Competition Concludes at 2023 Senior Nationals

Three days of wrestling are completed to get us closer to having our full contingent of Olympic Trials competitors with the Last Chance Qualifier being the final results needed.

65kg Men’s Freestyle is the Highlight of the Weekend

Before, during and certainly after the tournament concluded, 65kg was the most masterful weight class of the weekend. On the first day of men’s freestyle competition, we had already had more than enough chaos. Then on the final day things got even better and that was before we made it to the finals. In the consolation semifinals, Joey McKenna and Austin Desanto put on a show that needed some extra time to look at the final exchange. Nonetheless, McKenna came out on top to move on to the 3rd place bout. 

On the other side, Seth Gross, who lost his first match of the tournament, wrestled all the way back to earn his opportunity to finish third. And while his match with McKenna was thrilling, it was nothing like his bout with Alec Pantaleo in the consolation semifinals where he locked up a trapped arm gut wrench after countering Pantaleo’s turn attempt to score 16 straight points and get the technical fall after trailing 6-0. Gross would go on to fall to McKenna in the 3rd place bout. 

Velte Shuts Out the Field, An Underdog Emerges at 76 & Jacarra at 62kg??

Mallory Velte really let her offense show this weekend as she kept each of her opponents scoreless. Wins of 10-0, 13-0 and a fall preceded her eventual 1st place finish, which came via forfeit in the finals. 

Coming into the tournament, eventual finalists Precious Wieser and Marlynne Deede came in seeded third and fifth and at the end it was Wieser that was crowned champion with a big throw and fall over Deede. 

You’re reading that correctly, the multiple-time world medalist and 2019 55 kg World Champion wrestled at 62kg this weekend and finished at the top. But why was she so far from her normal weight class, that’s been 53 kg during Olympic years? Afterwards she said that she wanted to get a different feel against women who are stronger than her, who she normally wouldn’t see in a live tournament setting. She went on to say that her return to 53kg is to be determined. 

Dom Bradley Qualifies For 5th Olympic Trials

After it was all said and done, Dom Bradley was once again victorious claiming his fourth Senior National title and qualifying for his 5th Olympic Trials. He spoke about how a lot of the guys he competed against in 2008 are now solely coaching and how his competition has changed to the young guys he used to recruit. Overall, he’s still grinding and coming away with hard fought wins.