Olympian Rulon Gardner to Attend Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open Wrestler and Coaches Clinic

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Alex Ryan (Arizona State Sports Information)
09/30/2004


TEMPE, Ariz. - Two members of the 2004 United States Olympic Wrestling Team will be on hand as instructors at the 2004 Sunkist Kids/Arizona State International Open Wrestler and Coaches Clinic that will be held Oct. 29-30 inside Wells Fargo Arena. Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner (2000 Sydney) and Olympic Silver Medalist Zeke Jones (1992 Barcelona) will join the current Arizona State coaching staff of Thom Ortiz, Aaron Simpson and Eric Larkin at the clinic that will be offered in conjunction with the annual Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open.    Gardner is best known for pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of wrestling as he took home gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Facing Russia's Alexandre Karelin, a man that had not lost in 13 years of international competition, Gardner scored one point in overtime to win the gold medal. A graduate of Nebraska, Gardner returned to the Olympics over the summer and finished with the bronze medal before leaving his wrestling shoes at the center of the mat, a traditional sign of retirement in the sport of wrestling.    Jones, currently an assistant coach at West Virginia, was a member of the USA Freestyle Wrestling Team coaching staff at the 2004 Athens Games. The silver medalist in 1992, Jones inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame on Sept. 25 following a stellar career with the Sun Devils that saw him post a collective 134-21-3 record while competing from 1987-1990. A member of the 1988 NCAA Championship team, he was a three-time All-American, including second place in 1990, while also winning three Pac-10 titles in his career.    The clinic will be held Friday, Oct. 29, from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 30, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Wrestlers and coaches can register the day of the clinic between 6 p.m.-7 p.m. in the east side concourse of Wells Fargo Arena, or by mailing your information and entry fee to the address below. The cost is $60 per wrestler/coach and includes the clinic, a free T-shirt and free entrance to Saturday's session with participation in the clinic. USA Wrestling cards also will be made available for $30 to both coaches and wrestlers. For more information, contact the ASU wrestling office at (480) 965-7842 or (480) 965-3828.    Checks for the clinic should be made payable to Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. If mailing your registration, please send to:    Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club  C/O Thom Ortiz  7252 E. Garfield Street  Scottsdale, AZ 85257