Joe Colon for Rio!

Has Joe Colon thrown his hat (or stache) in the ring to represent the United States in Rio?

Colon won the Bill Farrell Invitational at 57kg in freestyle on Sunday. This is an impressive tournament victory winning arguably the most loaded bracket of the tournament (outside the victory of Richard Perry over 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico). 

Colon just graduated from Northern Iowa this spring after finishing 3rd at 133 at the NCAA's. It was an impressive season with wins over Tony Ramos (Iowa and 2014 world team member) and current #1 AJ Schopp (Edinboro). It was also an interesting accomplishment for the JUCO national champion after being dismissed by the team the previous season. 

The Bill Farrell International Open on Sunday didn't include the most star power. It did not include a single freestyle world team member from 2014, but 57kg was probably the most loaded. The last time USA Wrestling released a Senior Freestyle rankings Colon was not included, but now he just finished a top a bracket that included guys that were including 2012 Olympian Sam Hazewinkel, Dan Mitcheff, Andrew Hochstrasser, Nico Megaludis, and Angel Escobedo. Let's also not forget the last time he wrestled Ramos in the Midlands finals. 

We think Sunday definitively announced that Joe Colon is a contender to represent the United States in Rio in 2016. Fear the stache!