|
Jake Herbert won the 84kg division with a 2-2, 2-2 victory overt Keith Gavin to give him his third consecutive U.S. Open Championship. Herbert was the only 2010 U.S. Senior Open Mens Freestyle Champion to successfully defend his title in 2011.
Jake will now automatically advance to the finals of the 2011 World Team Trials on June 10-11 in Oklahoma City , OK . If he wins a best-of-three series of matches in the finals there, Herbert will be on the 2011 U.S. World Team at 84kg.
Also qualifying for the 2011 World Team Trials were Mike Poeta (74kg) and Kyle Ruschell (66kg), and Josh Churella (66kg).
Kyle Ruschell (66kg) advanced to the semifinals, where he dropped a 0-1, 4-3, 1-1 match to the eventual champion, Teyon Ware. Ruschell won the first period of his next match before suffering an injury in the second period, and he wound up losing the match 0-2, 3-2, 7-0. He ended the day in fifth place.
Josh Churella (66kg) also earned a semifinal berth, where he was defeated 1-0, 1-2, 1-0 to former two-time world medalist Cary Kolat.
"I thought I wrestled well in my first two matches, but in my semifinal match I needed more urgency in my attacks," said Churella about his performance. "Ultimately, that was the difference between me winning and losing."
Churella injury defaulted his final two matches to end up in sixth place. Fortunately, neither Ruschell's nor Churella's injuries appeared significant enough to keep them out of the 2011 World Team Trials.
Also qualifying for the 2011 World Team Trials was Mike Poeta (74kg). Poeta lost in the quarterfinals, but he battled back through a tough consolation bracket to end the day with a 4-2 record and a fifth place finish.
De'Andre Nunn (96kg), attempting a comeback, went 1-2, coming up one win short of placing in the top eight. Andy Hrovat (84kg) also finished 1-2 on the day. He will head back to Ossetia, where he did the vast majority of his training leading up to this event.
The top seven finishers at the US Open at each weight class qualify for the 2011 World Team Trials.
|
