Dremiel Byers defeated a World champion and a Junior World champion to reach the finals at the Vantaa Cup. Tony Rotundo photo

VANTAA, Finland – 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) won a silver medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. on the first day of the Vantaa Cup of Greco-Roman on Saturday.

Byers, a three-time World medalist, was defeated in the championship finals by Vasily Parshin of Russia, 0-1, 1-0, 0-1. Parshin was a 2011 European Junior champion and ninth in the 2011 Junior World Championships.

Byers opened with three wins to reach the finals, starting off with a victory over Sami Ilvesoksa of Finland, 1-0, 2-0. In the quarterfinals, Byers stopped 2010 Junior World champion Igor Didyk of Ukraine, 4-0, 1-0. In the semifinals, Byers defeated 2006 World champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia, 2-0, 1-0.

Two U.S. wrestlers lost in bronze-medal bouts to place fifth, Paul Tellgren (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Pete Kowalczuk (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Tellgren opened with a victory, then was defeated by 2011 European silver medalist Vugar Ragymov of Ukraine, 0-6, 0-6. He lost to Niko Ohukainen of Finland in the bronze-medal bout, 0-2, 0-1.

Kowalczuk lost his first bout to eventual champion Parshin, 0-1, 1-0, 0-7, then was pinned by Taisto Lalli of Finland in the bronze-medal bout.

"The U.S. guys wrestled tough today. This was a very competitive tournament. There were some good Russians and Ukranians in the field. We have to keep working hard to improve our par terre wrestling. I think we will do well tomorrow,” said U.S. coach Dan Hicks.

Eight U.S. wrestlers weighed in and received their draws to compete on Sunday, including two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 2008 U.S. Olympian Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 60 kg/132 lbs. Both are wrestling up from their normal weight class.

VANTAA CUP
At Vantaa, Finland, November 19

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Ivan Tatarinov (Russia)
Silver - Vyugar Ragymov (Ukraine)
Bronze - Niko Ohukainen (Finland)
Bronze - Anders Ronningen (Norway)
5th - Paul Tellgren (USA)
5th - Federico Manea (Italy)
7th - Moustafa Abdelaziz (Egypt)
8th - Karwan Ahmadi (Finland)
9th - Toufan Ahmadi (Finland)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Armen Vardanian (Ukraine)
Silver - Tero Valimaki (Finland)
Bronze - I. Abdelbaki (Egypt)
Bronze - Yuri Denisov (Russia)
5th - Makwan Amirkhani (Finland)
5th - Chingiz Labazanov (Russia)
7th - Asker Orshokdugov (Russia)
8th - Joel Ahern (USA)
9th - Sasu Kaasinen (Finland)
10th - Jaanus Lepik (Estonia)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Azamat Bikbaev (Russia)
Silver - Vasyl Rachyba (Ukraine)
Bronze - Evgeny Bogomolov (Russia)
Bronze - A. Altygishiev (Russia)
5th - Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine)
5th - Alo Toom (Estonia)
7th - M. Ghanem (Egypt)
8th - Petri Luoma (Finland)
9th - Eerik Aps (Estonia)
10th - Elias Kuosmanen (Finland)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Vasily Parshin (Russia)
Silver - Dremiel Byers (USA)
Bronze - Taisto Lalli (Finland)
Bronze - Heiki Nabi (Estonia)
5th - Peter Kowalczuk (USA)
5th - Igor Didyk (Ukraine)
7th - Alexander Ekimov (Russia)
8th - Rocco Ficara (Italy)
9th - Juszup Nunajev (Hungary)
10th - Jake Kettler (USA)

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - Paul Tellgren, Anoka, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 5th
WIN Karwan Ahmadi (Finland - VaaTo), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0
LOSS Vugar Ragymov (Ukraine), 0-6, 0-6
LOSS Niko Ohukainen (OP – Finland), 0-2, 0-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Patrick Smith, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp
LOSS Joel Ahern (USA), 2-0, 0-1, 1-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Joel Ahern, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines), 8th
WIN Patrick Smith (USA), 0-2, 1-0, 3-1
LOSS Makwan Amirkhani (VaaTo – Finland), 0-5, 2-0, 1-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Ben Sanchez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
LOSS I. Abdelbaki (Egypt), 0-3, 0-7

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Bryce Saddoris, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
LOSS Tero Valimaki (Finland - IK), 0-1, 0-5
LOSS I. Abdelbaki (Egypt), 0-7, 0-1

84 kg/185 lbs. - Travis Rutt, Jackson, Minn. (Badger WC), dnp
LOSS Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine), 0-1, 0-1

84 kg/185 lbs. – Zach Nielsen, Zimmerman, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp
LOSS Alo Toom (Estonia), 0-2, 0-2

84 kg/185 lbs. - Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah, (New York AC), dnp
LOSS Elias Kousmanen (Finland - JaVo), 0-1, 1-0, 0-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 2nd
WIN Sami Ilvesoksa (Finland - NJ), 1-0, 2-0
WIN Igor Didyk (Ukraine), 4-0, 1-0
WIN Heiki Nabi (Estonia), 2-0, 1-0
LOSS Vasily Parshin (Russia), 0-1, 1-0, 0-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Pete Kowalczuk, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
LOSS Vasily Parshin (Russia), 0-1, 1-0, 0-7
LOSS Taisto Lalli (Finland), pin

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Jake Kettler, Ramsey, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 10th
LOSS Rocco Ficara (Italy), 0-1, 0-1

U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Sunday

60 kg/132 lbs. - Donavan Depatto, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
Vs. I. Payzulaev (St. Petersburg – Russia)

60 kg/132 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Vs. Juho Huttunen (HaHe – Finland)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Vemeri Varkoski (YTK – Finland)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Corey Hope, Carol Stream, Ill. (USOEC)
Vs. M. Ahmed (Egypt)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Marco Toledo, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Vs. I Abdelhafiz Tolba (Egypt)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Vs. Evgeny Saleev (Russia)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Pete Gounaridis, Leominster, Mass. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Maksim Safaryan (St. Petersburg – Russia)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Moises Hernandez, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
Vs. Konstantin Efimov (Russia)