2016 Olympic Trials Preview: Wrestling
4/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
April 6, 2016
U.S. WRESTLING OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
Saturday-Sunday, April 9-10 • 9 a.m./6 p.m. CDT
Carver-Hawkeye Arena • Iowa City, Iowa
• Live Results/Brackets | USA Wrestling | Tournament Site
U-M AT THE USA WRESTLING TRIALS
Two current University of Michigan wrestlers and one former Wolverine will vie for spots in Rio at the U.S. Wrestling Olympic Team Trials this weekend (Sat-Sun., April 9-10) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Junior Adam Coon will compete in the 130kg/286-pound Greco-Roman division, while freshman Logan Massa and volunteer coach Kellen Russell will wrestling at 74kg/165 pounds and 65kg/143 pounds, respectively. All three will also represent the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club.
The trials feature 18 Olympic wrestling weight classes in the three Olympic styles (men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman, women's freestyle) to be contested at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Brackets will be released following the 4 p.m. CDT seeding meeting on Friday (April 8).
WHEN TO CATCH THEM
Each day will feature two sessions and six weight divisions. Preliminary, quarterfinal, semifinal and challenge tournament final rounds will commence at 9 a.m. CDT each day, while the best-of-three championship series matches kick off at 6 p.m. Russell will compete on the first day of competition, while the remaining two will have to wait until the final day.
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
Men's freestyle: 65 Kg, 125 KG
Women's freestyle: 58 KG, 63 KG, 69 KG
Greco-Roman: 59 kg, 66 KG, 85 KG, 98 KG
Session I: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. CDT
Session II: 6-9 p.m. CDT
SUNDAY, APRIL 10
Men's freestyle: 57 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG, 97 KG
Women's freestyle: 48 KG, 53 KG, 75 KG
Greco-Roman: 75 Kg, 130 KG
Session I: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. CDT
Session II: 6-9 p.m. CDT
HOW TO CATCH THE ACTION
Live results and bracket updates from the trials will be posted on TrackWrestling.com, while full recaps will be available on TheMat.com, the official website of USA Wrestling.
NBC Sports Network will provide five hours of coverage of the Olympic Trials. The first day of action will be aired on live on Saturday (April 9) at 7 p.m. EDT. Coverage continues the following evening, Sunday (April 10) at 10:30 p.m. EDT, following NHL coverage.
Ticket prices for the Olympic Trials range from $30 for a single-session ticket to $75 for an all-session pass. Tickets can be purchased online at www.iowacitytorio.com/tickets or by calling the University of Iowa Ticket Office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS.
THE WOLVERINE REPRESENTATIVES
Adam Coon -- A former Cadet world champion (2011) and double Junior world bronze medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman (2014), Coon will focus on the latter style at the 2016 Olympic Trials. He competed in two Greco tournaments last December and won both in convincing fashion, pinning his way through the Bill Farrell Memorial before capturing the U.S. Open crown at 130kg/286 pounds without sacrificing a point.
Logan Massa -- Massa, who redshirted his freshman season at Michigan in 2015-16, claimed fourth place at the U.S. Open in December, knocking off several senior-level veterans, including Nestor Taffur, Michael Moreno and Kevin LeValley in the 74kg/165-pound freestyle division. He is a former FILA Junior National champion at 70 kg and twice finished top three at the FILA Junior World Teal Trials, taking second plate in 2014 and third in 2015.
Kellen Russell -- A two-time NCAA champion who has trained out of Ann Arbor since graduating in 2012 -- and recently completed his second season as U-M's volunteer coach -- Russell is a former freestyle national team member at 65kg/143 pounds. He captured a 2013 U.S. Open title and claimed runner-up honors at the 2013 World Team Trials. Internationally, he has won medals at the Guelph Open (gold, 2013) and Cuba's Cerro Pelado Tournament (bronze, 2014).
Cliff Keen Wrestling Club: B.J. Futrell (65kg), Jimmy Kennedy (65kg), Kellen Russell (65kg), Jake Herbert (84kg), J.T. Felix (97kg), Ryan Hope (85Kg GR).
