Olympian Vering to lead the 2004 Greco-Roman World Cup Team
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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
09/17/2004
USA Wrestling has announced its roster for the 2004 Greco-Roman World Cup to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, October 23-24. The U.S. will compete against teams from host Georgia, Belarus, Germany, Iran and Russia. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championship. 2004 Olympian Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will lead the team at 84 kg/185 lbs. Vering recently placed 11th at the Olympic Games, and he placed fifth at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships. Three second-place finishers from the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials will also compete: Joe Warren (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Warren placed third at the 2003-04 U.S. Nationals. He also won a gold medal at the New York Athletic Club Christmas Championships in 2003. Christian was a 2004 U.S. Nationals champion. He placed third at the 2002-03 U.S. World Team Trials. Ruiz was also a 2004 U.S. Nationals champion. He competed in the 2003 World Championships and won silver medals at the 2003 World Cup and 2003 Pan American Games. Also competing for the U.S. will be Sam Hazewinkel (Pensacola, Fla./Gator WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Paul Devlin (Cascade, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., both of whom placed third at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Hazewinkel currently attends the Univ. of Oklahoma, where he was a 2004 NCAA All-American. He placed third at the 2003-04 U.S. Nationals. Devlin placed third in the 2003 U.S. Nationals and the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials. Rounding out the U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup roster is Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. He placed fourth in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and was also a 2001 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up. The team will be coached by Bob Anderson (Chula Vista, Calif.) and USA Wrestling Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.). In this year's Greco-Roman Olympic Games, Russia won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze and had one wrestler place fourth. Georgia captured one silver medal and had one wrestler place sixth. Belarus won one bronze medal. Iran had two wrestlers place fourth and another place fifth. Germany did not place any wrestlers in the top six at their respective weight classes. In the 2003 Greco-Roman World Cup held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the U.S. team placed fifth. Ruiz won an individual silver medal. Click here for 2003 Greco-Roman World Cup results 2004 U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup Team at Tbilisi, Georgia October 23-24 55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel, Pensacola, Fla. (Gator WC) 60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Darryl Christian, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Paul Devlin, Cascade, Colo. (U.S. Army) Coaches: Bob Anderson, Chula Vista, Calif., and Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo.