Press Release
☷WCAP Men s Greco Roman Wrestling Team takes Six National Titles at 2022 U S Open
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
May 06,2022
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Staff Sgt . Lucas Sheridan , 97kg , pins his opponent to secure a National Title in the finals of the 2022 U . S . Open , Las Vegas , Nevada , May 1 , 2022 . In total , eight athletes qualified for finals , which will be fought on Sunday , May 1 . ( U . S . Army photo by Sgt . Michael Hunnisett ) The U . S . Army’s World Class Athlete Program ( WCAP ) dominated the 2022 U . S . Open held at the South Point Arena , Las Vegas , Nevada . The tournament lasted two days , with WCAP Soldier - athletes competing in almost every weight class . In total , six athletes took national titles during the competition . Seven of the ten weight categories in the competition’s finals have at least one WCAP Soldier - athlete competing , with a total of 8 Soldier - athletes making it to the finals . Three of these athletes are former Olympians: Sgt . Ildar Hafizov , Pfc . Jesse Thielke , and Spc . Alejandro Sancho . At 55kg , three - time national champion Staff Sgt . Max Nowry faces Spc . Dalton Duffield in the finals . In 60kg , Hafizov secured an 8 - 0 technical fall over Ohio RTC Dylan Koontz in the semifinal round . Thielke , in 63kg , swept his opponent in an 11 - 0 technical fall in the semifinals to reach the final round . Former Olympian Sancho came into the finals with a 3 - 0 record to face Lenny Merkin of the New York Athletic Club . In the semifinals , Sancho won by decision over opponent Alston Nutter 6 - 5 . Pfc . Britton Holmes faces Alex Ortiz of the Minnesota Storm in the finals of 77kg . At 82kg , Spc . Spencer Woods , a 2021 U . S . Open Champion , and an 8 - 0 technical fall winner in the semifinals secured his position in the finals against Ryan Epps of the Minnesota Storm . Staff Sgt . Lucas Sheridan made light work of his bracket , winning by technical fall to face Khymba Johnson of the New York Athletic Club in the finals for 97kg . Semifinal Results 55kg - Staff Sgt . Max Nowry ( WCAP ) tech . fall Camden Russell ( MWC Wrestling , 10 - 0 Spc . Dalton Duffield ( WCAP ) tech . fall Jacob Cochran ( New York Athletic Club ) , 12 - 2 60kg - Max Black ( New York Athletic Club ) inj . dft Spc . Dalton Roberts ( WCAP ) Sgt . Ildar Hafizov ( WCAP ) tech . fall Dylan Koontz WI ( Ohio RTC ) , 8 - 0 63kg - Pfc . Jesse Thielke ( WCAP ) tech . fall Nicholas Leonetti ( Suples WC ) , 11 - 0 67kg - Spc . Alejandro Sancho ( WCAP ) dec . Alston Nutter ( Sunkist Kids WC ) , 6 - 5 77kg - Alec Ortiz ( Minnesota Storm ) inj . dft . Pvt . Kamal Bey ( WCAP ) Pfc . Britton Holmes ( WCAP ) dec . Payton Jacobson ( Sunkist Kids WC ) , 5 - 2 82kg - Spc . Spencer Woods ( WCAP ) tech . fall Ryan Epps ( Minnesota Storm ) , 8 - 0 97kg - Staff Sgt . Lucas Sheridan ( WCAP ) tech . fall Guy Patron ( Dubuque WC ) , 8 - 0 Finals Pairings 55kg - Staff Sgt . Max Nowry ( WCAP ) vs . Spc . Dalton Duffield ( WCAP ) 60kg - Max Black ( New York Athletic Club ) vs . Sgt . Ildar Hafizov ( WCAP ) 63kg - Jesse Thielke ( WCAP ) vs . Aidan Nutter ( New York Athletic Club ) 67kg - Lenny Merkin ( New York Athletic Club ) vs . Alejandro Sancho ( WCAP ) 77kg - Alec Ortiz ( Minnesota Storm ) vs . Pfc . Britton Holmes ( WCAP ) 82kg - Spencer Woods ( WCAP ) vs . Ben Provisor ( New York Athletic Club ) 97kg - Staff Sgt . Lucas Sheridan ( WCAP ) vs . Khymba Johnson ( New York Athletic Club ) In the finals , Duffield forfeited to Nowry , with WCAP claiming both 1st and 2nd place in the 55kg class , and qualifying both wrestlers for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament . Hafizov won his third career U . S . Open title with a 9 - 0 technical fall over 2022 U20 national champion Max Black . Hafizov hit an arm throw and turned Black to end the final match . Hafizov was a 2020 Olympian for the United States . After the conclusion of the event , Hafizov was also named the event’s Outstanding Wrestler . 2016 Olympian Thielke scored a 9 - 0 technical fall over Aidan Nutter ( New York Athletic Club ) . 2020 Olympian Sancho claimed his second career U . S . Open title after he won by injury default when opponent Lenny Merkin ( New York Athletic Club ) did not compete due to injury . At 77kg , Holmes won his first U . S . Open after a 9 - 6 battle over Alec Ortiz ( Minnesota Storm ) . Holmes gained an early lead , which was later lost after a challenge from Ortiz . Leading by 7 - 5 , after review , Holmes was now trailing 5 - 6 . Holmes managed to respond with a counter throw for a three - point lead after scoring four . Woods lost a tough battle to U . S . Olympian Ben Provisor ( New York Athletic Club ) 3 - 5 after Provisor had scored two gut wrenches during the second period . A late takedown from Woods wasn’t enough to close the gap . Woods finished in 2nd for the 82kg weight class . Winning another first U . S . Open title was Sheridan at 97kg . After the first period , Sheridan was trailing 0 - 2 . After being penalized twice for passivity , the score was tied at 2 - 2 . Sheridan took down Johnson and scored the fall with only 3 seconds left in the bout to win . Final Results 55kg - 1st Staff Sgt . Max Nowry ( WCAP ) forfeit Spc . Dalton Duffield ( WCAP ) 7th Spc . Cole Smith ( WCAP ) pin Stephen Emrich ( Minnesota ) 60kg - 1st Sgt . Ildar Hafizov ( WCAP ) tech . fall Max Black ( New York Athletic Club ) , 9 - 0 5th Phillip Moomey ( Spartan Combat RTC ) inj . dft . Spc . Dalton Roberts ( WCAP ) 63kg - 1st Pfc . Jesse Thielke ( WCAP ) tech . fall Aidan Nutter ( New York Athletic Club ) , 9 - 0 67kg - 1st Spc . Alejandro Sancho ( WCAP ) inj . dft . Lenny Merkin ( New York Athletic Club ) 72kg - 3rd Cpt . Michael Hooker ( WCAP ) dec . Brody Olson ( NMU ) , 5 - 0 77kg - 1st Pfc . Britton Holmes ( WCAP ) dec . Alex Ortiz ( Minnesota Storm ) , 9 - 6 5th Tyler Eichens ( California RTC ) inj . dft . Pvt . Kamal Bey ( WCAP ) 82kg - 1st Ben Provisor ( New York Athletic Club ) dec . Spc . Spencer Woods ( WCAP ) , 5 - 3 97kg - 1st Staff Sgt . Lucas Sheridan ( WCAP ) pin Khymba Johnson ( New York Athletic Club ) Next up for U . S . Army WCAP Wrestlers is the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Coralville , Iowa , May 21 - 23 .
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