Five lead championship series after first round of Group A Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Round one of the Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials for Group A opened the first session of the day on Friday. Five took a 1-0 lead in their championship series, while one Senior World Team member was finalized in Jayden Raney.

It was a battle between teammates and Olympians at 63 kg, as Ellis Coleman captured the win in round one. Ildar Hafizov was hit with a passivity call early in the first period, and Coleman led 1-0. Coleman’s strong par terre offense pushed him to a 9-0 technical fall over Hafizov, as he locked up a tight gut wrench and turned Hafizov four times to end it early.

Another past Senior World Team member and 2020 Olympian Alejandro Sancho jumped ahead in the series at 72 kg, besting Aliaksandr Kikiniou Jr., 2-1. After Kikiniou was called for passivity, Sancho capitalized, forcing Kikiniou to the edge and adding another point.

At 77 kg, 2024 Olympian Kamal Bey defeated Aliaksandr Kikiniou Sr., 7-2. Bey was aggressive off the whistle, forcing Kikiniou to step out for a 1-0 lead. As time winded down in the first period, Bey pushed his lead to 6-0. In a wild exchange, Kikiniou turned Bey to escape, scoring two points, and Bey earned one point on the exchange with a reversal, holding on in the second for the win.

In a battle of age-group World medalists, Otto Black and Alston Nutter faced off in round one of the championship series at 67 kg. Black earned a chance on top in the first, and Nutter’s par terre defense kept it a 1-0 match. A body lock on the edge by Nutter put him ahead 4-1. After Black was called for passivity in the second, Nutter went for a lift, Black tried to counter and ended up on his back and Nutter ended the match by fall at 4:22.

Senior National Team member Max Black claimed a 1-0 lead in the series, defeating past Senior Men’s Freestyle World Team member Zane Richards, 3-2. In the first, Black scored three after Richards was hit with a passivity call, and was able to lock up a gut wrench for two more points. Richards narrowed in on the gap as Black was called in the second, but wasn’t able to even the score. Another point from Richards on a late step out made it a 3-2 match, and Black held on to win.

Jayden Raney earned a spot on his first Senior World Team at 55 kg, winning by forfeit over Brady Koontz prior to the start of the session.

The second round of the Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials finals for Group A are slated to begin at 6 p.m. PT inside The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas. A detailed schedule of events is available at usawrestlingevents.com.

All the action from Las Vegas will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets and match-by-match results are available through USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.

Round One Results

55 kg – Jayden Raney (NYAC) over Brady Koontz (Dubuque RTC/ Titan Mercury WC), FF

60 kg – Max Black (NYAC/NMU) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/ Titan Mercury WC), 3-2

63 kg – Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) tech. fall Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP), 9-0

67 kg – Alston Nutter (Army WCAP) pin Otto Black (NYAC/Colorado Top Team WC), 4:22

72 kg – Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) dec. Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC), 2-1

77 kg – Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) dec. Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC), 7-2