Greco-Roman champions announced from the First Olympic Regional Trials in Corvallis, Ore., March 25The first of five Regional Olympic Trials was held in Corvallis, Ore. March 25 and eight Greco-Roman athletes have qualified for the Final Olympic Team Trials.
The winners in each weight class at the Regional Olympic Trials in both freestyle and Greco-Roman will qualify for the Final Olympic Team Trials in the respective style in Dallas, Texas.
Three former U.S. World Team members qualified for the Olympic Trials: Broderick Lee (Huntington Beach, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers) at 127.75 pounds, Heath Sims (Huntington Beach, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 152 pounds and Randy Couture (Gresham, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds.
Lee competed in the 1997 World Championships, Sims competed in the 1995 World Championships and Couture has competed in four World Championships (1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997). He placed seventh at the 1997 World Championships.
Other champions include: Anthony Wilkes (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army) at 119 pounds, Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./Peninsula Grapplers) at 138.75 pounds, Keith Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army) at 167.5 pounds, Chael Sonnen (Eugene, Ore./Dave Schultz WC) at 187.25 pounds and Andy Bowlby (Corvallis, Ore./Orange Crush) at 286 pounds.
USA Wrestling will be hold Regional Olympic Trials in five regions: West, East, South, Central and North.
The 2000 Final Greco-Roman Olympic Team Trials will be held June 22-24, and the 2000 Final Freestyle Olympic Team Trials will be held June 22-24, both in Reunion Arena in Dallas. All Olympic Regional champions will earn a position in the Challenge Tournament portion of the Olympic Trials.
Many of the best Olympic-style wrestlers in the nation will participate in these important events. It will also give the top wrestlers in each region of the nation a chance to earn the right to wrestle in the Final Olympic Trials.
The East Regional Olympic Trials will be held in Brockport, N.Y., March 31-April 2. The competition will be held at Tuttle North Gym at SUNY-Brockport. For information, contact Don Murray at 716-395-5360.
The South Regional Olympic Trials will be held in Kenner, La., April 7-9, 2000. 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.
The 2000 U.S. National Wrestling Championships, scheduled for April 21-22 in Las Vegas, Nev., is also a qualifying event for the Final Olympic Team Trials in both styles. The top six freestyle placewinners and the top eight Greco-Roman placewinners in each weight class will qualify for the Olympic Trials in Dallas, Texas.
WEST REGIONAL GRECO-ROMAN OLYMPIC TRIALS
at Corvallis, Ore., March 25
Medal Matches
54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Anthony Wilkes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) pinned Michael Santos, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 4:32; 3rd - Cam Jones (TAC) dec. Joe Dansby (Dave Schultz WC), 10-8
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Broderick Lee, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) dec. Josh Fox (Unattached), 5-0; 3rd - Jason Harless (Oregon) pinned Jason Chao (SWOCC), 0:35
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Peninsula Grapplers) pinned Steve Horton, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 1:30; 3rd - Jason Tolbert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) won by inj. def. over Charley Carbaugh, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force)
69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Heath Sims, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) pinned Pat Cadawallader (SoCal), 1:16; 3rd - Brian Van Hoven, Quantico, Va. (Marine Corps) pinned Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 3:05
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) dec. Jeff Funicello, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 5-0; 3rd - Corey Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force) won by tech. fall over Brian Burnett (SoCal), 10-0
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Chael Sonnen, Eugene, Ore. (Dave Schultz WC) won by inj. def. over Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids); 3rd - Jake Clark, Quantico, Va. (Marine Corps) pinned James Short, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 2:16
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Randy Couture, Gresham, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Jack Wynne (Orange Crush), 11-0; 3rd - Josh Hall, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) pinned Garrett Magers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 0:25
130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - Andy Bowlby, Corvallis, Ore. (Orange Crush) won by tech. fall over Nathan Faber (Unattached), 10-0; 3rd - Cody Sacher (CCC) pinned Bill Detlor (Washington), 2:21