a body lock, but it's a step out point for Nelson to make it 2-1. 2 minutes remain in the match. Nelson shoots a straight on double and Coon sprawls his massive body on top of Nelson. Somehow Nelson does not flatten out and we get a restart. Another snatch single from Coon has Nelson's left leg in the air and kicking. This time Coon finishes for a takedown and owns a 3-2 lead with just under a minute to go. Nelson fearlessly shoots on Coon and once again Coon sprawls. Another restart, now only 25 seconds remains. Nelson goes right back underneath but it's a crotch lock counter for two more for Coon to ice it. Adam Coon wins 5-2 and is rewarded with his second US Open freestyle stop sign in a row. 

Coon will, like every other Open winner so far, earn a bye to the finals of the challenge tourney. Nick Gwiazdowski awaits in Final X if Coon wins in Raleigh. 

70 Kilograms

James Green vs Ryan Deakin

1st period: Green is looking for a bid to Final X to make his fifth straight world team. Deakin was a mild-surprise-finalist thanks to an upset win over Alec Pantaleo. Quick takedown gives Green an early 2-0 lead. Green staying active on offense. No other scores though after another minute of wrestling. Green still taking the majority of the shots but its still 2-0 with 60 seconds to go in the first. Deakin counters a blast double by grabbing an ankle and working his way up to a wheelbarrow position. Quad pod defense from Green holds up but Deaking gets a step out point to halve the lead. Green leads by one as we go to the break.

2nd period: Deakin shoots in on a single and it's his deepest shot yet. He converts to take the 3-2 lead. Green trails, and will need a 2nd-period comeback, like the one he achieved on Jason Nolf in the semis, to punch his ticket to Final X here in Vegas. Green gets in on Deakin legs. He converts for the lead, then hits a leg lace for two insurance points. Such a smooth transition from takedown to turn. Just a minute to go now ad Green is back in the driver's seat. Deakin back in on a single, trying to come around for the score. He powers through Green's whizzer defense to make it 6-5. 19 seconds remain. Green is warned for fleeing and we get a restart with 9 seconds on the clock. Deakin charges in. And Ryan Freakin Deakin pushes Green out of bounds and then covers for a continuation takedown! He leads 7-6 with one second left! A challenge from Green's corner but to no avail. 1 second is not enough time for Green on the restart and the Ryan Deakin is going to Final X Nebraska!

Wow, curve ball. Congrats to Ryan Deakin as he and his coach Cody Brewer are both US Open champs!

92 Kilograms

Hayden Zillmer vs Bo Nickal

1st period: Final X runnerup Hayden Zillmer has Hodge trophy winner Bo Nickal. Nickal shoots a high crotch but Zillmer grabs the trailing arm and whips Nickal over for two exposure points. Nickal continues to fight and eventually covers for a single point to make it 2-1. No turns so we restart. No scores and we're down to a minute left in the first. Nickal shoots another high crotch and this time brings his trailing arm up with him to cleanly covert for two. A gut wrench makes it 5-2 with 26 seconds left on the clock. We go to the break, same score.

2nd period: Nickal sets up another high crotch and finishes even clearer than the last time. It's 7-2. Zillmer grabs a single and pushes Nickal waaaaay out of bounds. Luckily there is a mat next to the one they were wrestling on and no one is injured. One of the sponsor signs was not so lucky and is now deceased. Nickal answers with yet another hi-c and gut to make it 11-3 and he's one takedown away from a tech fall. And there it is, Bo Nickal is a US Open champion with a 13-3 victory via technical superiority!

Nickal, who was fourth at the 2017 Open,  skips to the best of three series at the end of the challenge tourney final. A super match with J'Den Cox at Final X if he wins that. 

57 Kilograms

Thomas Gilman vs Daton Fix

1st period: A rematch of Final X at the Open finals. A bid to another Final X is on the line. A roll-jump by Fix and they shake hands to begin. Gilman in on the first shot. Head inside single. Fix tries to kick out of it. Gilman holds on. Fix now over the top. The flurry continues until it stops, and we get a restart. High crotch from Fix and he elevates a single leg. Fix drives Gilman out of bounds for a point. Gilman back in on a shot and they tumble out of bounds but its ruled grounded so no scores. Another single leg and another step out for Fix makes it 2-0 with 36 seconds on the lock. Gilman fires right back on the whistle but Fix stalemates the action. We go to the break with Fix still up by two as the Beastie Boy ask 'So What'cha Want?' on the arena speakers.

2nd period: Gilman with an underhook, driving Fix to the boundary, but no one goes out of bounds and we get a restart no change in scores. Gilman pushes Fix to the edge again but still can't get the step out as it's ruled grounded, to which the crowd responds with boos. Another single leg by Gilman and this time there is no doubt, Gilman picks up his first point and cuts the deficit in half. Same sequence brings them to the edge of the mat, but Fix counters Gilman for an exposure and extends the lead to 4-1. Gilman shoots again and finishes out of bounds for two. Or does he? Fix's corner challenges at Fix's request. Costly mistake as the call is upheld and Gilman now leads on criteria 4-4. Fix responds by getting a bodylock and forces Gilman to the mat, he leads 6-4 and chews up more precious clock. Gilman can't get through Fix's defenses and it's time to crown a new US Open champion! 

Daton Fix is going to get his horses from the back and head down the Old Town Road back to Final X! Sorry, the DJ was playing that song and I thought I could fit it in the blog. But things don't always work out the way we want them too. 

65 Kilograms

Yianni Diakomihalis vs Zain Retherford

1st period: Time for the marquee matchup! Yianni's tech fall of Jordon Oliver put the weight class on notice. But the Zain Train is not easily derailed, and the 2017 team trials champ is looking to get back on the world stage. Vintage Yiannni shot and scramble for two gives Yianni the early lead. Shot by Retherford now has Yianni in trouble. But Yianni is Yianni and after an absurd scramble that goes out of bounds we get a restart with no change of scores. Foot stomp single is thwarted by Yianni, and Yianni's duck under counter does not land. Another brief flurry gets a restart with less than 30 on the clock. A Yianni shot is stopped by a sprawl and that'll do it for action as we head to the break.

2nd period: Last period of senior men's freestyle wrestling at the Open gets underway. Blast double by Retherford and Yianni holds on to the chest lock for too long. He gives up the takedown and Zain gets the legs split and gets another turn out of the sequence and takes the 4-2 lead. We go back to neutral with 2 minutes remaining. A shot by Yianni is stalemated. Single leg from Zain but Yianni cuts the corner and gets the takedown and two for the lead on criteria. It's 4-4 with 40 seconds to go. Retherford drops down on a single, but it's another Yianni scramble, he climbs around Zain for two more as time runs out. Yianni Diakomihalis runs the gauntlet of that insane 65kg bracket and is the 2019 US Open champion!

Impressive display from the young man from Rochester, NY. All he does is win a bid to Final X Rutgers1