The USA men needed penalties to do it but eventually the found the edge on Australia in the quarterfinals of the FINA Men’s Water Polo World League Super Final on Friday as they won their third tight match with the Australians this year. The USA, who had defeated Australia 10-9 and 8-6 in the Intercontinental Qualifying Tournament last month, trailed this one 5-3 at the half and 6-4 going to the fourth quarter. A big fourth quarter got the US back even at 8-8 to force a penalty shootout. Both teams were extremely strong in the penalty shootout and it took nine rounds for the US to emerge an 8-7 winner. Tony Azevedo was limited but scored two goals for the Us as did Thomas Dunstan. Merrill Moses and McQuin Baron split time in goal with Baron making eight saves and Moses recording four.
Greece routed China 15-5 in the other quarterfinal on the US side of the bracket so the Americans will face them in the semifinals with a guaranteed medal at stake. Greece is 4-0 in this tournament but this is their first time in the Super Final since 2008. They have not medaled since a bronze when hosting in 2006. The US has not medaled since 2008. The possible final opponents for the US are Serbia and Italy as all of the teams with winning group stage records advanced to the semifinals.
USA Schedule:
Tuesday – Group B – USA 12-6 China
Wednesday – Group B – USA 10-7 Brazil
Thursday – Group B – USA 8-10 Serbia
Friday – Quarterfinals – USA 8(8)-8(7) Australia
Saturday – Semifinals – USA vs. Greece
Sunday – Final – USA vs. TBD
Six Americans, including World Masters gold medalists Travis Stevens and Kayla Harrison, will be competing at the Judo Grand Prix event in Budapest, Hungary this weekend. Stevens and Harrison will both have to wait until Sunday to compete while on Saturday Adonis Diaz in the men’s -60kg division and two Olympians, Angelica Delgado and Marti Malloy, will compete in the women’s -52kg and -57kg division respectively. Diaz has yet to advance past the round of 32 in two grand prix events this year and Delgado has yet to break that mark in three events. Malloy has had more success though and won her only grand prix event of the year back in Havana.
Seth Inman was the better of the two Americans competing in the men’s trap in Baku after a 48 on the second day moved him into the top 40 with a 26th place finish. Inman was never in contention to reach the final as his total of 116 was four behind the 120 needed to get into a shoot-off for a spot in the final. Inman’s first day 68 left him too far back to contend on day two. Ryne Baxter Barfield was 57th after a second day 44 left him at 112 for the competition. For both competitors it was an improvement on their first ISSF World Cup event of the year.
Saturday will be the 10m air pistol event and Alexander Chichkov will be competing for the US. Chichkov has not competed for the US this year. It’s also the double trap competition where 2016 Olympian Joshua Richmond will be competing.
The ISSF World Cup in Baku will continue through Tuesday.
Antonio Vargas (52kg) and Gary Russell (64kg) both grabbed Olympic spots after winning their quarterfinal matches on Thursday in Baku. Both Americans notched 3-0 wins with Vargas a little less pressured in a 30-27 win on all three judges’ scorecards against Italy’s Vincenzo Picardi. Russell also won all three scorecards but only by 29-28 against Jordan’s Obada Alkasbeh. The two join Nico Hernandez, Shakur Stevenson, Carlos Balderas, and Charles Conwell on the US Olympic team.
Vargas and Russell will keep boxing in the semifinals on Friday as will Marlo Moore (+91kg) who still needs two wins to grab an Olympic spot.
Greg Markowski is on track to win two events at the USA Shooting National Championships as he leads both the 25m standard pistol and the 25m center fire pistol competitions at the halfway mark. In the standard pistol event Markowski shot a 568 to take a one point lead over defending champion Emil Milev. Sitting in third is Nick Mowrer with a 562. It’s the same three competing and in the same order in the center fire event but the margins are bigger with Markowski at 581, Milev at 577, and Mowrer at 564.
It’s a bit of a surprise leader in the women’s 10m air rifle competition as Minden Miles and Elizabeth Gratz lead with 416.7 while Amy Sowash sits third with a 415.4. The 2016 Olympians, Sarah Scherer and Virginia Thrasher, sit fifth and sixth with scores of 414.9 and 414.7. The men’s 50m 3 position rifle is lead by Ryan Jacobs who posted a first day 1171. Dempster Christenson and Ivan Roe sit in second with an 1169 score. 2016 Olympian Lucas Kozeniesky is in fourth with an 1163 and defending runner-up George Norton is 10th with an 1158.
Friday is the second half of the standard and center fire pistol events and the second day of qualifying in the rifle events. The finals for both the rifle events will be held on Friday as well. The overall competition continues in Ft. Benning until Wednesday.
Previous 2016 USA Shooting National Championships Coverage: Preview
The USA men lost their first match of the FINA Men’s Water Polo World League Super Final on Thursday as three-time defending champions Serbia pulled out to a 7-4 halftime lead en route to a 10-8 win. The USA still finished second in their group and will be facing Australia in the quarterfinals on Friday. Alex Bowen and Ben Hallock each had two goals for the US but their leading scorer through two games, Tony Azevedo, was only able to grab one. Merrill Moses had six saves while McQuin Baron had just two. Brazil beat China 4-2 in a penalty shootout after an 11-11 tie in the other Group B match.
Australia went 1-2 in Group A and lost to Greece 10-5 and Italy 14-7. The US and Australia met in the final of the Intercontinental Qualifying Tournament last month with the US winning 10-9. They met in the group stage of that event as well and the US narrowly won 8-6. The possible semifinal opponents for the US are Greece and China. The knockout round trickles all the way down to a 7th/8th place game so the US will have games each of the six days in the tournament.
USA Schedule:
Tuesday – Group B – USA 12-6 China
Wednesday – Group B – USA 10-7 Brazil
Thursday – Group B – USA 8-10 Serbia
Friday – Quarterfinals – USA vs. Australia
Saturday – Semifinals – USA vs. TBD
Sunday – Final – USA vs. TBD
Ashley Carroll got off to a strong start in the women’s trap event in Baku opening with a 24 in her first round and following it up with a 23 before falling a bit short of finals qualification in round three. Carroll would have needed a 24 to automatically reach the final and a 23 to get into a shoot-off but her 22 left her just short in 11th place. It was the second top-15 finish of the year for Carroll.
In the men’s trap competition Seth Inman and Ryne Baxter Barfield were both off the pace of qualification. Both shot a 68 and sit outside the top 40. 20 competitors shot a 70 or better so even with perfect 50s tomorrow it is a long shot either could reach the final held later in the day.
The ISSF World Cup in Baku will continue through Tuesday.
The USA men won their second match at the FINA Men’s Water Polo World League Super Final on Wednesday as they defeated Brazil 10-7. Brazil played the US tough in the first half and this one was tied at five all going to the break. The US took the lead for good in the third quarter taking a 8-6 advantage to the fourth quarter. Tony Azevedo was the leading scorer again with five goals while Alex Bowen added a pair. McQuin Baron had seven saves while Merrill Moses had three.
Serbia beat China 20-5 in the other Group B match so they will meet the US for the top spot in Group B. Serbia beat the USA 13-7 in the group stage last year. Japan is 0-2 in Group A while Australia and Italy are 1-1. Japan takes on Italy while Australia faces 2-0 Greece on Thursday. All eight teams will compete in the quarterfinals so only seeding is at stake in the group stage. The knockout round trickles all the way down to a 7th/8th place game so the US will have games each of the six days in the tournament.
Group B Schedule:
Tuesday – USA 12-6 China, Serbia 14-10. Brazil
Wednesday – USA 10-7 Brazil, Serbia 20-5 China
Thursday – USA vs. Serbia, Brazil vs. China
Previous FINA Men’s Water Polo World League Super Final Coverage: Preview China Recap
The 2016 USA Shooting National Championships begin Thursday in Ft. Benning, Georgia with a busy schedule for the next week of competition. Things begin with the first of two days of qualifying in the women’s 10m air rifle. Both 2016 Olympians, Virginia Thrasher and Sarah Scherer, will be competing. Thrasher was second in the event last year. In the first day of the 25m standard pistol competition it will be defending champion Emil Milev and defending runner-up Greg Markowski headlining the field. In the first of two days of the 25m center fire pistol competition Markowski is the defending champion. The final event beginning is the men’s 50m 3 position rifle, headlined by 2016 Olympian Lucas Kozeniesky and defending runner-up George Norton. Kozeniesky was 26th last year.
Competition continues in Ft. Benning until Wednesday.
Antonio Vargas (52kg) and Gary Russell (64kg) moved one win away from a spot in Rio after winning round of 16 matches on Tuesday while Marlo Moore (+91kg) is into the semifinals and now needs just two wins to grab an Olympic spot. In the busiest day of fighting in Baku with 60 bouts between two rings Olympic dreams were not fulfilled for Cam F. Awesome (91kg) who had advanced on Monday but lost to Ecuador’s Julio Cesar Castillo Torres 3-0, with two judges scoring it 29-28 and one 30-27. Awesome came up a few wins short here in Baku and will have to try at the last qualifier for an Olympic spot.
The bright performances for the US began in the afternoon session with both Vargas and Russell putting up strong wins. Russell dominated Australia’s David Biddle winning all three rounds according to all three judges. Vargas did the same in his win over Guatemala’s Eddie Valenzuela Barillas. Moore wrapped up the evening with a tight 2-1 win over Bulgaria’s Petar Rumenov Belberov. Each man won the bout according to one judge 29-27 but the third judge scored it a draw and preferred Moore as the winner to send him through.
Vargas and Moore will be competing for Olympic spots on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals while Moore has two days off until Friday’s semifinals.