Clarissa Chun of the Sunkist Kids makes a leg attack on Alyssa Lampe of the Sunkist Kids in the 48 kg U.S. Open semifinals. Adam Fenn photo

ARLINGTON, Texas – The gold-medal finals have been set for the first day of the U.S. Open for Greco-Roman and Women’s Freestyle at the Arlington Convention Center on Friday.

There are four Greco-Roman weight classes and two women’s Olympic weight classes in the competition today.

In women’s freestyle, 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun of the Sunkist Kids earned a spot in the finals, defeating 2010 U.S. World Team member Alyssa Lampe of the Sunkist Kids, 8-2, 5-1. Chun will face two-time Junior World champion Victoria Anthony of the New York AC in the finals. Anthony beat 2007 Junior World champion Whitney Conder of the Gator WC in her semifinal, 1-0, 1-0.

2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova of the Gator WC reached the finals with a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over Randi Beltz of Team St. Louis WC. She will face surprise finalist Melissa Apodaca of the New York AC/USOEC), who stopped Junior World bronze medalist Alli Ragan of King College in the semifinals, 1-0, 1-2, 1-0.

In Greco-Roman, two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester of the U.S. Army reached the finals, defeating Andrew Bisek of the Minnesota Storm, 3-0, 1-0. Lester moved up to 74 kg for this event from his usual 66 kg.

Lester will face his teammate Aaron Sieracki of the U.S. Army, who defeated returning U.S. Open champion Ben Provisor of the Sunkist Kids in a three-period battle which ended with Sieracki defending in the par terre position, 1-0, 0-1, 2-0. 

2008 Olympian Spenser Mango of the U.S. Army reached the 55 kg/121 lbs. finals, with a victory over Mike Fuenffinger of the Minnesota Storm, 1-0, 1-0. He will face his teammate Jermaine Hodge of the U.S. Army in the finals. Hodge stopped Max Nowry of the New York AC in the semifinals, 1-0, 1-0.

At 60 kg/132 lbs., two-time U.S. World Team member Joe Betterman of the Sunkist Kids defeated Donovan DePatto of the U.S. Marines, 2-0, 1-0. He will face another two-time U.S. World Team member Jeremiah Davis of the U.S. Army, who defeated his teammate Marco Lara of the U.S. Army, 2-0, 0-1, 1-0.

C.P. Schlatter of the Minnesota Storm qualified for his first U.S. Open finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., with a victory over 2006 World champion Joe Warren of the New York AC, 3-0, 3-0. Warren usually competes at 60 kg. He will face Ben Sanchez in the finals, who also reached his first national finals. Sanchez defeated two-time U.S. Open champion Glenn Garrison of the U.S. Army, 0-1, 3-0, 2-0. Garrison was top seed in the tournament.

The gold-medal and bronze-medal finals will be held at 5:00 p.m. Central time. TheMat.com will have a live stream.

The top seven placewinners in each weight class earn a spot in the field at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, April 21-22.

The champions in the two women’s divisions at the U.S. Open from today will move directly into the final best-of-three series at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in their divisions. Both weight classes are already qualified for the Olympic Games.

U.S. OPEN FOR GRECO-ROMAN AND WOMEN’S FREESTYLE
At Arlington, Texas, Dec. 16.

Women’s freestyle finals pairings

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) vs. Melissa Apodaca, Chugiak, Alaska (New York AC/USOEC)

Greco-Roman finals pairings

55 kg/121 lbs.
Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) vs. Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jeremiah Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
C.P. Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) vs. Ben Sanchez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 

74 kg/163 lbs.
Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) vs. Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)