Doug Schwab knocks off top three seeds in Challenge Tournament to reach final-round series at World Team Trials

wab hasn’t wrestled a lot of matches this season.

But the University of Iowa assistant wrestling coach still arrived in Las Vegas this weekend more than prepared to make his first U.S. World Team.

Just ask No. 3 seed Jared Lawrence, No. 2 seed Zack Esposito and No. 1 seed Jared Frayer.

The sixth-seeded Schwab knocked off all three in succession to win the Challenge Tournament at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and advance to meet U.S. Nationals champion Chris Bono on Sunday night in the U.S. World Team Trials championship series.

The best-of-3 finals are set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Champions on Sunday qualify for September’s World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. A combined 11 champions in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle were crowned on Saturday when the two-day competition kicked off.

Frayer executed a sweet lateral drop to win the first period 7-2 before the scrappy Schwab came back to win the final two periods 3-0, 1-0. Schwab, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, fired in on a nifty leg attack to gain the winning takedown in the final two-minute period. Schwab is a past NCAA champion for Iowa.

Frayer had earlier beaten 2006 World champion and No. 4 seed Bill Zadick 1-0, 6-0 in the semifinals. Zadick has missed nearly the entire season because of injuries and illness.

One of the afternoon’s biggest upsets came when fifth-seeded Pat Cummins of the New York AC knocked off No. 1 seed Cole Konrad 0-2, 1-1, 1-0. Cummins then fell to Steve Mocco of the New York AC in the Challenge Tournament finals.

Mocco advances to meet U.S. Nationals champion Tommy Rowlands of the Sunkist Kids in the best-of-3 finals on Sunday night.

The women’s freestyle finals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. will match past World medalist Stephanie Murata against 2006 World Team member Mary Kelly. Murata beat Kelly in the finals of April’s U.S. Nationals.

SUNDAY NIGHT’S BEST-OF-3 FINALISTS

Men’s freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs. – Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Matt Azevedo, Pismo Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Joe Williams, DeKalb, Ill. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

Greco-Roman

60 kg/132 lbs. – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Harry Lester, Akron, Ohio (Gator WC/USOEC) vs. Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (Gator/USOEC)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Adam Wheeler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

Women’s freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Mary Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

55 kg/121 lbs. – Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) vs. Tori Adams, Colorado Springs

wab hasn’t wrestled a lot of matches this season.

But the University of Iowa assistant wrestling coach still arrived in Las Vegas this weekend more than prepared to make his first U.S. World Team.

Just ask No. 3 seed Jared Lawrence, No. 2 seed Zack Esposito and No. 1 seed Jared Frayer.

The sixth-seeded Schwab knocked off all three in succession to win the Challenge Tournament at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and advance to meet U.S. Nationals champion Chris Bono on Sunday night in the U.S. World Team Trials championship series.

The best-of-3 finals are set for 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Champions on Sunday qualify for September’s World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. A combined 11 champions in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle were crowned on Saturday when the two-day competition kicked off.

Frayer executed a sweet lateral drop to win the first period 7-2 before the scrappy Schwab came back to win the final two periods 3-0, 1-0. Schwab, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, fired in on a nifty leg attack to gain the winning takedown in the final two-minute period. Schwab is a past NCAA champion for Iowa.

Frayer had earlier beaten 2006 World champion and No. 4 seed Bill Zadick 1-0, 6-0 in the semifinals. Zadick has missed nearly the entire season because of injuries and illness.

One of the afternoon’s biggest upsets came when fifth-seeded Pat Cummins of the New York AC knocked off No. 1 seed Cole Konrad 0-2, 1-1, 1-0. Cummins then fell to Steve Mocco of the New York AC in the Challenge Tournament finals.

Mocco advances to meet U.S. Nationals champion Tommy Rowlands of the Sunkist Kids in the best-of-3 finals on Sunday night.

The women’s freestyle finals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. will match past World medalist Stephanie Murata against 2006 World Team member Mary Kelly. Murata beat Kelly in the finals of April’s U.S. Nationals.

SUNDAY NIGHT’S BEST-OF-3 FINALISTS

Men’s freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs. – Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Matt Azevedo, Pismo Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Joe Williams, DeKalb, Ill. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

Greco-Roman

60 kg/132 lbs. – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Harry Lester, Akron, Ohio (Gator WC/USOEC) vs. Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (Gator/USOEC)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Adam Wheeler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

Women’s freestyle

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Mary Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

55 kg/121 lbs. – Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) vs. Tori Adams, Colorado Springs