ITHACA, N.Y. –Jon Jay Chavez '19 made the World Team at 72 kg in Greco-Roman wrestling on Friday afternoon at the 2018 Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Tulsa, Okla. He will be part of the 10-man contingent that will travel to Budapest, Hungary in October.

Chavez becomes the second Cornell wrestler to earn a spot on a Senior World Team this year, joining freestyle team member Kyle Dake '13 (79 kg). Nahshon Garrett '16 could become a third Senior Team member, as he will wrestle Joe Colon at 61 kg at Final X – Lehigh on Saturday evening in freetyle. In addition, incoming freshmen Vita Arujau (61 kg, freestyle) and Andrew Berryesa (82 kg, Greco-Roman) earned spots on the Junior World Team.

The rising Big Red senior rallied after losing the first match in a best-of-three series to 2016 Olympic Trials champion RaVaughn Perkins. Perkins won the first match in just 1:26 by technical superiority, 8-0. Undaunted, Chavez extended the series to a third match with a 5-4 victory, then topped Perkins 7-5 in the finale to claim his spot in Budapest.

Chavez won the Challenge Tournament finals 5-0 over Patrick Smith after earning a 9-0 tech over Isaac Dukes in the semifinals. He also earned a tech wins over Brett Bye (10-1) in the quarters.