FORT WORTH, Texas – Utah Valley University junior Taylor LaMont wrestled his way to a third-place finish in Greco-Roman competition at the 2019 U.S. Senior Nationals last week to qualify for the upcoming 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
 
Wrestling for Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club at 60 kilos, LaMont posted an impressive 7-1 outing at the two-day event on his way to placing third and earning a qualifying spot for April's upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials. The UVU 2018 NCAA qualifier and seven-time age-group World Team qualifier LaMont opened his 2019 Senior Nationals Greco run with a 10-0 opening-round victory over Sean Sesnan of NMU-OTS to move on to face the Lillashawn Coleman of Army WCAP. Coleman then handed the fourth-seeded Wolverine his lone loss of the tournament with a 9-0 setback to send LaMont to the consolation rounds. 
 
In the consolation rounds, LaMont then looked determined to place in the top-five and earn a qualifying spot for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials as he reeled off six straight wins to wrestle all the way back and earn a bronze finish. LaMont started the impressive streak with a 9-0 win over Wyoming's Drake Foster. He then followed that up with a 3-0 win over Mason Carzino-Hartshorn of Community Youth Center-Concord Campus as well as a hard fought 8-6 victory over the No. 10 seed in David Stepanian of unattached, and a 9-0 win over No. 11 Travis Rice of New York Athletic Club to advance to the consolation semis. Then deadlocked in a battle against the No. 5 seed Dalton Roberts of New York AC, LaMont managed to earn a win by criteria (3-3) to head to the third-place bout. Then wrestling for third against the former Oregon State Beaver and current Iowa State assistant coach Joey Palmer of Cyclone RTC, LaMont managed to earn his sixth consecutive win with a 3-1 victory over Palmer to secure a spot at the Olympic Trials by earning the third-place finish at the qualifying tournament.  
 
UVU sophomore Dylan Gregerson too took part in the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament at 60 kg and wrestled his way to a 3-2 record while representing the Brunson Utah Valley Regional Training Center. After opening with a tightly contested 6-4 loss to Bernardino Gomez of Blue Chip Wrestling Club, Gregerson then responded by reeling off three straight must-win matches in the consolation rounds. During the streak, the UVU sophomore defeated Ryan Rowland of NMU-OTS (8-0), Brady Koontz of Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (9-0), and Tyler Graff of Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (6-0) to advance to the consolation round of eight. Then matched up against Coleman of Army WCAP, Gregerson saw his tournament outing come to a close with a 15-6 setback to the 13th-seeded Coleman.  
 
The 2019 U.S. Senior Nationals and Trials Qualifier was held Dec. 20-22 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The 2020 Olympic Team Trials are set for April 4-5 at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania. 
 
QUALIFIERS FOR THE 2020 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS - WRESTLING
Greco-Roman - 60 kg
Dec. 2019 Senior Nationals third place – Taylor Lamont (Sunkist Kids)
 
FINAL RESULTS
60 KG - Taylor Lamont (7-1) - 3rd Place 
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids) VSU Sean Sesnan (NMU-OTS), 10-0 (2:51)
Lillashawn Coleman (Army WCAP) VFA Taylor LaMont (Sunkist), 9-0 (1:31)
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids) VFA Drake Foster (Unattached), 9-0 (1:28)
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids) VPO Mason Carzino-Hartshorn (Community YC-Concord), 3-0
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids) VPO1 David Stepanian (Unattached), 8-6
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids) VFA Travis Rice (New York AC), 9-0 (3:46)
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist Kids) VPO1 Dalton Roberts (New York AC), 3-3
Taylor LaMont (Sunkist kids) VPO1 Joseph Palmer (Cyclone RTC), 3-1
 
60 KG - Dylan Gregerson (3-2)
Bernardino Gomez (Blue Chip WC) VPO1 Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC), 6-4
Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) VFA Ryan Rowland (NMU-OTS), 8-0 (1:05)
Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) VSU Brady Koontz (Titan Mercury WC), 9-0 (3:54)
Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC) VPO Tyler Graff (Titan Mercury WC), 6-0
Lillashawn Coleman (Army WCAP) VFA Dylan Gregerson (Brunson UVRTC), 15-6 (2:58)