COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - It's been quite a week for American Greco-Roman wrestler T.C. Dantzler.

He beat reigning World champion Yavor Yanakiev of Bulgaria in front of his hometown fans on Tuesday at the Chicago Cup.

He followed by capturing the gold medal at 74 kg/163 lbs. at the Dave Schultz Memorial International on Friday night at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

But Dantzler's week isn't quite finished yet.

He plans to bump up a weight class and try to win the title at 84 kg/185 lbs. at Saturday's Schultz event.

"I feel like I wrestled well today," Dantzler said. "I am hitting the things I should be hitting. I am gearing up for the Pan Am Championships in a few weeks."

With the Pan American Championships just three weeks away, Dantzler is trying to get as many matches in as possible to prepare for the important event. Dantzler needs to win that event to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Dantzler and U.S. teammate Harry Lester both advanced to the finals at 74 kilos on Friday, but did not wrestle in the finals as Lester elected to injury default the match. Lester (Marquette, Mich./Gator WC), a two-time World bronze medalist at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., was competing up a weight class Friday.

Lester pinned Pan American Games gold medalist Odelis Herrero of Cuba in Friday's quarterfinals. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) has made the last five U.S. World Teams at 74 kilos. He placed fifth in the World in 2006.

"We both know where we are at with each other," Dantzler said of the reason he and Lester did not wrestle. "We train together. I'm also wrestling up at 84 kg tomorrow. We both said yesterday that if we make it to the finals, we would see how we are feeling. He gracefully let me have it because this is my weight class. He took out the Cuban for me. He exposed some weaknesses in the Cuban for me. That is huge. We are a team. My little brother helped me today."

American Sam Hazewinkel (Norman, Okla./Gator WC) placed second after dropping a 4-3, 3-2 finals decision to Asset Imanbayev of Kazakhstan at 55 kg/121 lbs.

In an all-Kazakhstan final at 60 kg/132 lbs., Nurbakyt Tengizbayev repeated as Dave Schultz champion after downing Yerbol Konyratov 7-1, 2-0.

2005 World champion Nikolay Gergov of Bulgaria downed Mark Rial (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) 1-1, 4-0 in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Gergov bounced back after losing to Lester in the Chicago Cup.

FINAL-ROUND RESULTS

55 kg/121 lbs.
 
Asset Imanbayev (Kazakhstan) vs. Sam Hazewinkel (Gator WC), 4-3, 3-2

60 kg/132 lbs.

Nurbakyt Tengizbayev (Kazakhstan) dec. Yerbol Konyratov (Kazakhstan) 7-1, 2-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Nikolay Gergov (Bulgaria) dec. Mark Rial (Gator WC), 1-1, 4-0

74 kg/163 lbs.

T.C. Dantzler (Gator WC) won by injury default over Harry Lester (Gator WC)