Spenser Mango looks for points en route to qualifying his weight class for the Olympics on Friday. Larry Slater photo.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – U.S. National Coach Steve Fraser had a wish for his 54th birthday on Friday.

To qualify five U.S. Greco-Roman weight classes for the Olympic Games.

The wish almost came true as the U.S. qualified four of five weight classes during a strong performance at the FILA Pan American Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Friday afternoon at the Silver Spurs Arena.

Americans Spenser Mango, Ellis Coleman, Andrew Bisek and Chas Betts clinched top-two finishes to qualify the U.S. in their weight classes for August’s Olympic Games in London, England.

"We're happy to qualify four out of five today," Fraser said. "We wanted all five, but to qualify four weight classes was big for us. Our guys came out and wrestled well."

Mango finished second in the round-robin format at 55 kg/121 lbs. He won his first two matches to qualify his weight for the Olympics. Cuba’s Javier Gonzalez then edged Mango 1-0, 1-0 in the final match of the round robin.

Coleman, Bisek and Betts advanced to the finals to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics in their weight classes.

Coleman defeated Jansel Rafael Ramirez of the Dominican Republic 6-0, 1-0 in the semifinals. Coleman will face Hanser Meoque Lugones of Cuba in the finals at 60 kg/132 lbs. Lugones placed third in the 2011 Pan American Games.

Bisek downed Jose Perez Mora of Venezuela 2-0, 2-0 in the semifinals. Bisek will meet Jorgisbell Alvarez Hernandez of Cuba in the finals at 74 kg/163 lbs. Hernandez won the 2011 Pan American Games.

Betts swept Jose Arias Paredes of the Dominican Republic 1-0, 4-0 in the semifinals. Betts will face Pablo Shorey Hernandez Cuba in the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Hernandez is a past World silver and bronze medalist. Betts beat Hernandez earlier this year in the finals of the Pan American Championships.
 
American Justin Ruiz, a past World bronze medalist, dropped a tough semifinal match to veteran Yunior Estrada of Cuba at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Estrada won 2-0, 1-0. The U.S. fell short of qualifying for the Olympics in that division.

"That Cuban is very, very strong," Fraser said. "We didn't qualify there, but we still have a chance to get that weight qualified later on."

The U.S. has now qualified for the Olympics in five of seven Greco-Roman weight classes. American Justin Lester placed fifth at the 2011 World Championships to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

The top two finishers at each weight class qualified their countries for the 2012 Olympic Games, set for this August in London, England. There are no true second-place matches, so the two wrestlers that advanced to the finals qualified their countries for the Olympics.

Two more Olympic Games qualifiers will be held after the Pan American qualifier. The first will be in Taiyuan, China on April 27-29 and the second in Helsinki, Finland on May 4-6.

World champions Dremiel Byers and Clarissa Chun are scheduled to compete on Saturday on Day 2 of the three-day event. Byers will compete in Greco-Roman at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. and Chun will compete at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle.

FINALS MATCHUPS

55 kg/121 lbs.
Javier Gonzalez (Cuba) wins round-robin with 3-0 record
Spenser Mango (USA) finishes second with 2-1 record

60 kg/132 lbs.
Ellis Coleman (USA) vs. Hanser Meoque Lugones (Cuba)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Vicente Huacon (Ecuador) vs. Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuela)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Andrew Bisek (USA) vs. Jorgisbell Alvarez Hernandez (Cuba)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Chas Betts (USA) vs. Pablo Shorey Hernandez (Cuba)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Yunior Estrada (Cuba) vs. Erwin Caraballo (Venezuela)

U.S. RESULTS

55 kg/121 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – 2nd
WIN Jefferson Mayea Figueroa (Ecuador), 5-0, 1-0
WIN Andres Taborda (Colombia), 1-0, 1-0
LOSS Javier Gonzalez (Cuba), 0-1, 0-1

60 kg/132 lbs. – Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
WIN Diego Ribeiro (Brazil), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Jansel Rafael Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 6-0, 1-0
vs. Hanser Meoque Lugones (Cuba) in finals

74 kg/163 lbs. – Andrew Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
WIN Albis Almendra Jimenez (Panama), 2-0, 1-0
WIN Jose Perez Mora (Venezuela), 2-0, 2-0
vs. Jorgisbell Alvarez Hernandez (Cuba) in finals

84 kg/185 lbs. – Chas Betts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
WIN Jose Arias Paredes (Dominican Republic), 1-0, 4-0
vs. Pablo Shorey Hernandez (Cuba) in finals

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Justin Ruiz, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
WIN Yuri Maier (Argentina), 7-1, 1-0
LOSS Yunior Estrada (Cuba), 0-2, 0-1