MARIANETTI, THOMPSON WIN GOLD MEDALS AT 1998 PAN AMERICAN FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WINNIPEG, CANADATwo U.S. wrestlers won gold-medal finals at the 1998 Pan American Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Steve Marianetti (Champaign, Ill./New York AC) at 167.5 pounds and Tolly Thompson (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds.
Marianetti defeated Daniel Gonzales of Cuba, 3-0 in the gold medal finals. It was his first Pan American Championships medal. Marianetti is currently ranked No. 3 in the United States.
Thompson edged 1997 World silver medalist Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba, 5-4, to claim the title. It was his first Pan American freestyle title, to go along with a silver medal in Greco-Roman in 1993. Thompson holds a No. 2 ranking in the United States.
Three U.S. wrestlers were silver medalists: 1996 Olympian Lou Rosselli (Edinboro, Pa./NYAC) at 119 pounds, plus John Giura (New York, N.Y./Dave Schultz WC) at 152 pounds and Dean Morrison (Morgantown, W. Va./NYAC) at 187.25 pounds. All three of these wrestlers are ranked No. 3 in the United States.
Rosselli was defeated in the gold-medal finals by 1997 World Champion Wilfredo Garcia of Cuba, 3-0. It was Rosselli's first Pan American medal.
Giura was stopped in the finals by Yosmany Sanchez of Cuba, 5-1. Sanchez claimed the Pan American title for the second straight year. Giura has won three career Pan American medals.
Morrison fell to Joel Romero of Cuba, 3-1, claiming his first Pan American medal.
Winning bronze medals for the United States were John Fisher (Ypsilanti, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 138.75 pounds and Joel Sharratt (Bethlehem, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 213.75 pounds.
Fisher pinned Fernando Henriquez Tavaras of the Dominican Republic in 4:14 in a consolation bout to qualify for the bronze medal match. He pinned Jose Paico of Peru in 3:53 to place third.
Sharratt pinned Arnulfo Hernandez of Colombia in 3:12 in the bronze medal bout.
Eric Albarracin (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) placed fourth at 127.75 pounds, losing to Adrian Wooley of Canada in a 2-0 overtime match. Albarracin was competing up one weight class from his normal 119 pounds.
National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Keith Mourlam of Blacksburg, Va. coached the freestyle team.
Cuba won the team title, led by five champions, and the United States placed second with two champions.
The 1998 Pan American Championships were used as the qualifying tournament for the 1999 Pan American Games that will also be held in Winnipeg.
1998 PAN AMERICAN FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS at Winnipeg, Canada, March 28
Medal matches
54 kg/119 lbs. - Gold - Wilfredo Garcia, Cuba, dec. Lou Rosselli, Edinboro, Pa., 6-1; Bronze - Paul Ragusa, Canada, dec. Arnel Kernizian, Puerto Rico, 3-1, ot
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Gold - Gilbert Joendry, Cuba, won by tech. fall over Javier Sanchez, Mexico, 10-0; Bronze - Adrian Wooley, Canada, won by ref. dec. over Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-0, ot, 8:00
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Marty Calder, Canada, dec. Carlos Ortiz, Cuba, 3-0; 3rd - John Fisher, Ypsilanti, Mich., pin Jose Paico, Peru, 3:53
69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Yosmany Sanchez, Cuba, dec. John Giura, New York, N.Y., 5-1; 3rd - Edison Hertado, Colombia, dec. Robert Betz, Canada, 9-6, ot
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Gold - Steve Marianetti, Champaign, Ill., dec. Daniel Gonzales, Cuba, 3-0; 3rd - Kakha Verkviachvili, Canada, won by tech. fall over Felipe Guzman, Mexico, 10-0
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Gold - Joel Romero, Cuba, dec. Dean Morrison, Morgantown, W.Va., 3-1; Bronze - Justin Abdou, Canada, won by forfeit over Alberic Colon, Puerto Rico
97 kg/213.75 lbs - Gold - Wilfredo Morales, Cuba, dec. Owen Dawkins, Canada, 6-1; 3rd - Joel Sharratt, Bethlehem, Pa., pin Arnulfo Hernandez, Colombia, 3:12
130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Tolly Thompson, Lincoln, Neb., dec. Alexis Rodriguez, Cuba, 5-4; 3rd - Yogi Johl, Canada, won by tech. fall over Alfredo Far, Panama, 10-0
Consolation preliminary
63 kg/138.75 - John Fisher, Ypsilanti, Mich., pin Fernando Henriquez Tavaras, Dominican Rep., 4:14