Logan Stieber (in blue) reached the finals with a win over Mike Zadick. Larry Slater photo. IOWA CITY – A U.S. Olympic Team Trials record 13,520 wrestling fans kicked off the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials on Saturday inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Those seeking trips to the Olympic Games in London provided plenty of entertainment for the largest gathering of Americans to watch freestyle or Greco-Roman. Nine weight classes – four in Greco, three in men’s freestyle, two in women’s freestyle – will be decided in tonight’s best-of-three Championship Series. In men’s freestyle, 2011 World champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) will try and beat Andrew Howe (Cedar Lake, Ind./NYAC) in the Trials finals for a second straight year. Howe advanced to the finals in a tough 74 kg/163 lbs. bracket with victories over 2012 NCAA champion David Taylor, Tyler Caldwell and Trent Paulson in the Challenge finals. Burroughs has won the last eight tournaments he has entered. "I’m all right here now, been focusing on this goal all year," Howe said. "It’s great to be wrestling here. It seems like it took forever to come but it’s finally here. (Against Burroughs) I have to keep my head and hands in good position; block him out of those doubles." Another World medalist, Jake Varner (State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), who won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships, faces Tommy Rowlands in the 96 kg/211.5 lbs. best-of-three series. Rowlands (Hilliard, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) beat Chris Pendleton in the Challenge finals after knocking off David Zabriskie and Craig Brester earlier in the session. In a rematch of the 2007 NCAA finals, Coleman Scott (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) beat Matt Valenti in the 60 kg/132 lbs. semifinals. Valenti won the second period from the clinch, but Scott rallied in the third to advance to the finals with a 1-0, 0-1, 7-0, victory. Scott edged Martin Berberyan, a three-time Olympian for Armenia, in the quarterfinals. The bout included two extended video reviews, each going in Scott’s favor in a 4-0, 2-1, victory. Scott will face Logan Stieber, a 2012 NCAA champion for Ohio State as a freshman. Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio/NYAC) beat Jimmy Kennedy in the quarters and crowd favorite Mike Zadick, 1-2, 1-0, 1-0 in the semifinals. Tonight’s winner will play wait-and-see as Shawn Bunch will try and qualify the United States for the Olympics in China next weekend. In Greco-Roman, 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will seek a eighth consecutive U.S. Team spot when he meets Steve Andrus (Manhattan, Kan./Michigan WC), who beat Pete Kowalczuk in the quarters and Tim Taylor, a three-time Trials runner-up. Four-time Trials champion Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) advanced to the 55 kg/121 lbs. best-of-three finals with two solid victories in the first session. The 2008 Olympian had a bit too much horsepower for 18-year-old Isaiah Varona in the quarterfinals, then beat Nikko Triggas in the semifinals, 3-0, 5-0. Mango will face Max Nowry (Wheeling, Ill./NYAC) tonight. Nowry knocked off Jermaine Hodge in the semifinals in a tough, three-period bout 0-1, 2-0, 3-0. "There’s always stuff to work on but I feel like I’ve improved a lot," Mango said. "I’ve really tried to take it one day at a time, get better each day. I feel like I’m more mature now; I know what I have to do to win matches. And I know what I can’t do which just comes from experience. "Everybody in the weight class has wrestled each other so you have to be on top of your game in every match." C.P. Schlatter (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) moved to the 66 kg/145.5 lbs. finals with wins over RaVaughan Perkins and two-time World Team member Faruk Sahin. He faces off against veteran Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in a best-of-three this evening. Lester, a bronze medalist at the 2006 and 2007 World Championships, opened his day with a lightning-quick pin of Kendrick Sanders in the quarterfinals, then beat Ben Sanchez in two periods to advance. At 84 kg/185 lbs. Chas Betts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm/USEOC) moved to the best-of-three finals with a 0-1, 1-0, 2-0, win over Peter Hicks in the semifinals. The 2009 World Team member gets Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) in tonight’s best-of-three series. Holm, a runner-up at the 2011 Trials to Cheney Haight, had victories over Haight in the quarters and Zac Nielsen in the semifinals. "I’m really grateful for the opportunity and for the way the crowd has responded," Holm said. "Me and Betts match up well, it’s going to be a battle." Women’s freestyle saw Kelsey Campbell win the Challenge Tournament’s 55 kg/121 lbs. bracket, knocking off Katherine Fulp-Allen to set up a best-of-three battle with Helen Maroulis, who was fifth at the 2011 World Championships. Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was on the women’s squad in 2010 and 2011 at 59 kg/130 lbs. "I don’t know how I feel right now. I know I have to win two more matches," Campbell said. "I’m doing my best to block out thinking about London. I’m really trying not to get ahead of myself. I’m feeling good though because I had some tough girls today. Right now it’s about scoring points and having more than the other girl at the end of the match. "There are no surprises at this point because you’ve wrestled everybody so you know what to expect." Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) meets Stephany Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) in a best-of-three at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Lee beat 2005 World champion Iris Smith in the Challenge finals. Bernard was fifth at the 2011 World Championships and fifth at the 2008 Olympics. In the Challenge semifinals, Lee lost the first period to nine-time World medalist Kristi Davis but rallied to win the second and score a fall in the third to advance. Noteworthy The 60 kg/132 lbs. bracket had one unexpected absence – Jordan Oliver. The 2011 NCAA champion and 2012 runner-up for Oklahoma State who was given a wildcard into the field did not make weight on Friday afternoon. The Pennsylvania native is expected to compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. on Sunday. Jordan Holm had the high amplitude toss of the day in the 84 kg/185 lbs. quarterfinals, tossing Cheney Haight for a deciding five in a rematch of 2011 Trials finals won by Haight. After splitting two periods, Holm gained the advantage when his color came up and successfully lifted and tossed Haight much to the delight of the capacity crowd. Three-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake had maybe the move of the day in a 74 kg/163 lbs. quarterfinal. The Cornell senior-to-be beat Nick Marable with a slick push-out from the clinch in the third period. The ball draw went in Marable’s favor, but Dake, bouncing on one leg, forced Marable out of the circle for the decisive points. A round later, however, Dake lost an upper-body struggle with Trent Paulson. Folkstyle fans got the Dake-Taylor match-up they wanted on Saturday afternoon. A high-flying bout ended with Dake pinning Taylor. Glenn Garrison was the first to leave the shoes in the middle of the mat, announcing his retirement from competition. The 38-year-old was a five-time Trials runner-up. Championship finals (best-of-three series) Men’s freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. – Coleman Scott (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) vs. Logan Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio/New York AC) 74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) vs Andrew Howe (Cedar Lake, Ind./New York AC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) vs. Tommy Rowlands (Hilliard, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) Greco-Roman 55 kg/121 lbs. – Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) vs. Max Nowry (Wheeling, Ill./New York AC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – C.P. Schlatter (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) vs. Justin Lester (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Chas Betts (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOEC) vs. Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) vs Steve Andrus (Manhattan, Kan./Michigan WC) Women’s freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./NYAC) vs. Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) 72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) vs. Stephany Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)