ROME, ITALY -Zack Esposito (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) claimed a gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., the top U.S. performance at the Trophe Milone tournament on March 10. Esposito was one of six U.S. medalists in the tournament. The U.S. placed in a tie for second in the team standings with 44 points, one point behind champion Iran with 45 points. Also tied in second with 44 points was Romania. Leading up to the gold medal match, Esposito beat Dusan Babrnak of Slovakia, Fajabi Nouroddin of Iran and teammate Phillip Simpson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army). Esposito defeated Damien Jakobczyk of Poland, 3-2, 6-0 in the gold-medal match. Winning a silver medal was Steven Mocco (Stillwater, Okla./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Mocco was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Jali Sayed Saged of Iran on a second period pin. Mocco also defeated Hasan Bislimi of Macedonia and Kazbek Missikov of France. It was the second week in a row that Esposito and Mocco won international medals. Last weekend, both were bronze medalists at the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey. Winning bronze medals for the United States were Simpson at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Tony Gansen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs., Kyle Cerminara (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Les Sigmon (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Gansen had a strong tournament, with a 4-1 record. Among his wins was a victory over American rival Clint Wattenberg (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC). In the bronze-medal match, Gansen defeated Dejan Bogdanov of Macedonia, 3-1, 1-2, 2-1. In his bronze-medal match, Simpson beat Ragabi Nouroddin of Iran, 3-1, 2-3, 3-2. Simpson's only loss came to teammate Zach Esposito. Simpson won over Andrea Magni of Italy and Stefan Daniliuc of Romania. Cerminara stopped Gregely Kiss of Hungary, 3-1, 5-3 in the bronze-medal round, after losing to Mihai Stroia of Romania. Cerminara beat Soleimani Alireza of Iran in the first round. Sigmon won his bronze with a 3-0, 3-0 win over Dawid Lewicki of Poland, 3-0, 3-0. Sigmon lost against Jalail Seyedsajed of Iran and beat Vincenzo Lipari of Italy. Danny Felix (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids) lost to Dider Pais of France, but came back to beat Lukasz Goral of Poland. He placed fifth, losing in a bronze-medal match at 60 kg/132 lbs to Abbas Bagleragi of Iran, 0-3, 0-3. TROPHE MILONE At Rome, Italy, March 10, 2007 Team Results 1. Iran 45 pts. 2. Romania 44 pts. 2. USA 44 pts. 4. Italy 38 pts. 5. Poland 36 pts. 6. Hungary 29 pts. 7. France 26 pts. 8. Moldova 17 pts. 8. Macedonia 17 pts. 10. Albania 16 pts. (of 15 nations) Individual Results 55 kg/121 lbs. 1. Nourzas Babak (Iran) 2. Krasimir Krastanov (Great Britain) 3. Marcello Patria (Italy) 3. Vadim Budeanu (Moldova) 5. Besmir Seli (Albania) 5. Valentin Popescu (Romania) 7. Mariusz Walkowiak (Poland) 8. Edidon Demai (Albania) 9. Fabio Coscino (Italy) 10. Faycal Aoune (Algeria) 60 kg/132 lbs. 1. Petru Toarca (Romania) 2. Didier Pais (France) 3. Baglarbagi Abbas (Iran) 3. Raimondo Campagna (Italy) 5. Danny Felix (USA) 5. Radoslav Kisiel (Poland) 7. Sebastian Kaczmarzyk(Poland) 8. Sandor Tozsek (Hungary) 9. Lukasz Goral (Poland) 10. Billel Ghouini (Algeria) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. 1. Zack Esposito (USA) 2. Damian Jakobczyk (Poland) 3. Ljuljzim Vrenezi (Macedonia) 3. Phillip Simpson (USA) 5. Mirko Micuda (Croatia) 5. Rajabi Nouroddin (Iran) 7. Stefan Danikiuc (Romania) 8. Pietro Piscitelli (Italy) 9. Andrea Magni (Italy) 10. Arnaud Peltier (France) 74 kg/163 lbs. 1. Gabor Hatos (Hungary) 2. Radoslaw Marcinkiewicz (Poland) 3. Laszlo Szobolcs (Romania) 3. Luca Lampis (France) 5. Giuseppe Rinella (Italy) 5. Tomislav Micuda (Croatia) 7. Stefan Gheorgihta (Romania) 8. Ron Groves (USA) 9. Gentian Gerej (Albania) 10. Jamshidiafzal Hamidreza (Iran) 84 kg/185 lbs. 1. Arpad Ritter (Hungary) 2. Istvan Vereb (Hungary) 3. Yarikalvani Hamid (Iran) 3. Tony Ganson (USA) 5. Zuz Tudor Vasile (Romania) 5. Dejan Bogdanov (Macedonia) 7. Ali Tusha (Macedonia) 8. Clint Wattenberg (USA) 9. Bartosz Sifinski (Poland) 10. Jackson Caillant (Italy) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 1. Mihai Stroya (Romania) 2. Nicolae Ciobanu (Moldova) 3. Kyle Cerminara (USA) 3. Fatjon Baro (Albania) 5. Gergely Kiss (Hungary) 5. Francesco Miano Petta (Italy) 7. Norbert Bodor (Slovakia) 8. Peter Pecha (Slovakia) 9. Soleimani Alireza (Iran) 10. Milton Harold Cardona (Colombia) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 1. Jali Sayed Saged (Iran) 2. Steve Mocco (USA) 3. Les Sigman (USA) 3. Kazbek Missikov (France) 5. Dawid Lewicki (Poland) 5. Vincenzo Lipari (Italy) 7. Baljit Kooner (Great Britain) 8. Hasan Bislimi (Macedonia) 9. Rares Chintoan (Romania) U.S. placements 60 kg/132 lbs. -Danny Felix, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids), 5th LOSS Didier Pais (France) WIN Lukasz Goral (Poland) Bronze medal match - LOSS Abbas Bagleragi (Iran), 0-3, 0-3 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Zack Esposito (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), 1st WIN Dusan Babrnak (Slovakia) WIN Fajabi Nouroddin (Iran) WIN Phillip Simpson (USA) WIN Damien Jakobczyk (Poland), 3-2, 6-0 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Phillip Simpson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 3rd WIN Andrea Magni (Italy) WIN Stefan Daniliuc (Romania) LOSS Zach Esposito (USA) WIN Ragabi Nouroddin (Iran), 3-1, 2-3, 3-2 74 kg/163 lbs. - Ron Groves, Colorado Springs, Colo., 8th WIN Paolo Lumia (Italy) LOSS Luca Lampis (France) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Chris Pendleton (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), dnp/12th LOSS Yarikalvani Hamid (Iran) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Clint Wattenburg (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC), 8th WIN Jetinder Chatha (Germany) LOSS Tony Gansen (USA) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Tony Gansen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 3rd WIN Andrea Sorbello (Italy) WIN Clint Wattenberg (USA) WIN Bartosz Sifinski (Poland) LOSS Arpad Ritter (Hungary) WIN Dejan Bogdanov (Macedonia), 3-1, 1-2, 2-1 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Kyle Cerminara, Colorado Springs, Colo.(New York AC), 3rd WIN Soleimani Alireza (Iran) LOSS Mihai Stroia (Romania) WIN Gregely Kiss (Hungary), 3-1, 5-3 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steven Mocco (Stillwater, Okla./New York AC), 2nd WIN Hasan Bislimi (Macedonia) WIN Kazbek Missikov (France) LOSS Jalali Seyedsajed (Iran), 2-0, pin 2nd period 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Les Sigmon (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids), 3rd WIN Vincenzo Lipari (Italy) LOSS Jalali Seyedsajed (Iran) WIN Dawid Lewicki (Poland), 3-0, 3-0 - story updated by Michelle Thilges, USA Wrestling