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.
79 KG
Jordan Burroughs will wrestle in Final X
Seeds
(1) David McFadden (Penn RTC)
(2) Vincenzo Joseph (California RTC)
(3) Alex Dieringer (Cliff Keen WC)
(4) Carter Starocci (NLWC)
(5) Chance Marsteller (Annapolis RTC)
(6) Isaiah Martinez (Beaver Dam RTC)
(7) Taylor Lujan (Panther WC)
(8) Nick Reenan (Wolfpack WC)
(9) Brayden Thompson (Illinois)
79 KG has been one of the deepest weights in the US, and that field is just as deep this year. In the top half, Chance Marsteller will take on Carter Starocci in a battle of PA natives. Marsteller has looked very impressive in his post-college career but has not been able to get over the hump. We all know the 2x NCAA champ Carter Starocci and how talented he is. I will go with Starocci in this one. Also, McFadden should be good enough to beat either Reenan or Thompson.
The bottom half is very interesting. Not only will we see Lujan vs Joseph in a good match, but Isaiah Martinez vs Alex Dieringer as well. First off, I see Joseph getting past Lujan in that Quarter. Martinez vs Dieringer is the true coin flip. Martinez is a top 3 wrestler in this weight class but needed the Last Chance Qualifier last week to get in, and that is why he is in this position. Plus, both wrestlers have been to Final X in the past, so it should show the magnitude of the matchup. The coin was flipped, and I will go with Alex Dieringer.
The first Semi-Final between McFadden and Starocci should be a good one. I am going with Starocci in that one. The second Semi is between Joseph and Dieringer, and I will go with Dieringer in a tight one. Dieringer vs Starocci final will be a best of 3, and I see Dieringer pulling it out in the first 2 matches. Now those will not be tech falls, but I think Dieringer will be in control. It sets up a massive Final X showdown between Dieringer and Jordan Burroughs.
86 KG
David Taylor will wrestle in Final X.
Seeds
(1) Mark Hall (Penn RTC)
(2) Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids)
(3) Pat Downey (Florida)
(4) Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC)
(5) Drew Foster (Panther WC)
(6) Marcus Coleman (Iowa)
(7) Owen Webster (Gopher WC)
(8) Caden Steffen (Mustang WC)
(9) Caleb Hopkins (Buies Creek WC)
(10) Julien Broderson (Iowa)
(11) Andrew Morgan (Spartan Combat RTC)
86 KG has 2 favorites on both sides of the bracket in Mark Hall and Zahid Valencia. Drew Foster vs Trent Hidlay will be a great Quarterfinal, and I see Hidlay pulling that one out in a close one to meet Mark Hall in the Semi-Finals. We will likely see Marcus Coleman vs Pat Downey in the Quarters, and I will go with Downey to meet Zahid Valencia in the Semi-Finals.
Hidlay vs Hall will be an incredible Semi-Final, and I think a close one. Hall should be able to pull it off and advance to the finals. Zahid Valencia looked very impressive at the Pan-Ams on his way to Gold, and I think he continues that momentum into the Finals to face off in a best of 3 final. I see Hall and Valencia splitting the first 2 matches, but eventually, in the third match, Valencia will pull off the victory and advance to Final X to take on David Taylor.
92 KG
J’den Cox will wrestle in Final X.
Seeds
(1) Cameron Caffey (Michigan WC)
(2) Nathan Jackson (NYAC)
(3) Jay Aiello (Cavalier WC)
(4) Isaac Trumble (Wolfpack WC)
(5) Max Shaw (Tar Heel WC)
(6) Levi Hopkins (Buies Creek WC)
(7) Michael Battista (Cavalier WC)
It’s a small field at 92 KG, and everybody has a shot of winning it. Barring an addition, Caffey will start out in the Semi-Finals and will face either Isaac Trumble or Max Shaw. Going off of NCAA results, Trumble beat Shaw twice, and I do not see why it would change now.
Nathan Jackson is a stellar wrestler when it comes to Freestyle which was surprising to see that he had to wait until last week’s Last Chance Qualifier to get into the World Team Trials. However, I think he gets past Michael Battista in that matchup. The other Quarter will see Jay Aiello vs Levi Hopkins, and I will give the edge to Aiello.
I see Trumble taking out Caffey in a close matchup in the first Semi-Final. In the second Semi I see Nathan Jackson handling Jay Aiello to set up the best of 3 final versus Trumble. I see Jackson being too much for Trumble to handle, especially off of his performance last week at the Last Chance Qualifier. It will set up a J’den Cox vs Nathan Jackson Final X matchup.
97 KG
Kyle Snyder will wrestle in Final X.
Seeds
(1) Michael Macchiavello (Wolfpack WC)
(2) Kollin Moore (Ohio RTC)
(3) Timothy Dudley (Sunkist Kids WC)
(4) Samuel Mitchell (Bulls WC)
(5) Ethan Laird (Broncs WC)
(6) Duncan Lee (Iowa)
(7) Jason Carter (MontCo WC)
Another small field that I think is a little more straightforward. Macchiavello is the clear favorite out of the top half of the bracket. Macchiavello should be able to handle either Mitchell or Laird. Kollin Moore is also a clear favorite on that bottom side, and I do not see anyone beating Moore.
Kollin Moore vs Michael Macchiavello will be an explosive best of 3 finals matchup. I see them splitting the first 2 matches, which will set up match 3 for all the marbles. I give the edge to Kollin Moore in that final match to advance to Final X to take on former Ohio State teammate Kyle Snyder.
125 KG
Seeds
(1) Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC)
(2) Nick Gwiazdowski (Spartan Combat RTC)
(3) Anthony Cassioppi (Hawkeye WC)
(4) Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids)
(5) Ty Walz (Spartan Combat RTC)
(6) Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids WC)
(7) Demetrius Thomas (Pittsburgh WC)
(8) Lucas Davison (Wildcat WC)
(9) Jordan Wood (Lehigh)
(10) Christian Lance (NWTC)
(11) Derek White (CKWC)
(12) Ceron Francisco (NLWC)
With Gable Steveson moving on in his career path, we see the US looking for a new Heavyweight, or maybe a familiar one. The top half of the bracket seems loaded with land mines all over the place. Hayden Zillmer will have to face either Lucas Davison or Jordan Wood, and I see Zillmer being able to get past both of them. Dom Bradley vs Ty Walz will be a good Quarterfinal, and I see Walz pulling that out to set up a Semi-Final match against Zillmer.
On the bottom side, it is interesting. Starting with potentially seeing Kyven Gadson vs Anthony Cassioppi. Gadson has been a historically great wrestler down at 97 KG and will bump up, but he draws the 2021 U23 World Champ Anthony Cassioppi. I give the edge to Cassioppi. Gwiazdowski, fresh off of Pan-Am Silver, will see either Christian Lance or Demetrius Thomas in the Quarterfinals, and I think he gets past either one.
The Semi-Finals will determine the 125 KG Final X matchup, so these are huge. First up, I see Zillmer getting past Ty Walz in a close match. Zillmer has just been consistently good throughout his Freestyle career, and I do not see that ending now. The other Semi-Final will be incredible between Gwiazdowski and Cassioppi. This match will be about as tight as you can get, but I see Cassioppi pulling off the huge win. That sets up a Final X matchup between Hayden Zillmer and Anthony Cassioppi.