LINDLAND WINS SILVER MEDAL, NIEBUHR AND GARDNER BRONZE MEDALS AT GRANMA CUP IN ST. SPIRITUS, CUBA, FEB. 19-20Led by three individual medalists, the United States placed third as a team at the Granma Cup in St. Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 19-20.
Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) won the silver medal at the 187.25-pound weight class. Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) took the bronze medal in the same weight class. Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won the bronze medal at 286 pounds.
Lindland won three matches before losing to Luis Mendez of Cuba in the gold-medal match, 4-2. He first scored a pin over Aaron Sieracki of the USA, then decisioned Alain Rivas of Cuba, 4-1. Lindland pinned U.S. wrestler Dan Niebuhr in the semifinals to move on to gold-medal match.
Neibuhr placed third, defeating U.S. athlete Ray Brinzer by injury default in the bronze-medal match. Niebuhr won his first three matches to qualify for the semifinals.
Gardner won three of his four matches, including a 3-1 decision over Fernando Jordai of Cuba, 3-1. His only loss came in the semifinals, when he was defeated by 1992 Olympic champion Hector Milian of Cuba, 2-0.
Three U.S. wrestlers placed fourth: Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 152 pounds, Ray Brinzer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 187.25 pounds and Dan Hicks (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines) at 213.75 pounds.
Placing fifth for the USA were Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 119 pounds, Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds and Paul Gagich (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) at 138.75 pounds.
Other U.S. placewinners included Dave Surofchek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC), who was sixth at 213.75 pounds, Corey Farkas (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force), who was seventh at 286 pounds and Jeff Cervone (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force), who was eighth at 119 pounds.
Placing ninth for the U.S. were Duaine Martin (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines) at 127.75 pounds, Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 152 pounds and Jeff Funicello (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 167.5 pounds. Aaron Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) was 10th at 187.25 pounds.
Host Cuba won the team title, followed by Poland, the United States, Colombia and Italy. A total of 15 nations participated in the tournament.
GRANMA CUP at St. Spiritus, Cuba, Feb. 19-20
Medalists
119 - 1st - Lazaro Rivas (Cuba); 2nd - Constantinos Francesco (Italy); 3rd - Osmany Duka (Cuba)
127.75 - 1st - Roberto Monzon (Cuba); 2nd - Victor Capacho (Colombia); 3rd - Luis Sarmiento (Cuba)
138.75 - 1st - Juan Luis Maren (Cuba); 2nd - Luis Sarria (Cuba); 3rd - Victor Yandry (Cuba)
152 - 1st - Liubal Colas (Cuba); 2nd - Cristian Carballeda (Cuba); 3rd - Cecilio Rodriguez (Cuba)
167.5 - 1st - Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba); 2nd - Nestor Almanza (Cuba); 3rd - Oscar Castellanos (Cuba)
187.25 - 1st - Luis Mendez (Cuba); 2nd - Matt Lindland (USA); 3rd - Dan Niebuhr (USA)
213.75 - 1st - Andrzej Wronski (Poland); 2nd - Ernesto Pena (Cuba); 3rd - Reynaldo Pena (Cuba)
286 - 1st - Hector Milian (Cuba); 2nd - Jacek Fafinski (Poland); 3rd - Rulon Gardner (USA)
Team standings
1. Cuba, 2. Poland, 3. United States, 4. Colombia, 5. Italy, 6. Argentina, 7. Canada, 8. Dominican Republic, 9. Guatamala, 10. Mexico; 11. Peru; 12. Portugal; 13. Puerto Rico; 14. St. Spiritus club (Cuba); 15. Venezuela.
U.S. performances
119 - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5th - won by tech. fall over Julio Maldonado (Guatamala), 10-0; dec. over Reinier Diaz (Cuba), 6-0; lost ref. dec. to Constantino Francesco (Italy), 2-2, ot, 9:00
119 - Jeff Cervone, Colorado Springs, Colo., 8th -pin Javier Solis (Peru), 11-0; lost dec. to Constantino Francesco (Italy), 8-0
127.75 - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5th -won by inj. dft. over Jairo Alvarado (Venezuela); won by tech. fall over Sidney Guzman (Peru), 14-2; lost dec. to Roberto Monzon (Cuba), 5-4
127.75 - Duaine Martin, Colorado Springs, Colo., 9th -pin Joel Basaidua (Peru); lost by tech. fall to Luis Sarmientos (Cuba), 11-0
127.75 - Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo., dnp - won by inj. dft. over Luis D'Silva (Cuba); lost dec. to David Maia (Portugal), 6-3
138.75 - Paul Gagich, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5th - pin over Sixto Barrera (Peru); dec. over Aliesky Gracia (Cuba), 6-1; lost by tech. fall to Juan L. Maren (Cuba), 10-0
152 - Kevin Bracken, Colorado Springs, Colo., 9th - won by tech. fall over Martin Siri (Dominican Rep.), 16-0; lost dec. to Liubal Colas (Cuba), 4-0
152 - Mike Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Colo., dnp - lost dec. to Odelis Guerrero (Cuba), 9-3; dec. David Cuba (Peru), 12-3
152 - Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo., dnp - dec. Raidel Rodriguez (Cuba), 3-0; lost dec. to Ryszard Wolny (Poland), 5-1
152 - Steven Woods, Colorado Springs, Colo., dnp- lost by pin to Cecilio Rodriguez (Cuba); won by inj. def. to Ricardo Magni (Italy)
167.5 - Chris Saba, Colo. Springs, Colo., 4th - dec. over Alejandro Baez (Mexico), 8-0; dec. Leigh Vierling (Canada), 9-0; lost dec. to Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba), 5-1; lost dec. to Oscar Castellanos (Cuba), 4-2
167.5 - Jeff Funicello, Gilbert, Ariz., 9th - lost dec. to Artur Michalkiewicz (Poland), 4-2; lost dec. to Nestor Almanza (Cuba), 6-0; dec. Vince Mattia (Canada), 3-1
187.25 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., 2nd - pin Aaron Sieracki (USA); dec. Alain Rivas (Cuba), 4-1; pin Dan Niebuhr (USA); lost dec. to Luis Mendez (Cuba), 4-2
187.25 - Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3rd -pin Ray Brinzer (USA); won by tech. fall over Alvaro Torres (Venezuela), 10-0; won by inj. dft. over Jose L. Ayala (Mexico); lost by pin to Matt Lindland (USA); won by inj. dft. over Ray Brinzer (USA)
187.25 - Ray Brinzer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 4th -lost pin to Dan Niebuhr (USA); won by ref. dec. over Jose L. Ayala (Mexico), 1-0, ot, 9:00; tech. fall over Alvaro Torres (Venezuela), 12-2; lost by tech. fall to Luis Mendez (Cuba), 11-0; lost by inj. dft. to Dan Niebuhr (USA)
187.25 - Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo., 10th - lost by pin to Matt Lindland (USA); lost dec. to Alain Rivas (Cuba), 8-3
213.75 - Dan Hicks, Quantico, Va., 4th - won by inj. dft. over Rolando Luvin (Cuba); dec. over Dave Surofchek (USA), 7-2; lost dec. to Andrzej Wronski (Poland), 5-2; lost dec. to Reynaldo Pena (Cuba), 3-0
213.75 - Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo., 6th - lost by dec. to Dan Hicks (USA), 7-2; won by inj. dft. over Rolando Luvin (Cuba), 4-0
286 - Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3rd - won by ref. dec. over Corey Farkus (USA), 2-1, ot, 9:00; won by tech. fall over Rafael Barreno (Venezuela), 10-0; lost ref. dec. to Hector Milian (Cuba), 2-0, ot, 9:00; dec. Fernando Jordai (Cuba), 3-1
286 - Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo., 7th - lost ref. dec. to Rulon Gardner (USA), 2-1, ot, 9:00; lost by ref. dec. to Rafael Barreno (Venezuela), 0-0, ot, 9:00