Jordan Burroughs defeated Isaiah Martinez two matches to zero (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)LINCOLN, Neb. -- The United States is on top right now in men's freestyle wrestling.
The reigning world team champions and World Cup champions are loading up for another big run.
Four members of those highly successful teams landed berths on the 2018 U.S. World Team.
Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, James Green and Thomas Gilman won titles at USA Wrestling's Final X before 2,916 fans Saturday night at the Devaney Center.
Burroughs made his eighth straight world-level team after downing young standout Isaiah Martinez 4-1 and 11-1 in the finals at 74 kilograms.
Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is seeking his fifth world title.
"It was incredible to wrestle here in front of the Husker fans again -- it was electric," Burroughs said. "It really means a lot for me and James Green to wrestle here and have a chance to make another world team. It's awesome. I'm very grateful to make another team."
The four men's freestyle champions on Saturday landed berths in October's UWW World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Burroughs now has a chance to equal John Smith's American record of six combined Olympic and world titles. It is a record he has targeted and talked about since he won his first world title in 2011.
"I'm motivated and hungry to have another chance to win a world title," he said. "I feel like I'm the best guy in the world right now. I'm excited to make another team."
Kyle Snyder cruised to a victory over Kyven Gadson (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Snyder defeated Kyven Gadson on Saturday at 97 kilograms.
Snyder, 22, will be shooting for his fourth straight gold medal after earning world titles in 2015 and 2017, and striking Olympic gold in 2016.
"I'm really motivated and driven to be the best in the world again," Snyder said. "I think our team is still the underdog to win world again because I think people thought it was a fluke. We're excited to try to win it again."
Snyder swept Gadson for the second straight year in the finals of the world qualifier.
Snyder won 9-0 and 8-2.
Gadson caught Snyder by surprise in the second match, firing in on a double-leg shot and driving Snyder off the stage.
"I've been in that situation before and you just have to keep your composure," he said. "I just had to keep wrestling hard. If he wouldn't have got that first takedown I would've teched him."
Thomas Gilman topped Daton Fix at 57 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Gilman, a 2017 world silver medalist, swept Junior world champion Daton Fix 6-3 and 2-1 at 57 kilograms.
"I'm super motivated to have another shot at winning a world title," he said. "I'm ready to make a run at it again and win it this time. I'm settling for nothing less than a gold medal."
James Green defeated Jason Chamberlain at 70 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Green, a 2017 world silver medalist and another former Husker, swept Jason Chamberlain 2-0 and 2-1 in the finals at 70 kilograms.
Two-time world silver medalist Alli Ragan swept past World Team member Jenna Burkert 4-0 and 5-0 in the women's freestyle finals at 59 kilograms.
"I'm ready for another shot to win a world title," Ragan said. "I've been second the past two years and I'm really excited to have another shot this year. I want that gold medal. That's all I'm training for."
Jacarra Winchester knocked off world bronze medalist Becka Leathers (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Jacarra Winchester knocked off world bronze medalist Becka Leathers in two straight matches to prevail at 55 kilograms. She won 10-6 and 5-1.
2017 World Team member Tamyra Stock took two straight matches from Randyll Beltz at 68 kilograms.
This was the first of three events in the new Final X format that will determine the U.S. men's and women's freestyle world team.
Final X events will follow in State College, Pa. and Bethlehem, Pa. over the next two weekends.
Results
70 kilograms: James Green def. Jason Chamberlain, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Green dec. Chamberlain, 2-0
Match 2: Green dec. Chamberlain, 2-1
59 kilograms: Alli Ragan def. Jenna Burkert, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Ragan dec. Burkert, 4-0
Match 2: Ragan dec. Burkert, 5-0
97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder def. Kyven Gadson, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Snyder dec. Gadson, 9-0
Match 2: Snyder dec. Gadson, 10-2
55 kilograms: Jacarra Winchester def. Becka Leathers, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Winchester dec. Leathers, 10-6
Match 2: Winchester dec. Leathers, 5-1
57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman def. Daton Fix, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Gilman dec. Fix, 6-3
Match 2: Gilman dec. Fix, 2-1
68 kilograms: Tamyra Stock def. Randyll Beltz, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Mensah-Stock tech. fall Beltz, 10-0
Match 2: Mensah-Stock tech. fall Beltz, 10-0
74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs def. Isaiah Martinez, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: Burroughs dec. Martinez, 4-1
Match 2: Burroughs tech. fall Martinez, 11-1
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