Two-time Olympian Spenser Mango has drawn his U.S. Army teammate Joe Betterman in the 60 kg finals at the Haparanda Cup.

HAPARANDA, Sweden – Five U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete in the gold-medal finals of the 2012 Haparanda Cup on Sunday after going unbeaten during Saturday’s preliminary rounds.

There will be two U.S. athletes in the finals at 60 kg/132 lbs., two-time Olympian Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) and two-time U.S. World Team member Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army. Mango normally competes at 55 kg/121 lbs. Both American wrestlers won two matches each to make the finals.

The other U.S. gold-medal finalists are Nate Engel (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Ben Sanchez (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Engel won two matches to reach the finals, where he will face Rasul Bekukh of Russia. Bekukh was a 2006 European Cadet champion and won a bronze at the 2009 Ivan Poddubny International in Russia, one of the world’s toughest Greco-Roman events.

Sanchez will face 2009 European bronze medalist Sharur Vardanyan of Sweden in the finals. Sanchez won two matches on the way to the finals.

Bisek has drawn Alexander Jersgren of Sweden in the championship finals. Among Bisek’s three wins on Saturday was a big semifinal victory over Yuri Denisov of Russia. Bisek was a 2011 U.S. World Team member, while Denisov won the 2011 Ivan Poddubny International in Russia.

U.S. finalists Mango and Bisek won gold medals last weekend at the New York Athletic Club International in New York City.

Earning a spot in a bronze-medal match is Eric Nye (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Nye had a 1-1 record on Saturday.

Two other Americans will be competing in a repechage round on Sunday, needing a victory to reach the medal rounds. One other American is in a five-athlete roundrobin which will be completed on Sunday.

Sunday’s competition will include one round of repechage matches, then the gold and bronze medal bouts in every weight class. The 96 kg division will complete its round-robin competition.

HAPARANDA CUP
At Haparanda, Sweden, November 17-18

U.S. Greco-Roman results on Saturday

55 kg/121 lbs. - Nate Engel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), in gold-medal match
WIN Ilyaskhan Islamov (Russia 2)
WIN Isaac Selder (Sweden)

60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), in gold-medal match
WIN Juho Huttunen (Finland)
WIN Marcus Sellden (Sweden)

60 kg/132  lbs. - Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), in gold-medal match
WIN David Aproyan (Russia 2)
WIN Vakha Batashev (Russia)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.- Ben Sanchez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), in gold-medal match
WIN Besnik Shala (Sweden)
WIN Esa Uimonen (Sweden)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Thrasher Porcher, Chuluota, Fla. (USOEC), eliminated
LOSS Esa Uimonen (Finland)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), in repechage
WIN Jusso Ukkola (Finland)
LOSS Alexander Jersgren (Sweden)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), in gold-medal match
WIN Artem Grigoryan (Russia – St. Petersburg)
WIN Adlan Akiev (Russia)
WIN Yuri Denisov (Russia)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets), eliminated
WIN Timo Tamski (Finland)
LOSS Yuri Denisov (Russia 2)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Ethan Dondlinger, Slinger, Wis. (USOEC), Round Robin Matches
LOSS  Maksim Sararyan (Russia 2)
LOSS Amar Mamkhyago (Russia)
LOSS Fredrick Schon (Sweden)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Erik Nye, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), in bronze medal match
WIN Viktor Paajarvi (Sweded)
LOSS Zaur Kodoev (Russia)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), in repechage
WIN  Jusso Houvinen (Finland)
LOSS Johan Euren (Sweden)

Medal Match Pairings on Sunday

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Nate Engel (USA) vs. Rasul Bekukh (Russia)
Bronze – Ilyaskhan Islamov (Russia 2) vs. Isaac Selder (Sweden)
Bronze – Emil Sundberg (Sweden), uncontested

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Spenser Mango (USA) vs. Joe Betterman (USA)
Bronze – David Aproyan (Russia 2) vs. Vakha Batashev (Russia) 
Bronze – Juho Huttunen (Finland) vs. Marcus Sellden (Sweden)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Ben Sanchez (USA) vs. Sharur Vardanyan (Sweden)
Bronze – Besnik Shala (Sweden) vs. Esa Uimonen (Finland)
Bronze – Maksim Surkov (Russia) vs. Vahab Daneshvar (Sweden 2)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Alexander Jersgren (Sweden) vs. Andy Bisek (USA)
Bronze – Christoffer Nilsson (Sweden) vs. winner of Jon Anderson (USA) vs. Manfred Edsberg (Sweden)
Bronze – Yuri Denisov (Russia) vs.winner of Artem Grigoryan (Russia-St. Petersburg) vs. Adlan Akiev (Russia)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Oleg Shokalov (Russia) vs. Ruslan Iaskov (Russia)
Bronze – Ava Galstyan (Russia-St. Petersburg) vs. Robert Rosengren (Sweden)
Bronze – Olli Uotila (Finland) vs. Alan Ostaev (Russia 3)

96 kg/211.5 lbs
Final roundrobin bouts
Ethan Dondlinger (USA) vs. Vitali Kalina (Russia – St. Petersburg)
Amar Mamkhyago (Russia) vs. Maksim Safaryan (Russia 2)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Zaur Kodoev (Russia) vs. Johan Euren (Sweden)
Bronze –Robert Ramazanov (Russia 2) vs. Eric Nye (USA) 
Bronze – Nikita Shkarin (Russia 3) vs. winner of Tuomas Lahti (Finland) vs. Robbie Smith (USA)