Jordan Burroughs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World champion Jordan Burroughs, who won two NCAA titles for Nebraska, two-time World medalist James Green, a four-time All-American for Nebraska, and 2017 World silver medalist Thomas Gilman, who was a high school star from Omaha, Neb., are among the headline athletes who have qualified to compete in Final X in Lincoln.
With the conclusion of the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nev. on April 28, half of the field for Final X in Lincoln has been determined.
The event will be hosted at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, starting at 6 p.m. CST on Saturday, June 9, with exclusive live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling.com, as well as on the FloSports apps on iOS, Roku and Apple TV 4.
Tickets remain available for Final X in Lincoln. Fans can order tickets for Final X in Lincoln, and all three Final X events, by visiting FinalX.tv
Final X will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle. FloWrestling will provide exclusive coverage of all three Final X events. The two other Final X events will be held in State College, Pa. on June 16 and Bethlehem, Pa. on June 23.
There are seven weight classes assigned to Final X in Lincoln: men's freestyle (57 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg) and women's freestyle (55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg).
Six of the seven wrestlers who have already qualified for Final X in Lincoln have won World medals, with the other qualifier being a past World Team member.
There is a strong Nebraska connection with three of the qualifiers, as Burroughs and Green currently live and train in Lincoln, after completing their college careers at the University of Nebraska. Gilman was a four-time state champion for Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha.
Burroughs boasts an Olympic gold medal from the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He claimed World gold medals in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017, and added a 2014 World bronze medal. He was also a 2016 Olympian. Burroughs has won six World Cup gold medals and has claimed two Pan American Games titles (2011 and 2015). Burroughs won two NCAA titles (2009, 2011) and three All-American honors for the University of Nebraska. He was the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's best college wrestler. Burroughs was a 2006 New Jersey state champion for Winslow Township High School.
Green won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France and a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. He was a 2016 World Cup champion. Green also captured a silver medal at the 2014 University World Championships. He won the 2017 U.S. Open. In college, Green was a four-time All-American for Nebraska, placing third at the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Championships, and seventh at the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Championships. Green won a 2011 New Jersey state title for Willingboro High School.
Gilman won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France, competing on his first Senior World Team. He also competed on three age-group World Teams for the United States, including winning a 2014 Junior World bronze medal. He was a 2017 Grand Prix of Spain champion. Gilman was a three-time All-American for Iowa, placing second at the 2016 NCAA Championships, third at the 2017 NCAA Championships and fourth at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle Snyder will compete in Final X at Lincoln. Snyder won his Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. He added World titles in Las Vegas in 2015 and in Paris in 2017. Snyder also boasts Junior World gold and Junior World bronze medals. Snyder won three NCAA titles and was a four-time finalist for Ohio State. He was a three-time National Prep School champion for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Maryland, then graduated from Coronado High School in Colorado as a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete during his senior year.
Two 2017 World medalists in women's wrestling have accepted their automatic qualification for Final X in Lincoln, both with roots from the American heartland.
Two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan hails from Carbondale, Ill. and currently trains in Iowa City, Iowa. Ragan won silver medals at the 2016 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. A five-time U.S. Senior World Team member, she was also fifth at the 2014 World Championships. Ragan was second in the 2013 World University Games and is a two-time Junior World bronze medalist. She was a 2013 and 2014 WCWA national champion for King University, and a four-time WCWA finalist.
2017 World bronze medalist Becka Leathers is a native of Choctaw, Okla. In her first Senior World Championships, Leathers won a World bronze medal at 55 kg in Paris, France. She won gold medals at the 2017 Pan American Championships and the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial. Leathers recently won the 2018 U23 World Team Trials. She was a 2015 Junior World bronze medalist, competed in two Junior World Championships and one Cadet World Championships. She was a WCWA national champion for Oklahoma City Univ. in 2016.
Also qualifying for Final X in Lincoln is 2017 World Team member Tamyra Stock, who previously competed under her maiden name Mensah. Stock is a native of Katy, Texas. She competed for Wayland Baptist in college, winning two WCWA women's college national titles and four All-American honors. Stock qualified for Final X by winning the 2018 U.S. Open, her second career Open title. She was the first American to win back-to-back gold medals at the respected Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Russia.
The Final X field will be finalized at the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament for men's and women's freestyle, set for Rochester, Minn., May 18-20, where the champions will advance to Final X. The Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament will air live and on-demand only on FloWrestling.
For Final X in Lincoln, ticket prices are available in these pricing levels: VIP seating for $75.00, Reserved seating (online option for early buyers) for $50.00 and General Admission seating (first come, first serve) for $30.00. Age 2 and under are free. To order tickets, please visit FinalX.tv
For more information, visit FinalX.tv, FloWrestling.com or TheMat.com.
FINAL X IN LINCOLN, JUNE 9
Qualifiers as of April 30
Men's freestyle 57 kg
2017 World silver medalist - Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
Men's freestyle 70 kg
2017 World silver medalist - James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
Men's freestyle 74 kg
2017 World champion - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
Men's freestyle 97 kg
2017 World champion - Kyle Snyder, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
Women's freestyle 55 kg
2017 World bronze medalist - Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
Women's freestyle 59 kg
2017 World silver medalist - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
Women's freestyle 68 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Tamyra Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion -
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