The 2022 USA Wrestling World Team Trials kicks off on Saturday and it is the last step in the process of determining who will be in Final X to compete for a Senior World Team spot.
These predictions are based on the seeds released by USA Wrestling on 5/16. All the seeds are subject to change up until the start of the tournament.
57 KG
Thomas Gilman will wrestle in Final X.
Seeds
(1) Matthew Ramos (Boilermaker RTC)
(2) Vitali Arujau (Spartan Combat RTC)
(3) Zane Richards (Illinois RTC)
(4) Jakob Camacho (Wolfpack WC)
(5) Anthony Molton (Buies Creek WC)
(6) Caleb Smith (Boone RTC)
(7) Gregory Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC)
(8) Gabriel Townsell (NYAC)
(9) Aden Reeves (Viking WC)
(10) Michael Tortice (Knights RTC)
(11) Timothy Levine (NERTC)
All weights are interesting, but I think 57 KG takes the cake. Vitali Arujau, in my eyes, is the clear favorite, but he holds a difficult path to reaching the finals. Barring the seeds holding up, Arujau could see fellow Cornell and club teammate Greg Diakomihalis in the Quarters. Then he will likely face Zane Richards in the Semi-Finals, who finished fourth in the 2020/21 Olympic Team Trials.
The top side looks relatively straightforward till the Semi-Finals, where we could see Matthew Ramos vs Jakob Camacho. Gabriel Townsell could throw a monkey in the wrench as he will see Matthew Ramos early. It could be a matchup to watch out for early. Now Ramos beat Camacho at the US Open 3-3 with criteria, so we should be looking for a repeat performance.
I see Camacho pulling out a close win over Ramos and Arujau cruising through the bottom side. There will be a best of 3 finals at 57 KG to determine Thomas Gilman‘s opponent in Final X. I think Arujau cruises in the finals here, winning two matches back to back. So we will see a repeat of the 2020/21 Olympic Team Trials final between Arujua and Gilman.
61 KG
Daton Fix will wrestle in Final X.
Seeds
(1) Nico Megaludis (Pittsburgh WC)
(2) Joshua Rodriguez (NLWC)
(3) Tyler Graff (NJRTC)
(4) Jesse Mendez (Region Wrestling Academy)
(5) Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids)
(6) Daniel Deshazer (Gopher WC)
(7) Josh Kramer (Sunkist Kids WC)
(8) Shelton Mack (New York City RTC)
61 KG has the best chance for seeds to hold up to the Semi-Finals, but that does not mean we will not see some shake-ups. Nico Megaludis looked strong at the US Open but will have to face one of the most potent 8 seeds in the tournament, 2021 Pan-Am Gold medalist Shelton Mack. I think the marquee matchup will come between Jesse Mendez and Seth Gross. Mendez has had a solid start to his young career, not even stepping a foot in college, and has placed third at the US Open. Gross had a strong performance in last year’s Olympic Trials, placing fourth. I think we see Megaludis vs Gross in the Semi-Finals.
The bottom half looks manageable for Joshua Rodriguez and Tyler Graff until they meet in the Semi-Finals. The best chance for a hiccup early is against Deshazer, but I think he will win that. After that, Graff vs Rodriguez is going to be a good Semi-Final.
I see Megaludis and Graff in the finals at 61 KG. This will also be the best of 3 finals to see who faces Daton Fix at Final X. I think this will take all 3 matches; with Megaludis and Graff splitting the first 2 matches in the third match, I believe Graff will pull it out. So it will be Fix vs Graff at Final X.
65 KG
Seeds
(1) Kendric Maple (Sunkist Kids WC)
(2) Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC)
(3) Joey McKenna (Penn RTC)
(4) Nick Lee (NLWC)
(5) Matthew Kolodzik (NYAC)
(6) Ian Parker (Cyclone RTC)
(7) Luke Pletcher (Pittsburgh WC)
(8) Evan Henderson (Ohio RTC)
(9) Patricio Lugo (Hawkeye WC)
(10) Dean Heil (Oklahoma RTC)
(11) Beau Bartlett (NLWC)
(12) Carter Young (Cowboy RTC)
(13) Joshua Saunders (Spartan Combat RTC)
65 KG is absolutely loaded with excellent talent. There is not anyone sitting in Final X at this Wright, so the Semi-Finals will determine who will advance. Looking at the top half of that bracket, the matches to watch would be Kolodzik vs Young early on, Kolodzik looked really good at the US Open, but Young had that third-place finish in last year’s World Team Trials. Kendrick Maple should not have an issue getting to the Semi-Finals. I think he can handle Henderson or Lugo, and I think Lee will be able to handle either Kolodzik or Young, but the match will be tight.
The bottom looks to be challenging to say the least. Yanni Diakomihalis has to be the favorite to come out of the bottom half, but with Pan-Am Gold medalist Joey McKenna, Ian Parker, and Luke Pletcher in the way, it won’t be easy. Beau Bartlett could give Ian Parker a run for his money being a Junior World Bronze Medalist, but I think Parker will pull it out. It sets up McKenna vs Parker and Pletcher vs Diakomihalis in the Quarters, and I believe McKenna and Diakomihalis will pull it out.
I think Nick Lee will take out Maple in a close match, and McKenna will take out Diakomihalis on one of those wild matches Yanni seems to have. It sets up an intriguing Final X matchup between Nick Lee and Joey McKenna, which could go all 3 matches.
70 KG
Seeds
(1) Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC)
(2) Ryan Deakin (Wildcat WC)
(3) Jordan Oliver (Sunkist Kids WC)
(4) Zain Retherford (NLWC)
(5) Doug Zapf (Penn RTC)
(6) Michael Blockhus (Gopher WC)
(7) Sammy Sasso (Ohio RTC)
(8) Tyler Berger (Sunkist Kids)
(9) Anthony Ashnault (NJRTC)
(10) Dayne Morton (Wolves WC)
(11) Jarod Verkleeren (Cavalier WC)
Same as 57 KG, 70 KG is an exciting weight. Alec Pantaleo should breeze to the Semi-Finals as I think he will beat Tyler Berger. Zain Retherford vs Doug Zapf is going to be a good Quarterfinal. Retherford has not wrestled much as of late and did not compete at Pan-Ams because of an illness. On the other hand, Zapf had an impressive run at the US Open all the way to the Semi-Finals beating 3 wrestlers in this field, including Blockhus, twice. So I give the edge to Zapf to set up a rematch of the US Open Semi-Final versus Pantaleo.
The bottom half could see a lot of upsets seed-wise. Sammy Sasso vs Ryan Deakin should be a great Quarterfinal with Deakin being such a strong finisher, but Sasso virtually never gives up a takedown; I give the edge to Deakin. The other Quarter will be just as good between Jordan Oliver and Michael Blockhus. Both wrestlers are very impressive, but I give the edge to Oliver to set up a huge Semi-Final matchup against Ryan Deakin.
Like 65 KG, the finalists at this weight will face off at Final X. Pantaleo vs Zapf was a tight match at the US Open, with Pantaleo winning 3-2. I think Pantaleo will win this match in a similar outcome with it being close but pulling it out. The other Semi-Final will be incredible. Deakin vs Oliver will be a very tightly contested match. I give the edge to Oliver in this one to set up a US Open Final rematch against Pantaleo at Final X.
74 KG
Seeds
(1) Jason Nolf (NLWC)
(2) Joshua Shields (Sunkist Kids)
(3) Thomas Gantt (Wolfpack WC)
(4) David Carr (Cyclone RTC)
(5) Collin Purinton (Sunkist Kids WC)
(6) Peter Pappas (Unattached)
(7) Joey Lavallee (LVWC)
Smaller field at 74 KG with only one coming out of the World Team Trials to face Kyle Dake at Final X. The top half is all Jason Nolf. Nolf will advance to the Semi-Finals to face either David Carr or Collin Purinton. I give the edge to Carr in that one, but Nolf will take control in the Semi-Finals.
Joshua Shields also looks like the clear favorite out of the bottom half, but we cannot count out Thomas Gantt or Joey Lavallee. Shields will be too much for those two guys, and will move on.
Nolf and Shields will meet in a best of 3 Final to see who goes to Final X. Nolf are too much to handle for many wrestlers in the world, and I think it will be the same here. However, Nolf should cruise in the Finals to set up an explosive Final X matchup versus Kyle Dake.