The 1998 U.S. National Wrestling Championships featured some outstanding performances by veteran wrestlers, along with a number of strong efforts by exciting young athletes. 
 A highlight match in freestyle came at 187.25 pounds. 1997 World Champion Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) beat his archrival, 1992 Olympic Champion Kevin Jackson  (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in the national finals for the third straight year. Gutches scored a 4-0 overtime victory, at the 5:59 mark. 
 Gutches scored a two-point gut wrench turn in regulation, but did not have the mandatory three points to end the match. In overtime, Jackson executed a leg attack, but Gutches scored a two-point counter tilt in for the victory. Gutches was named Outstanding Wrestler for his impressive effort. 
 In Greco-Roman, 1996 Olympic silver medalist Matt Ghaffari (Avon Lake, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) made a successful return to the mats, claiming the 286-pound title over 1997 U.S. Nationals champion Rulon Gardner (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids). Ghaffari scored the only points on a gut wrench turn, for a 2-0 overtime referee's decision. It was his sixth career U.S. Nationals title. 
 It was Ghaffari's first competition since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., where he placed second to three-time Olympic Champion Alexander Karelin of Russia. Ghaffari was one of the most recognizable athletes from the Atlanta Games. 
 The women's tournament was headlined by two-time World Champion Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), who extended her national record to eight career U.S. Women's Nationals titles, by defeating Julie Gonzales (Vallejo, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers), by technical fall, 10-0 in 1:50. 
 Saunders missed the 1997 season, due to a severe knee injury and pregnancy with her second child. She has never lost a match at the U.S. National Championships. 
 The freestyle competition was dominated by young athletes who should be top hopefuls for the 2000 Olympic team. 
 Claiming his second straight U.S. Nationals title was Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway 2000), who defeated Terry Steiner (Madison, Wis./Team Excel),  4-0 at 152 pounds. McIlravy, who competed in the 1997 World Championships, was a college teammate of Steiner's at the Univ. of Iowa. 
 Five wrestlers won their first career U.S. Nationals titles with victories on Sunday. They included Sam Henson (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 119 pounds, Tony Purler (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Shawn Charles (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 138.75 pounds, Steve Marianetti (Urbana, Ill./New York AC) at 167.5 pounds and Tolly Thompson (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds. 
 Henson defeated 1996 Olympic team member Lou Rosselli (Edinboro, Pa./New York AC), in a competitive 3-2 bout. It was Henson's first U.S. Nationals freestyle title, to go along with a U.S. Nationals Greco-Roman title in 1990. 
 Purler used his wide open style to defeat Yero Washington (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids), 8-4. Purler and Henson are workout partners and were friends growing up in Missouri. 
 Charles scored clutch points late in the match to defeate Troy Steiner (Madison, Wis./Team Excel), 4-2 in the finals. 
 Marianetti controlled the action in a 6-0 decision over Daryl Weber (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye). 
 Thompson shocked defending national champion Tom Erikson (W. Lafayette, Ind./Sunkist Kids), countering a throw and scoring a pin in just 20 seconds.  
 One of the top veterans was Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), who won his seventh career U.S. Nationals title. He stopped Mike Van Arsdale (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in 0-0, overtime referee's decision. It was a rematch of the 1996 Olympic Trials finals, won by Douglas. 
 In Greco-Roman, 1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids) won his sixth career national title, stopping long-time rival James Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) in the finals at 127.75 pounds, by a 5-0 margin. Hall, a 1995 World Champion, edged Gruenwald in the 1997 finals in the last seconds. Their rivalry goes back to their high school days in Wisconsin. 
 Shawn Sheldon won his ninth career U.S. Nationals title, with a 9-0 decision over Jeff Cervone (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces) at 119 pounds. Sheldon was a member of the 1988 and 1992 Olympic teams, and was a 1991 World silver medalist. 
 Winning his fourth career national title was Shon Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo./No Limit Soldier)  who beat defending national champion Kevin Bracken (Dekalb, Ill./New York AC), 5-1 in the finals at 138.75 pounds. 
 Claiming their second career national titles were Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 152 pounds and Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 167.25 pounds. 
 Saba stopped Herb House (Colorado Springs, Colo./Armed Forces), 5-2 in the gold-medal finals. Lindland stopped T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Wildcat), 3-0, in overtime at 5:38. 
 Winning the Outstanding Wrestler award was first-time champion Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who won the 187.25 pound title, with a 3-0 overtime win against Ethan Bosch (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). Niebuhr has been competing on the national level for almost a decade. 
 Another first time champion was Jason Klohs (Osseo, Minn./Minnesota Storm), who won a 0-0 overtime referee's decision over Dave Surofchek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC) at 213.75 pounds. 
 In a battle of 1997 Women's World silver medalists, Kristie Stenglein (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) defeated Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz), 4-1 at 165.25 pounds. Bacher moved up in weight class from her normal 149.75 pounds to challenge Stenglein. Both athletes are also world-class judo athletes. This was the first time in their career in either sport that Stenglein has beaten Bacher. 
 The Outstanding Wrestler in the women's event was Jackie Berube (Evanston, Ill./Wildcat), who scored a 13-3 technical fall over Malissa Sherwood (Granite Bay, Calif./Dave Schultz WC), at 3:25 at 123.25 pounds. It was her first U.S. Nationals title. 
 Claiming her fourth U.S. Nationals title was Lauren Wolfe (Okemos, Mich./Michigan WC), who stopped Satrinina Vernon (Rodeo, Calif./UM-Morris), 3-2 at 149.75 pounds. 
 Winning the U.S. Nationals for the third straight year was Stephanie Murata (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), who beat Patricia Miranda (Stanford, Calif./Dave Schultz WC), 6-0 in the finals. 
 Jimi-Dawn Hornbuckle (Lawrence, Kan./Dave Schultz WC) won her first national title, stopping Olga Lara (Daly City, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers), 4-0 at 136.5 pounds. 
 In freestyle, the Div. I team champions were the Sunkist Kids, and the Div. II team champions was the New York Athletic Club. In Greco-Roman, the Armed Forces won the Div. I team title, and the Sunkist Kids claimed the Div. II team title. The women's tournament was won by the Univ. of Minnesota at Morris, which edged the Dave Schultz WC by one point. 
  1998 U.S. NATIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 
 at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., April 25-26 
 Freestyle Results 
 54 kg/119 lbs. 
 1st - Sam Henson, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Lou Rosselli, Edinboro, Pa. (New York AC), 3-2  
 3rd - Eric Akin, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye) dec. Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 10-3 
 5th - Jeff Prescott, State College, Pa. (New York AC) won by inj. dft. over Sheldon Thomas, Clarion, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC) 
 7th - Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Jesse West, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone), 4-0, ot 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. 
 1st - Tony Purler, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Yero Washington, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 8-4  
 3rd - Eric Guerrero, San Jose, Calif. (Cowboy) dec. Chris Bollin, Colorado Springs, Colo., (Sunkist Kids), 4-1 
 5th - Jeff Bedard, Atlanta, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Danny Felix, Phoenix, Ariz. ( Sunkist Kids),  4-1 
 7th - Kerry Boumans, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  won by inj. dft. over Duaine Martin, Quantico, Va. (Armed Forces) 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs.  
 1st -  Shawn Charles, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids) dec.