Cliff Keen Passes RTC Cup Tests, Readies For Olympic Run
Cliff Keen Passes RTC Cup Tests, Readies For Olympic Run
The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club passes a tough test by winning the inaugural RTC Cup, helping prepare them for the ultimate goal: Tokyo Games
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Eager to test themselves against any kind of competition after months away, a contingent from the renowned Cliff Keen Wrestling Club was elated when invited to join a sizable gathering of elite grapplers at the Oklahoma Regional Training Center in June.
The group included 2021 Olympian, his three-time All-American and Michigan senior Myles Amine, his brother Malik, a two-time NCAA qualifier who wrestled for Michigan from 2014-2019, and former Michigan wrestler Domenic Abounader, a four-time NCAA qualifier and 2018 All-American.
Also tagging along was Michigan senior Logan Massa, a three-time NCAA qualifier and 2017 All-American.
They all tested themselves against a large roster of Olympic hopefuls and past All-Americans over five days at one of most star-studded training camps ever assembled.
Amine said at the time:
It was the best week of training we've had in some time with great partners to challenge us.
Clearly, the foursome and other members of Cliff Keen's impressive roster were chomping growing restless for a return to competition, but had to practice patience amid the coronavirus pandemic.
They finally all gathered again in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the club is based, in August, excited that a series of high-profile events was drawing near.
Head coach Sergei Beloglazov, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion, and his staff made certain they were going to be ready.
Less than a month later, some Keen members at last returned to competition at a loaded one-day freestyle event hosted by the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
That was followed by Senior Nationals, the UWW Junior and U23 Nationals and the recent inaugural Flowrestling RTC Cup.
As if shot out of a canon, Keen wrestlers attacked the challenging competition, racking up a combined 106-51 record at the four competitions despite the quality of opponents faced.
They captured the RTC Cup with a perfect 4-0 record, won three titles and placed nine in the top 8 at Junior and U23 Nationals, crowned two more champions and placed two others in the top eight at Senior Nationals. Keen wrestlers also won two matches matches against fierce opposition at the NLWC's freestyle event.
Breaking it down, Keen members went 16-9 at the RTC Cup, 61-28 at Junior and U23 Nationals and 27-10 at Senior Nationals.
Keen's massive depth is a major reason for all of that success, especially considering that no Keen wrestler competed at all four competitions and only Massa wrestled at three.
A perfect example of that depth played out at the RTC Cup when former Wisconsin standout Seth Gross, an NCAA Champion, two-time All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier, replaced 2021 Olympian and three-time All-American Stevan Micic at 57 kilograms.
All Gross did was go 3-1 with a pair of technical falls, including a 14-4 decision over two-time NCAA qualifier Jakob Camacho in the semifinals. Gross, sixth in the current national freestyle rankings, stormed back from an early deficit.
Watch Gross defeat Camacho:
The lopsided win and 14 points scored proved crucial as Keen edged Wolfpack RTC, 46-45, on the fifth tie-breaking criteria, most technical points.
"Seth Gross is some must see TV! Such a wide open fun style!", tweeted Wisconsin-Platteville head coach MIke DeRoehn.
@GodsWrestler133 Seth Gross is some must see TV! Such a wide open fun style! @H1StoryWrestle
— Coach Mike DeRoehn (@CoachDeRoehn) December 5, 2020
Gross also handled Zach Sanders, a four-time All-American at Minnesota, 12-4, and notched a 13-2 technical fall against Darian Cruz, an NCAA Champion and three-time All-American at Lehigh.
"Fun weekend of wrestling! Thanks @CliffKeenWC for having me on your squad! And thanks to @FloWrestling for the great event and chance to get some matches in!," Gross tweeted after the final match.
Fun weekend of wrestling! Thanks @CliffKeenWC for having me on your squad! And thanks to @FloWrestling for the great event and chance to get some matches in!
— Seth Gross (@GodsWrestler133) December 6, 2020
Gross then returned to Wisconsin, where he was named an assistant coach in June.
While many have contributed to Keen's incredible recent run, here is a closer look at four others who have stood out:
LOGAN MASSA
Massa, who takes a 72-18 record into his final collegiate wrestling season, went 10-1 at the RTC, Senior Nationals and NLWC freestyle event.
Seventh in the national freestyle 74kg rankings, Massa captured his second straight Senior Nationals title with a 6-0 mark.
He had little trouble with Arizona State All-American Anthony Valencia in the finals, taking a 15-2 decision. Valencia is ninth in the national freestyle rankings.
Massa's closest match was a 4-0 win over 2019 junior freestyle world champion David Carr in the semifinals. Carr is also two-time NCAA qualifier for Iowa State. Massa also bested Missouri's Jarrett Jacques, atwo-time NCAA qualifier, 12-8.
Massa was 3-1 at the RTC Cup, including nipping Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis, a 2019 NCAA Champion, 3-2, in the title match. Lewis is a 2018 World Junior champion as well.
His most thrilling win came against North Carolina State senior Hayden Hidlay, a three-time All-American. Down 8-0, Massa used a pair of four-point takedowns to draw even. He won on criteria. Massa also knocked off Wisconsin senior Evan Wick, a three-time All-American, 3-2.
Enjoy Massa's thrilling comeback vs Hidlay:
Massa's most impressive win of recent months, however, came at the NLWC freestyle event where he edged 2016 Olympian and Clarion All-American Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, 4-3. Abdurakhmonov was fourth in Rio.
Following the RTC Cup, Massa indicated he was not spending too much time celebrating.
"Time to get back to work. I’ll you you all soon!," he tweeted.
Time to get back to work. I’ll you you all soon!
— Logan massa (@massa_logan) December 6, 2020
MASON PARRIS
No. 8 in the latest pound-for-pound freestyle rankings and second at 125kg, the Michigan junior has been improving rapidly. He is also ranked 18th internationally.
Parris, a two-time NCAA qualifier and 2019 World Junior Champion, went 8-1 at the Senior Nationals and the RTC Cup.
Parris, who boasts a 60-10 record at Michigan thus far, had little trouble with seventh-ranked, Arizona State All-American Tanner Hall in the Senior Nationals final, taking a 12-2 decision. Parris also pinned eighth-ranked Wisconsin All-American Trent Hillger in just over two minutes.
Earlier in the tourney, Parris knocked off two-time Lehigh All-American Jordan Wood, 9-6, and was 5-0 overall.
He also beat Wood more decisively in the RTC title match with a 12-1 technical fall to clinch the championship. Somehow, Parris scored all 12 points in less five minutes.
In the semifinals, Parris pulled off perhaps the biggest win of his career to help preserve Keen's razor-thin victory.
In one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, Parris bested two-time World Championships bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski, 10-7, avenging an 18-8 defeat to him just a day earlier.
The match was a see-saw battle and Parris found himself trailing 7-6 with under 30 seconds left, but he stunned Gwiazdowski with four unanswered points. Gwiazdowski's resume also includes two NCAA Championships and four All-American finishes while at North Carolina State. He is currently ranked third nationally and 19th internationally.
Check out Mason's revenge vs Gwiz:
"Has anyone improved more than Parris in the last two years?," asked Olympic gold medalist and Team USA Development coach Kevin Jackson on Twitter.
Has anyone improved more than Parris in the last two years?
— Kevin Jackson (@CoachKJ__) December 5, 2020
Parris also took care of Tony Nelson, a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion at Minnesota with an 8-2 decision.
"A lot of fun wrestling at the RTC Cup today!," Parris tweeted following the first day of competition. "I came here to wrestle the best and I will never shy away from wrestling the best. I learn and improve every time I step on the mat. The Olympic trials better be ready!"
A lot of fun wrestling at the RTC Cup today! I came here to wrestle the best and I will never shy away from wrestling the best. I learn and improve every time I step on the mat. The Olympic trials better be ready! #Tokyo2021
— Mason Parris (@Parris58) December 5, 2020
DYLAN RAGUSIN
The Michigan freshman has yet to wrestle a collegiate match, but has already a huge impression on Wolverines' coaches by winning a Junior and U23 Nationals championship and finishing second at Senior Nationals.
The six-time Fargo All-American and two-time Illinois state champion went 10-1 in those events.
Ragusin, ranked 10th nationally, was 6-0 in taking the 57kg junior freestyle title, winning a wild decision over Columbia sophomore Angelo Rini in the final, 13-10. Down 4-0 early, Ragusin erupted for seven straights to snare the lead for good.
Watch Ragusin win a junior national title in the video below:
Ragusin also pinned four-time Iowa state champion and Northern Iowa sophomore Brody Teske in 2:18. Ragusin outscored his six foes by a combined 58-13 margin.
Ragusin reached the Senior Nationals championship match with a 7-6 upset of Darian Cruz, an NCAA Champion and three-time All-American at Lehigh, somehow scoring five points in the final six seconds.
He was a huge underdog in the final against Cornell sophomore Vito Arujau, an All-American and four-time New York state champion. Ragusin dropped a 13-3 decision.
However, he also beat Edinboro All-American Sean Russell by technical fall (16-5) and scored another technical fall against Nebraska freshman Jeremiah Reno (11-0). Reno went 179-0 in high school and won four Missouri state titles.
ALEC PANTALEO
The three-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier while at Michigan (2015-19) was one of only six wrestlers who were unbeaten during the RTC Cup, finishing 4-0 at 65kg.
Pantaleo, who is unranked, edged 10th-ranked, three-time Princeton All-American Matthew Kolodzik in the RTC Cup title match, 8-6.
A match you can watch in the video below:
In Keen's close semifinal win, Pantaleo earned a crucial victory. He pinned North Carolina State senior Tariq Wilson, an All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier, in 2:22. Pantaleo also decisioned three-time North Carolina state All-American Kevin Jack, 7-2.
Pantaleo will continue testing himself against top-notch competition at the 8-Man Challenge Bracket event Friday. He opens against Jordan Oliver, a two-time NCAA Champion and four-time NCAA qualifier while at Oklahoma State. Oliver is 14th in the international 65kg rankings and second in the national rankings.