IRVINE, CALIF. - The first of the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Tournaments was hosted on Saturday at No Limits MMA, the USA Wrestling National Training Center for Grappling and Sombo.

The Southern California Regional World Team Trials Qualifier featured a number of nationally ranked stars in both men's and women's Grappling. 

Three 2007 World Grappling medalists, who were on the historic first U.S. Grappling World Team, won titles at this event: World champion Valerie Worthington of BJJ Revolution/New Breed, World silver medalist Ramon Diaz of No Limits MMA and World silver medalist Bahar Shahidi of Grappler's Edge.

Worthington captured the women's 158.5-pound title, defeating Lindsay Thorsen of No Limits MMA in two straight matches, both by submission. Worthington scored a 2:17 submission in the first match and a 4:35 submission in the second match.

Diaz captured a four-athlete round-robin, winning all three matches. Two of his victims were nationally ranked coming into the tournament in the USA Wrestling Grappling Rankings, No. 5 Daniel Pollaccia of Team Titan and No. 10 Lloyd Marshbanks of Team Kadillac.

Shahidi was the 121-pound champion uncontested.

In the men's division, nationally-ranked Greco-Roman wrestler Shannon Slack of No Limits MMA won the largest weight class of the tournament with a victory at 154 pounds. Slack won four matches in the tournament, including a 4-1 victory over Peter Sutton of Team Quest in the championship finals.

Other individual men's champions were Vintl Phung of No Limits MMA at 136.5 pounds, Joseph Gurierrez of Millenia Jiu-Jitsu at 176 pounds and Timmy Bond of Street Sports BJJ at 202.5 pounds. Gutierrez entered the tournament with a No. 9 ranking and Bond had a No. 7 ranking in the USA Wrestling Grappling Rankings coming into the event.

The 138.75 pound class featured two nationally ranked athletes, when Ginele Marquez-Lee of CSW stopped Carla O'Connell of No Limits MMA in two straight matches. Lee scored submissions in both matches, in 2:17 and in 4:25. Lee was ranked No. 2 at 138.75 pounds, while O'Connell held a No. 4 national ranking at 121 pounds.

At each of the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Tournaments, men must place in the top four in their weight class and women must place in the top three of their weight class in the advanced division to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials.

There are 12 events in the USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Qualifying Series, which is sponsored by Dollamur Sport Surfaces. The next tournament is the Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifier, to be held in Pueblo, Colo., May 17.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL QUALIFIER
At No Limits MMA in Irvine, Calif., May 10

Senior Men`s Advanced Results

136.5 pounds
1st Place - Vintl Phung of No Limits MMA

154 pounds
1st Place - Shannon Slack of No Limits MMA
2nd Place - Peter Sutton of Team Quest
3rd Place - John Blalock of 10th Planet
4th Place - James Kirkemo of Prodigy Elite
1st - Shannon Slack (No Limits MMA) dec. Peter Sutton (Team Quest), 4-1
2nd - John Blalock (10th Planet) and Peter Sutton (Team Quest) (DDQ)
3rd  - John Blalock (10th Planet) won by submission over James Kirkemo (Prodigy Elite) (Sub. 2:25)

176 pounds
1st Place - Joseph Gutierrez of Millenia Jiu-Jitsu
2nd Place - Eric Brown of CSW
3rd Place - Sean Robinson of BJJ Revolution/New Breed
4th Place - Antares Simensis of Undisputed
5th Place - Casey Montoya of Riverside Sub
6th Place - Mohammad Khayat of No Limits MMA
Six athlete Round robin matches
Eric Brown (CSW) won by submission over Sean Robinson (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) (Sub. 0:37)
Joseph Gutierrez (Millenia Jiu-Jitsu) won by submission over Mohammad Khayat (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 5:12)
Antares Simensis (Undisputed) won by submission over Casey Montoya (Riverside Sub) (Sub. 2:48)
Eric Brown (CSW) won by submission over Casey Montoya (Riverside Sub) (Sub. 0:00)
Mohammad Khayat (No Limits MMA) won by decision over Antares Simensis (Undisputed) (Dec 10-7)
Sean Robinson (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) won by decision over Joseph Gutierrez (Millenia Jiu-Jitsu) (Dec 3-2)
Eric Brown (CSW) won by submission over Antares Simensis (Undisputed) (Sub. 0:00)
Sean Robinson (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) won by injury default over Mohammad Khayat (No Limits MMA) (Inj.)
Joseph Gutierrez (Millenia Jiu-Jitsu) won by submission over Casey Montoya (Riverside Sub) (Sub. 2:49)
Joseph Gutierrez (Millenia Jiu-Jitsu) won by submission over Eric Brown (CSW) (Sub. 1:21)
Casey Montoya (Riverside Sub) won by injury default over Mohammad Khayat (No Limits MMA) (Inj.)
Antares Simensis (Undisputed) won by submission over Sean Robinson (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) (Sub. 1:54)
Eric Brown (CSW) won by injury default over Mohammad Khayat (No Limits MMA) (Inj.)
Joseph Gutierrez (Millenia Jiu-Jitsu) won by submission over Antares Simensis (Undisputed) (Sub. 2:14)
Sean Robinson (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) won by decision over Casey Montoya (Riverside Sub) (Dec 9-1)

202.5 pounds
1st Place - Timmy Bond of Street Sports BJJ
2nd Place - Andres Salas of Shingu Fighter Academy
3rd Place - Brett Collins of No Limits MMA
4th Place - Genesis Vailu`u of No Limits MMA
Four athlete round-robin
Andres Salas (Shingu Fighter Academy) won by submission over Brett Collins (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 5:30)
Timmy Bond (street sports bjj) won by submission over Genesis Vailu`u (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 1:39)
Andres Salas (Shingu Fighter Academy) won by submission over Genesis Vailu`u (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 3:21)
Timmy Bond (street sports bjj) won by submission over Brett Collins (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 3:23)
Timmy Bond (street sports bjj) won by major decision over Andres Salas (Shingu Fighter Academy) (Maj 12-2)
Round 3 - Brett Collins (No Limits MMA) won by injury default over Genesis Vailu`u (No Limits MMA) (Inj.)

275 pounds
1st Place - Ramon Diaz of No Limits MMA
2nd Place - Kadillac Marshbanks of Team Kadillac
3rd Place - Wesley Arnstad of Newbreed
4th Place - Daniel Pollaccia of Team Titan
Four athlete round-robin
Ramon Diaz (No Limits MMA) won by decision over Daniel Pollaccia (Team Titan) (Dec 6-0)
Kadillac Marshbanks (Team Kadillac) won by tech fall over Wesley Arnstad (Newbreed) (TF 22-2)
Ramon Diaz (No Limits MMA) won by major decision over Kadillac Marshbanks (Team Kadillac) (Maj 14-3)
Wesley Arnstad (Newbreed) won by forfeit over Daniel Pollaccia (Team Titan) (FF)
Ramon Diaz (No Limits MMA) won by submission over Wesley Arnstad (Newbreed) (Sub. 3:08)
Kadillac Marshbanks (Team Kadillac) won by disqualification over Daniel Pollaccia (Team Titan) (DQ)

Senior Women`s Advanced results

121 pounds
1st - Bahar Shahidi of Grappler`s Edge, uncontested

138.5 pounds
1st Place - Ginele Marquez Lee of CSW
2nd Place - Carla O`connell of No Limits MMA
Round robin matches
Ginele Marquez Lee (CSW) won by submission over Carla O`Connell (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 2:17)
Ginele Marquez Lee (CSW) won by submission over Carla O`Connell (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 4:35)

158.5 pounds
1st Place - Valerie Worthington of BJJ Revolution/New Breed
2nd Place - Lindsay Thorsen of No Limits MMA
Valerie Worthington (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) won by submission over Lindsay Thorsen (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 4:56)
Valerie Worthington (BJJ Revolution/New Breed) won by submission over Lindsay Thorsen (No Limits MMA) (Sub. 5:10)