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2004 Olympic Trials 5/23/04

Part Two

Article by Mark Plamer, Photos by Al

The Olympic Trials Finals

Sunday was the day for the Olympic Trials Finals – a best-of-three series, with the winner being named to the US Olympic team.

US Men’s Freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Stephen Abas (Sunkist Kids) vs. Sammie Henson (Sunkist Kids)

Abas, a three-time NCAA champion at Fresno State, won the first match over Henson by the score of 5-3. In the second, Abas scored three one-point takedowns to earn a 3-1 victory over the 2000 Olympic silver medallist. Abas will represent the US in Athens at
55 kg in freestyle.

60 kg/132 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Eric Guerrero (Gator WC) vs. Mike Zadick (Hawkeye WC)

In the first match, Guerrero scored a two-point turn in the first period to beat Zadick 3-1. The second match saw Guerrero rack up points early with a takedown and a three-point single leg to feet with back exposure. Zadick scored two takedowns in the second period, making the final score 5-2. With the win, Guerrero earned the right to compete at the 2004 Olympics.

66 kg/145.5 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Jamill Kelly (Gator WC) vs. Jared Lawrence (Minnesota Storm)

One of only two freestyle finals that required all three matches to settle the score. Kelly beat Lawrence in their first match in overtime by the score of 4-1. In the second bout, Lawrence avenged the loss 2-1, OT, 9:00. In the third and deciding match, Kelly scored five points in the opening period (including a three-point body lock throw) to win 5-1, earning a place on the 2004 US Olympic team.

74 kg/163 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Joe Williams (Sunkist Kids) vs. Joe Heskett (Gator WC)

Williams had been expected to wrestle at the 2000 Olympics; instead, Brandon Slay won the gold medal for the US at that weight class in Sydney. In the first battle of the Joes, Williams held Heskett scoreless, winning 4-0. Although Heskett started the scoring in the follow-up match, the three-time NCAA champion answered back on an offensive drive, earning a 5-2 win. Williams’ Olympic dream, once deferred, now can become a reality as he competes in Athens.

84 kg/184 lbs
2004 US Nationals champion Lee Fullhart (Gator WC) vs. Cael Sanderson (Sunkist Kids)

Perhaps the most anticipated finals match-up in freestyle competition… and it took three matches to determine a champion. In their opening bout, Sanderson beat Fullhart 3-1. The second went into overtime, with the former Iowa Hawkeye Fullhart winning 2-2 OT criteria. The deciding match was hard-fought and bloody, with the 2003 World silver medallist Sanderson winning 4-1… thus earning the chance to take on the world at the 2004 Olympics.

96 kg/211.5 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Daniel Cormier (Gator WC) vs. Tim Hartung (Minnesota Storm)

Cormier pinned Hartung at 4:47 of the first match – the only men’s freestyle finals match to end in a fall. Later on Sunday, Cormier scored a series of unanswered takedowns and a two-point gut wrench, winning the second match 7-0. Cormier joins fellow Oklahoma State wrestling alumni Eric Guerrero and Jamill Kelly on the US freestyle team at the 2004 Olympics.

120 kg/264.5 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Kerry McCoy (New York AC) vs. Tolly Thompson (Sunkist Kids)

These two freestyle heavyweight veterans had faced each other many times on the mat, including the finals of the 2003 World Team Trials. In the first bout, McCoy scored all his points in the first period, with a final score of 5-3. The second match saw the 2003 World silver medallist hold Thompson scoreless, amassing a 7-0 victory. McCoy will be making his second trip to the Olympics; at the 2000 Games, he came in fifth.

US Men’s Greco-Roman

55 kg/121 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Brandon Paulson (Minnesota Storm) vs. Dennis Hall (Sunkist Kids)

It took three matches – two of them going into overtime -- to determine which Olympic Silver medallist would represent the US in Athens at 55 kg in Greco-Roman competition. In the first, Hall beat Paulson 3-2 at 6:05 in overtime. The second match saw Paulson come back to beat his long-time friend and training partner 3-1 in regulation. The deciding match was epic. All tied at 3-3 at the end of first overtime, with all criteria being the same, the match continued on until Hall scored a takedown at 16 minutes 54 seconds… one of the longest matches in US Olympic qualifying history. With that win, Hall earned the chance to possibly earn another medal at the 2004 Olympics.

60 kg/132 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Jim Gruenwald (Sunkist Kids) vs. Joe Warren (New York AC)

The first match saw Gruenwald come back from major shoulder surgery to mount a scoring flurry in the first period to win 5-3. In the second, the 2000 Olympian held Warren scoreless, winning 3-0… thus winning a second chance to compete at the Olympics.

66 kg/145.5 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Oscar Wood (US Army) vs. Kevin Bracken (New York AC)

Wood was designated the Nationals champion only a few days before the Olympic Trials because actual champion Faruk Sahin accepted a provisional suspension for a positive doping test that prevented him from competing. The opening match saw Wood pin Bracken at 1:47 – the only pin in the men’s Greco finals. In the follow-up, Wood scored two gut wrenches to beat the veteran of the 2000 Olympics 3-0, thus earning a place on the 2004 US Olympic Team.

74 kg/163 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Darryl Christian (New York AC) vs. Keith Sieracki (US Army)

In the first of three bouts, Christian held his veteran opponent scoreless, winning 4-0. The second match saw Sieracki win with a two-point gut wrench to win 3-2 in overtime at 8:21. The deciding match also went into overtime, with Sieracki winning 3-2 at 6:16 because Christian used his legs (not permitted in Greco competition). Sieracki is the number-one ranked wrestler for the US national team at 74 kg; however, he will not be competing at the 2004 Olympics because the US failed to qualify a wrestler at this weight in Greco-Roman.

84 kg/185 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Brad Vering (New York AC) vs. Jake Clark (US Marines)

Vering started the action by scoring twice with a two-point exposure to win the opening match 5-1. In the second, Clark was first to break the clinch in overtime at 6:04, resulting in Vering being awarded the match 3-1. Vering is only the second Nebraska-born wrestler in modern Olympic history to represent the US at the Summer Games.

96kg/211.5 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Justin Ruiz (New York AC) vs. Garrett Lowney (Minnesota Storm)

A rematch of the 2004 US National championship finals, which saw Ruiz come out on top. It took two extended-length matches to determine who would be going to Athens. Lowney won the first match 1-1 OT on criteria… and won the second 2-0 in OT. Lowney will make his second appearance at the Olympics; he brought home a bronze medal from Sydney in 2000.

120 kg/264.5 lbs
2004 US Nationals champ Dremiel Byers (US Army) vs. Rulon Gardner (Sunkist Kids)

These two friends are familiar foes on the mat, having wrestled each other at the 2004 US National championships and at the 2003 World Team Trials… not to mention countless practice sessions at the Olympic Training Center. Both finals matches went into overtime, and both resulted in the same score. In the first, Gardner got a takedown at 6:55 in overtime to result in a 2-1 OT outcome. In the deciding match, Gardner scored a point at 6:49 when Byers unlocked the overtime clinch, with the final score being 2-1 OT. Gardner will hope history repeats itself as he goes for a second gold medal.

Go To Part Three