Dual Photos

The United States won a pair of World Dual meets against the national team of Bulgaria, held at Grandview High School in Aurora, Colo., Feb. 6. The U.S. fielded a team from its Freestyle National Team, and another team from the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

In the opening dual, U.S. Olympic Training Center team defeated Bulgaria, 11-7.

Bulgaria won the opening match at 55 kg, but the USOTC team came back in the next bout with a win by Bill Zadick at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.Zadick, a 2001 U.S. World Team member stopped Dimitar Georgiev of Bulgaria, 3-1, 4-1.

2001 World champion Nikolay Paslar of Bulgaria won the next bout at 74 kg/163 lbs., stopping . Nathan Coy (Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-0, 2-0). This gave Bulgaria a 7-4 team lead in the dual meet. 

The U.S. took a lead after the bout at 84 kg/185 lbs., when Tony Gansen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won by injury default over Arcadie Tzopa of Bulgaria in the second period. Tzopa won the first period, 1-0, but was injured at the 1:19 mark of the second period and could not continue.

The USOTC won the match in the final bout, when Nik Fekete (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won in two straight periods over Nikolay Shterev of Bulgaria, 1-0, 6-0 at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Fekete won the opening period on a leg clinch, then turned Shterev from the mat to dominate the second period.

The second dual meet featured members of the U.S. National Freestyle Team stopped Bulgaria, 15-6.

The U.S. opened with three straight wins to take a big lead in the dual by an 11-2 margin.

At 55 kg/121 lbs, Team USA opened with a win by Matt Azevedo (Arroyo Grande, Calif./Sunkist Kids) over Svetoslav Neychev of Bulgaria, 3-0, 4-4.

After losing the first period, Angel Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won the final two periods with dominance, stopping Lubomir Kumbarov of Bulgaria, 1-2, 5-0, 6-0.

At 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Jared Frayer (Cambridge, Mass./Gator WC) won by injury default over Dimitar Georgiev of Bulgaria, just 51 seconds in to the first period. Frayer was working a front headlock position when Georgiev could not continue.

Bulgaria came back with a win at 74 kg/163 lbs., as 2001 World champion Nikolay Paslar edged Ramico Blackmon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 1-1, 1-0.

In the final match of the evening at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., Nick Preston (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) needed three periods to defeat Nikolay Shterev of Bulgaria, 0-1, 2-0, 4-0. Shterev won the first period on a leg clinch, but Preston dominated the final two periods for the win.

To open the competition, the U.S. won three exhibition bouts against athletes from Guatemala. Winning matches for the U.S. were Michael Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Angel Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at  60 kg/132 lbs and Tony Gansen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Both Cejudo and Gansen scored pins in their matches.

U.S. Olympic Training Center 11, Bulgaria 7
At Aurora, Colo., Feb. 6
55 kg/121 lbs -Svetoslav Neychev (Bulgaria) dec. Michael Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1-0, 2-2
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) dec. Dimitar Georgiev (Bulgaria), 3-1, 4-1
74 kg/163 lbs. - . Nikolay Paslar (Bulgaria) dec. Nathan Coy, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-0, 2-0
84 kg/185 lbs. - Tony Gansen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) inj. dft. over Arcadie Tzopa (Bulgaria), 0-1, 1:19
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Nik Fekete, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Nikolay Shterev (Bulgaria), 1-0, 6-0

U.S. National Freestyle Team 15, Bulgaria 6 
At Aurora, Colo., Feb. 6
55 kg/121 lbs - Matt Azevedo, Arroyo Grande, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Svetoslav Neychev (Bulgaria), 3-0, 4-4
60 kg/132 lbs. -  Angel Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Lubomir Kumbarov (Bulgaria), 1-2, 5-0, 6-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jared Frayer, Cambridge, Mass. (Gator WC) inj. dft. over Dimitar Georgiev (Bulgaria), 0:51
74 kg/163 lbs. -Nikolay Paslar (Bulgaria) dec .Ramico Blackmon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 1-1, 1-0
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Nick Preston, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) dec. Nikolay Shterev (Bulgaria), 0-1, 2-0, 4-0

Exhibition Bouts
55 kg/121 lbs - Michael Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. dec.Douglas Gonzales (Guatemala), 6-0, 7-0
60 kg/132 lbs. - Angel Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) pin Cleimer Arana(Guatemala), 7-0, 1:14
84 kg/185 lbs. - Tony Gansen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) pin Allan Martinez (Guatemala), 1:10