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    Andrew Hipps •

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    Hipps: What we learned in Las Vegas

    Now that we are a few days removed from the U.S. Open and UWW Junior Nationals, let's look at five things we learned in Las Vegas.

    Daton Fix is really, really good

    Daton Fix claimed the UWW Junior National freestyle title at 55 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
    Heading into Las Vegas, Daton Fix, a two-time Oklahoma state champion and Junior Olympic silver medalist, was regarded as one of the top five prospects in the Class of 2017. (In the latest InterMat grade rankings, pre-Vegas, Fix came in ranked fourth.) Fix raised his stock -- and national profile -- considerably after his performance in Vegas. He not only won the UWW Junior Nationals freestyle competition at 55 kilos, but defeated two NCAA Division I qualifiers, Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) and Ethan Lizak (Minnesota), by technical fall, and in the finals blanked Stevan Micic (Northwestern), 10-0. Fix has his sights set on winning both a Cadet World title and Junior World title this year. Standing in his way to make the Cadet World Team at 54 kilos could be Cadet World champion Spencer Lee. The two met in the UWW (FILA at the time) Cadet National freestyle finals in 2013, with Lee winning by technical fall in less than a minute.

    "It didn't go the way I planned," Fix said of that meeting with Lee two years ago. "This time I want to make sure it goes the right way."

    Anthony Valencia is a contender on the senior level at 74 kilos

    Returning Junior World Team member Anthony Valencia was expected to enter the loaded 74-kilo weight class on the junior level with the likes of Mark Hall, Jason Nolf, Chance Marsteller and Jon Jay Chavez. Valencia was beaten badly by Hall in a preseason event and many anticipated a rematch in Vegas. Instead, Valencia, the nation's top recruit in the Class of 2015, opted to compete on the senior level in a weight class that is widely considered to be the toughest freestyle weight class in the United States. Even without Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Dake (both chose not to compete in Vegas), 74 kilos on the senior level still packs plenty of punch.

    After winning by technical fall in his first two matches at the U.S. Open, Valencia defeated 2011 All-American Colt Sponseller in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he faced Andrew Howe. Valencia came out strong against Howe, taking him down and turning him to go up 4-0. Howe eventually came back to win the match, but Valencia's performance against Howe opened a lot of eyes. If his match against Howe didn't make people believers, his match for third place against University World champion Tyler Caldwell should have. Valencia used a lateral drop to go up 4-0 on Caldwell, and then use two double leg takedowns -- one for four points -- to earn a 10-0 technical fall.

    The World Team spot at 61 kilos in men's freestyle is up for grabs

    Coleman Scott won an Olympic bronze medal in 2012 at 60 kilos, but since then has not had the success on the international stage that many expected. He has failed to make the past two World teams. Reece Humphrey made his second World team in 2013 at 60 kilos, and last year Jimmy Kennedy took the spot at the new 61-kilo weight class. Scott had a disappointing World Cup performance in April, going 1-3. He entered the U.S. Open as the No. 1 seed at 61 kilos, but was upset in the round of 16 by Ali Naser. Scott showed a lot of determination in battling back to win six straight matches on the back side of the bracket to place third.

    Humphrey, who had been wrestling up a weight class at 65 kilos, came through to win his second U.S. Open title, beating Kendric Maple 7-6 in the finals. Humphrey admitted that he didn't feel his best in the U.S. Open finals, but was still able to come through and win. Maple, an NCAA champion and three-time All-American at Oklahoma, may lack freestyle experience, but makes up for it with his athleticism. Maple, along with Scott and potentially Junior World silver medalist Joey McKenna should challenge Humphrey for the U.S. World Team spot at 61 kilos.

    Jake Herbert still has tread on his tires

    Jake Herbert defeated Ed Ruth in the semifinals of the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
    Coming into the U.S. Open, not many people knew what to expect to see from 30-year-old Jake Herbert. He took two years off from competition after the 2012 Olympic Games, and his results since returning to competition this season have been mixed. He placed fifth at an event in Russia early this season, and was pinned by returning World Team member Ed Ruth in a Flo Premier League event in March. Herbert, who trains in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was seeded 10th in the pre-seeds, and was moved up to the fifth seed when the final seeds were released. Many wondered if Herbert was a still a legitimate threat to claim the title at 86 kilos, or whether he was nothing more than a former World medalist on the back side of his career providing depth to the weight class.

    In Las Vegas, Herbert showed that there is still plenty of tread on his tires. After "upsetting" fourth-seeded Richard Perry by technical fall in the quarterfinals, Herbert defeated Ruth in a high-scoring affair, 13-11, in the semifinals. In the finals he took out longtime friend Keith Gavin to claim his fourth U.S. Open title and earn a spot in the best-of-three finals of the U.S. World Team Trials next month. Prior to the Trials, Herbert will get a crack at three-time World medalist Reineris Salas Perez at "Salsa in the Square" on May 21. Herbert lost to Perez at the 2010 World Championships. Last month, Ruth topped Perez 22-13 at the World Cup in Los Angeles.

    The Kyle Snyder era may be starting sooner than expected

    Sometimes losses can be blessings. For Kyle Snyder, that may prove to be true. Snyder was pinned by Iowa State's Kyven Gadson on college wrestling's biggest stage in March. Could that loss become a defining moment in Snyder's career? That remains to be seen. But what we do know is that he has used that loss to fuel his fire. Not only did 20-year-old Snyder win the U.S. Open as the No. 6 seed, but he stunned 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner in the finals. Snyder's talent is undeniable, and from all accounts he is a tireless worker. Last year he wrestled a competitive against six-time World and Olympic champion Khadzhimurat Gatsalov of Russia at the Beat the Street evens in NYC. Snyder's victory over Varner to win the U.S. Open is a huge confidence booster and puts him in the driver's seat to represent the United States at the World Championships in Las Vegas.

    Since 2009, only two wrestlers, Jake Varner and J.D. Bergman, have represented the United States at 97 kilos (formerly 96 kilos) on the U.S. World Team or Olympic Team in freestyle. Snyder will look to break that trend next month in Madison, Wisconsin.
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