AKIN DEFEATS HENSON IN MINI-TOURNAMENT FINALS AT FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS 
 Eric Akin (Overland Park, Kan./Dave Schultz WC) upset 1998 World Champion Sammie Henson (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) to capture the "Mini-Tournament" and advance to the finals series at the Freestyle World Team Trials in Seattle, Wash., June 18. 
 Akin stopped Henson 3-1 in the finals match. He will advance to the best-of-three series on Saturday against 1999 U.S. Nationals champion Lou Rosselli (Edinboro, Pa./New York AC). 
 Akin lost to Henson in the finals of the 1998 World Team Trials. In college, Henson defeated Akin in the 1994 NCAA finals, when Henson attended Clemson and Akin wrestled for Iowa State. Henson was competing in the Mini-Tournament section of the World Team Trials because he was unable to compete in the qualifying event, the U.S. Nationals, due to injury. 
 In the finals series, he hopes to avenge a loss to Rosselli in the finals of the 1996 Olympic Trials. 
 The most competitive finals came at 167.5 pounds, where 1998 World Team member Steve Marianetti (Urbana, Ill./New York AC) defeated Sean Bormet (Madison, Wis./Champbuilders), 2-1, in an overtime marathon that lasted 10:45. 
 The match was tied at 1-1 after nine full minutes, the normal time allowed for an overtime match. Because all of the criteria for determining a winner were tied, a special World Team Trials rule stipulated that the match would continue into sudden death, until a winner could be determined. Marianetti scored a takedown for the victory. 
 Marianetti will face 1999 U.S. Nationals champion Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday. 
 Kerry McCoy (State College, Pa./New York AC), who placed fourth in the 1998 World Championships at 286 pounds, captured the Mini-Tournament with a 7-1 win over Tolly Thompson (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids). 
 McCoy will face 1999 U.S. Nationals champion Stephen Neal (Bakersfield, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday. McCoy had lost to Neal in the semifinals at the U.S. Nationals on May 1. 
 A number of young athletes won the Mini-Tournament for the first time, and will earn a spot in the championship series of the World Team Trials for the first time. Newcomers included Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Bill Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 138.75 pounds) and Charles Burton (Bloomington, Ind./Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pounds. 
 Guerrero defeated Kerry Boumans (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC), 3-2 In the finals. Guerrero will face 1999 U.S. Nationals champion Terry Brands (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday. 
  Zadick  defeated veteran star John Fisher (Ypsilanti, Mich./Sunkist Kids), 7-4 in the Mini-Tournament finals. He will battle two-time World medalist Cary Kolat (Bethlehem, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday. 
 Burton con trolled Derek Jones (Minneapolis, Minn./Minn. Storm), 4-1 in the Mini-Tournament finals. Burton qualified to face 1997 World Champion Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday. 
 Veteran stars who won their Mini-Tournament included Pat Santoro (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC) at 152 pounds and J.J. McGrew (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds. 
 Santoro beat Chris Bono (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), 6-1 in the finals. It was Bono who defeated Santoro in the 1998 World Team Trials Mini-Tournament. Santoro will compete against 1998 World bronze medalist Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday. 
 McGrew beat Joel Sharratt (Minneapolis, Minn./Minn. Storm), 4-0 in the finals match. It is the third year that McGrew has won the Mini-Tournament at the World Team Trials. McGrew will face 1999 U.S. Nationals champion Dominic Black (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the best-of-three finals series on Saturday.