COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Six days after the United States finished strong at the Olympic Games, another American team is now set to make another big splash internationally.

Fourteen University World Team wrestling berths – seven in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman – were decided at the University World Team Trials on Saturday afternoon at Palmer High School.

And the U.S. is planning on contending for even more hardware at the University World Championships, set for Oct. 2-7 in Kourtane, Finland.

The U.S. University World Team in freestyle includes NCAA champions Jon Reader, Dustin Kilgore and Tony Nelson along with past NCAA All-Americans Zach Sanders, Jimmy Kennedy, Jason Chamberlain and Colt Sponseller.

All seven wrestlers swept their best-of-3 final round matchups.

Reader swept Mike Letts in the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. on Saturday. Reader placed eighth at the 2010 University Worlds. 

“He’s a great competitor – it was a battle,” Reader said. “It wasn’t pretty for me today, but I had to get it done. My body didn’t feel like I was wrestling to my full potential, but you can’t let up out there. Now it’s time to capitalize and go win a World championship. I was in the same situation two years ago, and I didn’t perform the way I wanted to. Now it’s time to go get a medal.”

Kilgore has major gains since taking an Olympic redshirt this past season. Kilgore locked up a cradle against Richard Perry to record a fall in his second bout at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and clinch a trip to the University Worlds.

Kilgore will also be looking to win a second NCAA title for Kent State during the upcoming college season.

Sanders and Chamberlain are past U.S. Junior World Team members.

Chamberlain was 0-2 in college against 2012 NCAA champion Frank Molinaro of Penn State, but Chamberlain took two straight matches from Molinaro in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Chamberlain has one more season left at Boise State.

The U.S. University World Team in Greco-Roman includes Max Nowry, Jamel Johnson, Nick Alvarez, Jon Anderson, Mark Stenberg, Caylor Williams and Toby Erickson.

Anderson, third at the Olympic Trials this year, swept Tanner Andrews in the finals at 74 kg/163 lbs. on Saturday.

“One period at a time, one match at a time,” Anderson said. “I went out and executed my game plan really well. Being an Olympic champion is my ultimate goal. The University World Championships is a great place to start. I get better every day, and I’m always trying to find a way to improve.” 

Erickson was a Junior World bronze medalist in 2011. Erickson swept 2011 Junior Nationals champion Parker Betts, brother of Olympian Chas Betts, in the finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Nowry is a past Junior World fifth-place finisher who placed second at the Olympic Trials this year. Nowry dropped the first match to Junior World Team member Mike Fuenffinger, but rebounded to win the next two at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Alvarez also is a member of the 2012 U.S. Junior World Team.

UNIVERSITY WORLD TEAM TRIALS
At Colorado Springs, Colo., August 18

Freestyle finals

55 kg/121 lbs.
Zach Sanders (Minnesota Storm) def. Evan Silver (Cardinal Wrestling Club), 2 matches to 0
Sanders dec. Silver, 1-0, 1-0 
Sanders dec. Silver, 1-0, 1-0

60 kg/132 lbs.
Jimmy Kennedy (New York AC) def. Chris Dardanes (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0
Kennedy dec. Dardanes, 3-0, 1-1
Kennedy dec. Dardanes, 3-0, 3-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Jason Chamberlain (Bronco Wrestling Club) def. Frank Molinaro (Scarlet Knight WC), 2 matches to 0
Chamberlain dec. Molinaro, 3-0, 1-1
Chamberlain dec. Molinaro, 0-1, 3-0, 1-0

74 kg/163 lbs.
Colt Sponseller (New York AC) def. Jake Salazar (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club), 2 matches to 0
Sponseller dec. Salazar, 1-0, 2-0
Sponseller dec. Salazar, 3-3, 4-1

84 kg/185 lbs.
Jon Reader (Sunkist Kids) def. Michael Letts (Navy Mat Club), 2 matches to 0
Reader dec. Letts, 3-0, 4-1
Reader dec. Letts, 6-0, 3-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Dustin Kilgore (Sunkist Kids) def. Richard Perry (Husky Wrestling Club), 2 matches to 0
Kilgore dec. Perry, 1-0, 2-1
Kilgore pinned Perry, 4-1, 0:44

120 kg/264.5 lbs. 
Tony Nelson (Minnesota Storm) def. Zac Thomusseit (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club), 2 matches to 0
Nelson dec. Thomusseit, 1-0, 1-0
Nelson dec. Thomusseit, 0-3, 3-0, 1-0

Greco-Roman finals

55 kg/ 121 lbs.
Max Nowry (New York AC) def. Mike Fuenffinger (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 1
Fuenffinger dec. Nowry, 1-0, 1-2, 1-0
Nowry dec. Fuenffinger, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 
Nowry dec. Fuenffinger, 1-0, 1-0

60 kg/ 132.25 lbs.
Jamel Johnson (Yes Wrestling) def. Paul Tellgren (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0
Johnson dec. Tellgren, 2-0, 5-0
Johnson dec. Tellgren, 2-0, 4-0

66 kg/ 145.5 lbs.
Nick Alvarez (USOEC) def. Joe Locksmith (Navy Mat Club), 2 matches to 1
Locksmith pinned Alvarez, 1-0, 1:33
Alvarez dec. Locksmith, 1-0, 3-0 
Alvarez dec. Locksmith, 4-0, 1-0

74 kg/163 lbs.
Jon Anderson (U.S. Army) def. Tanner Andrews (New York AC), 2 matches to 0
Anderson dec. Andrews, 2-0, 7-0
Anderson dec. Andrews, 0-1, 3-0, 4-0

84 kg/ 185 lbs. 
Mark Stenberg (New York AC) def. Zachary Nielsen (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 1
Nielsen dec. Stenberg, 1-0, 2-0
Stenberg dec. Nielsen 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
Stenberg dec. Nielsen, 2-2, 1-0

96 kg/ 211.5 lbs.
Caylor Williams (YES Wrestling) def. Ethan Dondlinger (USOEC), 2 matches to 0
Williams dec. Dondlinger, 3-0, 1-0
Williams dec. Dondlinger, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0
 
120 kg/ 264.5 lbs.
Toby Erickson (New York AC) def. Parker Betts (Minnesota Storm), 2 matches to 0
Erickson dec. Betts, 1-0, 1-0
Erickson dec. Betts, 2-0, 1-0