Olympians Vering and Wood, World Champion Byers headline 2005 U.S. Greco-Roman Winter Tour events

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
02/03/2005


The 2005 U.S. Greco-Roman Winter Tours will begin on Feb. 21-22 with the Granma Cup in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba and close out with the Poland Open in Walbrzych, Poland, March 12-13.    2004 Olympian Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will lead the U.S. squad at the Granma Cup, competing at 84 kg/185 lbs. Vering placed fifth at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships.    Oscar Wood (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), also a 2004 Olympian, will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.    Also competing at 84 kg is Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), a 2001 U.S. World Team member. Sieracki also placed first at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, though the U.S. did not qualify his weight class to compete at the Olympic Games.    U.S. Olympic Team Trials runners-up Joe Warren (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will also compete in Cuba.    Warren, competing at 60 kg/132 lbs., has placed third at the U.S. Nationals twice.    Christian was a 2004 U.S. Nationals champion and placed third at the 2002-03 U.S. World Team Trials. He will wrestle at 74 kg/163 lbs.    Ruiz, wrestling at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., won silver medals at the 2003 World Cup and the 2003 Pan American Games. He also competed in the 2003 World Championships.    Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. He placed fourth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and is also a three-time U.S. Nationals runner-up.    Joining Durlacher at 55 kg will be Jeremy McLean (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps), who recently placed sixth at the Vantaa Cup in Finland.    2003 U.S. Nationals runner-up Mike Ellsworth (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.    Rounding out the U.S. squad for the Granma Cup will be Ryan Cunningham (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 74 kg/163 lbs., and Phil Johnston (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    Cunningham was a three-time All-American at Central Michigan Univ. and has been stationed in Japan until recently. Johnston recently won a bronze medal at the Vantaa Cup.    The U.S. team will be coached by USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and 2005 Greco-Roman World Cup coaches Dan Russell (Gresham, Ore.) and Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo.)    Durlacher, Warren, Christian, Vering, Ruiz and Johnston will also compete at the Hungary Grand Prix in Sombataly, Hungary, March 5-6 and the Poland Open in Walbrzych, Poland, March 12-13.    The U.S. rosters for both events will remain the same.    2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will compete at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in both Hungary and Poland. Byers also placed second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.    Jacob Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Marine Corps), also a 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up, will compete at 84 kg/185 lbs. Clark also placed second at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials.    U.S. National Team member Marcel Cooper (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Cooper was a 2001 U.S. World Team member and is a four-time U.S. Nationals finalist.    Other 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials placewinners competing in Hungary and Poland are Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Zac Dominguez (Colorado Springs, Colo./Golden Eagles) at 74 kg/163 lbs., R.C. Johnson (Plymouth, Minn./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Russ Davie (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    Garrison and Dominguez both placed fourth at the Olympic Trials while Johnson placed sixth and Davie placed seventh.    Rounding out the U.S. squads for Hungary and Poland will be Jason Chao (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Mark Rial (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Josh Henson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Jeff Funicello (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs.    Coaching the U.S. squads in Hungary and Poland will be USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Assistant Coach Momir Petkovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Resident Coach Anatoly Petrosyan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and 2005 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Coach Jay Antonelli (Dumfries, Va.).    Last year at the Poland Open, Ethan Bosch placed fourth at 84 kg/185 lbs. The U.S. team did not win any medals.      2005 U.S. Greco-Roman Winter Tour Rosters  Granma Cup  at Sancti Spiritus, Cuba  Feb. 21-22  55 kg/121 lbs. - Lindsey Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC); Jeremy McLean, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Mike Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC); Oscar Wood, Fountain, Colo. (U.S. Army)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Darryl Christian, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC); Ryan Cunningham, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army); Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Phil Johnston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force); Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)    Hungary Grand Prix  at Sombataly, Hungary  March 5-6  55 kg/121 lbs. - Lindsey Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Jason Chao, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC); Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps); Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army); Mark Rial, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Darryl Christian, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC); Zac Dominguez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Golden Eagles); Josh Henson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Jacob Clark, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Marine Corps); Jeff Funicello, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids); Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - R.C. Johnson, Plymouth, Minn. (New York AC); Phil Johnston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force); Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army); Russ Davie, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)    Poland Open  at Walbrzych, Poland  March 12-13  55 kg/121 lbs. - Lindsey Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Jason Chao, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC); Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps); Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army); Mark Rial, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Darryl Christian, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC); Zac Dominguez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Golden Eagles); Josh Henson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Jacob Clark, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Marine Corps); Jeff Funicello, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids); Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - R.C. Johnson, Plymouth, Minn. (New York AC); Phil Johnston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force); Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army); Russ Davie, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)