GUELPH, Ontario, Canada – Four American wrestlers claimed individual gold medals this past weekend at the Canada Cup.
U.S. champions included Darian Cruz (New York Athletic Club/Lehigh Valley WC) at 57 kg/125.7 lbs., Ali Naser (Sunkist Kids) at 61 kg/ 134.5 lbs., Brandon Sorensen (Titan Mercury WC) at 70 kg/ 153.4 lbs. and Jesse Porter (New York Athletic Club) at 79 kg/ 174.2 lbs.
A three-time NCAA All-American and 2017 NCAA national champion for Lehigh, Darian Cruz overpowered Canadian Brayden Todd, 10-3. Cruz met his second Canadian, Samuel Jagas and defeated him in a closer match, 3-1. For his finals match, Cruz met another top American, Frank Perrelli and overcame him, 5-3.
Arizona State’s NCAA qualifier Ali Naser received a bye in his first match to put him up against Canada’s Ligrit Sadiku and tech-falled Sadiku, 11-0. In the finals, Naser found himself head-to-head with Canada’s 2017 Pan-American silver medalist Aso Palani. Naser defeated Palani, 11-4 to collect the gold.
The Iowa Hawkeyes’ four-time NCAA All-American, Brandon Sorensen, dominated in his first match against Canada’s Caleb Rutner, tech-falling Rutner 11-0. In the semifinals, Sorensen inched by fellow American, Mario Mason in a 3-3 decision. Sorensen faced two-time NCAA All-American Ganbayar Sanjaa of Mongolia. Sorensen defeated Sanjaa in a close 2-1 decision.
USA Wrestling’s fourth gold medalist, usually known for his Greco-Roman career, wrestled a round-robin. 2017 U23 Greco-Roman World Team member, Jesse Porter, pinned Baljot Mangat of Canada in 1:07. Porter received his second hand-raising by forfeit against Canada’s Brock Munro. In his final match, Porter blasted Canadian Braydon Ambo by technical fall, 15-4.
Joining Perrelli as a silver medalist for the USA was two-time Greco-Roman Olympian Ben Provisor of the NYAC at 92 kg. Bringing home bronze medals from the USA were Josh Rodriguez of the Nittany Lion WC at 57 kg, Rob Mathers of the Sunkist Kids at 65 kg, Mario Mason of the NYAC/LVWC at 70 kg and Lester Calderon of the NYC RTC at 97 kg.
Only one American female entered the women’s division. Alexis Porter of NYAC earned a fifth-place finish by defeating Canada’s Breanne Graham, 8-0.
CANADA CUP
at Guelph, Canada, July 7
Men’s freestyle medalist
57 kg/ 125.7 lbs.
Gold – Darian Cruz (NYAC/LVWC)
Silver – Frank Perrelli (NYAC/LVWC) (Dec 5-3)
Bronze – Josh Rodriguez (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
61 kg/134.5 lbs.
Gold – Ali Naser (Sunkist Kids)
Silver – Aso Palani (BMWC)
Bronze – Ligrit Sadiku (Brock Wrestling Club)
65 kg/143.3 lbs.
Gold – Dillon Williams (Team Impact)
Silver – Michael Asselstine (Bears Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Rob Mathers (Sunkist Kids)
70 kg/ 154.3 lbs.
Gold – Brandon Sorensen (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club)
Silver – Ganbayar Sanjaa (MONGOLIA/NYAC) (Dec 2-1)
Bronze – Mario Mason (NYAC/LVWC)
74 kg/ 163 lbs.
Gold – Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico)
Silver – Jevon Balfour (Brock Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Tyler Rowe (Brock Wrestling Club)
79 kg/ 174.2 lbs.
Gold – Jesse Porter (NYAC)
Silver – Braydon Ambo (London-Western Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Baljot Mangat (Guelph WC)
86 kg/ 189.6 lbs.
Gold – Alex Moore (Montreal WC)
Silver – Ahamed Shamiya (Hamilton Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Hunter Lee (Saskatoon Wrestling Club)
92 kg/ 202.8 lbs.
Gold – Jordie Steen (Montreal WC)
Silver – Ben Provisor (NYAC)
Bronze – Clayton Pye (Brock Wrestling Club)
97 kg/ 213.9 lbs.
Gold – Richard DesChatelets (Brock Wrestling Club)
Silver – Dalton Webb (Guelph WC)
Bronze – Lester Calderon (NYC RTC)
125 kg/ 275.6 lbs.
Gold – Aly Barghout (Montreal WC)
Silver – Sean Molle (BMWC) (Dec 5-2)
Bronze – Frederick Choquette (Montreal WC)
Women’s freestyle medalist
50 kg/ 110.2 lbs
Gold – Jessie MacDonald (Brock Wrestling Club)
Silver – Jiang Zhu (China)
3rd Place – Nadezhda Sokolova (Russia)
53 kg/ 116.8 lbs.
Gold – Stalvira Orshush (Russia)
Silver – Diana Weicker (Brock Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Jie Ni (China)
55 kg/ 121.25 lbs.
Gold – Nina Menkenova (Russia)
Silver – Gabriella Ramos (Puerto Rico)
Bronze – Cara Nania (Dinos Wrestling Club)
57 kg/ 125.7 lbs
Gold – Irina Ologonova (Russia)
Silver – Hannah Taylor (Brock Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Alexandria Town (York Wrestling Club)
59 kg/ 130.1 lbs
Gold – Svetlana Lipatova of Russia
Silver – Xiuyun Chen of China
Bronze – Laurence Beauregard of Montreal WC
62 kg/ 136.7 lbs.
Gold – Jessica Brouillette (Brock Wrestling Club)
Silver – Uliana Tukurenova (Russia)
Bronze – Hongli Yan (China)
65 kg/ 143.3 lbs.
Gold – Yulia Prontsevich (Russia)
Silver – Skylar Grote (Brock Wrestling Club)
Bronze – Yue Zhang (China)
68 kg/ 149.9 lbs.
Gold – Danielle Lappage (Dinos Wrestling Club)
Silver – Khanum Velieva (Russia)
Bronze – Olivia Di Bacco (Brock Wrestling Club)
72 kg/ 158.7 lbs
Gold – Jiao Wang of China
Silver – Tatiana Kolesnikova of Russia
Bronze – Galina Bulatova of Russia
76 kg/ 167.6 lbs.
Gold – Erica Wiebe (Dinos Wrestling Club)
Silver Justina Di Stasio (BMWC)
Bronze – Yuqing Ye (China)
U.S. Women’s freestyle performances
62 kg/ 136.7 – Alexis Porter (NYAC), 5th
LOSS Uliana Tukurenova (Russia), 8-1
WIN Wendy Liu (Team Impact), tech-fall 15-2
LOSS Hongli Yan (China), 7-3
WIN Breanne Graham (Dinos Wrestling Club), 8-0
U.S. Men’s freestyle performances
57 kg/ 125.7 lbs – Darian Cruz (NYAC/LVWC), Gold
WIN Brayden Todd (London-Western Wrestling), 10-3
WIN Samuel Jagas (Brock Wrestling Club), 3-1
WIN Frank Perrelli (NYAC/LVWC), 5-3
57 kg / 125.7 lbs – Frank Perrelli (NYAC/LVWC), Silver
WIN Josh Rodriguez (Nittany Lion WC), tech-fall 10-0
WIN Alex Moher (Brock Wrestling Club), tech-fall 10-0
LOSS Darian Cruz (NYAC/LVWC), 5-3
57 kg / 125.7 lbs – Josh Rodriguez (Nittany Lion WC), Bronze
LOSS Frank Perrelli (NYAC/LVWC), tech-fall 10-0
WIN Samuel Jagas (Brock Wrestling Club), 13-0
WIN Brayden Todd (London-Western Wrestling), injury
61 kg / 134.5 lbs – Ali Naser (Sunkist Kids), Gold
WIN Ligrit Sadiku (Brock Wrestling Club), tech-fall 11-0
WIN Aso Palani (BMWC), 11-4
65 kg / 143.3 lbs – Rob Mathers (Sunkist Kids), Bronze
WIN Trystan Kato (Team Impact), tech-fall 10-0
LOSS Michael Asselstine (Bears Wrestling Club), 10-4
WIN Connor McNeice (Dinos Wrestling Club), tech-fall 11-0
WIN Elvir Uzunovic (Guelph WC), tech-fall 11-1
70 kg / 154.3 lbs – Brandon Sorensen (TMWC), Gold
WIN Caleb Rutner (London-Western Wrestling), tech-fall 11-0
WIN Mario Mason (NYAC/LVWC), 3-3
WIN Ganbayar Sanjaa (Mongolia/NYAC), 2-1
70 kg / 154.3 lbs – Mario Mason (NYAC/LVWC), Bronze
WIN Gunnar Sales (Guelph WC), tech-fall 12-1
LOSS Brandon Sorensen (Titan Mercury WC), 3-3
WIN Nick Rowe (Brock Wrestling Club), tech-fall 12-2
WIN Caleb Rutner (London-Western Wrestling), tech-fall 10-0
70 kg / 154.3 lbs – Tony Tolbert (Pennsylvania RTC), 6th
LOSS Ganbayar Sanjaa (Mongolia/NYAC), fall
LOSS Caleb Rutner (London-Western Wrestling), tech-fall 13-0
LOSS Nick Rowe (Brock Wrestling Club), injury
79 kg / 174.2 lbs – Jesse Porter (NYAC), Gold
WIN Baljot Mangat (Guelph WC), fall 1:07
WIN Brock Munro (Keystone), forfeit
WIN Braydon Ambo (London-Western), 15-4
92 kg / 202.8 lbs – Ben Provisor (NYAC), Silver
LOSS Jordie Steen (Montreal WC), 6-4
WIN Don McNeil (NYAC), injury
WIN Kadeem Samuels (LVWC) 3-2
WIN Clayton Pye (Brock Wrestling) forfeit
92 kg / 202.8 lbs – Kadeem Samuels (LVWC), 4th
LOSS Jordie Steen (Montreal WC), 8-2
LOSS Ben Provisor (NYAC), 3-2
LOSS Clayton Pye (Brock Wrestling), 7-6
WIN Don McNeil (NYAC)
92 kg / 202.8 lbs – Don McNeil (NYAC), 5th
LOSS Clayton Pye (Brock Wrestling), injury
LOSS Ben Provisor (NYAC), injury
LOSS Jordie Steen (Montreal WC), forfeit
LOSS Kadeem Samuels (LVWC), forfeit
97 kg / 213.9 lbs– Lester Calderon (NYC RTC), Bronze
LOSS Richard DesChatelets (Brock Wrestling), fall 5:00
LOSS Dalton Webb (Guelph WC), tech-fall 11-0
Courtesy of Teamusa.org