In Saturday's Challenge Tournament, Metcalf, who capped off his collegiate wrestling career at Iowa in March with his second NCAA title, took out two-time NCAA champion Teyon Ware in the quarterfinals, 2008 U.S. Olympian Doug Schwab in the semifinals, and top-seeded Josh Churella in the finals to win the Challenge Tournament in men's freestyle at 66 kg.
Metcalf now advances to the best-of-3 finals in Session IV against U.S. Open champion Jared Frayer, who served as a strength and conditioning coach at Iowa last season.
"If I'm going to win, I need to get to his legs and score," said Metcalf. "If I'm going to win against him, I need to get to his legs and score up in the air, which is really the right way to finish. You don't want to be hanging down with your head on the mat where he's going to be good."
Metcalf wasn't the only recent college graduate to win the Challenge Tournament. Angel Escobedo, who finished his college wrestling career as a four-time All-American at Indiana, went through a tough road in the Challenge Tournament at 55 kg, beating NCAA champion Paul Donahoe in the quarterfinals, high school phenom Logan Stieber in the semifinals, and 2009 U.S. Open champion Nick Simmons in the finals.
Escobedo will now face 2010 U.S. Open champion Obe Blanc in the best-of-3 finals for a chance to make his first U.S. World Team.
Keith Gavin bounced back from a disappointing fifth-place finish at the U.S. Open to win the Challenge Tournament at 84 kg. Gavin defeated Jordan Holm, Raymond Jordan, and Bryce Hasseman en route to winning the Challenge Tournament title. He will now face World silver medalist Jake Herbert in the best-of-3 finals.
World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev stopped 21-year-old rising star Dom Bradley in the finals of the Challenge Tournament in men's freestyle at 120 kg. Bradley defeated 2007 U.S. World Team member Tommy Rowlands in the semifinals, but was shut down in the finals against Dlagnev, who took the match in the first two periods.
On the Greco-Roman side, all three top seeds advanced to the best-of-3 finals, including four-time U.S. World Team member and World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz. The 30-year-old Ruiz, who came out of retirement this season, did not surrender a point in his two victories. He will now face a familiar opponent in 2009 U.S. World Team member R.C. Johnson. At 60 kg, Nathan Piasecki will face Jeremiah Davis, while Glenn Garrison is set to battle Faruk Sahin at 66 kg.
World champion Clarissa Chun, who missed the U.S. Open, defeated Sara Fulp-Allen to win the Challenge Tournament in women's freestyle at 48 kg. Chun will now face Alyssa Lampe in the best-of-3 finals. Helen Maroulis defeated Leigh Jaynes in the Challenge Tournament finals at 55 kg. Maroulis will now face World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla in the best-of-3 finals. Veronica Carlson captured the Challenge Tournament title at 63 kg and will face Elena Pirozhkova, a past University World champion, in the best-of-3 finals.
Session IV is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT.
Saturday's Best-of-3 Finals Matchups
Men's Freestyle:
55 kg: Obe Blanc (Gator WC) vs. Angel Escobedo (Gator WC)
66 kg: Jared Frayer (Gator WC) vs. Brent Metcalf (New York AC)
84 kg: Jake Herbert (New York AC) vs. Keith Gavin (LVAC)
120 kg: Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids)
Greco-Roman:
60 kg: Nathan Piasecki (U.S.) vs. Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army)
66 kg: Glenn Garrison (U.S. Army) vs. Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army)
96 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) vs. R.C. Johnson (Sunkist Kids)
Women's Freestyle:
48 kg: Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) vs. Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg: Tatiana Padilla (Sunkist Kids) vs. Helen Maroulis (New York AC)
63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) vs. Veronica Carlson (New York AC)
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