Final X Rutgers: Yianni Found Out He Lost After the Match

Not since the review came back in the 2015 Trials match between Jon Reader and Ed Ruth, that the world team trials has such a cloud hovering above it. On Saturday night, in the second match between Yianni and Zain with 44 seconds left, two for Yianni was offered by the whistle ref. The confirmation by the judge and chair was 2-2. There was another close to exposure sequence, but eventually the buzzer rang with still Zain in on the leg and Yianni had won 8-6. There was a review brick thrown a tick or two before the buzzer, and after a lengthy review Zain’s hand was raised with a 6-6 criteria victory.

In collegiate wrestling, anything after the overturn is bad time. There is also a poorly written explanation of UWW challenges that mentions “five seconds” from when the points are posted, but confusion lies with how they essentially wrestled in the same position for the rest of the match. Nevertheless, two for Zain does not feel right watching the replays. Also, Yianni likely wrestles differently those last 44 seconds if he “knows” he is losing 6-6 on criteria and not winning 8-6. Rob Koll has filed a protest, and it will be fascinating to see this play out. We have seen a lot of strange overturns and re-wrestle’s internationally, but I can’t remember something like this domestically. Finding out who wins after the competition should really be reserved for Gymnastics and Figure Skating. This is supposed to be a one on one competition.

I’m not one for changing results later and griping about calls. However, if there are procedures for protesting matches, this seems ripe for it. Maybe re-wrestling match two and, if necessary, match 3 is on the horizon.

The other most highly anticipated series was phenom Bo Nickal looking to knock off J’Den Cox who is the defending World Champion (and is 3 for 3 in World/Olympic medals). Nickal wrapped up a historic NCAA career this March, and is known for his incredible offense. Yet, in twelve minutes of wrestling he was not able to score essentially.

Jenna Burkert took out Becka Leathers for the biggest surprise of the day. The veteran won in two straight matches.

FINAL X: RUTGERS
At Piscataway, N.J., June 8

Session Two results

Men’s freestyle

65 kg – Zain Retherford (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) dec. Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes RTC), 2 matches to 0
Bout one – Retherford dec. Diakomihalis, 10-4
Bout two – Retherford dec. Diakomihalis, 6-6

92 kg –J’den Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/OTC) vs. Bo Nickal (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Cox dec. Nickal, 4-2
Bout two – Cox dec. Nickal, 5-0

125 kg –Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) dec. Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn./Minnesota RTC), 2 matches to 0
Bout One – Gwiazdowski dec. Steveson, 4-4
Bout Two – Gwiazdowski dec. Steveson, 3-3 

Women’s freestyle

50 kg –Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to none
Bout One – Conder dec. Anthony, 7-4
Bout Two – Conder pin Anthony, 1:57

65 kg - Forrest Molinari (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) dec. Maya Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC), two matches to one
Bout One –Nelson dec. Molinari, 5-3
Bout Two – Molinari tech. fall Nelson, 12-2
Bout Three – Molinari dec. Nelson, 4-1

68 kg –Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/OTC) vs. Alexandria Glaude (W. Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC/McKendree Bearcat WC)
Bout one – Mensah-Stock pin Glaude, 4:50
Bout two – Mensah-Stock tech. fall Glaude, 10-0 

Greco-Roman

77 kg – Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC) vs. Pat Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)
Bout One – Bey tech. fall Smith. 11-2
Bout Two – Smith dec. Bey, 2-1
Bout Three – Smith dec. Bey, 6-3

Session One - results

Greco-Roman

55 kg – Max Nowry (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Brady Koontz (Plover, Wis./Ohio RTC), 2 matches to 0
Bout one – Nowry dec. Koontz, 3-0
Bout two – Nowry dec. Koontz, 11-5

67 kg – Ellis Coleman (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Jamel Johnson (Camp LeJeune, N.C./U.S. Marine Corps), 2 matches to 0
Bout one – Coleman tech. fall Johnson, 9-1
Bout two – Coleman dec. Johnson, 6-0

82 kg –John Stefanowicz (Camp LeJeune, N.C./U.S. Marine Corps) dec. Kendrick Sanders (Marquette, Mich./New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Bout one – Stefanowicz dec. Sanders, 8-5
Bout two – Stefanowicz dec. Sanders, 3-2

87 kg - Joe Rau (Chicago, Ill./Titan Mercury WC/Chicago RTC) dec. Ben Provisor (State College, Pa./New York AC/Nittany Lion WC). 2 matches to 0
Bout one – Rau dec. Provisor, 2-1
Bout two – Rau dec. Provisor, 5-1

Women’s freestyle

57 kg –Jenna Burkert (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) dec. Becka Leathers (Chapel Hill, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Tarheel RTC) 
Bout one – Burkert dec. Leathers, 4-2
Bout two – Burkert dec. Leathers, 5-0

72 kg - Victoria Francis (Litchfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) dec. Alyvia Fiske (Napa, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) , 2 matches to 0
Bout one – Francis dec. Fiske, 7-2
Bout two – Francis pin Fiske, 3:30