U.S. Marines win team title at Armed Forces Greco-Roman Championships

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/28/1998


MARINES WIN 1998 ARMED FORCES GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS; MARTIN, COOPER, HICKS CLAIM DOUBLE TITLES 

With pins in the last two weight classes, the U.S. Marines tied the U.S. Army, 15-15 in their dual meet, and the Marines were awarded the team title at the 1998 Armed Forces Greco-Roman Championships, held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Both the Marines and Army had 2-0-1 records in the tournament, but the Marines won the tie-breaking procedure by scoring more team points in their three dual meets, 64-59. The Army has dominated the Greco-Roman competition at the Armed Forces for a number of years. The U.S. Air Force placed third, and the U.S. Navy was fourth.

In the championship dual meet, with the Army leading 15-7 after six matches, Dan Hicks of the Marines scored a pin over Dominic Black at 213.75 pounds at 1:57. This closed the margin to 15-11.

In the final match, 44-year old Greg Gibson scored a 10-0 technical fall over Jason Lowery at 286 pounds, tying the final score at 15-15 and giving the Marines the team title.

Gibson, a 1984 Olympic silver medalist, was the hero for the Marines, winning a record 22nd career Armed Forces gold medal. Gibson returned to the mats two years ago after a six-year layoff from the sport.

"I was trying to keep my emotions in check, and concentrate on what I had to do," said Gibson. "I'm having fun here. I can lend a hand to the younger wrestlers coming up and get back into wrestling."

Four Marines won individual gold medals: Hicks, Gibson, Duaine Martin at 127.75 pounds and Marcel Cooper at 152 pounds.

Martin, Cooper and Hicks became double champions, after also claiming the Armed Forces freestyle title on Thursday, March 26.

The U.S. Army had two individual champions, Glenn Nieradka at 138.75 pounds and Miguel Spencer at 167.5 pounds. The U.S. Air Force also had a pair of champions, Jeff Cervone at 119 pounds and Aaron Sieracki at 187.25 pounds.

In the overall team race, which combines both freestyle and Greco-Roman, the U.S. Army won the title, with the U.S. Marines placing second. The U.S. Air Force placed third and the U.S. Navy was fourth.

The U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force are stationed in Colorado Springs, Colo., while the U.S. Marines are stationed at Quantico, Va. and the U.S. Navy is stationed at Pensacola, Fla.

1998 ARMED FORCES GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Colorado Springs, Colo., March 28

Greco-Roman Team Standings

1. U.S. Marines, 2-0-1 record, 5 pts. (wins tiebreaker); 2. U.S. Army, 2-0-1 record, 5 pts.; 3. U.S. Air Force, 1-2 record, 2 pts.; 4. U.S. Navy, 0-3 record, 0 pts.

Overall Team Standings (Freestyle and Greco-Roman combined)

1. U.S. Army; 2. U.S. Marines; 3. U.S. Air Force; 4. U.S. Navy

Greco-Roman Dual Meets

U.S. Marines 28, Navy 4

119 - David Laymon (Marines) won by tech. fall over Marcos Jeantete (Navy), 12-0; 127.75 - Steven Mays (Navy) dec. Duaine Martin (Marines), 6-4; 138.75 - Curt Onstad (Marines) pin James Greenwood (Navy), 2:05; 152 - Marcel Cooper (Marines) won by tech. fall over Kurt Kyle (Navy), 10-0; 167.5 - Patrick Owens (Marines) won by tech. fall over Joshua Wiseman (Navy), 10-0; 187.25 - William Carr (Marines) pin Michael McClendon (Navy), 1:13; 213.75 - Dan Hicks (Marines) pin David White (Navy), 3:42; 286 - Greg Gibson (Marines) dec. Eric Job (Navy), 9-5

U.S. Army 17, U.S. Marines 14

119 - Jeff Cervone (Air Force) dec. Anthony Gibbons (Army), 4-3; 127.75 - Dave Nieradka (Army) dec. Jacob Hey (Air Force), 7-2; 138.75 - Glenn Nieradka (Army) dec. Paul Gagich (Air Force), 6-0; 152 - Herb House (Army) won by tech. fall over Steven Woods (Air Force), 11-1; 167.5 - Miguel Spencer (Army) dec. Wes Winterstein (Air Force), 3-1, ot; 187.25 - Aaron Sieracki (Air Force) pin Kenny Owens (Army), 4:25; 213.75 - Dominic Black (Army) dec. Russell Putney (Air Force), 8-0; 286 - Corey Farkas (Air Force) won by tech. fall over Jason Lowery (Army), 11-0

U.S. Army 27, U.S. Navy 4

119 - Gibbons (Army) won by tech. fall over Jeantete (Navy), 10-0; 127.75 - D. Nieradka (Army) dec. Mays (Navy), 3-0, ot; 138.75 - G. Nieradka (Army) pin Greenwood (Navy), 1:00; 152 - House (Army) won by tech. fall over Kyle (Navy), 11-0; 167.5 - Spencer (Army) won by tech. fall over Wiseman (Navy), 12-0; 187.25 - Owens (Army) pin McClendon (Navy), 2:17; 213.75 - Black (Army) won by tech. fall over White (Navy), 11-0; 286 - Job (Navy) won by tech. fall over Lowery (Army), 10-0

U.S. Marines 21, U.S. Air Force 11

119 - Cervone (Air Force) dec. Laymon (Marines), 4-2; 127.75 - Martin (Marines) dec. Hey (Air Force), 10-5; 138.75 - Gagich (Air Force) dec. Onstad (Marines), 6-1; 152 - Cooper (Marines) won by tech. fall over Woods (Air Force), 12-2; 167.5 - Owens (Marines) dec. Winterstein (Air Force), 7-6; 187.25 - Carr (Marines) dec. Sieracki (Air Force), 6-3, ot; 213.75 - Hicks (Marines) dec. Putney (Air Force), 3-2; 286 - Gibson (Marines) won by ref. dec. over Farkas (Air Force), 0-0, ot, 8:00

U.S. Air Force 28, U.S. Navy 5

119 - Cervone (Air Force) dec. Jeantete (Navy), 3-1; 127.75 - Hey (Air Force) won by tech. fall over Mays (Navy), 11-1; 138.75 - Gagich (Air Force) pin Greenwood (Navy), 11-1; 152 - Woods (Air Force) dec. Kyle (Navy), 5-2; 167.5 - Winterstein (Air Force) dec. Wiseman (Navy), 8-3; 187.25 - Sieracki (Air Force) pin McClendon (Navy), 0:48; 213.75 - Putney (Air Force) won by tech. fall over White (Navy), 15-5; 286 - Farkas (Air Force) dec. Job (Navy), 5-0

U.S. Marines 15, U.S. Army 15

119 - Gibbons (Army) dec. Laymon (Marines), 5-2; 127.75 - Martin (Marines) dec. D. Nieradka (Army), 5-3, ot; 138.75 - G. Nieradka (Army) dec. Onstad (Marines), 6-0; 152 - Cooper (Marines) won by ref. dec. over House (Army), 1-0, ot, 8:00; 167.5 - Spencer (Army) won by tech. fall over Owens (Marines), 10-0; 187.25 - Owens (Army) pin Carr (Marines), 0:46; 213.75 - Hicks (Marines) pin Black (Army), 1:57; 286 - Gibson (Marines) won by tech. fall over Lowery (Army), 10-0

Greco-Roman Individual placewinners

54 kg/119 lbs. - Gold - Cervone (Air Force); Silver - Gibbons (Army); Bronze - Laymon (Marines); 4th - Jeantete (Navy)

58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Gold - Martin (Marines); Silver - D. Nieradka (Army); Bronze - Hey (Air Force); 4th - Mays (Navy)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - G. Nieradka (Army); Silver - Gagich (Air Force); Bronze - Onstad (Marines); 4th - Greenwood (Navy)

69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Cooper (Marines); Silver - House (Army); Bronze - Woods (Air Force); 4th - Kyle (Navy)

76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Gold - Spencer (Army); Silver - P. Owens (Marines); Bronze - Winterstein (Air Force); 4th - Wiseman (Navy)

85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Gold - Sieracki (Air Force); Silver - K. Owens (Army); Bronze - Carr (Marines); 4th - McClendon (Navy)

97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Gold - Hicks (Marines); Silver - Black (Army); Bronze - Putney (Air Force); 4th - White (Navy)

130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Gibson (Marines); Silver - Farkas (Air Force); Bronze - Job (Navy); 4th - Lowery (Army)

Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman - Marcel Cooper, Marines, 152 pounds

Outstanding Wrestler in freestyle - Dominic Black, Army, 286 pounds