Six Americans over 30 earn spots on Non-Olympic Weights World Team
By Mike Finn
OMAHA — Sunday was quite a day for several of USA Wrestling’s older wrestlers as six wrestlers over the age of 30 — James Green, Jordan Burroughs and David Taylor in men’s freestyle, Ildar Hafizov and Aliaksandr Kikiniou in Greco-Roman, and Jacarra Winchester in women’s freestyle — all won Best-of-3 Championships at the Non-Olympic Weight World Team Trials.
For Green and Burroughs, New Jersey natives and former stars at the University of Nebraska, they earned spots before many of their Husker fans in the MECA – CHI Health Center. Green, 31, a two-time World medalist, defeated former Michigan All-American Alec Pantaleo in two straight matches at 70 kilos, while Burroughs, 36, a six-time World champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, avenged a 2023 World Team Trials loss to Chance Marsteller at 79 kilos.
Taylor, 33, the former World and Olympic champ who came up short at the 2024 Olympic Trials at 86 kilos before taking the Oklahoma State head coaching position, defeated fellow 2023 Worlds teammate Zahid Valencia in two straight bouts at 92 kilos.
Aliaksandr Kikiniou (right), a 2009 World bronze medalist for Belarus, defeated Jesse Porter in two bouts to claim a World Team Trials title in Greco-Roman. (Sam Janicki photo)
Hafizov and Kikiniou, both immigrants from Uzbekistan and Belarus, respectively, earned spots on the team. Hafizov, 36, qualified for his fifth World Team for Team USA but needed three matches to beat Max Black at 63 kilos, while Kikiniou, 44, a former World bronze medalist for his native country, will represent Team USA for the first time. Winchester, 31, who has represented Team USA at 53k and 55k in past World and Olympic Championships, won two straight matches against Michaela Beck at 59 kilos.
Jacarra Winchester has now qualified for either the Worlds or Olympics in three different weights. (Sam Janicki photo)
The other six winners, who will compete in the 2024 Non-Olympic Weight World Championships, Oct. 28-31 in Tirana, Albania, were 2023 World champ Vito Arujau (61k) in men’s freestyle, Areana Villaescusa (55k), 2023 World silver medalist Macey Kilty (65k) and Kylie Welker (72k) in women’s freestyle, and Brady Koontz (55k) and Benji Peak (63k) in Greco-Roman. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/09/15/29536/
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After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
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