LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s Kellen Russell used a third-period clinch to rally past Oklahoma State’s Jordan Oliver, 0-1, 2-2, 1-0, and capture the 66kg/145.5-pound title at the U.S. Open on Saturday (April 19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was the second freestyle championship for Russell but first in domestic competition. He entered the tournament unseeded.
After dropping the first period in the clinch, Russell claimed the final two periods to defeat Oliver in the championship match. He struck first on a quick pushout in the second frame but trailed by a point late after giving up an appreciation point on an Oliver throw attempt from a single-leg position on the mat and losing the subsequent challenge. He attacked on the restart, however, stealing the period with a pushout in the final 14 seconds. After just running out of time on a go-behind at the buzzer in the third, Russell pulled his color and converted in the clinch, returning Oliver hard to the mat to secure the takedown.
With the victory, Russell earned the automatic bid to the best-of-three championship series at the U.S. World Team Trials, scheduled for Friday-Saturday, June 21-22, in Stillwater, Okla.
Russell posted a 7-0 record en route to the title, outscoring his opposition in Thursday’s challenge tournament, 36-2, before knocking off three seeded wrestlers in the championship bracket. He opened the day with a second-period fall against No. 2-seeded Chase Pami. He dropped the first period, 2-1, but was leading 5-1 in the second after an early three-point takedown and gut wrench when his reversed Pami to his back for the pin at 1:02.
He cruised past Kyle Borshoff, 3-0, 7-0, in the quarterfinals before defeating third-seeded Adam Hall, 3-0, 5-2, on a combination of takedowns and pushouts in the semifinals. He scored on a go behind and a pair of pushouts in the first and two takedowns, including a counter off an early Hall headlock attempt, and two pushouts in the second.
“I liked having the matches yesterday – I didn’t mind it at all,” said Russell. “I’ve put in a lot more time working on freestyle, and it is good to see the hard work paying off. I felt good out there. This is Step 1, and Step 2 is the Trials.”
CKWC’s Kyle Massey also qualified himself for the World Team Trials with a sixth-place finish at 120/264.5 pounds — like Russell, his first time placing at a domestic freestyle tournament. Massey won his first two matches, earning a first-period pin in the opening round before claiming a disqualification victory over Ryan Tomei in the quarterfinals. He claimed the first period 6-0, scoring an early three-point takedown before Tomei walked out of bound three times to allow three pushouts. He was cautioned after each instance and subsequently disqualified for receiving three cautions.
Massey dropped his final three matches, falling to top-seeded Olympian Tervel Dlagnev in the semifinals before losing back-to-back consolation matches. He fell to Michael Meuleners, 4-1, 5-0, in the placing match, claiming the first point of the contest but giving up two takedowns, a pushout and a pair of exposures.
The CKWC duo will be joined by Jimmy Kennedy at the Trials in June. Kennedy was listed third at 60kg/132 pounds in USA Wrestling’s latest senior-level freestyle rankings.
CKWC RESULTS
Kellen Russell, 66kg/145.5 pounds
Qualifying Tournament
First Round – tech. fall Amin Queen (Roselle), 7-0, 8-2
Quarterfinal – dec. Edgar Mercado (unattached), 6-0, 3-0
Semifinal – tech. fall Dylan Alton (Nittany Lion WC), 6-0, 6-0
Championship Tournament
First Round – pinned Chase Pami (Sunkist Kids), 1-2, 1:02
Quarterfinal – dec. Kyle Borshoff (DCAC), 3-0, 7-0
Semifinal – dec. Adam Hall (NYAC), 3-0, 5-2
Final – dec. Jordan Oliver (Titan Mercury WC), 0-1, 2-2, 1-0
Finished as the 66kg champion with a 7-0 record
Kyle Massey, 120kg/264.5 pounds
First Round – pinned Derek Lee (Lemoore Farmboyz), 1:00
Quarterfinal – win by disqualification Ryan Tomei (Titan Mercury WC)
Semifinal – tech. fall by Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids), 6-0, 6-0
Consolations – dec. by Tyrell Fortune (Grand Canyon WC), 2-1, 5-2
Fifth Place – dec. by Matthew Meuleners (Aberdeen WC), 4-1, 5-0
Finished in sixth place with a 2-3 record
