Badger wrestler Travis Rutt is going to Anaka, Turkey.
Rutt, a sophomore-to-be, won the 84 kg/185 lbs. Greco-Roman competition at the FILA Junior World Team Trials Friday in Colorado Springs. With his first-place finish, Rutt secured a spot on the U.S. FILA Junior World Team, which will compete at the World Championships in Anaka, Turkey from Aug. 4-9.
Rutt secured his spot in the finals by winning three straight bouts in the challenge bracket and out-scoring his opponents 17-0. The New Prague, Minn., native opened up with a 1-0, 3-0 decision over Clete Hanson and then continued with the same 1-0, 3-0 score over Brent Haynes. To earn a spot in the finals, Rutt defeated Mark Stenberg 7-0, 2-0.
In the finals, Rutt faced the No. 1 seed, Rabert Barbour in a best-of-three series. The No. 1 seed for each weight class did not have to wrestle in the challenge bracket and was automatically entered into the finals. Rutt and Barbour wrestled a tight match in the first round with Barbour winning the first period 0-2. Rutt then stormed back to win the second period 2-0 and capped off the victory with a 1-0 score in the third period. Rutt was then declared the winner after an injury forfeit by Barbour.
"As the tournament went on, I started wrestling better and better," Rutt said. "It's a great feeling to make the team. It was definitely a goal of mine to make the team this year since I didn't make it last year."
Incoming Badger freshman Kalvin York also competed in the Greco-Roman tournament and he finished third out of seven wrestlers at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. He dropped his first match, 4-0, 4-10, 7-0 against Tanner Andrews but bounced back to win two bouts for third place. He defeated Alex Fleming 2-0, 6-0 before winning by a pin in the finals. He matched up against Robert Gulla and won the first period 4-3 but Gulla came back to win the second, 1-3. York sealed the victory with a pin in 1:48 during the third period.
Fellow Badgers Andrew Howe and Tyler Graff will wrestle tomorrow in hopes of joining Rutt on the FILA Junior World Team. Howe (74 kg/163 lbs.) and Graff (60 kg/132.25 lbs.) are wrestling in the freestyle competition which takes place Saturday at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Howe has the No. 1 seed so he does not have to wrestle in the challenge tournament. Graff, who is already a two-time member of the FILA Junior World Team, will compete in the challenge tournament.
Be sure to log onto UWBadgers.com tomorrow for results from the freestyle competition.
