Kit Carson Cup, with international Greco-Roman dual meets, set for Olympic Training Center on Jan. 30

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
01/27/2010


2009 U.S. World Team member Faruk Sahin of the U.S. Army will be among the top U.S. Greco-Roman stars competing at the Kit Carson Cup. Larry Slater photo

The Kit Carson Cup, an international Greco-Roman dual meet tournament, will be hosted at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Saturday, January 30.

There will be four full teams of U.S. athletes, competing against national teams from Bulgaria, China, Japan and Uzbekistan.

The event will be held at Sports Center I on the USOTC campus. Competition begins at 9:00 a.m. and will run through 6:00 p.m.

Each U.S. team will compete against the four foreign nations. Each foreign team will face the four U.S. squads. There will be numerous international wrestling stars on display during the eight rounds of dual meet action.

"This is a great event because it brings four tough foreign countries to Colorado Springs," said National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser. "Our four U.S. teams will compete with each one of these teams. It gives us international experience that we need, right here on our home turf. Unlike a regular tournament, with a dual meet format, the athletes will get four matches, win or lose."

The U.S. teams were put together to include most of the nation's highest ranked athletes. Each squad was organized to include a number of athletes from the major U.S. club programs. 

USA Team I features numerous members of the U.S. Army team, which is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. Included on the team is 2002 World champion and three-time World medalist Dremiel Byers at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Also on the team are U.S. Army athletes  and 2009 U.S. World Team members Jeremiah Davis at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Faruk Sahin at 66 kg.

USA Team II features many wrestlers from the New York Athletic Club, including 2006 World Champion Joe Warren at 60 kg, 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz at 96 kg and 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango at 55 kg.

USA Team III includes a number of athletes from the Sunkist Kids and the Minnesota Storm club. 2008 University World bronze medalist Pete Kowaczuk of the Sunkist Kids will compete at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

USA Team IV features a group of Junior and University age athletes, many who train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan Univ.

The international team rosters are also loaded with experience and talent.

Bulgaria is led by 2007 World champion and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Yavor Yankiev at 74 kg/163 lbs. and two-time Junior World champion Aleksander Kostadinov at 55 kg.

China's roster includes 2008 Olympic silver medalist Yongxiang Chang at 74 kg/163 lbs., along with two wrestlers who placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, Jiang Sheng at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Sanyi Ma at 84 kg/185 lbs. 

Japan's team features 2007 World silver medalist Makoto Sasamoto at 60 kg/132 lbs. and 2009 Asian champion Kohei Hasegawa of Japan at 55 kg.

Uzbekistan will showcase 2009 World silver medalist Dilshod Aripov at 60 kg and 2009 Junior World champion Azizbek Murodov at 84 kg/185 lbs.

All four of these international teams will also compete at the annual Dave Schultz Memorial International, set for the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Feb. 4-6.

"This adds so much to our Dave Schultz Memorial International event, which follows up just five days after," said Fraser. "At that tournament, everybody from our country can get some high quality international experience as well."

The Kit Carson Cup will be webcast live on TheMat.com, with Jason Bryant and Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling providing commentary, along with other guests.

KIT CARSON CUP
At Colorado Springs, Colo., January 30

Team Rosters

USA Team I: Army
55 kg/121 lbs. - Paul Tellgren, Anoka, Minn. (USOEC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jeremiah Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Anton Gottfredson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Peter Hicks, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Millard, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - John Lorenz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tim Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Coaches - Shon Lewis, Marcel Cooper, Keith Idleburg

USA Team II: New York Athletic Club
55 kg/121 lbs. - Spenser Mango, St. Louis, Mo. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo. (New York AC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz, Boise, Idaho (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Brandon Rupp, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
Coaches: Rob Hermann and Anatoly Petrosyan

USA Team III: Sunkist Kids/Minnesota Storm
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nate Engel, St. Helena, Calif. (USOEC/Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Chad Vandiver, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. -Donovan DePatto, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (USOEC/Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Bo Beckman, Pleasant Grove, Utah (USOEC/New York AC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Andy Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Talan Knox, Salt Lake City, Utah (USOEC/Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Zac Nielsen, Zimmerman, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Peter Kowalczuk, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Coaches: James Johnson and Dan Chandler

Team IV: Junior/University
55 kg/121 lbs. - Max Nowry, Wheeling, Ill. (USOEC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jimmy Chase, Carol Stream, Ill. (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Josh Castallano, Wood Dale, Ill. (USOEC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Alex Flemming, Sterling, Va. (USOEC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jonathan Drendel, North Aurora, Ill. (USOEC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Cory Hope, Carol Stream, Ill. (USOEC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Mark Stenberg, Silverton, Ore. (USOEC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Ryan Hope, Carol Stream, Ill. (USOEC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Robert Barbour, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Peninsula WC)
Coaches - Willie Madison and Ike Anderson

Bulgaria
55 kg/121 lbs. - Aleksandar Kostadinov
60 kg/132 lbs. - Aleksandar Aleksandrov
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Ilhan Myumyunov
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Plamen Petrov
74 kg/163 lbs. - Ivaylo Saykov
74 kg/163 lbs. - Yavor Yanakiev
84 kg/185 lbs. - Nikolay Bayryakov
84 kg/185 lbs. - Ivo Vasilev
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Hyusein Hyusein
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Todor Marinov
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Lyubomir Dimitrov
Coaches - Valentin Krumov, Nentcho Nentchev, Emil Ivanov

China
55 kg/121 lbs. - Shujin Li
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jiang Sheng
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Pan Zheng
74 kg/163 lbs. - Yongxiang Chang
84 kg/185 lbs. - Sanyi Ma
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Huachen Jiang
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Deli Liu
Coaches - Haojie Zhang, Kuiyuan Xu, Zhentao Xiu, Xiaoqi Wang, Jianming Wang

Japan
55 kg/121 lbs. - Kohei Hasegawa
55 kg/121 lbs. - Ryo Minemura
60 kg/132 lbs. - Ryutaro Matsumoto
60 kg/132 lbs. - Makoto Sasamoto
60 kg/132 lbs. - Tsutomu Fujimura
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Yuji Okamoto
74 kg/163 lbs. - Tsukasa Tsurumaki
84 kg/185 lbs. - Norkatsu Saikawa
84 kg/185 lbs. - Masayuki Amano
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Katsuya Kitamura
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Hirokazu Shinjo
Coaches - Hiromichi Ito, Takeshi Kukidome, Kyuji Sakai

Uzbekistan
55 kg/121 lbs. - Ildar Hafizov
60 kg/132 lbs. - Dilshod Aripov
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Rovshan Odilov
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jakhongir Muminov
84 kg/185 lbs. - Azizbek Murodov
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Muminjon Abdullaev
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Ilyosjon Niyazov
Coaches - Alexandr Dokturishivili, Rustam Kudratov

2010 KIT CARSON CUP SCHEDULE
at U.S. Olympic Training Center, Sports Center - Gym 1

January 30th, 2010
9:00am - Session 1 - USA #1 vs. Japan; USA #2 vs. China
10:00am - Session 2 - USA #1 vs. China; USA #2 vs. Japan
11:00am - Session 3 - USA #3 vs. Uzbekistan; USA #4 vs. Bulgaria
Noon - Session 4 - USA #3 vs. Bulgaria; USA #4 vs. Uzbekistan
2:00pm - Session 5 - Japan vs. USA #3; China vs. USA #4
3:00pm - Session 6 - China vs. USA #3; Japan vs. USA #4
4:00pm - Session 7 - Uzbekistan vs. USA #1; Bulgaria vs. USA #2
5:00pm - Session 8 - Bulgaria vs. USA #1; Uzbekistan vs. USA #2