Zach Makovsky competes against U.S. teammate Matt Betzold at the 2009 Grappling World Championships in Florida. Max Fry photos.

USA Wrestling has announced that the 2011 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials will be hosted at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nev., Aug. 5-7.

This event will serve as the qualifying event for the U.S. team which will compete in the FILA Grappling World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1.

Competition will be in No-Gi Grappling and Gi Grappling, under the current FILA Grappling rules. There will be competition for both men and women. Grappling, also known as submission wrestling, is growing in popularity in the United States and around the world.

The United States has established itself as a world power in Grappling. The United States won the No-Gi competition and placed second in the Gi competition at the 2010 FILA Grappling World Championships in Poland. The U.S. was the World champion in both No-Gi and Gi Grappling at the 2009 FILA Grappling World Championships held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Xtreme Couture is owned by MMA superstar Randy Couture, who was a U.S. World Team member in Greco-Roman wrestling and NCAA runner-up for Oklahoma State in college wrestling. Couture is scheduled to attend the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials in person.

The weight classes for FILA Grappling are:

MEN’S WEIGHT DIVISIONS:
60 kg/132 lbs.
65 kg/143 lbs.
70 kg/154 lbs.
75 kg/165 lbs.
80 kg/176 lbs.
90 kg/198 lbs.
110 kg/242 lbs.
Absolute

WOMEN’S WEIGHT DIVISIONS:
50 kg/110 lbs.
55 kg/121 lbs.
60 kg/132 lbs.
65 kg/143 lbs.
75 kg/165 lbs.
Absolute

Senior Grapplers are 20 years or older (Born 1991 or before). Participants must be USA Wrestling members to compete. Athlete membership is $35 for a full year membership or $10 for a one-weekend membership (valid for this event only).

Competitors may sign up online through TrackWrestling.com for $75 per style. Deadline for online registration is Wednesday, August 3 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. On-site registration is also available at $85 per style.

To register for the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, click the following link
Register online for U.S. Grappling World Team Trials

The last U.S. Grappling World Team Trials was hosted in Phoenix, Ariz. in October 2009. There was no U.S. Grappling World Team Trials in 2010 because the World Championships were just three months after the 2009 World competition. Please note that the weight classes in FILA Grappling have changed since 2009.

For the complete FILA Grappling rules, click below:
FILA Grappling Rules

To visit the website for the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, click below:
U.S. Grappling World Team Trials website

For more information, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at 719-659-9637 cell or via email at gabbott@usawrestling.org.

U.S. GRAPPLING WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Las Vegas, Nev., August 5-7

Tentative schedule
All activities at Xtreme Couture

Friday, August 5
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. - No-Gi and Gi Grappling Registration and medical check
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. - No-Gi and Gi Grappling Weigh-ins
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. - No-Gi and Gi Mat Officials Introductory Rules Clinic
7:00 p.m. - Seeding Meeting for both No-Gi and Gi Grappling

Saturday, August 6
8:30 a.m. – Conclusion - No-Gi Grappling (Men and Women) Tournament, Preliminaries through Finals
Approximately 3:00 p.m. to conclusion (if possible) - Gi Grappling (Men and Women) Tournament, Preliminaries through Finals
Note: Start of the Gi tournament will depend upon the timing of the completion of the No-Gi tournament 

Sunday, August 7
8:30 AM to conclusion: (if necessary): Gi Grappling (Men and Women) tournament completion

Xtreme Couture
4055 West Sunset
Las Vegas, NV 89118
702-616-1022 phone

2009 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials champions

Men’s No-Gi Grappling
60 kg/132 lbs. - Zachary Makovsky (Philadelphia Fight Factory)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Tom LeCuyer (Atlas XT/Torres MA)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Alex Pacheco (American Pankration)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Ben Askren (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Ryan Gillespie (Takedown Elite)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Kelly Anundson (Black Knight WC)
Absolute - Mario Rinaldi (American Top Team)

Women’s No-Gi Grappling
50 kg/110 lbs. - Felicia Oh (Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy) 
55 kg/121 lbs. - Stephanie Murata (Sunkist Kids)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Tara LaRosa (Philadelphia Fight Factory)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shayna Baszler (CSW/Next Edge)
67 kg/147 lbs. - Tori Adams (Sunkist Kids)

Men`s Gi Grappling
60 kg/132 lbs. - Brian Peterson (BJMUTA)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Tom LeCuyer (Atlas XT/Torres MA)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Matthew Scott (American Top Team)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Scott Garcia (American Pankration)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Andre Coleman (Welcome Matt)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Kenny Lester (Sunkist Kids)
Absolute - Kenny Lester (Sunkist Kids)

Women’s Gi results
50 kg/110 lbs. - Felicia Oh (BJMUTA)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shayna Baszler (CSW/Next Edge)