Dremiel Byers of the U.S. Army battles Brandon Rupp of the Sunkist Kids in the 120 kg U.S. Open finals. Adam Fenn photo

ARLINGTON, Texas – The final five champions were crowned on the second day of the U.S. Open for Greco-Roman and Women’s Freestyle at the Arlington Convention Center on Saturday.

A pair of past World Champions, who are teammates with the U.S. Army, claimed titles: 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman and 2005 World champion Iris Smith at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle.

Byers won his 10th career U.S. Open title, defeating Brandon Rupp of the Sunkist Kids in the finals, 1-0, 1-0.

“Slow and steady. It is a stepping stone. I’ve got a lot of work to do to get this weight class qualified. I definitely want to win everything along the way, stay focused, train hard and do what we are doing,” said Byers.

Smith stopped two-time U.S. World Team member Stephany Lee of the Sunkist Kids, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. Smith scored a takedown with less than 10 seconds left in the final period for the win. It was her fifth career U.S. Open title, her last coming in 2005.

“I think I wrestled fairly well. I still have a lot of work to do to make sure I get the medal in 2012,” said Smith. “The match was near the end. I could judge the time was running out. There is a point in the match where you have to do something to win it,” said Smith.

In women’s freestyle, two-time U.S. World Team member Helen Maroulis of the New York AC needed three periods to defeat 2007 U.S. World Team member Leigh Jaynes of the New York AC, 1-0, 0-2, 1-0. She scored a clean takedown in the deciding third period. It was her third U.S. Open title. Maroulis was named Outstanding Wrestler in the women’s division.

“I wrestled Leigh a little earlier in an exhibition match and I didn’t like the way I wrestled there. I wrestled real great in the match going up, but I closed up a little in my finals match. I think, third period, I thought, all right let it go, do or die. It paid off,” said Maroulis.

In Greco-Roman, 2009 U.S. World Team member R.C. Johnson of the Sunkist Kids defeated Pete Gounaridis of the Sunkist Kids, 1-0, 1-0. It was his first U.S. Open title.

“It was a great competition as always. All of those guys are tough competitors. I had a couple of close ones, but that’s the game nowadays. With the rule changes before the tournament, I had to make some small adjustments there,” said Johnson.

2009 U.S. World Team member Chas Betts of the Minnesota Storm, the No. 2 seed, stopped unseeded Zac Nielsen of the Minnesota Storm in the finals, 1-0, 1-0. It was his first career U.S. Open title.

“I felt really good, the best I have felt in a couple of years, maybe ever in my Senior career. I didn’t give up a point today and didn’t lose a period. I felt really positive. To be completely honest, I felt I owed this to myself, because I have been putting in a lot of work,” said Betts.

The Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman was Justin Lester of the U.S. Army, the 74 kg champion who competed on Friday.

The team champions in women’s freestyle were the New York Athletic Club in Div. I and the Sunkist Kids in Div. II.

The team champions in Greco-Roman were the U.S. Army in Div. I and the Sunkist Kids in Div. II.

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.

Maroulis, the champion at 55 kg/121 lbs. in women’s freestyle, moves directly to the best-of-three finals series at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. This weight class has already been qualified for the Olympics.

At 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle, Ali Bernard of the Gator WC has already qualified for the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, based upon her bronze-medal performance at the 2011 World Championships. Bernard chose not to compete at the U.S. Open this weekend.

In Greco-Roman, only Byers moves directly into the best-of-three finals series. Under the Greco-Roman procedures, an athlete must win the U.S. Open and place in the top five at the World Championships in the last four years in order to move into the finals series. Byers was fifth at the 2010 World Championships and second in the 2009 World Championships.

U.S. OPEN FOR GRECO-ROMAN AND WOMEN’S FREESTYLE
At Arlington, Texas, Dec. 17

Greco-Roman results

84 kg/185 lbs.
1st - Chas Betts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Zac Nielsen, Zimmerman, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 1-0
3rd – Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Donald Simmons, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines), 2-1, 1-0
5th – Peter Hicks, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Mark Stenberg, Lockport, Ill. (USOEC), 1-0, 5-0
7th – Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC) dec. Travis Rutt, New Prague, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs. 
1st - R.C. Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Pete Gounaridis, Leominster, Mass. (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 1-0
3rd – Jake Clark, Honolulu, Hawaii (Minnesota Storm) dec. Daren Burns, Greensboro, N.C. (YES Wrestling), 6-0, 0-2, 1-0
5th – Moises Hernandez, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines) dec. Marcus Finau, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (New York AC/USOEC), 2-1, 2-0
7th – Kenyon Walsh, Boise, Idaho (New York AC) dec. Justin Millard, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 0-1, 1-0, 1-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1st - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Brandon Rupp, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 1-0
3rd –Pete Kowalczuk, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Toby Erickson, East Helena, Montana (New York AC/USOEC), 1-0, 5-0
5th – Nikola Bogojevic, Superior, Wis. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Jake Kettler, Anoka, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 0-2, 2-0, 1-0
7th – Joseph Sheffield, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines) dec. Nicolas Severson, Hayfield, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 1-1

Outstanding Wrestler – Justin Lester (U.S. Army), 74 kg/163 lbs.

Div. I Teams – 1. U.S. Army, 70 pts.; 2. New York AC, 24 pts.
Div. II Teams – 1. Sunkist Kids, 46 pts.; 2. Minnesota Storm, 39 pts.

Women’s finals results

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md, (New York AC) dec. Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 1-0, 0-2, 1-0
3rd – Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Katherine Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 1-0, 1-0
5th – Amy Whitbeck, Duanesburg, N.Y. (New York AC) dec. Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (Gator WC/USOEC), 2-0, 0-1, 3-1
7th – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC) dec. Shauna Isbell, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Lindenwood), 2-1, 7-0

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1st - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
3rd – Kristie Davis, Yukon, Okla. (Gator WC/OCU) dec. Brittany Roberts, Santa Fe, Texas (Gator WC/OCU), 7-1, 3-2
5th – Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (King College) dec. Christen Dierken, Fullerton, Calif. (Cumberlands), 2-0, 3-1
7th – Kendra Lewis, Houston, Texas (Lindenwood) dec. Jordan Hagerman, Marshall, Mo. (Missouri Valley), 2-0, 5-0

Outstanding Wrestler – Helen Maroulis (New York AC), 55 kg/121 lbs.

Div. I Teams – 1. New York AC, 46 pts.; 2. Gator WC, 37 pts.
Div. II Teams – 1. Sunkist Kids, 32 pts.; 2. King College, 4 pts.

Note: The top seven in each weight class qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, April 21-22, 2012.