MARINE CORPS WRESTLERS VAN HOVEN, BARKERS, SANKEY ARE GRECO-ROMAN WINNERS AT EAST REGIONAL OLYMPIC TRIALS IN BROCKPORT, N.Y., APRIL 2Three members of the U.S. Marine Corps team were among the winners of the Greco-Roman competition at the East Regional Olympic Trials, held in Brockport, N.Y., April 2.
The U.S. Marine Corps wrestlers who won individual titles were Brian Van Hoven at 152 pounds, Keith Barkers at 167.5 pounds and Albert Sankey at 213.75 pounds. All are stationed at Quantico, Va.
Van Hoven defeated Mike Ellsworth (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC), 7-3, in the gold-medal finals. Barkers scored a 2-2 referee's decision over Marine teammate Rob McKenny in the finals. Sankey stopped Steve Goss (Bay City, Mich./Michigan WC), 3-0, in overtime at 8:59 to win the title.
The winners at each weight class qualified for the Challenge Tournament at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in Dallas, Texas, June 22-24.
Brian Keck (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) scored an impressive victory at 286 pounds. In the first round, Keck upset 1996 Olympic silver medalist Matt Ghaffari (Avon Lake, Ohio/Sunkist Kids), by a 1-0 overtime referee's decision. Keck won three matches, including a 5-4, overtime decision over J.R. Plienis (Edgemere, Md./New York AC) at 7:47 in the gold-medal finals.
Other individual champions were Shawn Conyers (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio International) at 119 pounds, Lindsay Durlacher (Annapolis, Md./New York AC) at 127.75 pounds, Jacob Hey (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) at 138.75 pounds and Ethan Bosch (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 187.25 pounds.
USA Wrestling is hosting Regional Olympic Trials in five regions: West, East, South, Central and North. The West Regional was completed last week in Corvallis, Ore.
The South Regional Olympic Trials will be held in Kenner, La., April 7-9. The competition will be held at Pontchartrain Center. For information, contact Jim Ravannack at 504-885-0051.
The Central Regional Olympic Trials are scheduled for Tulsa, Okla., April 27-29. The competition will be held at Union Intermediate School. For information, contact Archie Randall at 405-354-5417.
The "last chance" qualifying event is the North Regional Olympic Trials, set for Waterloo, Iowa, May 5-7. The competition will be held in Young Arena. For information contact Steve Wachal at 319-822-7748.
EAST REGIONAL GRECO-ROMAN OLYMPIC TRIALS at Brockport, N.Y., April 2
Medal Matches
54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Shawn Conyers, Columbus, Ohio (Ohio International) pin Lawrence Levinstone (Eclipse), 2:12
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Lindsay Durlacher, Annapolis, Md. (New York AC) dec. Enrique Monteil, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 6-5, ot, 8:37; 3rd - Greg Uim (Shamrock)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) won by tech. fall over Steve Horton, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force), 10-0; 3rd - Mark Kessler (NY Super Six) dec. Scott Munsey, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 9-3
69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Brian Van Hoven, Stafford, Va. (U.S. Marines) dec. Mike Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC), 7-3; 3rd - Ally Sleiman, Marquette, Mich. (NMU-USOEC) won by tech. fall over Larry Wright (Mohawk Valley), 10-0
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Keith Barkers, Fredricksburg, Va. (U.S. Marines) won by ref. dec. over Rob McKenny, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 2-2, ot, 9:00; 3rd - Jeff Funicello, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Don Favro, Brockport, N.Y. (Brockport), 10-0
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) won by inj. dft. over Jake Sabo, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA); 3rd - Greg Parker (ATWA) dec. Tipton Peterson, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 6-4
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Albert Sankey, Fredricksburg, Va. (U.S. Marines) dec. Steve Goss, Bay City, Mich. (Michigan WC), 3-0, ot, 8:59; 3rd - Jesse Porter (unattached) dec. Thomas Wagner (Virginia), 6-0
130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. J.R. Plienis, Edgemere, Md. (New York AC), 5-4, ot, 7:47; 3rd - Matt Ghaffari, Avon Lake, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Joshua Etu, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA), 12-1, 1:55