April 10, 2016
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By JIL PRICE
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Daniel Dennis of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club has earned the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in the free style 57 kg event. Matched with fellow Iowa wrestling All-American Tony Ramos, Dennis prevailed with consecutive victories in the Sunday night finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena to secure the berth.
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In round one, a total of three passivity points were awarded. Dennis held the edge, 2-1, handing Ramos his first-ever loss inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Dennis was the aggressor in the second round. He used a takedown to get on top of Ramos and rolled through four consecutive gut-wrenchers to record a 10-0 victory by technical superiority at the 1:04 mark.
“I think first match I went out there not underestimating him, but just not fully aware and fully prepared,” Dennis said. “This guy is coming for war, and he is. Tony, his track record has shown that he is a competitor beyond belief, he’s a tough son of a gun, and there is no doubt about that. He clubbed the hell out of me the first match, and I don’t know if I wasn’t in my grove, but in the second match the pace was a little bit higher.
“I am confident if I get on top I can do some damage. I have known that, and that is what the coaches have been telling me for a while. I have known that for a while, I am taking advantage of those positions where I am strong. As soon as I got on top of him I was like, `give me my gut, give me my gut. I want to gut wrench really bad, and I am going to try to break his ribs.’ That is nothing against Tony, but we are competitors on the mat.”
With a win in the best-of-three finals, Dennis will compete in his first Olympic Games. He is the 18th Iowa wrestler overall, and the first since 2008, to become an Olympian. Hawkeye wrestlers have won five gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals.
HAWKEYE WRESTLING CLUB
SUNDAY SESSION II RESULTS
57 KG Best-of-Three Finals
Round 1 — Daniel Dennis (TMWC/HWC) dec. vs. Tony Ramos (TMWC/HWC), 2-1
Round 2 — Daniel Dennis (TMWC/HWC) tech. superiority vs. Tony Ramos (TMWC/HWC), 10-0; 1:04
Team USA Roster
FS 57 KG — Daniel Dennis (Hawkeye Wrestling Club)
FS 65 KG — Frank Molinaro
FS 74 KG — Jordan Burroughs
FS 86 KG — J’Den Cox
FS 97 KG — Kyle Snyder
FS 125 KG — Tervel Dlagnev
Attendance
Saturday Session I: 10,855
Saturday Session II: 11,066
Day 1 Total: 21,921
Sunday Session I: 11,171
Sunday Session II: 11,162
Day 2 Total: 22,333
Total Attendance: 44,254