With the 2012 Olympic Trials looming in April, the first domestic qualifier for the Trials is set for October 29-30 in Mesa, Ariz., at Skyline High School.

The annual Sunkist Kids International Open will serve as a Trials qualifier in all seven of the men’s Greco-Roman and freestyle weights and the four Olympic women’s freestyle weights. The top U.S. finisher in freestyle placing in the top four will punch their ticket to Iowa City in each weight, while in Greco and women’s freestyle, the champion will qualify.

International delegations expected to enter are American Samoa, Canada, India, Japan, Mongolia and Palau. Several clubs from Mexico traditionally enter the event, but as of October 25, entry lists have not reflected their participation.

Several mats will be streamed live on www.TheMat.TV.

Greco-Roman
Past U.S. Open champion Jermaine Hodge (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) and 2011 U.S. Open runner-up and World Team Trials runner-up Paul Tellgren (Anoka, Minn./MN Storm) lead the field at 55 kg/121 pounds.

Other names to watch from the U.S. include current college wrestler Nikko Triggas (Mogara, Calif./NYAC) of Ohio State and Tyler Cox (Laramie, Wyo./Cowboy WC/Gator WC) of Wyoming. Nate Engel (Colorado Springs, Colo./US Army) has been on the ladder a number of years. Northern Michigan’s USOEC enters Mike Fuennfinger (Hibbing, Minn.) and Dmitry Ryabchinskiy (Brooklyn, N.Y.).  Current U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete Jesse Thielke (Port Washington, Wisc./NYAC) is intending to make the drop to 55 after competing most of the past season up at 60 kg/132 pounds. Past Junior World teamer Max Nowry (Marquette, Mich./USOEC) is also in the mix.

At 60 kg, two-time U.S. World Team member Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) leads the field. Betterman is fresh off a silver medal at the recent Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Joining Betterman in the weight are rivals Jeremiah Davis (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), a two-time World Team member, and U.S. Olympic Training Center athletes Chad Vandiver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Jimmy Chase (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) and Ellis Coleman (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC). Coleman, a two-time Junior World bronze medalist will be making the move down to 60 kg. Coleman last competed at the weight at the 2009 Sunkist International.

At 66 kg/145.5 pounds, the field is expected to be wide open with Ben Sanchez (Marquette, Mich./NYAC) and Bo Beckman (Orem, Utah/NYAC) leading the way. Past Junior National champion RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./ReadyRP Nationals) is also expected to battle for a title. The USOEC will also enter Tanner Andrews and Thrasher Porcher. 

At 74 kg/163 pounds, two-time World Bronze Medalist Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./US Army) will enter up from his competition weight of 66 kg at the 2011 World Championships. Kendrick Sanders (Marquette, Mich./USOEC) is a young star to watch while other notable wrestlers registered include: Tim Bleau (Colorado Springs, Colo./US Army), Aaron Briggs (Tuscon, Ariz./NYAC), Anton Gottfredson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Chad Hemerson (Marquette, Mich./USOEC/NYAC).

At 84 kg/185 pounds, 2011 U.S. Open Champion Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./MN Storm) is the top dog and he’ll be chased by another U.S. Open champion from last year, Ben Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Provisor is fresh off a silver medal at the Pan Am Games at 74 kg. Keep an eye on a trio of wrestlers from the USOEC – Mark Stenberg, Lee Wildes and Ethan Dondlinger. They’re trying to work themselves up the ladder.

At 96 kg/211.5 pounds, 2009 World Teamer R.C. Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is an early favorite. He’ll see competition from K.C Walsh (Tacoma, Wash./NYAC), Moises Hernandez (Camp Lejune, N.C./USMC) and several young up-and-comers.

Robert Barbour (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Zac Nielsen (Zimmerman, Minn./MN Storm/USOEC) and Marcus Finau (Marquette, Mich./USOEC) are in the mix.

At 120 kg/264.5 pounds, past World Champion and multiple-time World medalist Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./US Army) is a pronounced favorite, while resident athletes Brandon Rupp (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Pete Kowalczuk (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) try to close the gap on Byers. Joe Sheffield (Camp Lejune, N.C./USMC) has made solid strides in Greco, while the USOEC has two talented youngsters, Parker Betts (Marquette, Mich./MN Storm/USOEC) and Toby Erickson (Marquette, Mich./USOEC). Past Junior National Champion Niko Bogojevic (Superior, Wisc./MN Storm) is also one to watch.

Men’s Freestyle
At 55 kg, 121 pounds, the field includes several notable names, including 2009 World Team member Danny Felix, Troy Nickerson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Mark McKnight (University Park, Pa./Nittany Lion  WC),Dan Dennis (Iowa City, Iowa/NYAC) and Ben Kjar (Orem, Utah/Utah Valley).

2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) registered for the event at 55 kg on October 26. Cejudo has not competed in a tournament since winning the Olympics.

Other entries to watch for are Cornell-bound high school senior Mark Grey (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy), University of Oklahoma lightweights Cody Brewer (Norman, Okla./Oklahoma Elite) and 2011 NCAA All-American Jarrod Patterson (Norman, Okla./Oklahoma Elite). Resident athlete Earl Hall (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) is spending the year in Colorado Springs before heading to Rutgers.

A score of notable college All-Americans are registered at 60 kg/132 pounds. They include four-time All-American and NCAA champion Angel Escobedo (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio RTC) who will move up from 55 kg, NCAA runner-up Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise, Idaho/Mountain West RTC) and two-time NCAA champion Matt Valenti (Philadelphia, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC). 

Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./NYAC), Nick Fanthorpe (University Park, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), Jimmy Kennedy (Ann Arbor, Mich./NYAC/Cliff Keen WC), Danny Mitcheff (Kent, Ohio/Gator WC), and Andy Simmons (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) are also registered.

At 66 kg/145.5 pounds, we’ll see the return of Jared Frayer (Norman, Okla./Gator WC) to competition for the first time since the 2010 World Team Trials. Frayer will be joined in competition by Joe Johnston (Columbia, Mo./Gator WC), Adam Hall (New York, N.Y./NYAC), and Chase Pami (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). 

Keep an eye out for developmental athlete Destin McCauley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). McCauley, like Hall, is training at the OTC for a year before heading to Wisconsin.

Three-time NCAA Division III champion Myanganbayar “Minga” Batsukh will represent his native Mongolia. Batsukh wrestled for St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.

At 74 kg/163 pounds, 2009 World Team member Trent Paulson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) is the top  registered entry. Entering the fray this year are Tyler Caldwell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), Colt Sponseller (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio RTC/NYAC), and Matt Moley (Bloomsburg, Pa./NYAC)

One of the biggest weights in terms of names is at 84 kg/185 pounds. 2010 World Teamer Travis Paulson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) will move up and see competition from Max Askren (Hartland, Wisc./NYAC), Kurt Backes (Iowa City, Iowa/NYAC), Clayton Foster (Stillwater, Okla./NYAC), Bryce Hasseman (Stillwater, Okla./NYAC), Raymond Jordan (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids), Phil Keddy (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), Mack Lewnes (Ithaca, N.Y./NYAC), Jon Reader (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), Tyrel Todd (Ann Arbor, Mich./NYAC).

Highlighting the weight class at 96 kg/211.5 pounds is 2007 World Teamer Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio RTC/Sunkist Kids). Rowlands is making the move back to 96 for the 2012 cycle and last competed at the weight domestically in 2005.

Other names to keep an eye on are Aaron Anspach (University Park, Pa./Nittany Lion WC), who has also moved down from 120 kg. 2011 NCAA Champion Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is training at the Olympic Training Center before heading back for his senior season at Kent State. 

Last year’s finalists, Brandon Halsey (Los Angeles, Calif./Sunkist Kids) and Brent Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team OTC) return. 

Collegiate All-Americans include: Wynn Michalak (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), Luke Lofthouse (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), Chris Pendleton (Laramie, Wyo./Gator WC), Craig Brester (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) and David Zabriskie (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids).

At 120 kg, entries are low, but the most notable athlete pre-registered is past Junior World Champion Dom Bradley (Columbia, Mo./Sunkist Kids).

Women’s Freestyle
Early registration numbers don’t show how deep the women’s tournament will be, especially at the Olympic weights.

At 48 kg/105 pounds, notable names include 2010 World Team members Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Jessica Medina (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids).  Candace Workman (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is in the mix. Keep an eye on Oklahoma City freshman Emily Webster (Sedalia, Mo./OCU-Gator WC), she was a three-time Junior National champion.

At 51 kg/112 pounds, Americans Sara Fulp-Allen (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) and Carlene Sluberski (Marquette, Mich./NYAC) will be challenged by Canadian Gen Haley. 

Joey Miller (Woodward, Okla./OCU-Gator WC) is also a college athlete to keep an eye on.

At 55 kg/121 pounds, the top competitors expected to compete are two-time World Teamer Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Katherine Fulp-Allen (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC), and Sharon Jacobson (Colorado Springs, Colo./US Army). 

College star Michaela Hutchison (Soldotna, Alaska/OCU-Gator WC) will be joined by teammates and past Junior National champions Amanda Hendey (Beaumont, Calif./OCU-Gator WC) and Brieana Delgado (Fountain Inn, S.C./OCU-Gator WC). 

Four Canadians – Jazzie Barker, Brittanee Laverdure, Andrea Ross and Samatha Stewart -- will make the weight competitive. 

A trio of Colorado Springs-based athletes will be the favorites at 59 kg – Deanna Rix (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) and Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) are all entered.

Premininary entries are low at 63 kg/138 pounds, but expect to see 2011 U.S. Open runner-up Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and nine-time World Medalist Kristie Davis (Yukon, Okla./OCU-Gator WC) leading the charge.

A full entry list at 67 kg/147.5 pounds and 72 kg/158 pounds are unavailable. 

NOTE: Athletes may register at the door, so many other talented wrestlers who are not mentioned in this story could participate. The Sunkist Kids International is always loaded during an Olympic year, so expect some great competition.