Henson, Bono win silver medals, Jaworsky, Weber and Douglas win bronze medals at the Cerro Pelado Tournament in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Feb. 26-27Led by five individual medalists, the United States placed second as a team at the Cerro Pelado Tournament in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Feb. 26-27.
Sammie Henson (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) won the silver medal at 127.75 pounds and Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) won the silver medal at 152 pounds.
Three U.S. wrestlers took home the bronze medal: T.J. Jaworsky (Chapel Hill, N.C./New York AC) at 138.75 pounds, Daryl Weber (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 167.5 pounds and Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds.
Henson won four of his five matches. He scored two decisions and two technical falls prior to the gold-medel match. He decisioned Joel Garcia of Cuba, 6-0, won by technical fall over Yorishier Noublet of Cuba, 13-3, decisioned Victor Montes of Cuba, 10-9, and scored another technical fall over Brett Cash of Australia, 10-0. He lost in the finals to Yandro Quintana of Cuba, 3-1.
Bono won his first three matches by technical falls, beating Jose Jimenez of Mexico, 12-1, then Robinson Madera of the Dominican Republic, 11-0, and Jhonni Cedeno of Venezuela, 13-2. In the finals, Bono met Yosmany Sanchez of Cuba for the third time this month. He lost this match in overtime, 3-1. Bono lost to Sanchez at the Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament earlier in February, 4-1, and defeated Sanchez at a World Dual in Houston, Feb. 15, 3-2, in overtime. Sanchez placed fourth in the 1996 Olympic Games.
Jaworsky won five of seven matches to win the bronze medal. He lost his first match to Yankiel Reyes of Cuba, 8-6, then came back to win by a technical fall over Michel Fuente of Venezuela, 10-0. He won by injury default over Jose Paco of Peru and then won by a technical fall over Alonso Hurtado of Colombia, 10-0. He decisioned Serguei Rondon of Cuba, 8-4, then lost to Carlos Ortiz of Cuba, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. He defeated Yanquiel Reyes of Cuba, 10-0, to claim third place.
Weber overpowered his first two opponents with technical falls. Juan Chavez of Mexico, 10-0, and Gustavo Dominquez of Venezuela, 10-0. He decisioned Sam Kline of the United States, 6-5, in overtime and then lost in the quarterfinals to Daniel Gonzales of Cuba, 4-0. He decisioned Walter Torrientes of Cuba, 3-2, to win the bronze medal.
Placing fifth for the U.S. were Eric Albarracin (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 119 pounds and Steve Marianetti (Urbana, Ill./New York AC) at 167.5 pounds. Sam Kline (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids) placed sixth at 167.5 pounds and Steve Williams (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Seahorse WC) had to withdraw from the tournament after an injury, placed ninth.
Host Cuba won the team title, followed by the United States, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. A total of 10 nations participated in the tournament.
CERRO PELADO TOURNAMENT
at Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Feb. 26-27
Medalists
119 - 1st - Rene Montero (Cuba); 2nd - Wilfredo Garcia (Cuba); 3rd - Maikel Russell (Cuba)
127.75 - 1st - Yandro Quintana (Cuba); 2nd - Sammie Henson (USA); 3rd - Victor Montes (Cuba)
138.75 - 1st - Carlos Ortiz (Cuba); 2nd - Edison Hurtado (Colombia); 3rd - T.J. Jaworsky (USA)
152 - 1st - Yosmany Sanchez (Cuba); 2nd - Chris Bono (USA); 3rd - Ivan Fundora (Cuba)
167.5 - 1st - Yosmany Romero (Cuba); 2nd - Daniel Gonzalez (Cuba); 3rd - Daryl Weber (USA)
187.25 - 1st - Joel Romero (Cuba); 2nd - Ariel Ramos (Cuba); 3rd - Carlos Hernandez (Cuba)
213.75 - 1st - Wilfredo Morales (Cuba); 2nd - Miguel Molina (Cuba); 3rd - Melvin Douglas (USA)
286 - 1st - Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba); 2nd - Angel Anaya (Cuba); 3rd - Gamalier Coats (Dominican Republic)
Team standings
1. Cuba, 2. United States, 3. Colombia, 4. Dominican Republic, 5. Australia, 6. El Salvador, 7. Mexico, 8. Peru, 9. Sancti Spiritus club (Cuba), 10. Venezuela
U.S. performances
119 - Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5th - dec. Obdiel Garcia (Cuba), 9-6; lost dec. to Wilfredo Garcia (Cuba), 6-0; dec. Angel Diaz (Dominican Republic), 7-5; lost dec. to Maikel Rusell (Cuba), 8-4
127.75 - Sammie Henson, Norman, Oka., 2nd - dec. Joel Garcia (Cuba), 6-0; won by tech. fall over Yorishier Noublet (Cuba), 13-3; dec. Victor Montes (Cuba), 10-9; won by tech. fall over Brett Cash (Australia), 10-0; lost dec. to Yandro Quintana (Cuba), 3-1
138.75 - T.J. Jaworsky, Chapel Hill, N.C., 3rd - lost dec. to Yankiel Reyes (Cuba), 8-6; won by tech. fall over Michel Fuente (Venezuela), 10-0; won by inj. def. over Jose Paco (Peru); won by tech. fall over Alonso Hurtado (Colombia), 10-0; dec. Serguel Rondon (Cuba), 8-4; lost dec. to Carlos Ortiz (Cuba), 3-2; won by tech. fall over Yankiel Reyes (Cuba), 10-0
152 - Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa, 2nd - won by tech. fall over Jose Jimenez (Mexico), 12-1; won by tech. fall over Robinson Madera (Dominican Republic), 11-0; won by tech. fall over Jhonni Deceno (Venezuela), 13-2; lost dec. to Yosmany Sanchez (Cuba), 3-1, ot
167.5 - Steve Marianetti, Urbana, Ill., 5th - lost dec. to Yosmany Romero (Cuba), 3-2, ot; won by tech. fall over Michel Puerto (Cuba), 10-0; lost dec. to Daniel Gonzalez (Cuba), 5-3, ot; won by inj. def. over Sam Kline (USA)
167.5 - Sam Kline, Morgantown, Pa., 6th - won by tech. fall over Gustavo Dominguez (Venezuela), 10-0; won by tech. fall over Juan Chavez (Mexico), 16-5; lost dec. to Daryl Weber (USA), 6-5, ot; lost by inj. def. to Daniel Gonzalez (Cuba); lost by inj. def. to Steve Marianetti (USA)
167.5 - Daryl Weber, Iowa City, Iowa - 3rd - won by tech. fall over Juan Chavez (Mexico), 10-0; won by tech. fall over Gustavo Dominguez (Venezuela), 10-0; dec. Sam Kline (USA), 6-5, ot; lost dec. to Daniel Gonzales (Cuba), 4-0; dec. Walter Torrientes (Cuba), 3-2
187.25 - Steve Williams, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 9th - lost by inj. def. to Joel Romero; did not compete in rest of tourn.
213.75 - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz., 3rd - lost dec. to Miguel Molina (Cuba), 2-1, ot; pinned Vitel Orellana (El Salvador), 0:30; won by tech. fall over Danni Mavares (Venezuela), 10-0; won by inj. def. over Armulfo Hernandez (Colombia); lost dec. to Wilfredo Morales (Cuba), 2-2, ot; dec. Dayan Tejeda (Cuba), 3-0