KLOHS ADVANCES TO QUARTERFINALS; CLARK AND BYERS WIN THEIR POOLS AT 1999 WORLD GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ATHENS, GREECE 
 Jason Klohs (Maple Grove, Minn./Minnesota Storm) remains unbeaten after two days of competition at 213.75 pounds at the 45th Greco-Roman World Championships in Athens, Greece, Friday, Sept. 24. 
 In the round of 16 competitors, Klohs defeated Sergei Matvienko of Kazakhstan, by a 2-0 overtime referee's decision. It was the third straight victory for Klohs in the tournament. The victory qualifies Klohs for the quarterfinals, which will be contested on Saturday. 
 KLOHS QUALIFIES USA FOR THE OLYMPICS AT HIS WEIGHT 
 By making the quarterfinals, Klohs has guaranteed himself a finish in the top eight of his weight class, and has qualified the United States a position at the 2000 Olympic Games at 213.75 pounds. 
 Klohs competed in the 1998 World Championships and was also the 1998 U.S. Nationals champion. He wrestled in college for the Univ. of Wyoming and the Univ. of Minnesota. 
 CLARK, BYERS WIN THEIR POOL COMPETITIONS 
 Four U.S. wrestlers began their competition on Friday. Two of the athletes earned 2-0 records and have won their pool competition: Quincey Clark (New Brighton, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 187.25 pounds and Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 286 pounds. 
 By winning their pool competitions, both Clark and Byers have advanced to the round of 16 athletes in their weight classes. Their next matches will be on Saturday. 
 CLARK DEFEATS OLYMPIC CHAMPION IN HIS FIRST MATCH 
 Clark opened with the biggest win of his career, defeating 1996 Olympic Champion Hamza Yerlikaya of Turkey, 3-0. Yerlikaya has also won two World Championship gold medals (1993, 1995). 
 In his second match, Clark scored a 1-1 overtime referee's decision over M. Vakhtangadze of Georgia. 
 Clark placed ninth in the 1998 World Championships and won his first U.S. Nationals title in 1999. Clark competed in college for the Univ of Oklahoma and San Diego State Univ. 
 BYERS DEFEATS WORLD SILVER MEDALIST IN FIRST ROUND 
 Byers scored a solid 4-1 win over 1997 World silver medalist Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary in his first match. In the second round, he edged Ion Ticala of Romania in a 1-1 overtime referee's decision. 
 Byers, the 1999 U.S. Nationals and Armed Forces champion, is competing in his first World Championships. Byers defeated 1996 Olympic silver medalist Matt Ghaffari to qualify for the U.S. team. 
 HALL, ZUNIGA LOSE THEIR MATCHES ON FRIDAY 
 Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids) dropped two matches in his pool competition at 127.75 pounds on Friday. In the first round, Hall lost to Igor Piatrenka of Belarus, 6-1. In the next match, he was defeated by 1996 Olympic champion Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria, 8-1. 
 Hall drew into a pool of four athletes, so he will have at least one more match, against U. Asilabek of Kyrgyzstan on Saturday. 
 Hall was a 1995 World Champion, 1996 Olympic silver-medalist and 1993 World bronze medalist. He is also a two-time Pan American Games champion. Hall is an eight-time U.S. Nationals champion and is competing on his sixth U.S. World team.  
 David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minnesota Storm) lost his first match at 152 pounds to Thomas Amundson of Norway, 5-0. He has one more match in his pool competition against Mowses Karapetyan of Armenia on Saturday. 
 Zuniga was a member of the 1996 Olympic team where he finished tenth. This is Zuniga's fourth World team berth. He placed fourth at the 1994 World Championships. 
 MAYS, LEWIS, LINDLAND ELIMINATED FROM COMPETITION ON THURSDAY 
 Three U.S. wrestlers finished with 1-1 records on Thursday, and did not score enough points to advance to the round of 16 athletes. Their final placings at their weight classes were announced on Thursday. Only athletes who place in the top 10 of their weight division score team points and are considered placewinners. 
 Steven Mays (Pensacola, Fla./U.S. Navy) finished 24th of 38 athletes at 119 pounds. Mays, the 1999 Armed Forces and U.S. Nationals champion, competed in his first World Championships. 
 Shon Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo./No Limit Soldier) placed 26th of 38 athletes at 138.75 pounds. Lewis, a four-time U.S. Nationals champion, was competing in his second World Championships. 
 Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) placed 24th of 37 athletes at 167.5 pounds. He had a challenging draw, losing to 1998 World bronze medalist Nazmi Avluca of Turkey, then defeating 1998 World Champion Bachtiar Baiseitov of Kazakhstan. Lindland placed sixth at last year's World Championships and won the 1999 Pan American Games. This is his third World tournament. 
 The 1999 World Championships serves as the first and largest qualifying event for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The top eight place winners at the 1999 World Championships in Greco-Roman qualify their nation to participate in the 2000 Olympic Games in their weight division. In total, 64 Olympic berths will be determined at the 1999 World Greco-Roman Championships. 
 The team is led by head coach Dan Chandler of Minneapolis, Minn., assistant coach Rob Hermann of Pensacola, Fla. and USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo. 
 Visit the USA Wrestling web page at http://www.usawrestling.org or the World Championships web page at http://www.wrestling.org.gr/wrestling/world99/main_en.html 
 1999 GRECO-ROMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS at Athens, Greece, Sept. 24 
 U.S. results on Friday, Sept. 24 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Jason Klohs, Maple Grove, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) - won by ref. dec. over Sergei Matvienko (Kazakhstan), 2-0, ot, 9:00 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Dennis Hall, Plover, Wis. (Sunkist Kids) - lost dec. to Igor Piatrenka (Belarus), 6-1; lost dec. to Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria), 8-1 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - Dave Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) - lost dec. to Thomas Amundson (Norway), 5-0 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Quincey Clark, New Brighton, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) - dec. Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey), 3-0; won by ref. dec. over M. Vakhtangadze (Georgia), 1-1, ot, 9:00 
 130 kg/286 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) - dec. Mihaly Deak-Bardos (Hungary), 4-1; dec. Ion Ticala (Romania), 4-0 
 Final placings of three U.S. athletes eliminated on Thursday 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Steven Mays, Pensacola, Fla. (U.S. Navy) - 24th of 38 athletes 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (No Limit Soldier) - 26th of 38 athletes 
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) - 24th of 37 athletes 
 U.S. quotes 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Dennis Hall, Plover, Wis. (Sunkist Kids) - (after first loss) - "I need to get on track. I wrestled a good match, but I made a mistake. I felt good. I just have to get out of the pool." 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Quincey Clark, New Brighton, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) - (after beating the Olympic champion) "It felt so good. I heard the crowd. It fired me up. When I scored the first two points, I knew I couldn't let him score. I knew he would burn himself out trying to lift me." 
 130 kg/286 lbs.- Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) - (after beating former World silver medalist) - "I figured he'd try to beat on my head when we were on our feet. I was hoping to get him in the par terre position (on the mat), so I could lift him. Normally, the butterflies are gone by now. I keep reminding myself that they don't know me yet. That's in my favor."