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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Current Buckeye Brady Koontz along with former Ohio State wrestler Kollin Moore advanced to the Final X Stillwater event June 3 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Oklahoma after their performance over the weekend at the Team World Trials Challenge Tournament in Coralville, Iowa.
Koontz and Ohio State teammate Tate Orndorff also both made the U.S. National Team (Greco-Roman) with their performances at the team trails.
Moore will face another former Buckeye, 2016 Olympic Champion Kyle Snyder in Stillwater. Koontz will face Max Nowry, who attended Northern Michigan and four-time U.S. National Team member (2012, 2013, 2017, 2018). He recently won the gold medal at the 2020 Pan American Championships.
The Final X series will determine the 2022 U.S. Senior World Teams in all three of the Olympic disciplines: men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. The winner of each Final X Championship Series will represent the Team USA at the Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 10-18.
Ohio State wrestling was well represented at the 2022 World Team Trials.
Current Buckeyes Sammy Sasso, Tate Orndorff, Brady and Dylan Koontz and Nick Boykin all competed.
Jesse Mendez, who will join the Ohio State roster in 2022-23, along with former Buckeyes Fritz Schierl, Moore, Joey McKenna and Luke Pletcher were in action.
In the freestyle competition, Sasso was the No. 7 seed in the 70kg bracket. Mendez was the No. 4 seed at 61kg. Moore competed as the No. 2 seed at 97kg and McKenna was the No. 3 seeded 65kg wrestler. Pletcher was the No. 7 seed at 65kg.
In Greco-Roman, Orndorff opened as the No. 4 seed at 130kg, Brady Koontz entered as the No. 2 seed at 55kg while his brother Dylan was the No. 3 seed at 60kg.
Schierl, who exhausted his Ohio State eligibility last season, wrestled as the No. 8 seed at 77kg. Boykin was the top seed at 97kg.
Orndorff earned a spot on the U.S. National Team with a win in the quarterfinals at 130kg. He finished third overall in his bracket. He was 1-1 in the championship bracket and 2-1 on the consolation bracket.
Brady Koontz also made the U.S. National Team with a semifinal win in the 55kg weight class. He advanced to the Final X event in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His brother, Dylan, fell in the semis after a win in the quarterfinals at 60kg.
Boykin won his quarterfinal bout at 97kg but fell in the semis. He finished fourth overall with a 1-1 record in the consolation bracket.
Schierl lost in the quarterfinals at 77kg and finished with a 3-2 record.
In the freestyle competition, Moore advanced to the Final X event in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at 97kg with a pair of wins in the finals at 97kg. Moore defeated Michael Macchaivello, 10-0 and 6-0 in the finals.
Sasso earned a win in the round of 16 before a loss in the quarterfinals at 70kg. Battled back in the consolation bracket but fell in the third-place bout to Tyler Berger (9-5). Sasso finished with a 4-2 record.
Mendez fell in the quarterfinals at 61kg and finished 1-2 overall following a 1-1 record in the consolation bracket.
McKenna and Pletcher dropped quarterfinal matches at 65kg. McKenna advanced through the consolation bracket to place third.
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