USA BEATS KOREA, 20-10, IN GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING IN THE NATIONS CUP OPENING BOUT IN COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. 
   
 The United States defeated Korea, 20-10, in a Greco-Roman dual meet, as part of the newly created Nations Cup. The event was held Saturday, May 2 at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. 
  
 The U.S. takes the early lead in the ³home and away² series between the two nations, in the first-round series of this international dual meet championships. 
  
 The  second match of the USA vs. Korea series will be held in Seoul, Korea on May 16. The nations can enter different athletes at each of the dual meets. The winner of the U.S. vs. Korea dual series will face the winner of the Turkey vs. Ukraine first-round dual-series. 
  
 The key win for the U.S. came in the opening match at 119 pounds, when two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) pinned 1996 Olympic champion Sim Kwon-Ho in overtime at 6:27. 
  
 The bout was tied at 0-0 in regulation, and in overtime, Sheldon hit a three-point headlock to pin Sim. Sheldon, a U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) resident athlete, was a 1991 World silver medalist. 
  
 The U.S. won four of the first five matches, and claimed six wins in the dual meet. 
  
 At 127.75 pounds, three-time U.S. Nationals runner-up James Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) scored a solid 6-0 decision over Lee Tae Ho. Gruenwald was a 1998 Pan American champion. 
   
 1996 World Cup champion Kevin Bracken (Dekalb, Ill./New York AC) scored late in the match to edge Kim Eung-Ju at 138.75 pounds. Bracken was a 1997 U.S. Nationals champion. 
  
 Korea won its first match of the day at 152 pounds, where 1997 World Champion Son Sang-Pil scored a 12-1 technical fall over Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). 
  
 T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Wildcat) came back with a 4-3 overtime win over In Tae-Jung at 167.5 pounds. The bout was tied at 3-3 in regulation, and Dantzler scored the winning point just 15 seconds into overtime. Dantzler was second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals. 
   
 Korea won the next bout, but the U.S. clinched the win when Dave Surofcheck (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC) defeated Park Woo, 6-0 at 213.75 pounds. Surofcheck was the 1998 U.S. Nationals runner-up. 
   
 Rulon Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) battled off his back early in the bout, and scored a 9-3 decision over Yang Young-Jin at 286 pounds. Yang hit a headlock and almost pinned Gardner, who came back with nine unanswered points. Gardner was fifth in 1997 World Championships. 
   
 ³The guys wrestled well,² said U.S. head coach Rich Estrella. ³They came prepared to wrestle in dual meet format. This is the kind of meet the United States does well at. It shows the world we can compete.² 
   
 This new event features eight of the best wrestling nations in the world. In an eight team bracket, the teams will have a ³home-and-away² series to determine which team moves on to the next round. The event is also known as the 1998 Greco-Roman World Team Championships. 
  
 THE NATION¹S CUP 
  
 USA 20, KOREA 10 
  
 at Colorado Springs, Colo., May 2 
  
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo., pin Sim Kwon-Ho, Korea, ot, 6:27 
  
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo.  dec. Lee Tae-Ho, Korea, 6-0 
  
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, Dekalb, Ill., dec. Kim Eung-Ju, Korea, 3-2 
  
 69 kg/152 lbs. - Son Sang-Pil, Korea, won by tech. fall over Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo., 12-1, 2:32 
  
 76 kg/167.5 lbs.  -  T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. dec. In Tae-Jung, Korea, 4-3, ot, 5:15 
  
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Park Myung-Suk, Korea, dec. Quincey Clark, Eagan, Minn., 4-0 
  
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Park Woo, Korea, 6-0 
  
 130 kg/286 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., dec. Yang Young-Jin, Korea, 9-3 
  
 Bout Two of the First-Round Series will be held in Seoul, Korea, May 16.