U.S. Olympic Education Center wins team title with three individual champions at 2001 University Gre
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/29/2001
The U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC), which is located at Northern Michigan Univ. in Marquette, Mich. claimed four individual champions on the way to the team title at the 2001 University Greco-Roman Championships at Northwestern Univ. in Evanston, Ill., March 29. Winning individual titles for the USOEC were John Sommer at 110 pounds, Nathan Piasecki at 119 pounds and Mike Mathers at 167.5 pounds. Piasecki was named Outstanding Wrestler after defeating USOEC teammate Joe Espinoza in the championship finals, 7-2. Piasecki had two pins and two decisions on the way to the title. John Sommer scored a technical fall over unattached Danny Ariaga in the gold-medal match. Mathers, a runner-up at last year's University Nationals, defeated Joshua McLay of the Minnesota Storm, 8-0 to claim his title. The U.S. Olympic Education Center finished in first with 86 points, followed by the Armed Forces with 72 points. The USOEC team is coached by 1996 Olympian Gordy Morgan. There were no repeat champions from last season in the competition. In a rematch of the 2000 finals at 286 pounds, Andy Bowlby of Orange Crush defeated Josh Etu of Virginia, 5-3. Last year, Etu pinned Bowlby in the gold-medal match. Three athletes who place third in the 2000 University Nationals came back to win titles this year: Chris Williams of Michigan State at 127.75 pounds, Jake Clark of the Armed Forces/Marines at 187.25 pounds and Brian Kraemer of North Dakota State at 213.75 pounds. Darnell Lollis of the New York AC, ranked No. 3 in the national on the Senior level, claimed the title at 138.75 pounds. Also winning a title was Matt Goldstein of the New York AC, who competes for Lehigh Univ. and grew up in the nearby Chicago suburbs. The event was held alongside the 2001 FILA Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals for men. The freestyle competition for University men, University women and FILA Cadet men will follow on March 30-April 1.