The Purdue wrestling team has had an eventful summer so far, and head coach Tony Ersland welcomed assistant coach Leroy Vega to the Always Aggressive Podcast to talk all things freestyle and summer competition. The Boilermakers crowned a U.S. Open champion at the end of April as rising sophomore Matt Ramos captured the senior 57 kg crown, while freshman Hayden Copass earned a bid to the U20 World Team Trials in June. 

 

The show opens with the guys honoring the team’s 2022 graduates as Nate Cummings, Max Lyon, Ethan Smiley and Alec White earned their bachelor’s degree last weekend. 

 

The U.S. Open was held April 29-30 in Las Vegas, where Ramos topped the field at 57 kg, becoming Ersland’s first Open champion in his Purdue tenure. He went 4-0 at the tournament, facing and defeating his best friend, Anthony Moulton of Campbell, in the finals. 

 

The tournament win earned Ramos the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Senior World Team Trial Challenge Tournament, set for this weekend, Mat 21-22, at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The winner of this weekend’s tournament advances to Final X to face reigning world team member Thomas Gilman, while the top-two finishers join Gilman on the 2022 U.S. National Team. 

 

Copass took fifth in the U20 division of the U.S. Open at 125 kg, earning a bid to the U.S. U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio in June. He was one of four Boilermakers to advance to the championship quarterfinals, leading classmates Stoney Buell, Ben Vanadia and Hayden Filipovich. 

 

0:00 – Honoring Our Graduates

4:10 – U.S. Open in Review

6:30 – Ramos Interview Skills

11:00 – Semifinal Madness

17:05 – Friendly Foe in the Finals

21:15 – Weight Management

25:35 – Vega’s Experience

33:25 – Young Bucks’ U.S. Open Success