Takedown Report

USA sends large men’s freestyle delegation to Continental Cup in Russia, Oct. 11-13

BY TAYLOR MILLER, USA WRESTLING | OCT. 03, 2019
USA Wrestling is sending 17 of the nation’s top men’s freestyle athletes to the 2019 Continental Cup in Khasavjurt, Russia, Oct. 11-13. Of those 17 athletes, four have medaled at a World Championships. Leading the way is 2017 Senior World silver medalist and two-time Senior World Team member Thomas Gilman, who will represent the USA at 57 kg. This will mark Gilman’s first international event since the Dan Kolov Tournament in Ukraine in March, where he finishes outside of the top-10. Prior to that, he won bronze at the prestigious Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January, and last October, he was fifth at the 2018 World Championships. This season, Gilman is No. 2 on the National Team at 57 kg. 2018 Junior World champion Mekhi Lewis will enter the field at 74 kg. Lewis made his international debut at Junior Worlds in Slovakia, where he stunned the planet with a gold-medal finish. Shortly after, he started his freshman NCAA season for Virginia Tech. In March, he knocked off two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State for the 2019 NCAA title at 165 pounds. In Russia, he will return to the international stage for the first time since 2018 Junior Worlds and only the second time in his career. Wrestling at 86 kg is 2017 Junior World silver medalist Zahid Valencia, who has not competed internationally since that outing. Valencia was a three-time Junior World Team member, representing the U.S. in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Recently he has put his international career on hold in order to pursue NCAA glory. Wrestling for Arizona State, Valencia is a 2018 and 2019 NCAA champion and took third at nationals in 2017. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/October/03/Continental-Cup-preview?mc_cid=493b0ed634&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

October 8, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized