EAP wrestlers Tagg, Shannon, Kerkvliet receive day one draw at Roman Dmitriev International in Russia

The USA team is greeted upon its arrival in Yakutsk, Russia. Photo courtesy of Kevin Jackson.


YAKUTSK, Russia – After 31 hours of travel which brought the U.S. delegation to the Siberia section of Russia, the six-athlete U.S. team of Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) athletes has arrived and received the draw for the first day of the Roman Dmitriev Memorial International.


This is a UWW Junior-level tournament with numerous competitors from Russia, as well as from many other top wrestling nations. Three U.S. athletes will be in the first set of athletes in the tournament.


There is an amazing 38 entries at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., where Julian Tagg (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/EAP) has drawn the No. 10 spot. His first opponent based on the draw would be Artur Chebodaev of Russia.


There are 34 Russian athletes at Tagg’s weight, plus athletes from Greece, Mongolia and Poland.


At 74 kg/163 lbs., DJ Shannon (East St. Louis, Mo./EAP) drew No. 8 in a nine-athlete weight class. That puts him in a pigtail match against a Russian opponent (name currently not available). Should he win, Shannon would face the No. 7 draw, Bat-Erdene Byambasuren of Mongolia.


At 97 kg/213 lbs., 2017 Cadet World champion Daniel (Greg) Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Titan Mercury WC/EAP) drew No. 2 in a four-athlete weight class. Under UWW rules, he would have a round robin, facing all three opponents, two from Russia and one from Armenia.


Yakutsk is 14 hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone. The Roman Dmitriev Memorial is being held in the same arena which will host the 2019 Freestyle World Cup next weekend.


The Russian Wrestling Federation, through its wrestrus.ru website, will provide streams from the event. Click here for webstream


National Freestyle Developmental Coach Kevin Jackson is posting some great tweets from Yakutsk, which fans can follow @CoachKJ__

ROMAN DMITRIEV MEMORIAL INTERNATIONAL

At Yakutsk, Russia,


U.S. men’s freestyle first round draw


57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Julian Tagg, Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP)

Vs. Artur Chebodaev of Russia.


74 kg/163 lbs. – DJ Shannon, East St. Louis, Mo. (EAP)

Pigtail vs. TBA from Russia.

If Shannon wins, he draws Bat-Erdene Byambasuren (Mongolia)


97 kg/213 lbs. - Daniel (Greg) Kerkvliet, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP)

Four athlete round robin to include:

Andrey Abonov (Russia)

Kolya Harutyunyan (Armenia)

Adam Beterbiev (Russia)

Schedule (14 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)


Friday, March 8

10:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Semifinals (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg)

Saturday, March 9

10:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (61 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)

10:00 a.m. – Repechage (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg)


Sunday, March 10

11:00 a.m. – Repechage (61 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)

2:00 p.m. – Finals (61 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)