HAPARANDA, Sweden - Brad Vering and Justin Ruiz each turned in gold-medal performances in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Haparanda Cup on Dec. 2-3.

Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) defeated 2006 U.S. World Team member Jacob Clark (Okinawa, Japan/U.S. Marine Corps) in the finals at 84 kg/185 pounds. Vering, a 2004 Olympian and three-time World Team member, placed second the previous weekend at the Vantaa Cup in Vantaa, Finland.

Ruiz matched his training partner's feat by capturing the championship at 96 kg/211.5 pounds in Haparanda. Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) defeated Dimitriy Timchenko of the Ukraine in the finals at 211.5 pounds. Ruiz also had won a silver medal at the Vantaa Cup on Nov. 25-26.

Ruiz is a three-time U.S. World Team member who was a Bronze Medalist at the 2005 World Championships. Vering was a NCAA champion at the University of Nebraska and Ruiz an All-American for the Huskers.

American Russ Davie (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won a bronze medal in Haparanda at 120 kg/264.5 pounds in Greco-Roman.  Davie placed second to past World Champion Dremiel Byers at the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials.

Also from the U.S., Shannon Slack (New York AC) placed seventh at 66 kg/145.5 pounds, Nathan Piasecki (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pinnicle Performance WC) finished ninth at 60 kg/132 pounds and Jeremy Pederson (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) was 10th at 84 kg/185 pounds.

The United States placed fifth in the combined overall team standings with 34 points in Haparanda, which also included women's freestyle results. The U.S. was fifth despite not sending any women to compete in Sweden. Russia won the title with 167 points, 67 ahead of runner-up Ukraine.

Results from the Haparanda Cup