for immediate release: June 26, 1998The Mini-Tournament champions have been determined at the 1998 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Trials being held at the Grace King Center in Metairie, La., June 26.
The champion at each weight class will now advance to a best-of-three championship series on Saturday, June 27 against the 1998 U.S. Nationals champion.
The winner of Saturday's best-of-three series will represent the United States at the 1998 Greco-Roman World Championships in Gavle, Sweden, Aug. 27-30.
Leading the list of mini-tournament champions was 1997 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team members Broderick Lee (Tarzana, Calif./Peninsula) at 119 pounds and David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 152 pounds.
Lee, a 1997 U.S. Nationals champion, scored a 5-2 decision over Steven Mays (Pensacola, Fla./Armed Forces - Navy) to qualify for the 119 pound finals. Lee placed sixth in the 1998 U.S. Nationals.
Zuniga, the 1997 World Team member at 138.75 pounds, won a hard fought 2-0 referees decision over Herb House (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces-Army) at 152 pounds. Zuniga placed tenth in the 1996 Olympic games. Other champions include Duaine Martin (Quantico, Va./Armed Forces-Marines) at 127.75 pounds, Kevin Bracken (DeKalb, Ill./NYAC) at 138.75 pounds, Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces/Army) at 167.5 pounds, Quincey Clark (Eagan, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 187.25 pounds, Dan Hicks (Fredricksburg, Va./Armed Forces-Marines) at 213.75 pounds and Billy Pierce (Minneapolis, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 286 pounds.
Martin scored an 8-3 decision over Jacob Hey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces - Air Force) to capture the 127.75 pound title. Martin who placed third in the U.S. Nationals, will face top seed James Gruenwald on Saturday. Gruenwald, who placed second in the U.S. Nationals received the top seed after 1998 U.S. National champion Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids) received a medical delay. Hall will meet the winner of the Martin/Gruenwald series in a final wrestle off at a later date.
Bracken registered a 6-3 decision over Glenn Nieradka (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces - Army) to gain a berth in the 138.75 pound finals. Bracken will now face Shon Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo./No Limit Soldier) in a rematch of the 1998 U.S. nationals finals.
Sieracki, a 1996 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, scored a 5-0 decision over teammate Miguel Spencer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces - Army) at 167.5 pounds. Sieracki, who placed third in the 1998 U.S. nationals, is returning to top form after recovering from knee surgery that kept him from competing in 1997.
Clark, who placed sixth in the 1998 U.S. Nationals, put together a great match to score a 9-0 decision over Ray Brinzer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 187.25 pounds. Clark placed third in the 1997 World Team Trials.
Hicks, the 1998 Armed Forces champion, won a 9-1 decision over dec. Dan Sanchez (New York, N.Y./NYAC) to gain the finals berth at 213.75 pounds. Hicks, who was injured during the 1998 U.S. Nationals, placed third in the 1997 World Team Trials. Sanchez scored a major upset in the semi-finals when he scored a 11-7 win over 1997 U.S. World Team member Randy Couture (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids).
Pierce, who placed third in the 1998 U.S. Nationals, won a 0-0 referees decision over Rulon Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids). The match was a repeat of the 1997 World Team Trials finals where Gardner defeated Pierce in three matches.
The best of three series gets underway on Saturday, June 27 with session I scheduled from 10:00-11:30 a.m. The second session, featuring matches two and if necessary three, will take place from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
The 1998 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Coaches are Joe DeMeo of Niskayuna, N.Y., Dan Mello of Colorado Springs, Colo. and National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo.
1998 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Trials
Grace King Center - Metairie, La., June 26
Mini-Tournament Final Results
54 kg/119 lbs.
1st - Broderick Lee, Tarzana, Calif. (Peninsula) dec. Steven Mays, Pensacola, Fla. (Armed Forces - Navy), 5-2
3rd - Josh Fox, Colorado Springs, Colo. (unattached) dec. Anthony Wilkes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army), 5-4
5th -Jeff Cervone, Meadville, Pa. (Armed Forces - Air Force) dec. Chris Mirabella, Colorado Springs, (NYAC), 5-1
58 kg/127.75 lbs.
1st - Duaine Martin, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces - Marines) dec. Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Air Force), 8-3
3rd - Joe Warren, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC) dec. Dave Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army), 6-5
5th - James Shillow, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces, Marines) dec. Mujaahid Maynard, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces, Army), 10-6
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill. (NYAC) dec. Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army), 6-3
3rd - Jason Tolbert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army) won by inj. def. over Marco Sanchez, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
5th -Brandon McNab, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Curt Onstad, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces - Marines), 5-3
69 kg/152 lbs.
1st - David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) won by ref. dec. over Herb House, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army), 2-0, ot, 8:00
3rd - Heath Sims, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) won by ref. dec. over Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces - Marines), 1-0, ot, 8:00
5th- Mike Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) won by inj. def. over Derek Mountsier, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
76 kg/167.5 lbs.
1st - Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army) dec. Miguel Spencer, Colorado Springs, (Armed Forces - Army), 5-0
3rd - Kevin Vogel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) dec. T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Wildcat WC), 5-1
5th - Keith Wilson, Norman, Okla. (NYAC) won by inj. def. over Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Air Force)
85 kg/187.25 lbs.
1st - Quincey Clark, Eagan, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Ray Brinzer, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC), 9-0
3rd - Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Brad Vering, Howells, Neb. (Sunkist Kids), 8-4
5th - Kenny Owens, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army) dec. Chael Sonnen, Springfield, Ore. (Dave Schultz WC), 5-0, ot, 5:31
97 kg/213.75 lbs.
1st - Dan Hicks, Fredricksburg, Va. (Armed Forces - Marines) dec. Dan Sanchez, New York, N.Y. (NYAC), 9-1
3rd - Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) dec. Randy Couture, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids), 5-2
5th - Rex Holman, Blacklick, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) dec. Greg Gibson, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces - Marines), 3-0
130 kg/286 lbs.
1st - Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm) won by ref. dec. over Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 0-0, ot, 8:00
3rd - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army) pin Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 4:27
5th - Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Air Force) won by inj. def. over Matt Lamb, E. Lansing, Mich. (Michigan St.)
Championship Best of three series
Grace King Center, Saturday, June 27
1998 U.S. National champion vs. Mini-tournament champion
54 kg/119 lbs.
Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) vs. Broderick Lee, Tarzana, Calif. (Peninsula)
58 kg/127.75 lbs.
*James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Duaine Martin, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces - Marines)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (No Limit Soldier) vs. Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill. (NYAC)
69 kg/152 lbs.
Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) vs. David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm)
76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces - Army)
85 kg./187.25 lbs.
Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Quincey Clark, Eaga