FORT WORTH, Texas — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s Alex Dieringer captured the 86kg freestyle title at the U.S. Senior Nationals on Sunday (Dec. 17) at the Fort Worth Convention Center. With his performance, Dieringer also qualified for April’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Dieringer posted a 4-0 record and defeated Mark Hall, 6-0, in the 86kg championship bout. He scored three takedowns, including a double leg off the opening whistle and a throw by early in the second period to largely dominate the match from start to finish. He opened the tournament with a quick 10-0 tech, then beat Evan Wick, 5-2, in the quarterfinals with exposure points off a belly whizzer in the first period and go-behind counter in the second. His semifinal against David McFadden ended early when McFadden got his foot stuck in the mat on a Dieringer leg attack and had to injury default out.
Adam Coon also reached the finals at 130kg Greco-Roman but had to settle for second place after a 4-1 defeat to Cohlton Schultz in the finals. Coon couldn’t overcome an early Schultz takedown and stepout; the wrestlers traded passivity points in the first and second periods. Coon went 4-1 and opened with straight four techs on the first day of competition, including a wild 16-6 win over Courtney Freeman in which Coon rallied from an early four-point deficit with a takedown and two guts in the first and ultimately ended it with a four-pointer at the 5:34 mark. Coon is also qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Alec Pantaleo took sixth place at 65kg and just missed qualifying for the Olympic Trials. He earned two shutout wins to advance to the semifinals, where he fell to eventual champion and outstanding wrestler Andrew Alirez, 4-3, after two late Alirez takedowns. Pantaleo also led, 6-0, in the second period of the consolation semifinals against Seth Gross, but was countered attempting a turn and caught in a trap-arm gut. Pantaleo will next attempt to qualify at the Last Chance Qualifier in March.
