WORLD FINALISTS KOLAT, GUTCHES QUALIFY FOR U.S. TEAM AT FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS IN WATERLOO, IOWA, JUNE 13Two U.S. wrestlers who claimed medals at the 1997 World Championships will again represent the United States at the 1998 World Championships after claiming victories at the Freestyle World Team Trials at Young Arena in Waterloo, Iowa, June 13.
Claiming victories were 1997 World Champion Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pounds and 1997 World silver medalist Cary Kolat (Lock Haven, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 138.75 pounds.
A best-of-three series was held at each of the eight weight classes. The winners from the World Team Trials qualified for the U.S. team at the 1998 World Freestyle Championships in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 8-11. In addition, the champions will also compete on the U.S. team at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, N.Y., July 25-26. Gutches defeated Barry Weldon (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), 4-0 and 5-0. Gutches, who was seventh at the 1996 Olympic Games, has been the No. 1 wrestler in the nation for three straight years.
Kolat defeated 1998 U.S. Nationals champion Shawn Charles (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids), 4-2 and 4-2, in overtime at 5:25. Kolat, who was injured and could not compete in the 1998 U.S. Nationals, had to win a Mini-Tournament on Friday to qualify for the finals series.
The most experienced winner was 1993 World Champion Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds. He beat J.J. McGrew (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids), 6-0 and 3-1. Douglas has won four career World medals and was seventh in the 1996 Olympic Games.
Making his second straight U.S. World team was Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway), who defeated Chris Bono (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) in two straight bouts, 5-1 and 3-1 at 152 pounds. McIlravy has won two straight U.S. Nationals titles, and is undefeated in 1998. He and Bono have a long rivalry, starting in youth programs, through college and into international events. McIlravy has never lost to Bono.
Also going to the World Championships for the second straight time is Tony Purler (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids), who needed three matches to defeat Yero Washington (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds. Washington won the first match, 12-9, but Purler bounced back with a 9-2 victory in bout two and the third bout in a dominant 11-0 technical fall at 2:28. Purler went to the 1997 World Championships, replacing the injured Terry Brands, and placed 10th in the World. Three athletes qualified for their first U.S. World Team, Sam Henson (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 119 pounds, Steve Marianetti (Urbana, Ill./New York AC) at 167.5 pounds and Kerry McCoy (State College, Pa./New York AC) at 286 pounds.
Henson, the 1998 U.S. Nationals champion, defeated Eric Akin (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye), 3-2 and 3-1 in overtime at 6:16.
Marianetti needed three matches to defeat veteran Rob Koll (Ithaca, N.Y./Team Excel). Marianetti won the first match, 3-1, but lost in the second bout, 3-2 in overtime at 7:19. In the deciding third match, Marianetti scored the winning takedown in overtime, to win 3-2 at 7:16. Koll defeated Marianetti in a three-match series in the 1997 World Team Trials.
McCoy stopped Tom Erikson (W. Lafayette, Ind./Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds. Trailing in the first match, McCoy scored three points in the closing seconds for a 6-4 win. Erikson injured his ankle severely in the match, and was unable to wrestle in the second bout, losing by injury default. The U.S. Nationals champion Tolly Thompson (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) was unable to compete this weekend due to a severe knee injury.
The U.S. team will conduct training camps in Colorado Springs, Colo. and Italy, prior to going to Iran for the World Championships. The head coach of the U.S. team will be John Smith (Stillwater, Okla.) and the assistant coach is Donnie McPherson (Portland, Ore.)
FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS at Young Arena, Waterloo, Iowa, June 13
Championship series
(Best-of-three series) 54 kg/119 lbs. - Sam Henson, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Eric Akin, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye), 3-2 and 3-1, ot, 6:16. (Henson wins series, 2 matches to 0)
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Tony Purler, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Yero Washington, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids); lost 9-12, won 9-2 and won by tech. fall, 11-0 at 2:28 (Purler wins series, 2 matches to 1)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Shawn Charles, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 4-2 and 4-2, ot, 5:25 (Kolat wins series, 2 matches to 0)
69 kg/152 lbs. - Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa (Gateway) dec. Chris Bono, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 5-1 and 3-1 (McIlravy wins series, 2 matches to 0)
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Steve Marianetti, Urbana, Ill. (New York AC) dec. Rob Koll, Ithaca, N.Y. (Team Excel), 3-1, lost 2-3 in ot, 7:19 and won 3-2, ot, 7:16 (Marianetti wins series, 2 matches to 1)
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Barry Weldon, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 4-0 and 5-0 (Gutches wins series, 2 matches 0)
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. J.J. McGrew, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 6-0 and 3-1 (Douglas wins series, 2 matches to 0)
130 kg/286 lbs. - Kerry McCoy, State College, Pa. (NYAC) dec. Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind. (Sunkist Kids), 6-4 and by injury default, 0:00 (McCoy wins series, 2 matches to 0)
National Team Wrestle-offs
When the second place and third place finishers in Friday+s Mini-Tournament did not meet, a wrestle-off is held for a -true second place.+ The winner of this match wins the No. 3 national ranking for 1998-99, and qualifies for Freestyle Team USA.
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, San Jose, Calif. (Cowboy) dec. Jeff Bedard, Atlanta, Ga. (Sunkist Kids), 8-6, ot, 5:26
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - T.J. Jaworsky, Chapel Hill, N.C. (New York AC) dec. John Fisher, Ypsilanti, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 8-3
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Dan St. John, Tulsa, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tony Robie, Edinboro, Pa. (New York AC), 8-7. ot, 7:07
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Jon McGovern, Burke, Va. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Derek Jones, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 3-2, ot, 7:03
130 kg/286 lbs. - Airron Richardson, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen) dec. Justin Greenlee, Ames, Iowa (New York AC), 7-0