Team USA Blue captures first place at Kit Carson International Cup

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
01/29/2005


Fort Carson, Colo. - Team USA Blue placed first at the Kit Carson International Cup of Greco-Roman wrestling after finishing the dual tournament with a 3-0 record on Saturday afternoon. Team USA Red placed third, losing only to second-place Belarus.    Coming in with a 2-0 record, Team USA Blue needed only to defeat Team USA Red in its only dual meet of the day to clinch first place, and that is exactly what happened.    The blue team was on the winning end of a hard-fought 15-9 dual meet.    At 55 kg/121 lbs., Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) defeated Joe Betterman (Chicago, Ill./USOEC/New York AC), 1-0, 1-0, to get things started right for Team USA Blue.    Both periods went to a 30-second clinch. In the first 30-second clinch, Betterman attempted a front headlock throw on Durlacher, when it was Durlacher who had the burden of scoring, giving up a takedown and the period.    Durlacher finished the event as the only U.S. wrestler to win all three of his matches.    Joe Warren (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) accepted a forfeit at 60 kg/132 lbs. to put Team USA Red ahead 5-3 after two matches.    Team USA Blue then took control, winning the next three matches to take a commanding 12-6 lead in the dual.    At 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) defeated Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio/USOEC/Gator WC), 0-1, 2-0, 6-2, to tie the dual meet at 6-6.    Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) then downed Jess Hargrave (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 1-0, 1-0, at 74 kg/163 lbs. Both periods again went to a 30-second clinch.    One of the top U.S. Greco-Roman rivalries of the past five years continued at 84 kg/185 lbs. as Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) defeated T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0, to put Team USA Blue ahead 12-6. Both wrestlers were competing up one weight class due to injuries to previous starters.    The upset of the day came at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. as Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) defeated Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC0, 4-0, 1-0.    Both periods went to a 30-second clinch. In the first clinch period, Wheeler, who had lost the coin toss, threw Ruiz to his back for three points plus one more after holding it for a count. In the second clinch period, Wheeler again lost the coin toss, but was able to force Ruiz out of bounds to come away with the win.    Wheeler's win closed the gap to 12-9 heading into the final bout, but Team USA Blue's Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) defeated Russ Davie (Cleveland, Ohio/New York AC), 2-0, 1-0 at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. to seal the win for his team.    Team USA Red then clinched third place with a 16-9 win over Bulgaria.    In the dual, Betterman, Lester and Davie all defeated their opponents. Davie won by fall over Peter Bogaevski in the second period to give the U.S. team five team points and to seal the win.    Dantzler also received a forfeit.    In the other dual meet of the day, Belarus defeated Bulgaria 17-6 as Belarus won five of seven matches.