1998 CONCORD CUP INTERNATIONAL TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE BEST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLERS IN THE WORLD, MAY 23-24
Many of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the United States and the world will converge in Concord, Calif. to participate in the 1998 Concord Cup International at Mt. Diablo High School, May 23-24.
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.
Countries that have confirmed participation include the United States, Belarus, France, Mexico and Japan. Nations that may participate are Canada, Kazakhstan and Cuba.
Belarus will send a strong team to competition, including a number of World medalists. Among the athletes on the preliminary roster are 1996 Olympic silver medalists Alexander Pavlov at 119 pounds and Sergei Lishtvan at 213.75 pounds. other stars include 1997 World silver medalist Anatoli Federenko at 213.75 pounds and 1997 Junior World Champion Alexander Shishko at 167.5 pounds.
France features a number of top talents, including Christian Eyer, who was sixth in the 1997 World Championships at 152 pounds and Djamel Ainaoui, who was 10th in the 1997 World Championships at 127.75 pounds.
Top Japanese stars include 1997 Asian champion Takamitsu Katayama at 167.5 pounds and 1995 World silver medalist Hiroshi Kado at 119 pounds.
Among the top athletes on the Mexico team are former Pan American silver medalists Juan Cortez Lazcano at 119 pounds, Armando Fernandez Garcia at 127.75 pounds and Rodolpho Hernandez Vasquez at 167.5 pounds.
USA Wrestling will send a team of over 30 top athletes, featuring stars from the 1998 U.S. National Championships and the 1998 University National Championships.
Seven of the eight 1998 U.S. Nationals champions will participate, led by 1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids) at 127.25 pounds. Hall was a 1995 World Champion and won a bronze medal at the 1994 World Championships.
Nine-time U.S. Nationals champion Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will compete at 119 pounds. Sheldon was a member of the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic teams.
Four-time U.S. Nationals champion Shon Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo./No Limit Soldier) will wrestle at 138.75 pounds. Lewis, who was second in the 1996 Olympic Trials, attended nearby Auburn Placer High School.
Other 1998 U.S. Nationals champions on the U.S. team are Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 152 pounds, Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 167.5 pounds, Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pounds and Jason Klohs (Osseo, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 213.75 pounds.
Rulon Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), the 1997 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year, will participate at 286 pounds.
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The competition gets underway on Saturday, May 23. Session I runs from 9:00 am - 12:30 p.m., and Session II is from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
The competition continues on Sunday, May 24 with Session III set from 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., and Session IV from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Ticket prices are $10 per day for adults, and $2 per day for children.
Preceding the tournament is the Gold Medal Challenge which will take place on Thursday, May 21 at the Concord Hilton at 7:00 p.m. The Gold Medal Challenge features top wrestlers from the United States and the other participating countries wrestling against each other in challenge bouts. Many of these bouts feature World and Olympic medalists. The Gold Medal Challenge event is very popular with the fans each year. The lineup will be announced, when available. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, and $2 for children.
In addition, three dual meets will be held between U.S. wrestlers and foreign teams on Wednesday, May 20. A USA vs. Cuba dual meet will be held at Alhambra High School in Martinez, Calif. A USA vs. Japan dual meet is set for San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Calif. In addition, a combined Japan/France team will battle the USA at Liberty High School in Brentwood
Team USA athletes at the Concord Cup
119 - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Jeff Cervone, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Steve Mays, Pensacola, Fla.; Josh Fox, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Mark Yanagihara, Colorado Springs, Colo.
127.75 - Dennis Hall, Plover, Wis.; Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Duaine Martin, Quantico, Va.; Joe Warren, Grand Rapids, Mich.; James Shillow, Quantico, Va.
138.75 - Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill.; Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Curt Onstad, Quantico, Va.; Brandon McNab, Colorado Springs, Colo.
152 - Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Herb House, Colorado Springs, Colo.; David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn.; Mike Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Cory Posey, Westfield, N.J.;
167.5 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb.; T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Mike Uker, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Tom Ciezki, Evanston, Ill.
187.25 - Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ken Owens, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Quincey Clark, New Brighton, Minn.; Brad Vering, Lincoln, Neb.; Dan Henderson, Huntington Beach, Calif.
213.75 - Jason Klohs, Osseo, Minn.; Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Jason Gleasman, Boonville, N.Y.; Neal Nutter, Cleveland, Ohio.
286 - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz.; Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn.; Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coaches - Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Dan Mello, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Rodney Smith, Morrow, Ga.; Anatoly Petrosyan, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ivan Ivanov, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Belarus tentative lineup
119 - Farkhad Mageramov, Alexander Pavlov; 127.75 - Igor Petrenko, Yuri Khrabov; 138.75 - Pavel Panysh, Sergei Zherdetski; 152 - Vladimir Kopytov, Vitalu Zhouk; 167.5 - Anrei Batoura, Alexander Shishko; 187.25 - Alexander Pokalo, Alexander Sidorenko; 213.75 - Sergei Lishtvan, Anatoli Federenko; 286 - Sergei Silitch, Dimitri Debelka
France tentative lineup
119 - Salah Belguidoum; 127.75 - Djamel Ainaoui; 138.75 - Thierry Bastien; 152 - Christian Eyer; 167.5 - Mohammad El Hadad
Japan tentative lineup
119 - Hiroshi Kado, Masatsune Sasaki; 127.75 - Masato Sakurai, Makato Sasamoto; 138.75 - Teto Nishida, Ryoichi Isida; 152 - Yawara Saito, Masanori Kubo; 167.5 - Takamitsu Katayama; 187.25 - Hideakazu Yokoyama, Takashi Sugiura
Mexico tentative lineup
119 - Juan Cortez Lazcano, Alejandro Aguilar Zermeno; 127.75 - Armando Fernandez Garcia; 138.75 - Alberto Franco; 152 - Wilder Utrera Salinas; 167.5 - Rodolpho Hernandez Vasquez, Alejandro Matias Biaz; 213.75 - Jose Alberto Rodriguez