Nine current and former Gophers are set to compete at the 2019 World Team Trials in Raleigh, North Carolina.
At the senior freestyle level, former Gophers Zach Sanders (57kg), Jayson Ness (65kg), Brett Pfarr (86kg), and Tony Nelson (125kg) will compete. The only current ‘U’ grappler competing at the highest level will be 18-year old Gable Steveson (125kg), the youngest heavyweight in the field.
At the junior level, Patrick McKee (57kg), Brayton Lee (70kg) and Jake Allar (79kg) will represent the Maroon and Gold.
Pat Smith (77kg), runner-up at the US Open, is the lone Gophers representative in Greco-Roman wrestling. Smith was the last Gopher to represent the USA in Greco-Roman wrestling when he did so in 2017.
Dustin Schlatter was the last Gophers grappler to represent the USA in Freestyle when he made the 2009 senior team while still in college. Schlatter will accompany the Gopher representatives as the Minnesota Regional Training Center (RTC) coach.
The trials officially begin Friday morning when the UWW Junior Freestyle Tournament kicks off. A full schedule can be found below.
The final step to earning a spot on the World Team is a victory at Final X, split by weights between New Brunswick, New Jersey (Rutgers), and Lincoln, Nebraska (Nebraska).
The 2019 World Wrestling Championships will be in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, from September 14-22. The 2019 Junior World Championships will be in Talinn, Estonia, from August 12-18.
Mitch McKee (65kg) qualified for the World Team Trials but will represent the Gophers at the 2019 U23 World Team Trials in Akron, Ohio, at the end of May.
Minnesota RTC athlete Hayden Zillmer will also be competing at 92kg after finishing as the runner-up at the US Open.
Full Schedule (All time Central)
Friday May 17
9:00 am – 1:00 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Senior Greco-Roman: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
3:00 pm – 7:30 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle: Semifinals, Finals, Consolation Rd. 3-Semis
3:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Senior Greco-Roman: SemiFinals, Finals, Consolation Rd. 3-Semis
Saturday, May 18
9:00 am – 11:00 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1
9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
12:30 pm – 4:15 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
12:30 pm – 4:15 pm – Senior Greco-Roman: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
4:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle: Semifinals, Finals and Consolation Rd. 3, Cons-Semis.
4:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle: Semifinals, Finals and Consolation Rd. 3, Cons-Semis.
Sunday, May 19
11:00 pm – 2:45 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
11:00 pm – 2:45 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
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