Burroughs, Taylor and Blaze among 24 WTT finalists

Photo: Marcus Blaze (right) of Perrysburg, Ohio, defeated three former World Team members — including former silver medalist Daton Fix — to earn a spot in Sunday’s Best-of-3 Championship Series at the Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials in Omaha. (Sam Janicki photo)

By Mike Finn

OMAHA, Neb. — Former World/Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs and David Taylor kept their dreams of competing in another World championship alive and high school star Marcus Blaze turned in the biggest surprise at the Non-Olympic Weights World Team Trials today at the MECA – CHI Health Center.

All three will be among 24 wrestlers in three styles — men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman — who will compete in a Best-of-3 Championship Series Sunday starting at 10 am (CST), followed by second matches at 2 p.m.; with the winners earning the right to represent Team USA in October’s World Championships in the 12 weight classes not contested in this past summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Jordan Burroughs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Alex Dieringer in the 79k semifinals of the Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials Saturday in Omaha. The six-time World champ will face Chance Marsteller in a Best-of-3 Championship Series on Sunday. (Justin Hoch photo)

In a repeat of the 2023 World Team Trials at 79 kilos in men’s freestyle, Burroughs will meet Chance Marsteller after Burroughs — the former NCAA two-time champion from Nebraska — after both wrestlers defeated a trio of opponents on Saturday.

Taylor, who was upset in the 2024 Olympic Trials at 86 kilos this April before taking the head coaching job at Oklahoma State, moved up to 92 kilos in these Trials.  The former Penn State two-time Hodge winner defeated four wrestlers to advance to the Championship Series where he will meet Zahid Valencia, who earned an automatic spot in the Trials after the former Arizona State star medaled in last year’s Worlds.

Just a few months after taking the head job at Oklahoma State, David Taylor (right) will now meet Zahid Valencia in Sunday’s finals after beating Trent Hidlay on Saturday in Omaha. (Sam Janicki photo)

Blaze, who will be a senior at Perrysburg (Ohio) High School, will also compete in the Championship Series at 61 kilos in men’s freestyle against 2023 World champ Vito Arujau. Blaze, seeded fifth, won four matches on Saturday, including a come-from-behind victory over former Oklahoma State All-American Daton Fix in the Challenge tournament finals.

 The remaining wrestlers competing in Sunday’s action all won their semifinal bouts. The following is a list of those semifinal matches:

Men’s Freestyle

61k Challenge Finals

No. 5 Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg WC) dec. No. 2 Daton Fix (CRTC/TMWC), 3-2 — The high school star scored two stepouts in the final 30 seconds, including the second one with one second left, then added another point when Fix lost a challenge on the final point. Blaze will meet 2023 World champ Vito Arujau, who earned a spot in Sunday’s Best-of-3 Championship with a medal-stand performance in last year’s Worlds

61k Challenge Semis

No. 5 Marcus Blaze (PWC) dec. No. 1 Nahshon Garrett (LCWC/TMWC) 5-0 — The Ohio state champ from Perrysburg, Ohio, and 2024 U20 World bronze medalist, jumped on top off a single-leg takedown early in the first period, then added two stepouts and passivity point against Garrett in the second period.

No. 2 Daton Fix (CRTC/TMWC) dec. No. 3 Austin DeSanto (HWC), 4-0 — In a battle between two former college rivals, the three-time national runner-up from Oklahoma State used two first-period stepouts and a tilt for two with 1:30 left in the bout against the former Hawkeye All-American.

70k Semifinals

No. 1 Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC) dec. PJ Duke (NJRTC), 7-0 — The former Michigan All-American scored three takedowns, including two off power doubles, to beat the high school star from New York.

No. 2 James Green (Nebraska WTC) dec. No. 3 Jordan Oliver (NYAC), 6-3 — In a battle of former NCAA All-Americans from a different era, the former Nebraska Cornhusker and World medalist scored two takedowns — the first with 31 seconds left in the first, the second with 34 ticks in the bout — to beat the former Oklahoma State star.

79k Semifinals

No. 1 Chance Marsteller (NJRTC/TMWC) dec. Keegan O’Toole (Tiger Style), 6-0 — The 2023 World Team member scored all his points in the first period, the first four off a takedowns 23 seconds into the match, then added a second takedown with 1:42 left in the first.

No. 2 Jordan Burroughs (NJRTC) dec. No. 3 Alex Dieringer (Cliff Keen WC), 7-4 — The six-time World champ trailed 2-0 before he exploded with a pair of power doubles; the first with two seconds left in the first period, the second with 2:10 left that led to a leg lace and 6-2 advantage. Dieringer, the former Hodge winner from Oklahoma State, scored a takedown with seconds left, then retired from the sport when he left his shoes on the mat after the bout.

92k Challenge Finals

No. 1 David Taylor (CRTC) dec. No. 2 Trent Hidlay, 10-6 – Taylor clinched the victory with two takedowns in the final 18 seconds. The current Oklahoma State coach jumped out on top with a 6-0 lead, thanks to a single, gut wrench and another single before Hidlay scored on a takedown late in the first. The former NC State star then added a go-behind with 40 seconds left. Taylor will now meet 2023 World medalist Zahid Valencia in Sunday’s Best-of-3 Championship series.

92k Challenge Semis

No. 1 David Taylor (CRTC) pinned No. 5 Michael Macchiavello (LVWC), 10-0, 2:09 — A third takedown by the former Olympic/World champ and current Oklahoma State head coach put the former NCAA All-American on his back for the first-period fall.

No. 2 Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC) No. 3 Jay Aiello (Penn RTC), 12-1 – The former multiple All-American from NC State scored five takedowns — the second with 13 seconds left in the first and the fifth with two seconds left in the in the second period — to hold off the former AA from Virginia.

Women’s Freestyle

55k Semifinals

No. 1 Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC) won by TF over No. 5 Vayle Baker (NYAC/West Point WC), 11-0, 3:19 — The former North Central College star scored three takedowns, two in the first period, and the third early in the second frame which eventually led to the final two exposure points.

No. 2. Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP) vs. No. 3 Felicity Taylor (TMWC), 5-0 — Haunted by injuries in the past Villaescusa scored two takedowns; the first coming with 44 seconds in the first and the second coming with one minute left in the bout.

59k semifinals

No. 1 Jacarra Winchester (USOPTC/TMWC) dec. No 5 Bridget Duty (Army WCAP), 11-0 (3:23) – The 2019 World champion scored four takedowns, the third also resulting in two exposure points, to reach the finals.

No. 2 Michaela Beck (USOPTC/TMWC) won by TF over Zoe Nowicki (Bulldog WC), 12-0 (3:00) — Beck needed just 10 seconds to score a four-point takedown, then ended the bout with another four-pointer, for the easy win

65k Challenge Finals

No.2 Aine Drury (NYAC/King) dec. No. 1 Jennifer Page (TMWC), 4-0 – Drury scored a pair of takedowns to earn a shot at meeting 2023 World medalist Macey Kilty in Sunday’s Best-of-3 Championship Series.

65k Challenge Semifinals

No. 1 Jennifer Page (TMWC) won by TF over Claire DiCugno (Team Tornado WC), 10-0, 1:24 — The 2023 World medalist needed two takedowns and a gut wrench to dominate her opponent.

No. 2 Aine Drury (NYAC/King) won by TF over No. 6 Skylar Hattendorf (NYAC), 11-0, 2:46 — Drury used a third takedown and gut wrench to blank her opponent.

72k Semifinals

No. 1 Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC) won by TF over No. 4 Gretchen Donally (Colorado Mess WC), 10-0 (2:47) — The former national champ from North Central scored four takedowns, the third leading to exposure points.

No. 2 Kylee Welker (Iowa Women’s WC) won by TF over No. 3 Skyler Grote (USOPTC/TMWC), 12-1 — The sixth and final takedown ended the bout with 14 seconds left for this collegiate champion from Iowa, who had Grote on her back and led 8-0 before time ran out in the first period.

Greco-Roman

55k Semifinals

No. 1 Brady Koontz (Dubuque RTC) vs. No. 5 Peter Del Gallo (Southside WC), 7-3 — Koontz scored all his points in the first period after his par-terre advantage led to three turns and a 7-0 lead at the break. Del Gallo nearly repaid the favor in the second when he also added a gut wrench after earning a passivity point.

No. 3 Kenneth Crosby (Northern Michigan TC) dec. No. 2 Billy Sullivan (Army WCAP), 6-4 — Crosby, who led 3-2 at the break scored the deciding points off a takedown with 1:08 left.

63k Semifinals

No. 1 Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) won by TF over No. 4 Phillip Mooney, 10-0 (0:51) — Hafizov used an arm drag to score his only takedown then used three separate turns for the technical fall.

No. 2 Max Black (Northern Michigan) dec. No. 3 Dylan Gregerson (NYAC), 5-3 — Black overcame a 3-0 deficit and scored all his points in the second period, including four the first 30 seconds off a takedown and two-point exposure.

72k Semifinals

No. 1 Benji Peak (Combat WC) won by TF over No. 4 Peyton Robb (Nebraska WTC), 11-1 (5:02) — Peak used a pair of four-point throws — happening in each period — to dominate the former Husker All-American.

No. 2 RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) dec. No. 3 Hunter Lewis, 3-3 criteria — Perkins earned the victory by scoring the final points on a takedown with 2:46 left in the bout.

82k Semifinals

No. 1 Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) dec. Ryan Epps (Army WCAP), 10-3 – Just when it appeared that Epps won by fall, a successful challenge by Kikiniou changed the score and gave the native of Belarus the victory.

No. 2 Jesse Porter (NYAC) dec. Tyler Eischens (Tar Heel WC) 3-1 — The winning points came after Porter scored two exposure points after earning a passivity point and par-terre advantage.