Andy Bisek won a gold at 74 kg, one of three U.S. champions at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden. Larry Slater photo

HAPARANDA, Sweden – Three U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers won gold medals at the 2012 Haparanda Cup on Sunday.

The U.S. individual champions were Nate Engel (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Andy Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Engel defeated Russia’s Rasul Bekukh in the gold-medal match on Sunday. He won two bouts on Saturday to earn a spot in the gold-medal finals.

Betterman, a two-time U.S. World Team member, drew his U.S. Army teammate two-time Olympian Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the final. Mango normally competes at 55 kg/121 lbs. Both American wrestlers won two matches on Saturday to make the finals.

Bisek defeated Alexander Jersgren of Sweden in the championship finals, 1-0, 3-0. He finished with a 4-0 record, with three preliminary wins on Saturday.

Ben Sanchez (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) claimed a silver medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. He was defeated in the gold-medal match by 2009 European bronze medalist Sharur Vardanyan of Sweden, 0-1, 0-2.

Two U.S. wrestlers won bronze medals, Jon Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Eric Nye (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Anderson, who lost a match on Saturday, needed two wins to capture his medal on Sunday. He defeated Manfred Edsberg of Sweden in a repechage match to start the day, then defeated Christoffer Nilsson of Sweden in his bronze-medal bout.

Nye defeated Robert Ramazanov of Russia in his bronze-medal match.

Placing fifth in their weights were Ethan Dondlinger (Slinger, Wis./USOEC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Robbie Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 

The United States placed third in the team standings with 52 points, just one point behind the runner-up team, host Sweden with 53 points. Russia won the team standings with 60 points.

HAPARANDA CUP
At Haparanda, Sweden, November 17-18

Greco-Roman results

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Nate Engel (USA)
Silver - Rasul Bekukh (Russia)
Bronze – Ilyaskhan Islamov (Russia 2) 
Bronze – Emil Sundberg (Sweden)
5th - Isaac Selder (Sweden)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Joe Betterman (USA)
Silver - Spenser Mango (USA)
Bronze –Vakha Batashev (Russia) 
Bronze –Marcus Sellden (Sweden)
5th - Juho Huttunen (Finland) 
5th - David Aproyan (Russia 2)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Sharur Vardanyan (Sweden)
Silver - Ben Sanchez (USA)
Bronze –Esa Uimonen (Finland)
Bronze – Maksim Surkov (Russia) 
5th - Besnik Shala (Sweden)
5th - Vahab Daneshvar (Sweden 2)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Andy Bisek (USA)
Silver - Alexander Jersgren (Sweden)
Bronze – Jon Anderson (USA)
Bronze – Adlan Akiev (Russia)
5th - Christoffer Nilsson (Sweden)
5th - Yuri Denisov (Russia)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Oleg Shokalov (Russia)
Silver - Ruslan Iaskov (Russia)
Bronze – Robert Rosengren (Sweden)
Bronze – Alan Ostaev (Russia 3)
5th - Ava Galstyan (Russia-St. Petersburg)
5th - Olli Uotila (Finland)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - Maksim Safaryan (Russia)
Silver - Fredrik Schön (Sweden)
Bronze - Amar Mamkhyago (Russia)
4th - Vitali Kalina (Russia – St. Petersburg)
5th - Ethan Dondlinger (USA)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Johan Euren (Sweden)
Silver - Zaur Kodoev (Russia) 
Bronze – Eric Nye (USA) 
Bronze – Nikita Shkarin (Russia 3) 
5th - Robert Ramazanov (Russia 2) 
5th - Robbie Smith (USA)

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - Nate Engel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 1st
WIN Ilyaskhan Islamov (Russia 2)
WIN Isaac Selder (Sweden)
WIN Rasul Bekukh (Russia)

60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 1st
WIN Juho Huttunen (Finland)
WIN Marcus Sellden (Sweden)
WIN Spenser Mango (USA)

60 kg/132  lbs. - Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 2nd
WIN David Aproyan (Russia 2)
WIN Vakha Batashev (Russia)
LOSS Joe Betterman (USA)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.- Ben Sanchez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 2nd
WIN Besnik Shala (Sweden)
WIN Esa Uimonen (Sweden)
LOSS Sharur Vardanyan (Sweden), 0-1, 0-2

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

74 kg/163 lbs. - Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
WIN Jusso Ukkola (Finland)
LOSS Alexander Jersgren (Sweden), 0-1, 2-0, 0-3
WIN Manfred Edsberg (Sweden)
WIN Christoffer Nilsson (Sweden)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), 1st
WIN Artem Grigoryan (Russia – St. Petersburg)
WIN Adlan Akiev (Russia)
WIN Yuri Denisov (Russia)
WIN Alexander Jersgren (Sweden), 1-0, 3-0

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

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Ethan Dondlinger, Slinger, Wis. (USOEC), 5th
LOSS  Maksim Sararyan (Russia 2)
LOSS Amar Mamkhyago (Russia)
LOSS Fredrick Schon (Sweden), 0-4, 0-5
LOSS Vitali Kalina (Russia – St. Petersburg)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Erik Nye, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
WIN Viktor Paajarvi (Sweden)
LOSS Zaur Kodoev (Russia)
WIN Robert Ramazanov (Russia 2)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Robbie Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 5th
WIN  Jusso Houvinen (Finland)
LOSS Johan Euren (Sweden)
WIN Tuomas Lahti (Finland)
LOSS Nikita Shkarin (Russia 3)

Top Three Team Standings
1. Russia, 60 pts.
2. Sweden, 53 pts.
3. United States, 52 pts.