Schultz Enters Final Round of Team USA Olympic Trials
FORT WORTH, TX -- 2021 Pac-12 heavyweight champion Cohlton Schultz defeated both of his opponents on Friday positioning himself to wrestle in the best-of-three final for the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials Greco-Roman 130 kg weight class. The 18 championship matches of the US Olympic Team Trials will begin at 4:30 pm MST on Saturday, April 3 on NBCSN.
The redshirt freshman from Colorado will face three-time All-American and two-time NCAA finalist, Adam Coon, tomorrow in the best-of-three. The winner of the duals will go to an international qualifying tournament to qualify the US at heavyweight for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
"Cohlton did a fantastic job today," said Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones. "Putting himself in the finals of the US Olympic Team Trials makes him one step closer to a dream he's had since he was a little kid. He's done the work this year and is prepared for tomorrow. I know he's grateful for the opportunity he has and will be ready for the moment."
On Friday assistant coach Frank Molinaro, alumni Tanner Hall and Zahid Valencia made appearances on the mats in Fort Worth.
Molinaro defeated Evan Henderson 10-1 in his round one preliminary match for the men's freestyle 65 kg. The Rio de Janiero Olympian fell short in his semifinal match against Yianni Diakomihalis before finalizing his retirement from professional wrestling on the mat.
Thanks, Frank! #WrestlingTrials21
?? @Tony_Rotundo pic.twitter.com/lJz9CzRDB8
— USA Wrestling (@USAWrestling) April 2, 2021
Wrestling simultaneously as Schultz, Valencia faced Bo Nickal in the men's freestyle 86 kg match where he fell short in the final thirty seconds of the bout for a 12-5 final.
Tanner Hall made his debut on the Olympic Trials stage against Gable Stevenson for the 125 kg men's freestyle quarterfinals. Stevenson would prove his dominance on the mat to continue onto the semifinals.
Cohlton Schultz Quick Facts
USA RANK: #2
- Placed fourth at 2021 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships
- 2021 All-American
- 2021 Pac-12 Champion (HWT)
- Ranked #2 in USA Greco Roman 130 KG
- 2017 Cadet World champion
- 2019 Junior World silver medalist
- 2018 Junior World bronze medalist
- 2019 Senior Nationals champion
- Six-time age-group-level World Team member
- Rated No. 1 pound-for-pound recruit in the nation
- A 2019 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner, joining teammate Zahid Valencia as the only other Sun Devil to receive the award
- 2019 Senior Greco US runner up
- Three-time Junior World Team member
- Two-time Cadet World Team participant
- A member of the U23 World Team in 2018
- Four-time Colorado state champion
- Ended his high school career with a 188-2 record, including 152 pins
Results
Greco-Roman Preliminaries Round 1
130 kg - Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm) 3-0
Greco-Roman Semifinals
130 kg - Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Jacob Mitchell (ARMY WCAP) 4-3
Men's Freestyle Preliminaries Round 1
65 kg - Frank Molinaro (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) won by decision over Evan Henderson (TMWC/ Spartan Combat) 10-1
Men's Freestyle Quarterfinals
65 kg - Yianni Diakomihalis (TMWC/ Spartan Combat) tech. fall Frank Molinaro (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) 10-0
86 kg - Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Aaron Brooks (TMWC/ NLWC) 6-3
125 kg - Gable Steveson (Gopher Wrestling Club) tech. fall over Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) TF 11-0
Men's Freestyle Semifinals
86 kg - Bo Nickal (TMWC/ NLWC) dec. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) 12-5