Dingo Brigade

Wrestlers from all over will converge upon State College, Pennsylvania Friday and Saturday for one of 18 coveted spots on the Olympic team. Seven wrestlers with Indiana ties will look to call themselves Olympians after the dust settles on Saturday evening.
 
Men's Freestyle
At 65kg there are two entries from Indiana in Nick Lee and Jesse Mendez. Lee is coming in as the top seed, while Mendez is the 11th seed. This weight is not qualified for the Olympics yet, so the winner here will go to Turkey with hopes of getting a qualifying spot. Lee won the spot last year and wrestled at Worlds, but did not qualify the spot. He potentially see Penn State teammate Beau Bartlett or 2023 NCAA champ Andrew Alirez to make the best of three finals.
 
Moving up to 97kg we will see Christian Carroll attempt to make the team. He qualified at the Last Chance Qualifier a couple weeks ago and slots in as the 9th seed. He will have Iowa's Anthony Cassioppi in the first round with the winner getting former Olympic medalist J'den Cox in the quarters.
 
At heavyweight Mason Parris will sit out until the finals on Saturday. He will away the challenge tournament winner in a best of three series due to winning a bronze medal at last year's world championships. It will be very fitting to see Parris in Paris this summer.
 
Women's Freestyle
Three wrestlers will look to earn spots on the team in Women's Freestyle. All of the women's weights are qualified for the Olympics which means winning here will get you a trip to Paris. At 50kg the Queen of Granger Sarah Hildebrandt will be sitting out until Saturday's best of three finals. She has medaled multiple times on the world stage and looks to make her second Olympic team. 
 
Kayla Miracle will be in the best of three series at 62kg awaiting the winner of the challenge tournament. She was an Olympian in 2021 and qualified the weight again for the Olympics at the Pan Am qualifier.
 
Lastly, Yorktown's Alara Boyd will look to earn a spot at 68kg. She comes in as the 5th seed in the challenge tournament. She has multiple world medals and will be a threat to make the best of three series against Amit Elor.
 
Schedule
Friday, April 19
Session 1: 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Challenge Tournament: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rounds* 
(ALL STYLES AND WEIGHTS)
*All championship matches will wrestle prior to consolation rounds
 
Session 2: 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Challange Tournament: Semifinals and Finals
(ALL STYLES AND WEIGHTS)
 
Saturday, April 20
Session 3: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Final 2 out of 3 Championship Series Round 1**
**Weights not currently qualified for the Olympics will wrestle match 2 in this session
Challenge Tournament: Consolations, Consolation Semi-finals, 3rd place and True 3rd (if needed)
(ALL STYLES AND WEIGHTS)
 
Session 4: 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Final 2 out of 3 Championship Series Round 2**
**Weights not currently qualified for the Olympics will wrestle match 3 at beginning of session (if needed)
Final 2 out of 3 Championship Series Round 3 (If Needed)
 
How to Watch
On Peacock and USA
https://www.themat.com/news/2024/april/16/how-to-watch-live-u-s-olympic-team-trials-wrestling-live-on-peacock-and-usa-network
 
Brackets
Brackets on TrackWrestling
 
TheMat.com Coverage Page
 

View full article

Like Matt said, I figured OSU had a succession plan with Coleman Scott, who really elevated North Carolina during his tenure there. Those are some massive shoes to fill for Scott. Smith has always been one of my favorite figures in NCAA wrestling and I will miss his scowls matside. He often has a big presence at World Team and Olympic Team Trials and I'm sure this week will be no different.

Like Matt said, I figured OSU had a succession plan with Coleman Scott, who really elevated North Carolina during his tenure there. Those are some massive shoes to fill for Scott. Smith has always been one of my favorite figures in NCAA wrestling and I will miss his scowls matside. He often has a big presence at World Team and Olympic Team Trials and I'm sure this week will be no different.

Announces retirement
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/cowboys/2024/04/11/oklahoma-state-wrestling-coach-john-smith-announces-retirement-osu-cowboys/73294107007/

Legend. There's a bunch of videos from a coaches clinic he did a few years back on youtube that I watch religiously. 

Wow.  I really assumed he would have one more final year left in him with having a decent team and bringing in Colman Scott already to help with guiding the program.  Heck of a career for him as both a competitor and coach.  

The man is a living legend.
 
OSU & the sport of wrestling is losing one of the GOAT's.
 
He is still relatively young, I wonder what his plans are?

Seen on Flo that Veazy is committed to Michigan.  Go Blue!
 
Michigan De'Alcapon Veazy 49 Ponderosa CO 197

CP alum Frazier hits the portal out of Va Tech.. Wrestlestat has him at #49 among all 133s on D1 rosters. He'd have immediate national qualifier potential in the right spot.

how do i accept? i would like to go but im not sure what all i gotta do. This is mason jones

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

I’ll be the first to respond. Cool, first response. And have fun ,  Second response. Keep us in the loop. 
I will tell you that I was at the same event when it was in Indianapolis. A young guy named Rulan. Etched his name. But the bigger story was my two seats were right behind Dan Gable for me he whole event. 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

The former Yorktown standout looking to take another national title.  She worked her way back from a prior season ending injury and has transferred to North Central.  Hopefully she can get it done one more time in her final season of eligibility.  

Boyd finishes 3rd.  Still a great career for this young lady and great to see her come back from injury to make on more run at a title.  Hope we see her at the World/Olympic Trials in the next several years.  

Here some of my choices

@FCFIGHTER170- New Castle historian and will defend the Trojans at all costs
@Dingo Brigade- Former arch nemesis, but now friend. Great articles and always positive about the Indiana guys
@Galagore- Defender of equality and class wrestling
@clive2246- An original crazy wrestling mom from CP
@grecoref- RIP, always had wit, humor, sarcasm, but also provided great insight and information at the same time.
 

Hey there everyone! Pardon the 3rd person description, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be covering the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials at Penn State.
 
I'm briefly stepping out of retirement to attend the Trials as an approved media member and I wanted to give folks an opportunity to suggest/request questions I can ask the athletes participating, particularly those with Indiana ties. I haven't done this in the past, but what the heck!
 
I'll have more information and articles to come, but please feel free to shoot me question ideas, even if they are ridiculous
 
Thank you and I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone interested.
 

Just good to know @Dingo Brigadeis still alive and in the garage bunker! 

It's only good if I win.....