Burroughs holds off Dake to give him Open title and renewed hope in tough year

LAS VEGAS — No one knew how tough the 2016 Olympics in Rio were for Jordan Burroughs more than the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and three-time World champion who failed to medal last August in Brazil. And that failure to place was one reason Burroughs was forced to compete in this year’s U.S. Open in men’s freestyle, which was held in the South Point hotel Friday and Saturday.

“This has been an extremely tough six or seven months for me,” said Burroughs, shortly after he held off a big challenge from Kyle Dake in their 74-kilogram final that saw the former Nebraska Cornhusker prevail 2-2 on criteria … as he earned the deciding point when the former four-time NCAA champion from Cornell failed to score on a shot clock warning. “There has been a lot of doubt so this feels good, but I know I have to beat Kyle at least two more times if I want to wrestle in this year’s Worlds.

By beating Dake, Burroughs was among five of the eight winners earned an automatic spot in the Best 2-of-3 Championship Finals of the Men’s Freestyle World Team Trials, which will be held June 10 in Lincoln, Neb. The exception will be at 61, 86 and 97 kilograms where, respectively, Logan Stieber (2016 World champ), J’den Cox (Olympic bronze medalist) and Kyle Snyder (Olympic champion), are all eligible to earn an automatic spot in the Championship Series of the upcoming World Team Trials at those weight classes after earning medals in either event.

Among those returning medalists who may get the biggest challenge in Nebraska in June may be Cox, the three-time NCAA champ, who will get a big challenge from David Taylor, who won all of his bouts at 86 kilograms by technical fall, including the final against Richard Perry.

“For the first time in my career, I feel like I’m at my best weight,” said Taylor. “He I am at 189 pounds and I’ve never felt leaner.”

Men’s Freestyle U.S. Open Championships Matches

57k/125 pounds — Tony Ramos dec. Nahshon Garrett, 5-3

61k/134 pounds — Kendric Maple dec. Brandon Wright 10-7

65k/143.5 pounds — Jordan Oliver dec. Frank Molinaro 4-4 criteria.

70k/154 pounds — James Green dec. Nazar Kulchytskyy, 4-1

74k/163 pounds — Jordan Burroughs dec. Kyle Dake, 2-2 criteria

86k/189 pounds — David Taylor won by TF over Richard Perry, 10-0

97k/197 pounds — Kyven Gadson dec. Micah Burak, 3-0

125/265 pounds — Nick Gwiazdowski dec. Zach Rey, 3-2

Other Placement Matches

(Top 7 earned spots in 2017 Men’s Freestyle World Team Trials, June 10, in Lincoln, Neb.)

57k/125

3^rd — Nathan Tomasello Cleveland, OH (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club/Ohio Regional Training Center) dec. Frank Perrelli Hackettstown, NJ (TMWC), 9-7

5^th — Zach Sanders Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm) won by forfeit over Alan Waters Kansas City, MO (TMWC)

7^th — Jesse Delgado Gilroy, CA (TMWC) dec. Britain Longmire Las Vegas, NV (Team Nevada), 11-0 3:19

61 kilos

3^rd — Joshua Kindig Scottsdale, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Cody Brewer Birmingham, MI (TMWC), 16-16, criteria

5^th — Seth Gross Brookings, SD (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club) won by forfeit over Joe Colon Clear Lake, IA (TMWC)

7^th — Christopher Dardanes Des Moines, IA (TMWC) dec. Daniel Deshazer Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm), 9-0

65 kilos

3^rd — Zain Retherford PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) dec. Jimmy Kennedy Garden City, NY (NYAC), 4-3

5^th —Evan Henderson Cary, NC (TMWC) won by forfeit over Kellen Russell Garden City, NY (NYAC)

7^th — Nicholas Dardanes Iowa City, IA (TMWC) dec. Mario Mason Easton, PA (Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club), 13-5

70 kilos

3^rd — Steven Pami Scottsdale, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Jason Nolf PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club), 12-6

5^th — Alec Pantaleo Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan RTC) dec. Jason Chamberlain Springville, UT (TMWC), 5-1

7^th — Thomas Gantt East Saint Louis, IL (TMWC) pinned Jason Welch Evanston, IL (TMWC), 11-4 5:17

74 kilos

3^rd — Alex Dieringer Stillwater, OK (TMWC) pinned Anthony Valencia Tempe, AZ (Arizona State University) 4-1 1:01

5^th — Chris Perry Stillwater, OK (TMWC) dec. Kevin Levalley Lewisburg, PA (Buffalo Valley RTC), 3-3, criteria

7^th — Chance Marsteller New Park, PA (DARK KNIGHTS) dec. Dan Vallimont Garden City, NY (NYAC), 8-1

86 kilos

3^rd — Nicholas Heflin Princeton, NJ (Princeton Wrestling Club) dec. Bo Nickal PA (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club), 10-6

5^th —  Patrick Downey Linthicum Heights, dec. (Unattached) dec. Kyle Crutchmer Stillwater, OK (Cowboy Wrestling Club/TMWC), 7-3

7^th — Gabe Dean Ithaca, NY (TMWC) dec. Timothy Dudley Lincoln, NE (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 8-8, criteria

97 kilos

3^rd — Nathan Burak Iowa City, IA (TMWC) PP Nikko Reyes Fresno, CA (Valley RTC), 11-2

5^th — Ty Walz Cleveland, OH (TMWC) VB Kallen Kleinschmidt Garden City, NY (NYAC)

7^th — Matt Williams (Road Runner) dec. Donald Mcneil Plainville, MA (New England Regional Training Center), 10-5

125 kilos

3^rd — Dominique Bradley Scottsdale, AZ (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Bobby Telford Des Moines, IA (TMWC), 2-1

5^th — Anthony Nelson Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Storm) won by TF over Justin Grant Garden City, NY (NYAC), 10-0 0:58

7^th — Nathan Butler Stanford, CA (Stanford – California RTC) dec. Benjamin Durbin Gilbert, IA (TMWC), 5-1