Nate Gallick makes strong statement by winning freestyle title at New York AC International Open

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
11/22/2009


NEW YORK - When you talk about the strengths of the U.S. freestyle wrestling team at 60 kg/132 lbs., Mike Zadick and Shawn Bunch are the first two names that come to mind.

Zadick made three straight World-level teams from 2006-08 before Bunch broke through to make the 2009 World Team.

But don't forget about Nate Gallick. Second behind Zadick on the 2007 National Team, Gallick has come back from an injury and looked strong in winning the New York Athletic Club International Open at 60 kilos.

Gallick executed a pair of spectacular five-point moves in putting on a show in his 5-0, 5-0 sweep of Drew Headlee in the finals Sunday night at the New York Athletic Club.

Gallick shot in on a leg attack in each period, lifting Headlee up in the air and planting him on the mat on both occasions.

"I'm real motivated this year," said Gallick, who was sidelined with a foot injury last year. "I really pushed hard to make the (Olympic) Team in 2008, and when it didn't happen I had to step back and re-evaluate what I wanted to do. Wrestling in the 2012 Olympics is definitely my top priority now."

Gallick was joined in the winners' circle Sunday by 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev, who downed past college rival Les Sigman in two straight periods in the finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Dlagnev won the first period from the defensive position in the clinch and then fired in on a low single to take the second period.

"Sigman has great shots, and he can change levels quick," Dlagnev said. "I knew I had to stay in good position and strike when I could. For the first tournament back, I felt pretty decent. I have a few things I need to work on. Each match I felt better."

Past NCAA runner-up Josh Churella won the title at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Churella downed Kohei Fujimoto of Japan 3-0, 3-2 in a physical finals bout.

2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert finished second at 84 kg/185 lbs. Herbert lost in two periods to Russia's Anzor Urishev in the finals. Urishev also beat Herbert in Friday night's USA-Russia dual in New York. It was Herbert's first competition since September's World Championships.

Winning women's freestyle titles for the U.S. were Alyssa Lampe, Leigh Jaynes, Elena Pirozhkova, Adeline Gray and Iris Smith.

Smith, a 2005 World champion, won a tough heavyweight class. Smith outlasted 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Team member Ali Bernard in three periods in the semifinals before downing Ukraine's Svetlana Saenko in the finals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Lampe won an all-American final at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., topping past World Team member Mary Kelly in the finals.

American Deanna Rix fought gamely before dropping a tough three-period finals battle to World champion Ayako Shoda of Japan at 59 kg/130 lbs.

Freestyle finals

55 kg/121 lbs.
Nariman Israpilov (Russia) dec. Kazuhide Tomita (Japan), 6-0, 6-5

60 kg/132 lbs.
Nate Gallick (Sunkist Kids) tech. fall over Drew Headlee (Sunkist Kids), 5-0, 5-0 

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Josh Churella (New York AC) dec. Kohei Fujimoto (Japan), 3-0, 3-2

74 kg/163 lbs.
Cleo Ncube (Montreal) dec. Trent Paulson (Sunkist Kids), 2-0, 5-1

84 kg/185 lbs.
Anzor Urishev (Russia) dec. Jake Herbert (New York AC), 3-0, 3-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Magomed Magomedov (Russia) dec. Pat Cummins (Lehigh Valley Athletic Club), 1-1, 4-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) dec. Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC), 1-0, 2-0

Women's freestyle finals

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) dec. Mary Kelly (New York AC), 2-1, 3-0

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Jessica MacDonald (Brock WC) dec. Hiromi Sakurai (Japan), 1-0, 4-2

55 kg/121 lbs.
Leigh Jaynes (New York AC) dec. Chikako Matsukawa (Japan), 1-4, 5-0, 8-0

59 kg/130 lbs.
Ayako Shoda (Japan) dec. Deanna Rix (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 1-1, 3-1

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st Place - Elena Pirozhkova (Gator)
2nd Place - Danielle Lappage (BMWC)
Pirozhkova went 4-0 in round-robin format

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Adeline Gray (New York AC) pinned Lauren Knight (Cumberlands), 7-0, 1:20

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Iris Smith (U.S. Army) dec. Svetlana Saenko (Ukraine), 3-0, 2-1