The Jacob Curby Foundation has announced for the U.S. lineup for second annual Curby Cup, which will be held at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Ill., Saturday, May 21.

All seven 2011 U.S. Open Greco-Roman champions will compete against an international “Dream Team,” featuring many World and Olympic medalists.

The event is held in honor of the late Jacob Curby, a Greco-Roman Team USA member who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 25 in January 2010.

The United States team will include 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Byers, a 2008 Olympian, has also won a 2009 World silver medal and a 2007 World bronze medal. Byers was also fifth in the 2010 World Championships.

Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Lester won his World medals in 2006 and 2007. He was also a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team.

2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz (Boise, Idaho/New York AC) will wrestle at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Ruiz was fifth in the 2010 World Championships and has competed in five World Championships.

2008 U.S. Olympian Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) is the U.S. entry at 55 kg/121 lbs. Mango has also competed at the last two World Championships.

2007 U.S. World Team member Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is entered at 60 kg/132 lbs.

First-time U.S. Open champions Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) at 84 kg/185 lbs. round out the strong American lineup.

The U.S. team will be coached by National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser and Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic, both from Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I was so pleased when Coach Fraser said that he wanted to bring a top U.S. team,” said Dr. Dave Curby, Jake’s father and one of the event organizers. “He had to ask the athletes if they wanted to compete and could add the event to their schedule. I was tickled pink when all seven national champions decided to wrestle. It will be an outstanding American lineup.”

The international lineup for the Curby Cup will be announced later this week.

The Curby Cup will be held in Vaughan Gym at Lyons Township High School, the school which Jacob Curby attended. There will only be advance ticket sales available for the event.

The competition is building upon the success of the first Curby Cup, which was held in Plainfield, Ill. on May 22, 2010. Over 2,000 fans attended the event, witnessing top Greco-Roman challenge matches between American wrestlers on the Senior, Junior and Cadet age levels. There was also one freestyle bout featuring top Junior talents.

For more information on the 2011 Curby Cup, visit:
http://www.curbycup.com/

CURBY CUP
At LaGrange, Ill., May 21

U.S. lineup
55 kg/121 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Justin Ruiz, Boise, Idaho (New York AC) 
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

About the Jacob Curby Foundation

The Jacob Curby Foundation is dedicated to the memory of Jacob, a hard-working U.S. National Greco-Roman wrestling team member from the Chicago area, who passed away at age 25 in January 2010. The foundation annually sponsors a premier international wrestling competition. For information on how you can support the foundation, contact David Curby at: davcurb@gmail.com.