The 2012 U.S. Beach National Wrestling Championships and International Beach Cup will return to Rochester, N.Y., July 9-10

The event has been held in Rochester for the last four years (2007-2010). The competition will again be hosted at Ontario Beach Park (also called Charlotte Beach) in Rochester.

The 2011 U.S. Beach National Championships will be held on Saturday, July 9, with competition in five age groups: Schoolboy/girl, Cadet, Junior, Senior (men and women) and Veterans. In all age groups, weight classes will be determined after weighins, using the blocked weight system. 

Athletes from other nations will be permitted to enter in all of the age divisions, including the Senior division. In past years, because of World Team qualifications, Seniors had to be U.S. citizens. This year, the Senior division is open to foreign competitors.

Click here to register for the Beach Nationals

Among the top U.S. stars in Beach Wrestling on the Senior level are two-time World medalists Jeff Funicello of American Pankration and Carlos Dolmo of NY Blast Double.

Funicello was a national champion last year. Other returning Senior Beach National champions are Rocco Rosso of Niagara Falls Power Cats (142), Brian Guilfoyle of West Side Wrestling (155), Collin Martin of Unattached (170), Brett Giehl of Livonia WC (215) and Jamison Sacco of Western New England (298).

Click here for 2011 U.S. Beach Nationals website

There will not be a U.S. Beach World Team Trials in 2011 as in other years. FILA has moved the Beach World Championships earlier in the summer to July 16-17 in Batumi, Georgia. The Beach World Team qualifying process for the 2011 team will be done by an application process. For information, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-659-9637 cell or via email at gabbott@usawrestling.org

Instead, on Sunday, July 10, the International Beach Cup will be held on the Senior level. Competition will be hosted in the two FILA weight classes for Beach wrestling, Below 85 kg/187.5 lbs. and Above 85 kg/187.5 lbs. All of the athletes who competed at the Beach Nationals will be permitted to enter, and athletes from other nations may participate. With this change, all Senior wrestlers will have the opportunity to compete on both Saturday and Sunday.

For the fourth straight year, the National High School Beach Duals will be held on Sunday, July 12. High school club teams can enter this competition, and battle for team trophies and bragging rights. The addition of the High School Duals gives athletes two full days of quality wrestling. Titan Worldwide I is the defending champion.

Click here for National High School Beach Duals registration forms

Held alongside the U.S. Beach Nationals and World Team Trials will be a number of other exciting sports events at the beach, along with music and other entertainment. Some of the sports expected this year are beach volleyball and pickleball. This combined activity has proven to be very successful in past years.

One of the new events expected to be held alongside the U.S. Beach Nationals is a bench press competition. In past years, when the bench press event was hosted on the beach, it was very successful. Those participating in the U.S. Beach National Championships will also have an opportunity to enter the bench press tournament if they choose.

Click here for 2011 Rochester Welcome Packet

The local organizing committee is the Team Titan Worldwide Wrestling Club, an active and respected USA Wrestling sanctioned club in the community.

"The Rochester community is very excited. We are 100% committed to this style of wrestling and to USA Wrestling," said event director Lou Lombardo. “We are pleased to host the event for two more years and look forward to the future growth of the competition.”

Beach Wrestling was added as a new style of international wrestling in 2005. Athletes compete on sand, in a style that features takedowns within a ring. The sport has been growing in popularity across the nation and world.

USA Wrestling has sanctioned Beach events since 2005, and held its first U.S. Beach National Championships and World Team Trials in 2006. FILA hosted the first World Championships in 2006 in Antalya, Turkey.

For more information, contact event director Lou Lombardo at (585)313-8503 or via e-mail at ljlclean@yahoo.com.

2010 U.S. BEACH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Senior Men
142 lbs - Rocco Rosso of Niagara Falls Power Cats
155 lbs. - Brian Guilfoyle of West Side Wrestling
170 lbs. - Collin Martin of Unattached
187 lbs. - Jeff Funicello of American Pankration/Sunkist
215 lbs.  - Brett Giehl of Livonia WC
298 lbs - Jamison Sacco of Western New England

Senior Women
Brittney Geanng of Brock WC

Schoolboy
90 lbs.- Donny McCoy III of Niagara Falls Power Cats
120 lbs. - Devan Marsteiner of Sodus
135 lbs. - Skylar Kropman of Titans Worldwide

Cadet
95 lbs - Ethan Livernash of Team Titan
110 lbs - Josh Spina of Titans Worldwide
122 lbs. - Michael Brown of Team Titan
131 lbs - Nick Lyongo of Brighton HS
139 lbs - Daniel Reagan (Lewiston Porter Wrestling Club) 
162 lbs  - Ben Bradford of Brock WC
170 lbs - Michael Cook of Titans Worldwide
186 lbs  - Tom Lombardo of Team Titan

Junior
123 lbs - Jeff Kommer of Williamson HS
135 lbs - Vaughne Marsteiner of Sodus
146 lbs - Casey LaNave of TWWC
149 lbs - Joe Bonaldi of Titans Worldwide
160 lbs - Tristine Hamner of NYSS
173 lbs - Chance Marsteiner of Sodus
197 lbs - Joe Blair of Penfield
229 lbs  - Bashar Srouji of Lewiston Porter Wrestling Club
259 lbs  - Michael Pryce of Unattached

Veterans
138 lbs - Christopher Nakis of Rush Henrietta
185 lbs - Mike Marone of Unattached
225 lbs - Chris Koscielski of Unattached