Jacob Mitchell won a gold medal at 120 kg in the Junior division. USOEC photo

OSLO, Norway – The Greco-Roman team from the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan Univ. entered the Kolbotn Cup, a challenging age-group international event held Oct. 29-30.

The team won six medals, competing in two different divisions, the Junior division and the 18 and Under division. Athletes from a number of competitive European nations were entered in each weight class.

“Overall, we had a great tournament with a lot of competitive wrestling,” said USOEC Assistant Greco-Roman Coach Willie Madison. “Even with the awesome results, we have a lot of room for improvement. This is a perfect tournament for the guys to gauge themselves against some very tough European wrestlers in their age division.”

In the Junior division, Jacob Mitchell (Portland, Ore.) won a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. He won all three bouts in a four-athlete round-robin. A key victory came over his teammate Scott Helton (Elmhurst, Ill.), who finished with a 2-1 record and captured the silver medal.

Joining Helton as a silver medalist in the Junior division was Mark Stenberg (Lockport, Ill.) at 84 kg/185 lbs., who was defeated by Rasmus Tjorstad of Norway in the gold-medal finals. Stenberg won two matches in his pool to qualify for the finals.

Mitchell is a sophomore studying zoology, Helton is a sophomore studying physical education and coaching, and Stenberg is a sophomore studying industrial technology.

The USOEC was named best club in the Junior division.

The United States captured two silver medals in the 18 and under division, from Aaron Runzo (Virginia Beach, Va.) at 58 kg/127.75 lbs. and Marcus Finau (Oahu, Hawaii) at 85 kg/187.25 lbs.

Runzo was beaten by Dawid Tejchman of Poland in the finals, and Finau lost to Ronni Volthers of Denmark in the gold-medal finals. 

Both wrestlers won four straight matches in their pool in order to qualify for their medal matches. Runzo’s key victory to win his pool came against Isak Selder of Sweden. Finau had to defeat Ryszard Mazur of Poland in order to win his pool.

Capturing a bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. was Alan Alvarez (Miami, Fla.), who completed the tournament with a 3-1 record.

Runzo is a freshman studying sports science. Finau is a freshman studying pre-medicine. Alvarez is a freshman studying pre-chiropractic.

Four other USOEC athletes placed in the top six of their divisions. Placing fourth were Corey Hope (Carol Stream, Ill.) at Junior 74 kg/163 lbs. and Caleb Smith (Patoka, Ind.) at 18 and Under 76 kg/167.5 lbs. Joey Denova (Fortson, Ga.) was fifth at 18 and Under 58 kg/127.75 lbs., while Thrasher Porcher (Winter Springs, Fla.) was sixth at Junior 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

“I was very impressed with what I have seen in all of the incoming freshmen.” said Willie Madison. “Travelling overseas is not always an ideal situation and for being newcomers they handled themselves like professionals.”

KOLBOTN CUP
At Oslo, Norway, Oct. 29-30

Junior division

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Tobias Fonnesbek (Denmark)
Silver – Martin Lorenzen (Denmark)
Bronze – Birk Vikesland (Norway)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold –Aliakbar Hosseini (Norway)
Silver - Sergejs Mironovs (Latvia) 
Bronze –Remi Lindberg (Norway)
4th - Mattias Jansson (Sweden)
5th – Marcus Sellden (Sweden)
6th – Thrasher Porcher (USA - USOEC)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Aleksandrs Visnakovs (Latvia)
Silver - Manfred Edsberg (Sweden)
Bronze –Kristian Jager (Hungary)
4th - Corey Hope (USA - USOEC)
5th – Sebastian Brandstrom (Sweden)
6th – Eivydas Sekus (Lithuania)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold –Rasmus Tjorstad (Norway)
Silver - Mark Stenberg (USA - USOEC)
Bronze –Viktor Lorincz (Hungary)
4th - Julius Matuzevicius (Lithuania)
5th – Runar Simonsen (Norway)
6th – Tommy Christensen (Sweden)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. 
Gold – Vilius Laurinaitis (Lithuania)
Silver - Benjamin Sverdrup (Norway)
Bronze – Jon Isaksen (Norway)
4th - Erik Langset (Norway)
5th – Tom Jonsson (Sweden)
6th – Emil Lovik (Norway)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Jacob Mitchell (USA - USOEC)
Silver – Scott Helton (USA - USOEC)
Bronze – Jonas Palmqvist (Sweden)
4th – Damian Halasa (Poland)

USOEC Junior division performances

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Thrasher Porcher, Winter Springs, Fla., 6th
LOSS Aliakbar Hosseini (Norway)
LOSS Remi Lindberg (Norway)
LOSS Marcus Sellden (Sweden)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Bo Beckman, Orem, Utah, dnp
LOSS Josh Castellano (USA)
LOSS Alesandr Visnakovs (Latvia)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Josh Castellano, Wood Dale, Ill., dnp
WIN Bo Beckman (USA)
WIN Marius Gjaerder (Norway)
LOSS Sebastian Brandstrom (Sweden)
LOSS Kristian Jager (Hungary)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Tanner Andrews, North Aurora, Ill., dnp
LOSS Sebastian Brandstrom (Sweden)
WIN Gabriel Johansson (Sweden)
LOSS Aleksandrs Visnakovs (Latvia)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Corey Hope, Carol Stream, Ill., 4th
LOSS Manfred Edsberg (Sweden)
WIN Bendik Wollman (Norway)
WIN Sergio Sjovoll (Norway)
WIN Eivydas Sekus (Lithuania)
LOSS Kristian Jager (Hungary)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Mark Stenberg, Lockport, Ill., 2nd
WIN Julius Matuzevicius (Lithuania)
WIN Tommy Christensen (Sweden)
LOSS Rasmus Tjorstad (Norway)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Scott Helton, Elmhurst, Ill., 2nd
LOSS Jacob Mitchell (USA)
WIN Jonas Palmqvist (Sweden)
WIN Damian Halasa (Poland)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Jacob Mitchell, Portland, Ore., 1st
WIN Scott Helton (USA)
WIN Damian Halasa (Poland)
WIN Jonas Palmqvist (Sweden)

18 and Under Division

50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold – Max Tommerdal (Norway)
Silver – Patryk Brzostowski (Norway)
Bronze – Wojciech Maciag (Poland)

54 kg/119 lbs.
Gold – Aleksandrs Jurkjans (Latvia)
Silver – Pal Erik Gunderson (Norway)
Bronze – Vladislavs Lebedevs (Latvia)
4th – Deniss Lecks (Latvia)
5th – Oyvind Bertheussen (Norway)
6th – Gabriel Bataev (Norway)

58 kg/127.75 lbs.
Gold – Dawid Tejchman (Poland)
Silver – Aaron Runzo (USA – USOEC)
Bronze – Isak Selder (Sweden)
4th – Vaidas Dervinius (Norway)
5th – Joey Denova (USA – USOEC)
6th – Jim Blikeng (Norway)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Ruben Toftdahl (Sweden)
Silver – Mats Erik Elverhoi (Norway)
Bronze – Alan Alvarez (USA – USOEC)
4th – Ruben Korneliussen (Norway)
5th – Amadeusz Walczak (Poland)
6th – Nicolai Toftdahl (Sweden)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Omid Husseini (Norway)
Silver – Pointus Bergstom (Sweden)
Bronze – Mateusz Wozniak (Poland)
4th – Linus Eriksson (Sweden)
5th – Trius Emil Bonde (Sweden)
6th – Max Johansson (Sweden)

76 kg/167 lbs.
Gold – Ahmed Iskandareni (Denmark)
Silver – Lukasz Charzewski (Poland)
Bronze – Dmitrijs Dubrova (Latvia)
4th – Caleb Smith (USA – USOEC)
5th – Jonas Nilsson (Sweden)
6th – Andreas Bakke (Norway)

85 lbs./187.5 lbs.
Gold – Ronni Volthers (Denmark)
Silver – Marcus Finau (USA – USOEC)
Bronze – Felix Baldauf (Norway)
4th – Ryszard Mazur (Poland)
5th – Vladislav Johansson (Sweden)
6th – Frederik Morsund (Norway)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Linus Svanberg (Sweden)
Silver – Anton Euren (Sweden)
Bronze – Sigge Sigurdsonn (Norway)

U.S. 18 and under division performances

58 kg/127.75 lbs. – Joey Denova, Fortson, Ga., 5th
WIN Ruslan Isajev (Norway)
LOSS Isak Selder (Sweden)
LOSS Aaron Runzo (USA)
WIN Jim Blikeng (Norway)

58 kg/127.75 lbs. – Aaron Runzo, Virginia Beach, Va., 2nd
WIN Jonas Fure (Norway)
WIN Shamil Khumparov (Norway)
WIN Joey Denova (USA)
WIN Isak Selder (Sweden)
LOSS Dawid Tejchman (Poland)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Alan Alvarez, Miami, Fla., 3rd
WIN Mats Halvorsen (Norway)
WIN Magnus Nilsen (Norway)
LOSS Mats Elverhoi (Norway)
WIN Petter Karlsen (Norway)

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Caleb Smith, Patoka, Ind., 4th
WIN Magomed Aldamov (Norway)
WIN Kim Svensson (Norway)
LOSS Lukasz Charzewski (Poland)
WIN Joakim Korsnes (Norway)
WIN Jonas Nilsson (Sweden)
LOSS Dmitrijs Dubrovs (Latvia)

85 kg/187.25 lbs.– Marcus Finau, Oahu, Hawaii, 2nd 
WIN Anders Malmstrom (Norway)
WIN Erik Karpmyr (Sweden)
WIN Ryszard Mazur (Poland)
WIN Fredrik Sjoholt (Sweden)
LOSS Ronni Volthers (Denmark)