U.S. ATHLETES WIN SEVEN GOLD MEDALS AT 1998 CONCORD CUP INTERNATIONAL OF GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING, MAY 24Athletes from the United States won seven of the eight gold medals at the 1998 Concord Cup International of Greco-Roman wrestling at Mt. Diablo High School in Concord, Calif., May 24.
The Concord Cup is the annual international Greco-Roman tournament held in the United States and traditionally features top athletes from the United States and other nations.
Two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) edged 1995 World silver medalist Hiroshi Kado of Japan in the finals at 119 pounds, 3-2. Sheldon broke a 2-2 tie with the winning takedown late in the match. Sheldon, a 1991 World silver medalist, won his fifth career Concord Cup title.
1998 Pan American Champion James Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) defeated Djamel Aianoui of France in the finals, 4-0. Aianoui was 10th in the 1997 World Championships. Gruenwald was named Outstanding Lightweight Wrestler of the tournament.
Five weight classes featured all-United States finals bouts.
A featured all-American final came at 187.25 pounds, where a pair of 1998 U.S. Nationals champions went to battle. Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) pinned Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) in 1:23. Niebuhr was the 1998 national champion at 187.25 pounds, while Lindland was the 1998 national champion at 167.5 pounds.
Niebuhr's fall in the finals also earned him the Most Falls Award for the championships, with one fall in 1:23.
At 138.75 pounds, Glenn Nieradka (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) defeated Marco Sanchez (Chandler, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), 3-1.
At 152 pounds, 1996 Olympian David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minn. Storm) defeated two-time U.S. Nationals champion Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 3-0. Zuniga, who was fourth in the 1994 World Championships at 136.5 pounds, has moved up to 152 pounds this year.
At 167.5 pounds, 1996 U.S. Nationals champion Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) defeated T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Wildcat WC), 3-0. Dantzler was second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals.
Rulon Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), the 1997 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year, edged Billy Pierce (Minneapolis, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 286 pounds, 1-0 in overtime. Gardner is a two-time U.S. Nationals champion, and placed fifth in the 1997 World Championships.
The lone foreign champion was Mirko Englich of Germany, who defeated 1984 Olympic silver medalist Greg Gibson (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines), 3-0 at 213.75 pounds. Englich, the German Junior and Senior National champion this year, is 20 years old. Gibson, a 1998 Armed Forces champion, is 44 years old. Based upon his achievement, Englich was named Outstanding Heavyweight Wrestler of the tournament.
The United States won the international team title, with 60 points, followed by France with 24 points. Japan was third with 21 points, followed by Germany with 8 points.
The club championship went to the Armed Forces with 47 points, followed by the New York AC with 25 points. The Most Dynamic Match was the 119-pound semifinal bout between Shawn Sheldon of the United States and Salah Belguidoum of France, won by Sheldon 3-0 in overtime.
1998 CONCORD CUP INTERNATIONAL
at Concord, Calif., May 23-24
54 kg/119 lbs.
1st - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Hiroshi Kado, Japan, 3-2
3rd - Masatsune Sasaki, Japan, dec. David Laymon, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 6-0
5th - Jeff Cervone, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
6th - Salah Belguidoum, France
7th - Masihiko Yanagihara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
8th - Juan Cortes, Mexico
58 kg/127.75 lbs. -
1st - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Djamel Ainaoui, France, 4-0
3rd - Makato Sasamoto, Japan, dec. Masato Sakurai, Japan, 4-0
5th - Joe Warren, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC)
6th - Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
7th (tie) - Dave Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) and Mujaahid Maynard, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -
1st - Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Marco Sanchez, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 3-1
3rd - Jason Tolbert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Rafael Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Wildcat), 3-1
5th - Charley Carbaugh, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
6th - Thierry Bastien, France
7th - Curt Onstad, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)
8th - Brandon McNab, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)
69 kg/152 lbs. -
1st - David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 3-0
3rd - Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines) won by ref. dec. over Christian Eyer, France, 4-4, ot, 8:00
5th - Herb House, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
6th - Kevin Bracken, Dekalb, Ill (New York AC)
7th - Masanori Kubo, Japan
8th - Cory Posey, Westfield, N.J. (New York AC)
76 kg/167.5 lbs. -
1st - Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Wildcat WC), 3-0
3rd - Mohammad El Hadad, France, dec. Keith Wilson, Norman, Okla. (New York AC), 3-2, ot, 7:20
5th - Takamitsu Katayama, Japan
6th - Mike Uker, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Hawkeye WC)
7th - William Carr, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)
8th - Patrick Owens, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)
85 kg/187.25 lbs. -
1st - Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) pin Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids), 1:23
3rd - Quincey Clark, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Kenny Owens, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 7-5
5th - Brad Vering, Lincoln, Neb. (Husker WC)
6th - Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
7th - Takashi Sugiura, Japan
8th - Michael McClendon, Pensacola, Fla. (U.S. Navy)
97 kg/213.75 lbs. -
1st - Mirko Englich, Germany, dec. Greg Gibson, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 3-0
3rd - Jason Klohs, Osseo, Minn. (Minn. Storm) won by tech. fall over Brandon Ruiz, Salt Lake City, Utah (Elite), 11-0, 3:15
5th - John McIntyre, Concord, Calif. (CYC)
6th - Jason Gleasman, Boonville, N.Y. (New York AC)
7th - Neal Nutter, Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland State)
130 kg/286 lbs.
1st - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 1-0, ot, 8:00
3rd - Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3-0
5th - Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
Outstanding Lightweight Wrestler - James Gruenwald, United States, 127.75 pounds
Outstanding Heavyweight Wrestler - Mirko Englich, Germany, 213.75 pounds