Changing of the Guard -- But Gardner’s Back on Top – At 2003 World Team Trials

Article by Mark Palmer, Photos by Al

 

 

Over the years, there have been individuals in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling that have become rather familiar to fans in the US:  Chris Bono.  Lincoln McIlravy.  Eric Akin.  Dennis Hall.  Stephanie Murata.  Rulon Gardner.

All of these wrestlers have represented the US in international competition in the past or have earned US Nationals titles.  And all competed at the 2003 World Team Trials in Indianapolis, the event that determines which wrestlers will be on the team to represent the US at the Pan-American Games later this summer, and at the World Championships this fall.

 

However, of all these world-class competitors, only 2000 Olympic gold medallist Rulon Gardner will be participating in the 2003 Pan-Ams and Worlds. 

 

All these other veterans were upset at some point of the three-day competition held at the Indiana Convention Center.  (Friday and Saturday are Challenge Tournaments to determine who will face the US Nationals champion in a best-of-three Finals on Sunday.) In other words, there was a real “changing of the guard.”   Some examples:

·         Jamill Kelly proved to be something of a “giant killer” at the Trials, wrecking 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Lincoln McIlravy’s comeback attempt in the Challenge Finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs on Saturday… and defeating 2002 World Team Trials (and 2003 US Nationals) champion Chris Bono in the men’s freestyle finals with a 4-2 overtime win in the first finals match, and 7-3 in the second and deciding bout.

·         Seven-time US Nationals champion and past World silver medallist Stephanie Murata was upset by eventual champion Tela O’Donnell at the 2003 US Nationals… and then lost to Marcie VanDusen in the 55 kg/121 lb weight class Challenge Tournament at Indianapolis.

·         On the opening day of the men’s freestyle competition at 55 kg/121 lb, there were two critical upsets: Top-seeded Eric Akin fell to fourth seed Jeremy Hunter 4-3… and third seed Mike Mena won a 1-1 overtime referee’s decision over Teague Moore, seeded second.

 

·         In the 60 kg/132 lb Greco competition on Saturday, 1996 Olympic silver medallist Dennis Hall fell to Glenn Nieradka 2-1 in overtime.

 

Clash of the titans.  Perhaps the most anticipated match-up of the entire weekend involved a bit of a “changing of the guard” in that a defending champion was unseated.  Yet the “new guy” is another world champion whose name is well-known even outside the wrestling community: Rulon Gardner.

Gardner, the Greco-Roman super-heavyweight who shocked the world by defeating the legendary Alexander Karelin for the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, has been on the comeback trail after a near-fatal snowmobile accident in February 2002 forced an amputation of one of his toes.  That comeback came to a climax at the finals on Sunday in a three-match set against 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers.  Byers won the first match 3-2.  But that win may have taken something out of him; in the second, the champion was penalized one point for passivity… then a second point for fleeing the mat.  Gardner won the second match 3-2 in overtime.  The deciding match also went beyond regulation, with the score tied 2-2 at the end of overtime.  Because Byers had been charged with two penalties for fleeing the mat, Gardner was awarded the win based on criteria.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Even with the defeats of some great legends, many well-respected veterans earned US World Team titles, including four-time NCAA champion Cael Sanderson, Stephen Abas, Eric Guerrero, Joe Williams, Patricia Miranda, Jenny Wong, Sara McMann and Toccara Montgomery.

 

In addition to these veterans, a number of 2003 World Team Trials champions can already include Olympic experience among their accomplishments.  Besides Rulon Gardner, other 2003 Greco champs with Olympic credentials include 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Garrett Lowney, 1996 silver medallist Brandon Paulson, and Kevin Bracken (who placed sixth in Sydney

).  Only one men’s freestyle champ has Olympic experience: heavyweight Kerry McCoy, who placed fifth at the 2000 Games.

 

Out of the ordinary at 96 kg – times three.  It wouldn’t be a World Team Trials without some unusual situations.  Interestingly, three of these occurred in the 96 kg/211.5 weight class:

• Overturned call leads to a resumption of a match in overtime – somewhat later.  In a Sunday Greco match to determine true third place at 96 kg, Frank Workman was declared the winner and was already in the drug testing room (as is required of all competitors in the top three places within one hour after a match).  However, his opponent, Jason Loukides, remained on the mat, disputing a penalty for backing up off the mat.  After reviewing the videotape, the officials overturned the original call, declared the match still tied 3-3 in overtime, and brought Workman back to the mat several minutes later to resume the bout.  Workman needed only a few seconds to take down Loukides, thus breaking the tie, and resulting in a 4-3 final score.
  
• Justin Ruiz competes on Sunday.  At least year’s World Team Trials, Justin Ruiz of the University of Nebraska won his way into the Greco finals at the 96 kg/211.5 lb weight class.  However, he opted out of the finals competition because competing on Sunday went against his religious principles (Ruiz is Mormon).  This year, it appeared there might be a repeat: Ruiz won the Challenge Finals, which meant he was scheduled to face Garrett Lowney in the World Team Finals on Sunday.  However, this year, Ruiz stepped onto the mat on the Sabbath.  Before the finals, when asked by TheMat.com about wrestling on Sunday, Ruiz said, “A big part of it is that I decided to do an Olympic year.  Being able to make an Olympic team and win an Olympic medal is why you have to go through the World Team Trials.  I’m not really excited about wrestling on Sunday, but it’s something that as time has moved along, that I have realized is not ideal."
  
• A delay in determining the men’s 96 kg freestyle champion.  Normally, the 2003 US Nationals champion draws a “bye” at the World Team Trials, and does not have to compete until the finals on Sunday.  However, the Nationals freestyle light-heavyweight champ, Daniel Cormier, asked for and was granted a postponement of the finals competition due to the death of his three-month-old daughter in an automobile accident only a couple weeks before the Indianapolis competition.  Cormier will face Challenge Tournament winner Dean Morrison to determine the World Team freestyle representative in this weight class at a special best-of-three wrestle-off at a date and location to be announced.

 Now, the winners!  Here’s a brief recap of the finals matches at the 2003 World Team Trials…

 

MEN’S FREESTYLE FINALS

• 55 kg/121 lbs – In the first match, Stephen Abas (Fresno, CA/Sunkist Kids) beat Mike Mena (Bloomington, IN/New York Athletic Club (NYAC)) 6-1; in the second match, Abas prevailed again, 3-0… earning a place on the US team.
• 60 kg/132 lbs – Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, OK
  /Gator Wrestling Club) defeated Mike Zadick (Iowa City/Hawkeye Wrestling Club) 3-0 in the first match, and 5-1 in the second.
• 66 kg/145.5 lbs – Another wrestler from Stillwater a
  nd the Gator club -- Jamill Kelly – surprised veteran Chris Bono (Gilbert
  , IA/Sunkist Kids) with a 4-2 overtime victory in their first finals bout, and a 7-3 win in the second.
• 74 kg/163 lbs – Joe Williams (Iowa City/Sunkist Kids) defeated Joe Heskett (Grover Beach,CA/Gator) in two straight matches, 3-0 and 6-1.
• 84 kg/185 lbs – In a rematch of last year’s finals at this weight class, Cael Sanderson (Ames , IA/Sunkist Kids) prevailed over Lee Fullhart (Chattanooga, TN/Gator) 7-2 and 3-0.
• 96 kg/211.5 lbs – It took three long, intense matches to determine who will face US Nationals champion Daniel Cormier in a special finals wrestle-off at a date and time to be announced.  In the first, Dean Morrison (Colorado Springs/NYAC) defeated Tim Hartung (Minneapolis/Minnesota Storm) 4-1 in overtime at 6:26. Hartung earned the victory in the second, with a referee’s decision 2-0 in overtime at 9:00. In the third and deciding match – the very last of the entire event – Morrison won 3-2
• 120 kg/264.5 lbs – In a rematch of the 2003 US Nationals finals, Olympic veteran Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, PA/NYAC) shut out Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls, IA/Sunkist Kids) twice, by the scores of 9-0 and 6-0.

 WOMEN’S FREESTYLE FINALS

These men’s and women’s champs crowned in Indianapolis will be competing at the 2003 Freestyle World Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City on September 12-14.

MEN’S GRECO-ROMAN FINALS

• 55 kg/121 lbs – 1996 Olympic silver medallist Brandon Paulson (Anoka,MN/Minnesota Storm) beat Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs/NYAC) 3-1 and 4-1 to make the 2003 US Greco team
• 60 kg/132 lbs – Veteran Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs/Sunkist Kids) defeated Glenn Nieradka (Colorado Springs/US Army) 4-0 in their first match and 3-1 in overtime at 7:15.
• 66 kg/145.5 lbs – Another vet of the 2000 Olympics, Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs/NYAC) shut out James Shillow (Fredericksburg, VA/US Marine Corps) 3-0 and 5-0 to win the series.
• 74 kg/163 lbs – It took a series of three all-out, overtime wars between two fierce archrivals to determine who would be representing the US at the Worlds at this weight class.  In the first bout, TC Dantzler (Colorado Springs/NYAC) defeated Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs/US Army) 4-1 in overtime at 6:50. Sieracki came back to win the second match 3-2 in overtime at 6:07. However, Dantzler won the deciding bout by a referee’s decision 1-1 in overtime at 9:00.
• 84 kg/185 lbs – Brad Vering (Colorado Springs/Sunkist Kids) won by injury default over a game Jake Clark (Quantico, VA/US Marine Corps) at 2:43 in the first match.  Vering also won the second by injury default at 0:10.
• 96 kg/211.5 lbs – Despite what appeared at first to be a serious injury in the first match, 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Garrett Lowney (Minneapolis/Minnesota Storm) defeated Justin Ruiz (Taylorsville, UT/Dave Schultz Wrestling Club) 5-1… then came back to beat Ruiz a second time by the score of 4-0.
• 120 kg/264.5 lbs – These two great World champions – who happen to be good friends -- last met on the mat at the US Nationals in Las Vegas . In the first of the World Team Trials finals, defending Nationals champ Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs/US Army) defeated 2000 Olympic gold medallist Rulon Gardner (Cascade, CO/Sunkist Kids) 3-2.  Gardner came roaring back in the second match of the finals 3-2 in overtime at 8:01. The third and deciding match also went into overtime, with Gardner winning by a referee’s decision 2-2 at 9:00.

 These winners will compete at the 2003 Greco-Roman World Championships in Creteil, France on October 3-5.

 

Top three placers.  Congratulations to all these placers – the top three in each weight class qualify for support from USA Wrestling. And special congratulations to www.AmateurWrestlingPhotos.com photographer and webmaster Danielle Hobeika at 51 kg/ 112.25 lb for an excellent tournament!

 
MEN’S FREESTYLE

55 kg/121 lbs
1. Stephan Abas

2. Mike Mena

3. Teague Moore

 

60 kg/132 lbs

1. Eric Guerrero

2. Mike Zadick

3. Jason Kutz

 

66 kg/145.5 lbs
1. Jamill Kelly

2. Chris Bono

3. Bill Zadick

 

74 kg./163 lbs

1. Joe Williams

2. Joe Heskett

3. Kirk White

 

84 kg/185 lbs
1. Cael Sanderson

2. Lee Fullhart

3. Brandon Eggum

 

96 kg/211.5 lbs

1. Daniel Cormier or Dean Morrison

3. Tim Hartung

 

120 kg/264.5 lbs

1. Kerry McCoy
2. Tolly Thompson

3. Brian Keck

 

 

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

48 kg/105.5 lbs

1. Patricia Miranda

2. Clarissa Chun

3. Mary Kelly

 
51 kg/112.25 lbs

1. Jenny Wong

2. Malinda Ripley

3. Danielle Hobeika

 

55 kg/121 lbs

1. Tina George

2. Tela O’Donnell

3. Marcie VanDusen

 
59 kg/130 lbs

1. Erin Tomeo

2. Grace Magnussen

3. Lindsey Owens

 

63 kg/138.75 lbs

1. Sara McMann

2. Kristie Marano

3. Sally Roberts

 
67 kg/147.5 lbs

1. Katie Downing

2. Kaci Lyle

3. Stephany Lee

 

72 kg/158.5 lbs

1. Toccara Montgomery

2. Samantha Lang

3. Iris Smith

 

MEN’S GRECO-ROMAN

55 kg/121 lbs

1. Brandon Paulson

2. Lindsey Durlacher

3. Anthony Gibbons

 

60 kg/132 lbs

1. Jim Gruenwald

2. Glenn Nieradka
3. Dennis Hall

 

66 kg/145.5 lbs

1. Kevin Bracken

2. James Shillow

3. Marcel Cooper

 

74 kg./163 lbs

1. TC Dantzler

2. Keith Sieracki
3. Ken Cook

 

84 kg/185 lbs

1. Brad Vering

2. Jake Clark

3. Ethan Bosch

 

96 kg/211.5 lbs

1. Garrett Lowney

2. Justin Ruiz
3. Frank Workman

 

120 kg/264.5 lbs

1. Rulon Gardner

2. Dremiel Byers

3. Corey Farkas

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