Abas, Sieracki named Outstanding Wrestlers at the 1999 Winter Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo., Nov. 6Freestyle champion Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) and Greco-Roman champion Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army) were named the Outstanding Wrestlers of the 1999 Winter Classic, held at the U.S. Olympic Complex.
1997 Junior World Champion Abas stopped Chechen-ool Monguch of Russia, 4-1, in overtime at 119 pounds. Monguch was fourth in the 1996 Olympic Games. Abas, a 1999 NCAA champion from Fresno State, is taking a redshirt year to compete in the Olympic Trials.
Sieracki decisioned Faruk Sohin of Turkey, 3-0, in the final at 167.5 pounds. Sieracki was second in the 1996 Olympic Team Trials and is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation.
1996 Olympic silver medalist Brandon Paulson (Golden Valley, Minn./Minnesota Storm) defeated 1988 and 1992 Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 5-0, at 127.75 pounds in the Greco-Roman competition. Both wrestlers were competing up from their normal 119-pound division. It was a rematch of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials finals, won by Paulson.
Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) defeated Glenn Nieradka (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the 138.75 pound finals, 5-2. Last weekend, Gruenwald defeated Nieradka in the Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open finals, 8-1. Gruenwald, competing up one weight class, is ranked No. 2 in the USA at 127.75 pounds, while Nieradka holds a No. 2 ranking at 138.75 pounds.
Also, meeting in the finals for the second straight week at 286 pounds, Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) defeated Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo/U.S. Army), by a 2-0 overtime referee's decision. Last week, Gardner beat Byers in a 2-2 overtime referee's decision. Byers was sixth in the 1999 World Championships, while Gardner placed fifth in the 1997 World Championships. Keith Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army) won his first title at 152 pounds when he defeated Cameron Weatherby of Canada, 6-3.
Alexander Popovich (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) won by a fall over Michel Santos (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army) in 1:08 to win his first Winter Classic at 119 pounds. Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) came from behind to defeat Chael Sonnen (Tualatin, Ore./DSWC) by a pin in 4:49 at 187.25 pounds.
The only foreign champion in Greco-Roman was Tsolak Yeghishyan of Armenia who won by decision over Jason Loukides (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army), 6-2, at 213.75 pounds.
In freestyle competition, Yero Washington (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) defeated Jesus Wilson (Fayette, Iowa/Minnesota Storm) by a 2-0 overtime referee's decision. Wilson, a Cuban immigrant who competed in the 1993 World Championships, is seeking his U.S. citizenship. At 138.75 pounds, John Fisher (Ypsilanti, Mich./Sunkist Kids) scored a decision over Chamil Oumalatov of Russia, 12-7.
Mike Van Arsdale (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army) scored a decision over Dean Morrison (Ithaca, N.Y./Team Excel), 3-0 to win the title at 187.25 pounds. Airron Richardson (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Team Excel) won the 286-pound division with a close decision over Brian Keck (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 8-6.
The Russian team had three individual champions: Zaur Bataev at 152 pounds, Chamile Aliev at 167.5 pounds and Sergiy Kovalevsky at 213.75 pounds. Bataev pinned Ramico Blackmon (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Excel) in 1:51. Aliev decisioned Sean Harrington (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 6-1, and Kovalevsky decisioned Rex Holman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army), 8-0.
The U.S. Army won the Greco-Roman team competition with 21 points, followed by Sunkist Kids with 12 points. In freestyle, Russia won with 28 points while Sunkist Kids was second with 13 points. There were 58 wrestlers who entered in freestyle and 69 wrestlers in the Greco-Roman competition.
WINTER CLASSIC
at Colorado Springs, Colo., Nov. 6
Greco-Roman Results
54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Alexander Popovich, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) pin Michel Santos, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 1:08; 3rd - Paco Arriaga, Chino, Calif. (Marines) won by tech. fall over James Osborne, Camp Pendleton, Calif. (Marines), 13-2, 1:58
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Brandon Paulson, Golden Valley, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 5-0; 3rd - David Ochoa, Venezuela, dec. Adam Lipitz, Oceanside, Calif. (Marines), 5-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 5-2; 3rd - Endrix Arteaga (Venezuela) dec. Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Peninsula), 3-2
69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) dec. Cameron Weatherby (Canada), 6-3; 3rd - Ron Muir, Colorado Springs, Colo dec. Mike Tess, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC), 3-2
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) dec. Faruk Sohin (Turkey), 3-0; 3rd - Mike Uker, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) won by tech. fall over Steve Woods, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 12-2, 3:50
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) pin Chael Sonnen, Tualatin, Ore. (Dave Schultz WC), 4:49; 3rd - Jake Sabo, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA) dec. Jason Nunn, Marquette, Mich. (Competitors Assoc.), 4-0
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Tsolak Yeghishyan (Armenia) dec. Jason Loukides, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 6-2; 3rd - Eddy Bartolozzy (Venezuela) dec. Joshua Hall, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 6-5, ot, 6:40
130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - . Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 2-0, ot, 8:00; 3rd - Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) won by tech. fall over Tim Tekautz, LaCrosse, Wis. (Minnesota Storm), 10-0, 4:41
Team Standings - 1. U.S. Army - 21 points; 2. Sunkist Kids - 12 points
Freestyle Results
54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Chechen-ool Mongouch (Russia), 4-1, ot, 6:52; 3rd - Vadim Khalitov (Russia) dec. Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 4-2
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Yero Washington, Clovis, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Jesus Wilson, Fayette, Iowa (Minnesota Storm), 2-0, ot, 9:00; 3rd - Murad Ramazanov (Russia) dec. Danny Felix, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 8-2
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - John Fisher, Ypsilanti, Mich. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Chamil Oumalatov (Russia), 12-7; 3rd - Mike Eierman, Warsaw, Mo. (Missouri) pin Randy Devlin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 3:51
69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Zaur Bataev (Russia) pin Ramico Blackmon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Team Excel), 1:51; 3rd - Rob Betz (Canada) pin Kurt Celis, Oceanside, Calif. (SOPAC Navy), 1:26
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Chamile Aliev (Russia) dec. Sean Harrington, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 6-1; 3rd - Matt Marciniak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) won by tech. fall over John Ross, San Diego, Calif. (SOPAC Navy), 11-0, 1:48
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Mike Van Arsdale, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army) dec. Dean Morrison, Ithaca, N.Y. (Team Excel), 3-0, ot, 7:22; 3rd - Vitaly Kaudriavcev (Russia) dec. Gabriel Szerda (Australia), 4-0
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Sergiy Kovalevsky (Russia) dec. Rex Holman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army), 8-0; 3rd - Gueorgui Gogshelidse (Russia) won by tech. fall over Matt Hirsch, LaCrosse, Wis. (Unattached), 11-0, 1:21
130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - Airron Richardson, Shaker Heights, Ohio (Team Excel) dec. Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 8-6; 3rd - Artem Ashijev (Russia) won by tech. fall over Lee Lofton, Walnut Creek, Calif. (California), 10-0, 0:53
Team Standings - 1. Russia - 28 points; 2. Sunkist Kids - 13 points