Adult wrestlers 25-years-old and above will have the chance to compete in the 2013 Veterans National Championships in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete on Wednesday, April 17 and freestyle competition will be held the following day, Thursday, April 18.

The competitions are broken into five age divisions: Div. A (Born 1981-1988), Div. B (Born 1973-1980), Div. C (Born 1965-1972), Div. D (Born 1958-1964) and Div. E (Born 1957 and before). Weight classes which differ from current Olympic weights are 63 kg, 69 kg, 76 kg, 85 kg, 97 kg and 130 kg.

This year, there is an exciting new opportunity concerning hotel reservations and entry fees. Participants in all five USA Wrestling tournaments in Las Vegas will receive their event registration fee at half price if they book their hotel room through VEGAS.com. You must go through the USA Wrestling event websites first to get the proper location on Vegas.com and receive a discount code for registration. This is a tremendous value for all who use this option.
 
VEGAS.com offers extremely low prices at a large variety of hotels in Las Vegas and offers a price guarantee. If you can find a lower price at that hotel property somewhere else, VEGAS.com will match the rate.
 
YOU MUST BOOK A ROOM THROUGH VEGAS.COM FIRST IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A DISCOUNT CODE TO USE LATER FOR TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION. Do not go directly to Vegas.com to book your room. Use the link on the USA Wrestling event websites to Vegas.com to order your room and receive the discount code for event registration.

Online registration is available for all five USA Wrestling tournaments in Las Vegas, with a deadline of Tuesday, April 16 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time.  For the Veterans Nationals, onsite late registration will be permitted with an additional late entry fee.

U.S. Veterans Nationals On-Line Registration

Last year the Veterans National Championships were held in Tuscon, Ariz., May 3-5 and saw Veterans wrestlers from around the country competing in an exciting show of talent.

A total of 12 Veterans wrestlers won in both Olympic styles of wrestling, freestyle and Greco-Roman, at the 2012 Veteran Nationals.

Double champions were Ryan Vottero in Division A at 69 kg; Jason Goldman at 63 kg, Ignacio Ramirezlazos at 69 kg and Dan Lovell at 97 kg in Division B; Chad Shilson at 69 kg, Darryl Hall at 76 kg and Greg Pettit at 97 kg in Division C; Mark Levasseur 58 kg, Jamey Kasser at 63 kg and Chris Brown at 76 kg in Division D and in Division E, Edward Fisher at 69 kg and Stephen Campbell at 97 kg. 

Veteran-age wrestlers from around the world also have a chance to compete in the Veterans World Championships each year. This year they are being held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on Oct. 1-6, 2013.

Don’t be surprised if top U.S. Veteran competitors from this year’s Nationals earn a medal at the upcoming World Championships, which will be held in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzogovina in October. There is no prequalification at the Veterans Worlds, which is an open tournament.

Last year, three freestyle and two Greco-Roman National champions brought home medals later in the year from the 2012 Veterans World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Taking home gold at the 2012 World Championships was freestyle wrestler in the highest age group, Shirzad Ahmadi, who also won at the 2012 Nationals in Tucson. It was Ahmadi’s eighth career Veterans World title, one of the greatest careers in the history of international Veterans competition.

Earning bronze medals at World Championships last year were freestyle National champions Dan Lovell in Division A and Jamey Kasser in Division D. 

Also earning World bronze medals in Greco-Roman were 2012 National champions Chris Brown in Division D and Sarkis Dermenjian in Division E. 

U.S. VETERANS FREESTYLE AND GRECO-ROMAN NATIONALS SCHEDULE
At Las Vegas, Nev.

Tuesday, April 16

9:00 AM (Pacific Time) – Discounted Online Athlete Registration Deadline

7:00PM-8:00PM - Mandatory Check-in, Weigh-in Card Pickup, and Waiver Drop-off for Veterans (Room N113) Greco-Roman Nationals

8:00PM-8:30PM - Veterans Greco-Roman Nationals Medical Check & Weigh-in (N113). Athletes who actively compete in both styles of the Veterans Greco-Roman Nationals will only have to weigh-in once.

Wednesday, April 17

9:00AM-2:00PM - Veterans Greco-Roman Nationals Preliminaries, Medal Matches and Finals

7:00PM-8:00PM - Mandatory Check-in, Weigh-in Card Pickup, and Waiver Drop-off for Veterans Freestyle Nationals 

8:00PM-8:30PM - Veterans Freestyle Nationals Medical Check & Weigh-in

Thursday, April 18

8:30AM-9:00AM - Veterans Freestyle Nationals Rules Clinic for Athletes and Coaches

9:00AM-1:00PM - Veterans Freestyle Nationals Preliminaries

2:00PM-6:00PM -  Veterans Freestyle Nationals Preliminaries, Medal Matches and Finals

2012 VETERANS NATIONALS
in Tucson, Arizona

Greco-Roman Champions
Division A: 69 kg – Ryan Vottero; 97 kg – Andrew Bristow; 130 kg – Robert Parks 
Division B: 58 kg – Jason Goldman; 63 kg – Jose Gamez Jr.; 69 kg – Ignacio Ramirezlazos; 76 kg – Jeff Showalter; 85 kg – Scott Herman; 97 kg – Dan Lovell
Division C: 58 kg – Victor Aybar; 63 kg – Brad Osborn; 69 kg – Chad Shilson; 76 kg – Darryl Hall; 85 kg – Glenn Walsh; 97 kg – Greg Pettit; 130 kg – Tyrone Abercrombie
Division D: 58 kg – Mark Levasseur; 63 kg – Jamey Kasser; 69 kg – Nynypyuk Mykhaylo; 76 kg – Chris Brown; 85 kg – A. Adyrkhaiev; 97 kg – James Kiernan
Division E: 58 kg – Clifford Ray; 63 kg – Derril Fry; 69 kg – Edward Fisher; 76 kg – Craig Johnson; 85 kg – Sarkis Dermenjian; 97 kg – Stephen Campbell; 130 kg – George Manucharin

Freestyle Champions
Division A: 69 kg – Ryan Vottero; 85 kg – Michael Hoover; 97 kg – Chris Cardella; 130 kg – Ryan Hoover
Division B: 63 kg – Jason Goldman; 69 kg – Ignacio Ramirezlazos; 76 kg – Kazeka Muniz; 85 kg – Shawn Henebry; 97 kg – Dan Lovell 130 kg – Mercedes Kinner
Division C: 63 kg – Merujan Aslikyan; 69 kg – Chad Shilson; 76 kg – Darryl Hall; 85 kg – Kevin Pine; 97 kg – Greg Pettit; 130 kg – Brian Jackson
Division D: 58 kg – Mark Levesseur; 69 kg – Jamey Kasser; 76 kg – Chris Brown; 85 kg – Petros Petrosyan; 97 kg – Arthur Gonzalez; 130 kg – Allen Hoover
Division E: 58 kg – Donald Mondragon; 63 kg – Shirzad Ahmadi; 69 kg – Edward Fisher; 76 kg – Naser Aziz; 85 kg – Kevin Hejnal; 97 kg – Stephen Campbell; 130 kg – Ray Lotfi