Photo courtesy of John Sachs/Tech-Fall.com

In his first tournament donning a Pennsylvania Regional Training Center singlet, Jordan Burroughs claimed a spot on his 10th USA Senior Team last weekend at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Burroughs, now an eight-time World Team member and two-time Olympian, accomplished this feat bumped up at 79 kg after making his previous nine teams at 74 kg. He is the first PRTC wrestler in program history slated to represent the Red, White and Blue at a Senior World Championship.

Burroughs’s path to his tenth team was no cakewalk. He opened the tournament with a 7-3 victory over four-time NC State All-American Hayden Hidlay, a 2018 U23 World Team member. He followed it up with a quarterfinal win over Lock Haven All-American and former Cadet World Team member Chance Marsteller, 4-1. In the semifinals, he downed three-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist Jason Nolf of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, 5-3.

Burroughs’s final obstacle in making the team came in the form of three-time NCAA champion and Junior World silver medalist Alex Dieringer of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Dieringer, who moved down from 86 kg where he was competing during the Olympic year, has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world by United World Wrestling. However, he proved no match for Burroughs, who handled him in two-straight matches, 10-5 and 4-3.

The Senior World Championships take place in Oslo, Norway, October 2-10. Burroughs will attempt to earn his fifth World title in addition to his 2012 Olympic gold and three World bronze medals.

The PRTC nearly crowned their second World Team member after an excellent performance from 2021 Olympic Team Trials runner-up Joey McKenna at 65 kg. McKenna defeated 2020 Senior Nationals runner-up Evan Henderson in a gutsy 10-9 match to advance to the finals against long-time rival Yianni Diakomihalis, a two-time NCAA and Cadet World champion. McKenna took the first bout in a three-match series, 8-7. However, Diakomihalis rallied to win two-straight matches and claim the World Team spot.

This is the first time that two PRTC wrestlers have earned National Team honors in the same year. The U.S. National Team consists of the top three wrestlers per weight class. The first PRTC wrestler to make the National Team was B.J. Futrell (No. 3 at 65 kg) in 2017. The following year, Richard Perry claimed the No. 3 spot at the 86 kg weight class. With his performance, Joey McKenna accomplished another historic feat, becoming the first PRTC wrestler to make back-to-back National Teams.

In addition to Burroughs, the PRTC had two more wrestlers competing in the 79 kg bracket, Mickey O’Malley and David McFadden. O’Malley, who is entering his redshirt junior year at Drexel, logged a 2-2 record. After dropping his opening bout to three-time All-American Evan Wick. O’Malley bounced back with two-straight wins. His first was a pin over Muhamed McBryde, which he followed up with a 15-5 victory over McFadden in an all-PRTC clash. McFadden opened his tournament with a 12-6 win over two-time All-American Devin Skatzka before falling in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist Alex Dieringer in a tight, 3-1, battle.

Ethan Lizak also competed for the PRTC at 61 kg, dropping his first bout to 2018 NCAA champion Seth Gross before defaulting out of the tournament.

2021 World Team Trials

at Lincoln, Nebraska

PRTC Results

61 kg

Ethan Lizak (0-1)

LOSS Seth Gross, 10-0

65 kg

Joey McKenna – SECOND

WIN Evan Henderson, 10-9

WIN Yianni Diakomihalis, 5-2

LOSS Yianni Diakomihalis, 5-2

LOSS Yianni Diakomihalis, 12-2

79 kg

Jordan Burroughs – FIRST

WIN Hayden Hidlay, 7-3

WIN Chance Marsteller, 4-1

WIN Jason Nolf, 5-3

WIN Alex Dieringer, 10-5

WIN Alex Dieringer, 4-3

Mickey O’Malley (2-2)

LOSS Evan Wick, 10-2

WIN Muhamed McBryde, FALL :51

WIN David McFadden, 15-5

LOSS Hayden Hidlay, 3-1

David McFadden (1-2)

WIN Devin Skatzka, 12-6

LOSS Alex Dieringer, 3-1

LOSS Mickey O’Malley, 15-5

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