COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Angel Cejudo and Trent Paulson didn't even qualify for the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials in freestyle wrestling.

But none of that matters right now.

This is a new year and both wrestlers have their sights set on representing the United States at the 2008 Olympics.

Cejudo and Paulson both turned in impressive, and surprising, performances to capture titles at the Dave Schultz Memorial International on Saturday night at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

The 22-year-old Cejudo charged out aggressively and stayed in the face of finals opponent Aliaksandr Karnitski of Belarus. Cejudo earned a 1-0, 2-1 win at 60 kg/132 lbs. over Karnitski, a six-time Belarus World Team member who placed eighth at the 2006 World Championships.

"I thought I wrestled really well," Cejudo said. "My first match was sluggish, but as the tournament went longer, I felt better. I recovered better each match, and my legs got stronger. I have trained hard for this. I just have to do this at the Olympic Trials."

Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), older brother of 2007 World Team member Henry Cejudo, placed fourth in this event last year but has been plagued by inconsistency.

"I have put a lot together," Cejudo said of his improvement. "My mom moved here and it has helped me. Coaches Terry Brands, Kevin Jackson, my brother and everybody here at the Olympic Training Center have helped me. I knew I could do it. I had to prove it though. I have to get the gold at the Olympics now."

Paulson, a 2007 NCAA champion for Iowa State, dropped down a weight class to 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and it paid off as he controlled Albert Batyrov of Belarus 3-0, 3-0 in the finals. Batyrov placed fifth in the 2006 World Championships.

Paulson placed fifth at the 2007 World Team Trials in Greco-Roman. His twin brother, Travis, wrestles in freestyle at 74 kg/163 lbs.

"I feel great," Paulson said. "I gradually brought my weight down over three months. I did it the right way. I felt stronger than my opponents and my conditioning was better. I wouldn't have come down if I didn't have a twin brother, but I did it so we would both have a chance to make the Olympic Team this year."

2005 and 2007 World champion Mijial Lopez of Cuba edged 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the Greco-Roman finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Lopez was able to turn Byers, a bronze medalist at the 2007 Worlds, in the closing stages of the second period to win the match 1-1, 2-0.

Byers reached the finals with a semifinal win over 2004 Olympic silver medalist Georgiy Tzurtsumia of Kazakhstan. Tzurtsumia beat past Olympic and World champion Rulon Gardner of the U.S. in the 2004 Olympics.

One of the best finals matchups of the night came in freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs. where 2007 World silver medalist Naranbaatar Bayaraa of Mongolia rallied for a 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 win over 2007 World bronze medalist Rizvan Gadzhiev of Belarus.

In the Greco-Roman finals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) downed 2007 World Team Trials runner-up Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC).

2004 Olympian Andrea Minguzzi of Italy outlasted past World Team member Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 1-1, 1-1, 1-1 in the Greco-Roman finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Neither wrestler could turn the other. Minguzzi won the third period by virtue of scoring last. He won the coin flip and was down in the final 30 seconds in par terre.

Bulgaria's Nikolay Gergov, who won the title at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. on Friday night, was named Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman. Kazakhstan won the team title with 36 points, followed by the Gator Wrestling Club with 32 and Cuba with 16.

In the women's finals at 59 kg/130 lbs., two-time World Team member Erin Tomeo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) dec. high-school senior and 2007 Junior World silver medalist Tatiana Padilla (Covina, Calif./Sunkist Kids), 4-1, 1-0.

"I am happy with my performance," Tomeo said. "I will be able to sleep tonight. Overall, this tournament went well, and I have some great things to build on."

Germany's Alexandra Engelhardt, fifth in the 2007 World Championships, downed Erica Torres of Oklahoma City University in the women's freestyle finals at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. In the women's finals at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., Monika Rogien of Poland swept Maria Mueller of Germany.

T.C. Dantzler's bid to become a double Greco-Roman champion this weekend ended with a semifinal loss to Italy's Andrea Minguzzi at 84 kg/185 lbs. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won the Schultz event title at 74 kg/163 lbs. on Friday night.

2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) placed third on Saturday. He lost to Junior World silver medalist Yasuhiro Inaba of Japan in the quarterfinals before rebounding to win his last four matches. Among the wins for Abas was a victory over past World silver medalist Ghenadi Tulbea of Moldova in the wrestlebacks.

Abas finished 5-1 in his first competition in nearly two years. He's been sidelined with knee injuries.

"I had a tough weight class this weekend," Abas said. "I thought I had a good start. Then the second match came along. I learned from it. That was something good that came from that. I beat some good guys today. After my fourth match, I was tired. But I had to be mentally strong. Everybody was supporting me here. I finished off pretty well. Obviously, I don't like to lose, but I am glad I got to finish strong."

Abas is scheduled to compete for the U.S. later this month at the World Cup in Russia.

"I am excited about it," he said. "I am glad I wrestled this tournament and got a good feel for my wrestling. I now know what it is like to wrestle six matches in one day. I hope to never do that again. I am looking forward to going to Russia."

SATURDAY'S FINAL-ROUND RESULTS

Men's freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs.

Naranbaatar Bayaraa (Mongolia) dec. Rizvan Gadzhiev (Belarus), 0-1, 1-0, 1-0

60 kg/132 lbs.

Angel Cejudo (Sunkist Kids) dec. Aliaksandr Karnitski (Belarus), 1-0, 2-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Trent Paulson (Sunkist Kids) vs. Albert Batyrov (Belarus), 3-0, 3-0

Greco-Roman

84 kg/185 lbs.

Andrea Minguzzi (Italy) dec. Keith Sieracki (U.S. Army), 1-1, 1-1, 1-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Justin Ruiz (New York AC) dec. Adam Wheeler (Gator WC), 3-0, 1-1, 3-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Mijial Lopez (Cuba) dec. Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army), 1-1, 2-0

Women's freestyle

51 kg/112.25 lbs.

Alexandra Engelhardt (Germany) dec. Erica Torres (Oklahoma City University), 6-0, 6-0

59 kg/130 lbs.

Erin Tomeo (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tatiana Padilla (Sunkist Kids), 4-1, 1-0

67 kg/147.5 lbs.

Monika Rogien (Poland) vs. Maria Mueller (Germany), 1-0, 1-0