Dingo Brigade

Challenge GR 130kg finals will be Adam Coon vs. Aden Attao

Augello wins 3-1 to make the Challenge finals vs Areana Villaescus

Sage Mortimer has been super impressive today.

Boykins pins Cooper after the latter appeared to hurt his right leg significantly and painfully. Cooper is, afterall, as wrestler so of course he finished the match on one leg.

Mortimer punches a ticket to the finals against 17 year old phenom Audrey Jimenez at 50kg

Lots and lots of boos for Burroughs, but he wrestled incredibly well and intelligently. Soundly beats Mesenbrink. Burroughs prods Mesenbrink and the crowd booed him lustily. It was chippy on both ends and Burroughs had a great strategy. These people are nuts if they think Burrtoughs won for any other reason than being a much better, complete wrestler than the very, very young and less experienced Mesenbrink. Pretty weak in my opinion. You don't boo Michael Jordan and you don't boo Jordan Burroughs, again in my humble opinion.

Nolf all over upstart Jacques 9-2.

Burroughs has shown off so many tools in his repertoire today. He still has elite level burst when he summons it. He is such a smart, cagey wrestler and he has had a great strategy and better execution against each foe thus far.

Nolf in control throughout so far, leads 6-2 with less than a minute left.

JB playing the power game. Bursts out of his stance and gets 2 very quickly. It appears he may have a power advantage, but Mesenbrink can go all day as we well know. Burroughs with another 2, leads 6-0. Counters a nice shot from the PSU grappler and gets a stepout. Leads 7-0. The crowd is going nuts because they feel Burroughs is lollygagging between whistles.

Nolf quick out the gates against Jacques, leads 4-2.

Jacobson beats Braunagel

Z Braunagel can't get through Jacobson's defense.

Burroughs vs. Mesenbrink!!!! Burroughs looks intense!

Jacques vs. Nolf!

Zach Braunagel facing Payton Jacobson in the semis. His brother was knocked out the winning side earlier today.

Stefanowicz leads 3-0 over Sebie.

Hidlay leads 2-2 over Marstellar. A late flurry fought off gamely by Hidlay, but Marstellar pulls out the very last second TD to steal this one late. Hidlay is literally slapping the crap out of himself in the fact. Great match.

Using only 3 mats, unfortunately, mat 4 is not in use and that's where I am.

Marstellar and Hidlay up on Mat 2. Hidlay continuing his hot streak with the first TD. Leads 2-0 with a minute to go in the 1st. Marstellar gets a step out, Hidlay up 2-1 at the break

Mahmoud Sebie is facing Stefanowicz to make the semis. He represented Egypt in the 2016 Olympic Games. Trails 2-0 as the 1st period closes

Nick Lee vs Andrew Alirez

Mendez vs. the Pain Train

Semis at 65kg

Mendez is on the verge of teching Yianni. I don't know what to say about Mendez that hasn't already been said. This was an incredible win...12-7. Youth will be served!

2nd period, they handfight and pummel, both facing each other in the center. Mendez has shown that he can get the big move when needed, Yianni is a legend of USA wrestling. Mendez might be changing the guard, with a big 2 followed by an exposure, leads 7-4...Mendez slams Yianni on his head! 11-4 Mendez with a brick to follow from Diakomihalis' corner.

2-1 Yianni with a TD, Mendez gets a reversal.

33 seconds, Mendez again deep on Yianni's incredible legs, gets him down finally. 3-2 Mendez at the break. What is this kid's ceiling? 

Mendez vs. Yianni starts it all off!

About to start and the energy in the building is much higher than the earlier session. It's much more full as well.

Hoping for the best possible results for all of our competitors.

Photo courtesy of Gerry deSimas of Connecticut Wrestling Online

I'm stepping out until the evening session. It appears that Mendez' quarters match again Yianni is taking place this evening.

Great job thus far by our Indiana men and women. Mendez, Lee, Parris, Hildebrandt and Miracle all still alive and working for the all-important Olympic berths.

Carroll lost 1-1 to Cox and was absolutely in that match until the bitter end. Great showing by him and he is getting better and better all the time.

Boyd, Carroll, Nate Jackson still alive in wrestlebacks.

Great action and can't wait for tonight's all-star matches at every weight. Bye for now.

My pleasure, Matt. The wifi is very challenging so I'm having to delete posts because they're timing out. I'm trying to work through it. 

44 year old Aliaksandr Kikinou just knocked off Greco mainstay Jesse Porter, is in the semis at 77kg in Greco.

Fix wins 5-1 over Suriano. Great sportsmanship between the 2 after the match.

Spencer Lee nearly techs Megaludis in the first, leads 8-0 in the 2nd

Kennedy Blades in a dogfight against Skylar Grote. 2-0 Blades leads in the 2nd period.

Gilman hangs on to defeat the incredible 17 year old Forrest.

Fix opening up on Suriano a little bit, leads 5-1 less than a minute left.

Zane Richards comfortably over Lilledahl.

Cool to see Spencer Lee and Megaludis. Lee looking quick and strong and in control against Megaludis.

Holy moley, the crowd is gassing up Jax Forrest, who has 2 takedowns on Thomas Gilman. Gilman has 3 stepout points, trails 4-3. We have seen established Sr level stars Gilman and Burroughs have to rely on stepout points to offset the takedowns by their much younger opponents..

Gilman gets a nice 2 on the edge of the mat, leads 5-4 to start the 2nd period. Gilman appears to have slowed down Forrest in the 2nd. Still 5-4 with 45 secs left

Fix and Suriano in a dogfight. Fix pressuring the head....gets Suriano's leg and the stepout. Fix leading 1-1, still in the first.

Jarrett Jacques beat Vincenzo Joseph and Quincy Monday, will face Nolf next. Heckuva job and I didn't see that coming personally.

Jaron Smith scored first with a stepout against Gwiz, but Gwiz responds with a TD and 2 pt exposure, leads 4-1 at the break. Gwiz adds a quick 2 to start the 2nd., leads 6-1

Bradley with the dramatic comeback against Hendrickson...leads 9-6 with a minute to go. The wily veteran still has juice left.

Kerkvliet techs Lance, made it look easy.

Boyd down 3-1 with 30 secs left, pushing the pace, looking for something.....10 secs, slips, Drury wins 5-1. Sorry to see Boyd fall.

Alara Boyd against Aine Drury (no relation, I assure you :))

Boyd pushing the action, has Drury on the edge of the mat, gets nothing...didn't see how it happened, but Drury up 3-0 to start the 2nd

Cox returns the favor with a passivity point of his own, takes the lead 1-1 with criteria. Carroll is going to need to score. 30 secs left. Near TD by Carroll at the end, the wily vet Cox holds him off to win 1-1. Bummer, but what a performance by Carroll already.

This might bear watching, but Cox appeared to be in excruciating pain as he walked to the locker room. He was moaning loudly and holding his side. Could be a problem for Cox moving forward.

Nate Jackson off to a quick start against Kollin Moore, leads 2-0 early in the first. Flurries ensue, Moore opens up a 6-4 lead early in the 2nd. Jackson tied it up but Moore pulls it out.

Cox returns the favor with a passivity point of his own, takes the lead 1-1 with criteria. Carroll is going to need to score. 30 secs left. Near TD by Carroll at the end, the wily vet Cox holds him off to win 1-1. Bummer, but what a performance by Carroll already.

This might bear watching, but Cox appeared to be in excruciating pain as he walked to the locker room. He was moaning loudly and holding his side. Could be a problem for Cox moving forward.

Nate Jackson off to a quick start against Kollin Moore, leads 2-0 early in the first. Flurries ensue, Moore opens up a 6-4 lead early in the 2nd. Jackson tied it up but Moore pulls it out.