Hlas: Thomas Gilman gives World-class performance

Thomas Gilman and his girlfriend went to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo Tuesday.

It was a welcomed diversion after what the former Iowa Hawkeye experienced three days earlier an hour to the west. What Gilman did Saturday in Lincoln, Neb., was run a gauntlet against five of the nation's finest amateur wrestlers, win all six of his matches, and claim the 57 kilogram spot on the U.S.' World Championships freestyle team.

'Looking back, and by the way I feel now and yesterday' Gilman said Tuesday from his mother's home in Council Bluffs, 'it was really grueling. But during (Saturday) I didn't think too much of it.'

There wasn't time to be tired. At 10 a.m., Saturday, Gilman defeated Darian Cruz 9-0 in a pigtail match to advance into the quarterfinals of the daytime tournament. The tourney-winner would face former Hawkeye Tony Ramos in the evening's best-of-three final, with the winner going to Paris in August to compete in the Worlds.

Ramos earned the bye by winning the 2017 U.S. Open in April.

The Gilman-Cruz match was a rematch of a 2016 NCAA tournament semifinal at 125 pounds that Cruz won 4-2 in a sudden-victory situation. It was Gilman's only defeat of the season, and ended his chance of ever winning an NCAA title.

Three months later, Gilman avenged his devastating NCAA loss to Cruz by routing Lehigh's champion.

'It was big match for me,' said Gilman. 'Maybe I righted a wrong, and moved on.'

After that, Gilman downed Tyler Graff (1-1, criteria), Nico Megaludis (11-0) and Nathan Tomasello (6-2). So, in four matches he had beaten three former NCAA champions and four NCAA finalists. Gilman took down Tomasello in the final few seconds to break a 2-2 tie.

'It was one step at a time, one score at a time,' Gilman said about the day. 'Once I checked one off, I looked at what I had next.'

What he had next after Tomasello was the series with Ramos, a 2014 NCAA champ. They traded words in media and social media without even knowing if they would meet on the mat in Lincoln.

'I know how to freaking beat him, and he knows that.' Gilman said in a May podcast with Flowrestling.com after Gilman won a last-chance qualifier tournament in Minnesota to get the last 57 kg spot in Lincoln.

'Haha … maybe in his dream but in reality he never has and never will!' Ramos tweeted in response.

Gilman was the one who turned out to be correct. He won 4-3 and 7-2, denying Ramos his third berth on a U.S. Worlds team. Gilman said his toughest match of the day was his first one against Ramos.

'I was up 4-3 with a minute-and-a-half left,' Gilman said. 'That's usually when he makes his money. They call it the clutch gene.

'So I had to stay on the accelerator, pressure him and hand-fight him hard.'

Ramos left Iowa last spring with acrimony toward Hawkeyes head coach Tom Brands, and became a volunteer assistant coach at North Carolina. But he was gracious to Gilman after Saturday's final match and later tweeted congratulations to Gilman and wished him good luck in Paris.

I will take it just as it. Brands and Company came out to scrap today and they did. Congrats to them and Gilman and good luck in Paris.June 11, 2017

I will take it just as it. Brands and Company came out to scrap today and they did. Congrats to them and Gilman and good luck in Paris.

— Anthony Ramos (@T_Ram133)

At 23, Gilman will try to get on top of the world in August. Between now and then, he said, it's all about 'getting better. I'll take time to relax, regroup and refocus, but then it's changing gears and getting ready for the highest level of competition.

'I think a lot of guys get happy with making the World team, but it's just one step. I need to enjoy the accomplishment, but it's all about moving forward and sharpening skills.

Last Saturday morning, Gilman said, 'I woke up and looked at myself in the mirror. It's a little cheesy, but I thought 'By the time I get back here I'll be on the World team.' '

That day became one of the best a former Hawkeye wrestler has ever had in competition.