Trent Paulson battles Ben Askren in the 2009 Dave Schultz Memorial finals, which was won by Askren. Paulson won the rematch in the Cerro Pelado Tournament finals today. Larry Slater photo

HAVANA, Cuba - Three U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers won gold medals at the Cerro Pelado International on Saturday.

Champions included Trent Paulson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs., J.D. Bergman (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Steve Mocco (Coralville, Iowa/New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 

Paulson, a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team at 66 kg, defeated 2008 Olympian Ben Askren (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in the finals, 4-0, 3-0. It was a rematch of the finals of the Dave Schultz Memorial International two weeks ago, when Askren beat Paulson by pin in the second period.

Paulson won three bouts to reach the finals, beating Eduardo Valencia of Mexico, Edison Hurtado of Colombia and Ricardo Roberto of Venezuela.

In the semifinals, Askren defeated Ivan Fundora of Cuba, 3-1, 2-2. He was able to avenge his loss to Fundora at the 2008 Olympic Games, which was by a 1-3, 0-4 margin in Beijing.

Bergman finished with a 3-0 record to win his division, including a 2-0, 0-1, 3-0 win over Oldrik Wagner of Germany in the finals. His other victories were against Eduardo Mesa of Cuba and Johannes Kessel of Germany.

Mocco, a 2008 Olympian, won a five-athlete roundrobin with four straight victories. Included were three pins, plus a 1-1, 3-1 win over eventual runner-up Elier Romero of Cuba.

Overall, the United States won a total of 13 medals out of 16 athletes entered.

Joining Askren as a silver medalist was 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert (Evanston, Ill./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Herbert was beaten in the finals by 2009 Pan American champion Reineris Salas of Cuba, 3-1, 8-0.

He won three matches to qualify for the finals, with dominant wins over Kevin Mejia of Honduras and Patrick Loes of Germany to start the tournament. In the semifinals, he stopped Travis Paulson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), 2-0, 0-1, 1-0.

Travis Paulson entered the repechage and won a bronze medal. He was one of eight Americans to win a bronze medal. The other bronze medal winners from the United States were:
- Sam Hazewinkel (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
- Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs 
- Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. 
- Teyon Ware (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
- Josh Churella (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
- Raymond Jordan (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs. 
- Brandon Halsey (Bakersfield, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 

CERRO PELADO INTERNATIONAL 
at Havana, Cuba, February 20

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Frank Chamizo (Cuba)
Silver - Luis Ibanez (Cuba)
Bronze - Yoel Roche (Cuba)
Bronze - Sam Hazewinkel (USA)
5th - Fernando Paredes (Venezuela)
5th - Juan Valverde (Ecuador)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Alejandro Valdes (Cuba)
Silver - Davian Quintana (Cuba)
Bronze - Mike Zadick (USA)
Bronze - Shawn Bunch (USA)
5th - Cesar Roberty (Venezuela)
5th - Fernando Iglesias (Argentina)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Geandry Garzon (Cuba)
Silver - Livan Lopez (Cuba)
Bronze - Josh Churella (USA)
Bronze - Teyon Ware (USA)
5th - Raoni Mendonca (Brazil)
5th - Samet Duelger (Germany)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Trent Paulson (USA)
Silver - Ben Askren (USA)
Bronze - Ivan Fundora (Cuba)
Bronze - Ricardo Roberty (Venezuela)
5th - Edison Hurtado (Colombia)
5th - Yunieski Blanco (Cuba)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Reineris Salas (Cuba)
Silver - Jake Herbert (USA)
Bronze - Raymond Jordan (USA)
Bronze - Travis Paulson (USA)
5th - Gabriel Seregelyi (Germany)
5th - Kevin Mejia (Honduras)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - J.D Bergman (USA)
Silver - Oldrik Wagner (Germany)
Bronze - Eduardo Mesa (Cuba)
Bronze - Brandon Halsey (USA)
5th - Johannes Kessel (Germany)
5th - Kevin Schwaebe (Germany)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Steve Mocco (USA)
Silver - Elier Romero (Cuba)
Bronze - Yoan Delgado (Cuba)
4th - Yan Russel (Cuba)
5th - Jonsy Sanchez (Venezuela)

U.S. performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd 
WIN Juan Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 6-1, 6-0
LOSS Luis Ibanez (Cuba), 0-6, 0-2
WIN Fernando Paredes (Venezuela), 2-0, 6-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Nate Gallick, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), dnp/12th 
LOSS Fernando Iglesias (Argentina), 0-1, 2-4

60 kg/132 lbs - Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Marcel Ewald (Germany), 2-0, 1-0
WIN Maikel Perez (Cuba), 0-2, 1-1, 3-2
LOSS Davian Quintana (Cuba), 0-3, 1-2
WIN Fernando Iglesias (Argentina), 1-0, 2-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Shawn Bunch, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Nelson Garcia (Colombia), 1-0, 2-0
WIN Yashar Jamali (Germany), 3-0, 1-0
LOSS Alejandro Valdes (Cuba), 1-3, 3-0, 1-4
WIN Cesar Roberty (Cuba), 4-0, 5-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 3rd
WIN Elvis Fuentes (Venezuela), 5-3, 4-0
WIN Sebastian Perez (Argentina), 2-0, 7-2
LOSS Livan Lopez (Cuba), 0-4, 1-5
WIN Raoni Mendonca (Brazil), 1-1, 4-6, 6-2

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Josh Churella, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 3rd
WIN Mauricio Atamaint (Ecuador), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Sasa Bolaghi (Germany), 1-0, 0-1, 2-1
LOSS Geandry Garzon (Cuba, 0-3, 0-3
WIN Samet Duelger (Germany), 0-3, 1-0, 4-1

74 kg/163 lbs. - Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Eduardo Valencia (Mexico), 7-1, 4-2
WIN Edison Hurtado (Colombia), 1-0, pin
WIN Ricardo Roberto (Venezuela), 3-1, 1-0
WIN Ben Askren (USA), 4-0, 3-0

74 kg/163 lbs. - Mike Poeta, Naperville, Ill. (Lehigh Valley AC), dnp/11th
LOSS Ivan Fundora (Cuba), 1-0, 6-5, 0-2

74 kg/163 lbs. - Ben Askren, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN Isidro Sisne (Dominican Republic), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Yunieski Blanco (Cuba), 7-2, 5-1
WIN Ivan Fundora (Cuba), 3-1, 2-2
LOSS Trent Paulson (USA), 0-4, 0-3

84 kg/185 lbs. - Travis Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
WIN Jaime Espinol (Puerto Rico), 2-0, 2-1
WIN Eric Leudke (USA), 3-0, 2-0
LOSS Jake Herbert (USA), 0-2, 1-0, 0-1
WIN Kevin Mejia (Honduras), 4-0, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs. - Jake Herbert, Wexford, Pa. (New York AC), 2nd
WIN Kevin Mejia (Honduras), 6-0, 8-0
WIN Patrick Loes (Germany), pin 1st period
WIN Travis Paulson (USA), 2-0, 0-1, 1-0
LOSS Reineris Salas (Cuba), 3-1, 8-0

84 kg/185 lbs. - Eric Luedke, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC), 9th
WIN Luis Mario Miranda (Cuba), 1-0, 2-2
LOSS Travis Paulson (USA), 0-1, 0-1

84 kg/185 lbs. - Raymond Jordan, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
WIN Humberto Arencibia (Cuba), 2-1, 0-1, 1-0
LOSS Reineris Salas (Cuba), 1-3, 0-2
WIN Porfirio Enrique Minier (Dominican Republic), 0-1, pin 2nd period
WIN Gabriel Seregelyi (Germany), 3-0, 1-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Brandon Halsey, Bakersfield, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
WIN Miche Batista (Cuba), 0-1, pin 2nd period
LOSS Oldrik Wagner (Germany), 1-1, 1-3
WIN Ruben Walesberg (Argentina), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Kevin Schwaebe (Germany), 3-1, 3-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC), 1st
WIN Eduardo Mesa (Cuba), 3-2, 7-2
WIN Johannes Kessel (Germany), 4-0, 4-0
WIN Oldrik Wagner (Germany), 2-0, 0-1, 3-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steve Mocco, Coralville, Iowa (New York AC), 1st
WIN Yoan Delgado (Cuba), pin 1st period
WIN Elier Romero (Cuba), 1-1, 3-1
WIN Jonsy Sanchez (Venezuela), pin 1st period
WIN Yan Russel (Cuba), pin 1st period