VIDEO: World Team Trials champion interviews

ROCHESTER, Minn. – The remaining 10 spots for Final X have been determined after an action-packed afternoon at World Team Trials Challenge Tournament best-of-three finals in Rochester, Minn., on Sunday.

In the headlining series of the day, Daton Fix, who just wrapped up his freshman season at Oklahoma State, avenged his U.S. Open loss to two-time World Team member Tony Ramos, taking the finals in two matches at 57 kg.

Fix won a tight 4-1 bout in the first match before opening it up in the second with 10-3 win, which included an inside trip for four and an immediate gut wrench.

With the win, 2017 Junior World champion Fix punched his ticket to Final X in Lincoln, Neb., on June 9 to take on 2017 Senior World silver medalist Thomas Gilman for the World Team spot at 57 kg.

“If I get in a wrestling match with really anybody in the world, there’s a good chance, a really good chance, that I’m going to win,” Fix said. “I need to make them wrestle me. I can’t go out there and wrestle their style.”

With 2018 U.S. Open champion Joe Colon sitting in Final X, we’ll see a rematch of one of the wildest U.S. Open finals matches as Nahshon Garrett came through the Challenge Tournament at 61 kg, defeating Nico Megludis in the finals in a battle of NCAA champions.

Garrett was dominant in the series, pulling out two shutout technical falls, 11-0 and 10-0, respectively.

Garrett and Colon will go to war on June 23 in Bethlehem, Pa., in Final X for the 61 kg spot on the U.S. World Team.

2016 World champion Logan Stieber earned the bid to Final X at 65 kg, downing U.S. Open runner-up and Mizzou wrestler Jaydin Eierman in two matches. The last time the two met was in the Open quarterfinals, where Eierman edged out Stieber with a 6-5 decision.

On Sunday in the Challenge Tournament finals, Stieber got his revenge with a pair of impressive decisions, winning 10-5 and 7-1.

For the World Team bid at 65 kg, Stieber will face U.S. Open champion and U23 World bronze medalist Joey McKenna in the Final X series in State College, Pa., on June 16.

In the only series that went to three matches, U.S. Open champion Jason Chamberlain took the first and third matches against 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro at 70 kg.

The two have met four times in the last three weeks as they also went head-to-head in the U.S. Open semifinals with Chamberlain taking a 4-3 decision.

In Sunday’s series, Chamberlain won the first bout, 4-1, but Molinaro forced it to a third match, when he picked up a decisive 7-1 win. In the third match, Chamberlain walked away with a 2-1 win to earn a bid to Final X in Lincoln, Neb., where two-time World medalist James Green is awaiting him.

“[Molinaro] is tough. He’s a tough competitor and I look forward to these battles,” Chamberlain said. “I think I’m battle tested. I’m ready to go when it comes down to it. I think most of the time my teammates will say I play games in the room harder than anyone else. When I wrestle I never show that aggression and physicality, but I know I have it, and matches like that are when you have it and just be more physical than the other guy.”

Heading to Final X to take on four-time World champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs is U.S. Open champion Isaiah Martinez, who emerged victorious from the Challenge Tournament at 74 kg, dominating Nazar Kulchytskyy with a pair of tech falls.

Martinez, a two-time NCAA champion for Illinois, will face off against Burroughs for the World Team spot at 74 kg at Final X in Lincoln, Neb., on June 9.

“It’s not an uphill battle in my mind, maybe in everyone else’s mind, but who wouldn’t want to be in my position?” Martinez said. “I’m 23 years old. I’m starting to come into my own in freestyle. I’m getting real confident. I believe I can be the best. I’m just excited for the opportunity. Jordan is a hero. He’s a legend, so who wouldn’t want to be in my position? I’m excited because I’ve got some good things working.”

One of the more surprising performances of the day came from 2017 Junior World silver medalist Zahid Valencia, who nearly shut out another past Junior World silver medalist and two-time National Team member Alex Dieringer in the best-of-three series at 79 kg.

Valencia put up a 7-0 win before sealing his spot in Final X with a 5-1 decision.

“Nick Marable came in and helped me out [prior to Trials]. Talk about a defensive wrestler,” Valencia said. “It was tough, for sure frustrating. I would try and get to [Marable’s] legs then he limps out. He’s just so solid, so short to the ground. But that really helped me prepare for the tournament. I don’t think I could’ve had a better partner.”

Waiting for him in Final X is 2018 U.S. Open winner Kyle Dake. The two will meet up on June 16 in State College, Pa.

At 86 kg, Nick Reenan will head to Final X in State College on June 16 to face 2018 U.S. Open champion and Ivan Yarygin champion David Taylor for the World Team spot after defeating U.S. Open runner-up Richard Perry, 4-0 and 6-3.

2017 freestyle and Greco National Team member and Minnesota native Hayden Zillmer brought down the house with his resilient championship performance against Deron Winn at 92 kg.

Zillmer won the first bout with a solid 8-2 decision but was forced to come back from a 7-3 deficit halfway through the second period. After a pair of step outs, Zillmer scored a takedown and went straight into a gut wrench in the final 40 seconds, leading him to 9-7 victory and punching his ticket to Final X in Bethlehem on June 23 to take on World and Olympic bronze medalist J’den Cox.

In the series at 97 kg, only one bout was wrestled as U.S. Open champion Austin Schafer medical forfeited the second bout after suffering an injury in the first bout against National Team member Kyven Gadson, who won the match 8-1.

A 2014 NCAA champion for Iowa State, Gadson avenged his U.S. Open semifinals loss to Schafer, which ended in a 4-3 win for the Oklahoma native.

Gadson heads to Final X in Lincoln, Neb., on June 9, where he will take on two-time World champion and 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder for the World Team spot at 97 kg. The two also met up in last year’s best-of-three finals in the World Team Trials.

At heavyweight, 2018 U.S. Open champion Adam Coon, who sat out until the finals, was challenged by Tony Nelson for the Final X spot.

Coon controlled the series, collecting a 6-1 decision and a 10-4 win to advance to Final X in Bethlehem. There he will face 2017 World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski for the World Team spot at 125 kg.

Tickets are still available for all three Final X events. Find them below:
June 9, Lincoln, Neb.
June 16, State College, Pa.
June 23, Bethlehem, Pa.

2018 FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS
at Rochester, Minn., May 18-20

Final X schedule
Lincoln, Neb., June 9
57 kg: Thomas Gilman vs. Daton Fix
70 kg: James Green vs. Jason Chamberlain
74 kg: Jordan Burroughs vs. Isaiah Martinez
97 kg: Kyle Snyder vs. Kyven Gadson

State College, Pa., June 16
65 kg: Joey McKenna vs. Logan Stieber
79 kg: Kyle Dake vs. Zahid Valencia
86 kg: David Taylor vs. Nick Reenan

Bethlehem, Pa., June 23
61 kg: Joe Colon vs. Nahshon Garrett
92 kg: J’den Cox vs. Hayden Zillmer
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Adam Coon

Senior men’s freestyle

Final results
57 kg: Daton Fix (Titan Mercury) def. Tony Ramos (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Bout one – Fix dec. Ramos, 4-1
Bout two – Fix dec. Ramos, 10-3

Third: Tim Lambert (Sunkist Kids) dec. Zane Richards (Titan Mercury), 10-2

61 kg: Nahshon Garrett (Sunkist Kids) def. Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Garrett tech. fall Megaludis, 11-0
Bout two – Garrett tech. fall Megaludis, 10-0

Third: Tyler Graff (Titan Mercury WC) dec, Jon Morrison (NYAC), 5-4

65 kg: Logan Stieber (Titan Mercury) def. Jaydin Eierman (Titan Mercury), two matches to none
Bout one – Stieber dec. Eierman, 10-5
Bout two – Stieber dec. Eierman, 7-1

Third: Andy Simmons (NYAC) fall Evan Henderson (Titan Mercury), 1:05

70 kg: Jason Chamberlain (Titan Mercury) def. Frank Molinaro (Titan Mercury), two matches to one
Bout one – Chamberlain dec. Molinaro, 4-1
Bout two – Molinaro dec. Chamberlain, 7-1
Bout three – Chamberlain dec. Molinaro, 2-1

Third: Alec Pantaleo (Michigan RTC) dec. Ryan Deakin (Northwestern/ Chicago RTC), 5-0

74 kg: Isaiah Martinez (Titan Mercury) def. Nazar Kulchytskyy (Titan Mercury), two matches to none
Bout one – Martinez tech. fall Kulchytskyy, 13-2
Bout two – Martinez tech. fall Kulchytskyy, 13-2

Third: Evan Wick (Titan Mercury) dec. Quinton Godley (Titan Mercury), 5-1

79 kg: Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids) def. Alex Dieringer (Titan Mercury), two matches to none
Bout one – Valencia dec. Dieringer, 7-0
Bout two – Valencia dec. Dieringer, 5-1

Third: Nathan Jackson (New Jersey RTC) dec. Josh Asper (Navy-Marine Corps RTC), 10-4

86 kg: Nick Reenan (Titan Mercury) def. Richard Perry (New York AC), two matches to none
Bout one – Reenan dec. Perry, 4-0
Bout two – Reenan dec. Perry, 6-3

Third: Pat Downey (Titan Mercury) dec. Joe Rau (Minnesota Storm), 7-0

92 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm) vs. Deron Winn (Titan Mercury)
Bout one – Zillmer dec. Winn, 8-2
Bout two – Zillmer dec. Winn, 9-7

Third: Timmy Mccall (Titan Mercury) dec. Nikko Reyes (Valley RTC), 4-1

97 kg: Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids) def. Austin Schafer (New York AC), two matches to none
Bout one – Gadson dec. Schafer, 8-1
Bout two – Gadson win by medical forfeit over Schafer

Third: Nathan Burak (Titan Mercury) tech. fall Blaize Cabell (Valley RTC), 12-1

125 kg: Adam Coon (New York AC/ Michigan WC) def. Anthony Nelson (Minnesota Storm), two matches to none
Bout one – Coon dec. Nelson, 6-1
Bout two – Coon dec. Nelson, 10-4

Third: Jake Varner (Nittany Lion) dec. Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids), 3-1