COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Thumb through the 128 pages of USA Wrestling's 2007-08 National Team Media Guide and nowhere will you find Brad Ahearn's name mentioned.

Ahearn placed seventh in the 2007 U.S. Nationals and followed by going 1-2 at the U.S. World Team Trials while competing at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. He bumped up a weight class last season while recovering from injuries.

Even though he didn't make much of a splash at 96 kilos in 2007, the year he spent wrestling up a weight class has made him a better wrestler. And that experience has paid huge dividends for him this season.

Healthy again and back at his natural weight class at 84 kg/185 lbs., the second-seeded Ahearn emerged as one of the biggest stories of the U.S. Nationals. Ahearn upset 2007 World silver medalist and No. 1 seed Brad Vering 2-1, 1-1 in the Greco-Roman finals on April 25 in Las Vegas.

"Wrestling at 96 kilos forced me to learn better technique," Ahearn said. "My natural weight was around 205 or 210, so I was wrestling guys who were bigger and stronger than me. Not cutting weight also gave my body a chance to recover from the injuries. I always knew I was coming back down to 84 kilos for the Olympic year."

Even though Ahearn was seeded second at U.S. Nationals, his victory was still considered a big surprise. Vering has made four of the last five U.S. World Teams, placing in the top five in the World on three occasions. Vering also was a 2004 Olympian and led the U.S. to its first-ever team title after he won his first World-level medal at the 2007 World Championships.

Vering beat Ahearn 1-1, 1-1, 6-2 in the third-place match at the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials. More recently, Vering swept Ahearn 2-1, 3-0 in the Vantaa Cup last November in Finland.

"We've had some close matches in the past and I knew I could beat him," Ahearn said. "But there is a big difference between wrestling him close and actually beating him. It was huge for my confidence to finally do it. It was an amazing moment - I was ecstatic."

Ahearn and Vering will be seeded 1-2 at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, set for June 13-15 in Las Vegas. If both wrestlers advance to the finals, they would meet in a best-of-3 match series to determine who will represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

"I am by no means overlooking any opponent at the Trials, but I am going to prepare myself more for Brad than any other opponent," he said. "Most of my focus will be on Brad Vering's style specifically."

A closer look at the 27-year-old Ahearn's wrestling career makes his run at a 2008 Olympic spot seem a bit unlikely.

Just consider:

Ahearn had never competed overseas in Greco-Roman wrestling until late last fall. He placed third at the Haparanda Cup in early December in Sweden.

Before the 2008 U.S. Nationals, Ahearn had never reached the finals of any significant Senior-level tournament.

He didn't start wrestling until his junior year in high school in the Jacksonville, Fla., area. He didn't start competing in Greco-Roman full-time until 2002.

"I'm still learning," Ahearn said, "and still improving."

Ahearn, who lives and trains in Colorado Springs, is part of a strong U.S. Army squad that captured the team title at U.S. Nationals.

"It's a great group of guys - we're all very, very close," Ahearn said. "Aaron Sieracki is one of my best friends and he's in my weight class. It's great to have that kind of support from your teammates. We're a family and we all care about each other and pull for each other."

The influence of U.S. Army coach Shon Lewis has been a big key to Ahearn's rapid development.

"In my opinion, Shon's the best coach in the World," Ahearn said. "Shon realizes everyone has a different style and he is really good at adjusting to your style so you can be the best. I didn't really know anything about Greco until I met Shon. Without him, I wouldn't be where I'm at. Every question I've asked Shon about wrestling he has answered for me."

Ahearn said helping raise his young son, Kaden, has helped him keep everything in perspective. Kaden will turn 3 on June 13, the day before his father is scheduled to compete in the Olympic Trials.

"Kaden is the No. 1 priority in my life," Ahearn said. "It's all about him. I make sure he is taken care of first before I worry about anything else."

2006 World Team member Jacob Clark, who beat Ahearn in the semifinals of the 2006 World Team Trials, also will be in the mix at 84 kilos at the Olympic Trials. Clark was second to Vering at the 2007 World Team Trials. Clark did not compete at U.S. Nationals. Clark already has qualified for the Olympic Trials and said he plans to be back on the mat for that event.

Ahearn, who said he plans to wrestle for at least another four-year Olympic cycle after 2008, swept his first three opponents at the 2008 U.S. Nationals by a combined 24-1 score en route to the final round.

"I am not going to approach the Olympic Trials any differently than I did Nationals," he said. "My training will be the same, and I just need to tweak a few things. I will keep training as hard as I possibly can. I will go in there believing that I can win again."

What would it mean to compete in Beijing?

"Just about everything," Ahearn said. "It would be incredible - it would be a dream come true. I've always thought I could contend for a spot on the Olympic Team. Now I not only think I can make the Olympic Team, I think I can win an Olympic gold medal. I have improved that much physically and mentally."