Olympic medalist Sara McMann (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) was among the 21 winners of the Challenge Tournament at the USA Wrestling World Team Trials, held in Ames, Iowa, June 18. The winners in each weight class in the Challenge Tournament advance to compete on Sunday, in the best-of-three Championship Series against the 2005 U.S. Nationals champion. The winner of the series on Sunday will represent the United States at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. McMann captured the Challenge Tournament at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in the women's freestyle division, defeating Rachel Billerback (Pflugerville, Texas/Missouri Valley), 7-0, 6-0 in the finals. McMann will face U.S. Nationals Champion Alaina Berube (Escanaba, Mich./New York AC) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. McMann defeated Berube in the finals of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. McMann had not wrestled since her silver medal performance at the Athens Olympic Games. Challenge Tournament champions were determined in all seven weight classes in the three Olympic styles: men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. The local fans enjoyed the outcome of the men's freestyle division at 60 kg/132 lbs., where Iowa State student Nate Gallick (Tucson, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) defeated 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Mike Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye Training Club), 1-0, 0-2, 2-1. Gallick will face U.S. Nationals Champion Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. Also in the men's freestyle division, a veteran star who was an undergrad at Iowa State who completed his career in 1994, Eric Akin (Gardner, Kan./Cyclone WC), won the Challenge Tournament at 55 kg/121 lbs. Akin defeated Nick Simmons (Williamston, Mich./Michigan WC), 2-0, 4-1. Akin will face U.S. Nationals Champion, and longtime rival, Sammie Henson (St. Louis, Mo./Sunkist Kids) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. Henson was a 1988 World Champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist. At 84 kg/185 lbs., 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Lee Fullhart ( Blacksburg, Va./Gator WC) edged college star Chris Pendleton (San Jose, Calif./Gator WC), 1-1, 1-0. Pendleton has won two straight NCAA titles for Oklahoma State. Fullhart will face U.S. Nationals Champion Mo Lawal (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday, a rematch of the U.S. Nationals finals won by Lawal in April. Other Challenge Tournament winners in men's freestyle were Jared Lawrence (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Kirk White (Tacoma, Wash./Bronco WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs., Nick Preston (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Steve Mocco, (N. Bergen, N.J./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 pounds. In men's Greco-Roman, 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up Jake Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Marine Corps) captured the Challenge Tournament finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. pinning Justin Millard (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force ) in 1:40. Clark will face U.S. Nationals Champion and 2000 Olympian Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. Vering has beaten Clark the last two years to earn the No. 1 position in the United States. Another pin the Championship Series finals came at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., when Russ Davie, (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) pinned Brian Keck (Cleveland, Ohio/Dave Schultz WC) in 1:05 of the first period. Davie will face U.S. Nationals Champion and 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. An intense rivalry at 74 kg/163 lbs. continued in the Challenge Tournament finals, where T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) stopped Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 5-3, 1-0. Sieracki and Dantzler have competed in past World Championships, and have wrestled each other for many years. Dantzler will face U.S. Nationals Champion Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. Other Challenge Tournament champions in men's Greco-Roman were Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., James Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Adam Wheeler (San Diego, Calif./Gator WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. In women's freestyle, 2004 Olympian Tela O'Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) captured the Challenge Tournament at 59 kg/130 lbs, pinning Suekoilya Shelley (Hurst, Texas/New York AC), at the 1:46 mark of the second period. O'Donnell will face U.S. Nationals Champion Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. O'Donnell is up one weight class from her Olympic Team spot, which was at 55 kg/121 lbs. Roberts was a 2003 World bronze medalist at this weight class. 2003 World bronze medalist Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) dropped down to a new weight class to win the Challenge Tournament at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Wong defeated 2004 Olympic Team Trials runner-up Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), 1-0, 4-4, 3-0. Wong will face U.S. Nationals Champion Sara Fulp-Allen (El Granada, Calif./Menlo College) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. Scoring a pin in the Challenge Tournament finals was Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Univ. of Regina) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., who pinned Heather Martin (Wellington, Ohio/New York AC), in 1:01. Bernard will face U.S. Nationals Champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in a best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. Other Challenge Tournament champions in women's freestyle were Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill./New York AC) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Chelynne Pringle (Hugo, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 55 kg/121 lbs.and Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.