Cross v. Cejudo Match Video
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - It wasn't quite the way Angel Cejudo envisioned beating an Olympic champion.

But he will still take the bizarre win over 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kendall Cross in the quarterfinals of the Dave Schultz Memorial International early Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

A wild first-period scramble ended with Cejudo catching Cross on his back in the freestyle bout at 60 kg/132 pounds. The match official did not call it a fall initially after the sequence. The match then went on for more than 30 seconds before the officials went to the videotape, reviewed the early sequence and awarded the fall to Cejudo with 33 seconds left in the first period.

The match between resident-athletes from the Olympic Training Center was the highlight of the first session. The two-day event is set to conclude with the finals in three freestyle, three Greco-Roman and all seven women's freestyle classes on Saturday night.

"Kendall was on top and he kind of released pressure on my back, so I just grabbed his leg and stood up," Cejudo said of the early sequence. "I felt like he didn't have his foot on the mat, so I kind of took him back and put him on the mat and he happened to get pinned. It wasn't exactly the way I wanted to win, but I'm going to take the victory. I thought they should have called it a fall right away because he landed flat on his back.

"I was ready to wrestle and ready to go. I have wrestled with Kendall a little bit in practice and he's real funky and real dangerous. I just tried to stay basic with him. He's very tough. I'm sure we'll see each other again and I know I'll be ready."

Cejudo, older brother of 2006 U.S. Nationals champion Henry Cejudo, had a disappointing end to his 2006 season. He qualified for the U.S. World Team Trials, but did not compete after not weighing in for the event.

"I really want to prove I'm one of the top guys at my weight class," Cejudo said. "I've been working real hard under my coach, Terry Brands, and I've been listening a lot better. I feel really good about my chances this season."

Cejudo was scheduled to meet Sahit Prizreni of the New York Athletic Club in the semifinals late Saturday afternoon.

The 38-year-old Cross, a two-time Olympian who is returning to competition after more than a 10-year layoff, rolled to convincing wins in his first two matches of the Schultz event. Cross rebounded from the loss to Cejudo in convincing fashion, sweeping 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria 2-1, 6-0 in his next match.

Velikov of Bulgaria was upset by Sahit Prizreni of the New York Athletic Club 2-1, 3-1 in the first round in freestyle at 60 kg/132 lbs. Velikov was wrestling up a weight. He won the Worlds at 55 kg/121 lbs. last year. He was still alive to finish as high as third late Saturday afternoon.

Joe Warren, competing for the first time since winning a World title in Greco-Roman last September, won his first three matches at 60 kg/132 lbs. to advance to Saturday afternoon's semifinals. Past World champion Dremiel Byers of the U.S. also reached the Greco-Roman semifinals. Byers competes at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Steve Mocco, back on the mat after playing defensive tackle for the Oklahoma State football team this past fall, also rolled into the semifinals. Mocco is competing in freestyle at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. The 2006 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up will meet Russian Aleskei Voronin of Russia in the semifinals. Voronin beat World bronze medalist Tolly Thompson of the U.S. in the Chicago Cup on Tuesday.

Three-time U.S. World Team member and 2004 Olympian Daniel Cormier also made the freestyle semifinals at heavyweight. Cormier will meet National Team member Tommy Rowlands in the semis. Cormier has bumped up to 120 kg for this meet after previously wrestling at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Olympic medalists Sara McMann (63 kg/138.75 lbs.) and Patricia Miranda (51 kg/112.25 lbs.) are among the Americans who have reached the semifinals in women's freestyle. World medalists Stephanie Murata (48 kg/105.5 lbs.), Jenny Wong (51 kg/112.25 lbs.) and Tina George (55 kg/121 lbs.) also advanced to the semifinals in Saturday's first session.

2005 World champion Iris Smith of the U.S. fell to two-time World bronze medalist Elena Perepelkina of Russia in the women's freestyle quarterfinals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Perepelkina won 0-1, 1-0, 1-0.

Past World silver medalist Dae-won Im of Korea was knocked off in the Greco-Roman quarterfinals by Li Shujin of China. Shujin won 3-0, 0-6, 3-2.

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS

GRECO-ROMAN
 
55 kg/121 lbs.
Lindsey Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Shujin Li (China)
Spenser Mango, Flourissant, Mo. (Gator WC/USOEC) vs. Askar Zhursymbayev (Kazakhstan)
 
60 kg /132 lbs.
Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Ivan De Jesus Didue (Unattached)
Nurbakyt Tengibayev (Kazakhstan) vs. Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria)
 
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) vs. Yasuda Iori (Japan)
Timothy Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) vs. Russ Davie, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

MEN'S FREESTYLE

55 kg/121 lbs.
Tomita Kazuhide (Japan) vs. Asset Serikbayev (Kazakhstan)
Filip Novachkov, Sunnyvale, Calif. (Meathead WC) vs. Hyo-Sub Kim (Korea)
 
60 kg/ 132 lbs.
Sahit Prizreni, New York, N.Y. (New York AC) vs. Angel Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Zach Roberson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) vs. Travis Lee, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
 
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) vs. Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
Aleksei Voronin (Russia) vs. Steve Mocco, Stillwater, Okla. (New York AC)
 
WOMEN'S FREESTYLE
 
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Carol Huynh (Canada) vs. Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Mary Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
 
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Patricia Miranda, New Haven, Conn. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Erica Sharp (Canada)
Jenny Wong, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Zamira Rahmanova (Russia)
 
55 kg/121 lbs.
Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) vs. Natalia Karamchakova (Russia)
Brittanee Laverdure (Canada) vs. Marcie Van Dusen (Sunkist Kids)
 
59 kg/130 lbs.
Tonya Verbeek (Canada) vs. Galina Legenkina (Russia)
Katie Patroch (Canada) vs. Larisa Kanaeva (Russia)
 
63 kg/138.5 lbs.
Sara McMann, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) vs. Anna Polovneva (Russia)
Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) vs. Alena Kartashova (Russia)
 
67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Round robin competition between four athletes
Maria Mueller (Germany) 2-0 record
Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 2-0 record
Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 2-1 record
Amberlee Ebert, Reedsville, Wis. (Missouri Valley College) 0-2 record
Megan Buydens (Canada) 0-3 record
 
72 kg /158.5 lbs.
Stanka Zlateva Hristova (Bulgaria) vs. Daria Nazarova (Russia)
Elena Perepelkina (Russia) vs. Alena Starodubtseva (Russia)