There is a college wrestling team that has been competing for six seasons at a very high competitive level. The coach is internationally respected. The program receives considerable support from its university, and even the federal government. The athletes are expected to be contenders for future Olympic teams.    No, this team won't win a trophy at the NCAA Championships this spring. In fact, the athletes on this college team don't even wrestle in American folkstyle.     This is the USOEC University Greco-Roman team at Northern Michigan Univ. in Marquette, Mich., led by past Greco-Roman World medalist and respected coach Ivan Ivanov. This team is seeking World and Olympic medals for the United States and is working daily to strengthen the U.S. program in this specialized style.    Ivanov, who won a World medal and competed in the Olympics for Bulgaria, has been coaching young Greco-Roman wrestlers in the United States for many years. He knows what it takes to win in the Greco-Roman style.    "Our goal is to recruit the most talented Juniors in the U.S. to our program," said Ivanov. "We have excellent training and educational facilities, good food, resources to travel, and solid support from USA Wrestling. When you put it all together, the USOEC Program has all the tools needed to develop Olympic wrestlers."    There are almost 30 college wrestlers training with Ivanov each day at Northern Michigan. Some of these wrestlers are already nationally respected on the Senior level. Many of the others have had tremendous success on the USA Wrestling age-group levels.    Take a look at the National Team rankings in Greco-Roman and you will find some very talented members of the USOEC program.     Ranked No. 4 at his weight class, based upon the results for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, is Adam Wheeler (Lancaster, Calif.) at 211.5 pounds. Ranked No. 6 in their divisions are Willie Madison (Metarie, La.) at 132 pounds and Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio) at 145.5 pounds.    "For the guys who have been here for two or more years, our goal is to fight for top spots on the Senior level and try out for Senior World Teams," said Ivanov. "Last year, they showed some very good results. It is realistic to shoot for spots on the Senior World Team."    The USOEC has been very successful on the age-group level, dominating the Greco-Roman tournaments at both the University Nationals and the FILA Junior Nationals.    At the 2004 University Nationals, five of the eight individual champions were members of the USOEC Greco-Roman Team. Three of them return this year, Lester, plus Joe Betterman (Chicago, Ill.) at 121 pounds and Jeremiah Davis (El Cajon, Calif.) at 132 pounds. At the FILA Junior Nationals, two of the USOEC team members won gold medals, Betterman and Jake Fisher (Platte City, Mo.) at 163 pounds. Numerous USOEC athletes earned All-American status at both tournaments.    Ivanov not only wants his athletes to win titles, but he also is training them to have the skills and experience to move on to success at an international level, if not now, later in their careers.    "My goal is to build a good technical and physical foundation for all the guys on the team," said Ivanov.    The athletes in the USOEC program are eligible for direct financial support in terms of scholarships. The B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarship Program is a federally-funded grant program, provided for Olympic hopefuls in wrestling, as well as in the other sports in the program: boxing, speedskating and weightlifting. This program allows the USOEC athletes to have their education costs covered, similar to an athletic scholarship at a school competing in folkstyle.     These athletes must learn to manage their time for training with their time for attending class and studying, just like student-athletes in the NCAA system or the other levels of college wrestling.    As the program has grown and expanded, more talented high school stars are considering the USOEC Northern Michigan program. Each year, more and more "blue chippers" are making the choice to pursue the Olympic styles instead of folkstyle. Ivanov is very pleased with the quality of the recruits that joined the program this year.    "I've never had such a successful recruiting year," said Ivanov. "We are taking the best. The lowest result of this group is top four at last year's Junior Nationals. Most of the guys are Junior National champions or runners-up."    These athletes wrestle a national and international schedule, testing themselves not only at the USA Wrestling age-group events, but at the major Senior level competitions. You will find USOEC athletes at the Sunkist Kids International, the New York AC Championships, the Dave Schultz Memorial, as well as at the U.S. Senior Nationals and the World Team Trials.    As part of the progression of this program, Ivanov expects that many of these athletes will move on to Colorado Springs, Colo. and join the U.S. Olympic Training Center resident program after their college degrees are completed.    Going to Northern Michigan is becoming a stepping-stone in the career progression of Olympic athletes. In the future, many international wrestling stars may go from high school, to Northern Michigan and then out to Colorado Springs. As they work through this progression, the U.S. will get stronger and have more depth in the Greco-Roman and women's wrestling programs.    "When the time comes, I want to pass them on to (USOTC coaches) Anatoly Petrosyan and Momir Petkovic in Colorado," said Ivanov. "Meanwhile, I would be happy to help develop an Olympian and to win medals on the Senior level."    The USOEC program is an important part of the overall plan to win World and Olympic medals in Greco-Roman wrestling for the United States.    "I consider this program my secret weapon for the U.S. Greco-Roman program," said National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser, a 1984 Olympic champion. "It is the bridge between our young Greco-Roman wrestlers and the Senior athletes. In the past, we lost many top athletes to folkstyle. This allows us to have a continuance of Greco-Roman during the college years."    USOEC University Greco-Roman resident team roster  110 - Spencer Mango, Flourissant, Mo.  121 - Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill.  121 - Daryl Spackman, Sandy, Utah  132 - Willie Madison, Metairie, La.  132 - Jeremiah Davis, El Cajon, Calif.  132 - Marco Lara, Long Beach, Calif.  132 - Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa.  132 - Casey Lawson, Draper, Utah  145.5 - Harry Lester, Akron, Ohio  145.5 - Mervin Ford, Miami Beach, Fla.  145.5 - Cam Jones, Sandy, Utah  145.5 - Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill.  145.5 - Jade McCammon, Sullivan, Ind.  163 - Kevin Lozano, Jefferson, La.  163 - Tim Bleau, Ishpeming, Mich.  163 - Bobby Fisher, Platte City, Mo.  163 - Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo.  163 - Chaney Haight, Orem, Utah  163 - Joe Uccellini, Mnarquette, Mich.  185 - Aaron Boone, Otsego, Mich.  185 - Chas Betts, St. Michael, Minn.  211.5 - Adam Wheeler, Lancaster, Calif.  211.5 - Jake Marquardt, Altoona, Iowa  211.5 - Gerard Habibian, St. George, Utah  211.5 - Adam Haake, Winona, Minn.  264.5 - Brandon Rupp, Pocatello, Idaho  Head Coach - Ivan Ivanov