Since the U.S. Olympic Eduation Center (USOEC) Greco-Roman program was started it has produced a number of top-level wrestlers and has provided the only opportunity for wrestlers to train full-time in Greco-Roman-style wrestling while attending college.

The USOEC first started the Greco-Roman wrestling program in 1999 with only eight wrestlers.  Located on the campus of Northern Michigan University, the program allows wrestlers to train at a high level while also focusing on academics.

"Since it started I have been helping with recruiting for the program," said Dan Chandler, coach with the Minnesota Storm Wrestling Club. "There is really no other opportunity for Greco-Roman wrestling in the country.  I have seen so many good younger Greco-Roman wrestlers that disappear when they get older."

At the same time, the program has added depth and strength to the senior level Greco-Roman national program.

"I call it our secret weapon," Greco-Roman National Coach Steve Fraser said. "The program connects high school and college wrestling to our senior level wrestling.  It's very valuable.  The past couple years have proved that it's helping our overall effort."

The program has dominated age-group Greco-Roman competition in recent years, and is now making a huge impact on the Senior level. USOEC athlete Harry Lester of the Gator WC has won two consecutive World bronze medals, and many of his teammates are now breaking through on the Senior level.

Three U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers competing at the 2008 Pan American Championships are members of the USOEC program: Joe Betterman at 60 kg/132.bs., Jacob Curby at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., and Chas Betts at 84 kg/185 lbs. All three have also had success at national competitions and some even internationally.  Betterman competed on the 2007 U.S. World Team, which won the World Team title.

Betts started out strong at the one-day tournament.  He won his first three matches against Eddy Bartolozzi of Venezuela, Christian Mosquera of Colombia, and Antonio Mendoza of Mexico to place him in the finals in his weight class. He will face Yunior Estrada of Cuba in the championship match Friday night.

"I feel really good about it," Betts said. "I came out strong and I feel like I got ready really well for this event."

Betts attributes his success at tournaments such as this one to the training he has received at the USOEC.

"It's really done everything for me," said Betts. "Coach Ivanov is great.  He knows that these tournaments are the most important.  He is passing on a lot of knowledge to us."

Betts' club coach is Dan Chandler, who agrees that the training at the USOEC has really prepared him to be successful at national and international competition.

"His has really improved in every aspect of his training, psychologically, physically," said Chandler. "He is better in his tactics, his strategy.  Chas has gone from a top Junior to one of the top Senior wrestlers in the country."

Ranked fifth in his weight class nationally, Betts can focus on competition. as his weight class has already been qualified for the United States to attend the Olympics. This competition will help him to prepare for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev., June 13-15.

Betterman, as the No. 1 athlete in the nation, is competing to qualify the weight for the Olympics.  He won his first match of the day over Kelvin Escorcia of Nicaragua on a technical fall, 8-2, 6-0.  Betterman then lost in his second match to Roberto Monzon of Cuba, 0-3, 0-4, putting him out of contention for Olympic qualification. He will be in a bronze-medal match tonight.

Curby is ranked fourth in the U.S. in his weight class, which has already been qualified for the Olympics.  In his first match of the tournament, Curby fell behind in the first period and wasn't able to pull out the comeback, losing to Endrix Arteaga of Venezuela.

Head coach Ivan Ivanov and assistant coach Jim Gruenwald oversee the program at the USOEC and are both Olympians.  Ivanov competed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Gruenwald was a part of 2000 Olympics in Sydney and 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Betts and Fraser agree that the USOEC program has some of the best coaches in the country, which has helped it improve in quality every year.

"I think that it's great," said Betts. "The level of talent in the wrestling room grows every year.  More and more wrestlers want to be part of the program.  We have the best coaches.  They really know their stuff."