1997 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team member Rulon Gardner (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) turned in the top performance at the 1998 Colorado Open by defeating two-time Olympic champion Andrzej Wronski of Poland 4-1 in the final match of the tournament to claim the 286 pound Greco-Roman title. 
 The 1998 Colorado Open, featuring senior-level international competition in freestyle and Greco-Roman, was held Feb. 14-15 at the Field Post House on the Fort Carson Army Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. 
 Gardner, who finished fifth in the 1997 World Championships, controlled the match scoring a pair of takedowns and keeping Wronski on the defensive. Wronski claimed Olympic titles in 1988 and 1996 and placed third in the 1997 World Championships. 
 The tournament offered athletes a quality competition prior to the start of the new international season. Athletes from the USA, Canada, Georgia, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia and Switzerland competed. 
 The United States was well represented in both styles, winning five of the eight weight classes in freestyle and four of eight titles in Greco-Roman. 
 Claiming freestyle titles were Eric Albarracin (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 119 pounds, Yero Washington (Clovis, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Allan Fried (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 138.75 pounds, Barry Weldon (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone WC) at 187.25 pounds and Rex Holman (Blacklick, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds. 
 Albarracin, the 1997 Pan American silver medalist, scored a 3-0 decision over Vadim Khalitov of Russia to win the 119 pound title. Albarracin is a member of the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC) Freestyle Resident Athlete Program. 
 Washington, ranked fourth in the U.S., scored an impressive 11-0 win over Mike Mena of the Hawkeye WC to win the 127.75 pound title. Washington, a two-time NCAA All-American for Fresno St., placed fourth in the 1997 U.S. Nationals. 
 Fried, ranked fourth in the U.S., scored an 8-0 decision over fifth ranked Troy Steiner of Team Excel to claim the 138.75 pound title. Fried, a 1994 NCAA champion for Oklahoma St. Univ., placed sixth in the 1997 U.S. Nationals. 
 Weldon, the 1997 NCAA champion for Iowa St. Univ., defeated Reese Andy, 3-0 for the 187.25 pound title. Weldon is currently unranked in the U.S. 
 Holman, ranked fourth in the U.S., defeated Greg Edgelow of Canada, 5-0 to take the 213.75 lb. title. Holman, a 1993 NCAA champion for Ohio St., placed third in the 1997 U.S. Nationals. 
 U.S. Greco-Roman champions included Dave Nieradka (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 127.75 pounds, Miguel Spencer (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 167.5 pounds, Ethan Bosch (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 187.25 pounds and Gardner at 286 pounds. 
 Nieradka, who is currently unranked, scored a big upset with a 3-2 decision over two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC). Nieradka, who wrestles for the U.S. Army, is the twin brother of Glenn Nieradka who claimed the silver medal at 138.75 pounds. 
 Spencer, the 1997 U.S. National champion at 167.5 lbs., scored a 5-1 decision over Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) to claim the 167.5 pound title. Saba, the 1997 U.S. National champion and top ranked wrestler at 152 pounds, moved up a weight class for this competition. 
 Bosch, ranked sixth in the U.S., claimed a huge win with an impressive 3-2 win over Letki Marcin of Poland to win the 187.25 pound title. Bosch hit a huge three-point throw to secure the win. Marcin is Poland's top athlete at this weight. 
 The Colorado Open was used by FILA, the international governing body for amateur wrestling, as a test tournament for proposed rule changes that may be adopted prior to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. 
  1998 Colorado Open 
 Fort Carson, Colo., February 14-15 
  Freestyle Final Results 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs (Sunkist Kids) dec. Vadim Khalitov, Russia, 3-0; 3rd - Selwyn Tam, Canada dec. Justin Weber, USA, 4-0 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Yero Washington, Clovis, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Mike Mena, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 11-0; 3rd - Kerry Boumans, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Karim Souri, Canada, 8-1 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Allan Fried, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) dec. Troy Steiner, Madison, Wis. (Team Excel), 8-0; 3rd - Rob Smyth, Canada won by inj. def. over Gerry Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Steve Rose, Canada dec. Ramico Blackmon, USA, 11-0; 3rd - Celso DeAndra (Team Excel) dec. John Morello, USA, 19-4 
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Christopher Feyer, Switzerland dec. Darryl Weber, USA, 4-3; 3rd - Charles Burton, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Nicholas Ugoalah, Canada, 4-1 
 85kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Barry Weldon, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone WC) dec. Reese Andy, USA, 3-0; 3rd - Justin Abdou, Canada dec. Biff Jones, USA, 19-1 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Rex Holman, Blacklick, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) dec. Greg Edgelow, Canada, 5-0; 3rd - Johnny Curtis, (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Rolf Scherer, Switzerland, 10-2 
 130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - Oleg Knorpiakov, Russia dec. Mamuka Perlashvilli, Georgia, 7-0; 3rd - Silvio Ruefenacht, Switzerland dec. David Dogladze, Georgia 
  Greco-Roman Final Results 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Dariusz Jablonski, Poland dec. Piotr Jablonski, Poland; 3rd - Anthony Wilkes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) won by criteria over Mark Yanagihara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Dave Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 3-2; Charley Carbaugh, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) won by criteria over Joel Stearns, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Wtodzimierz Zawadski, Poland won by criteria over Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army); 3rd - Jason Tolbert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Victor Castellanos, Mexico, 3-0 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Jery Szeibinger, Poland dec. Herb House, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3-0; 3rd - Mike Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) dec. Raphael Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5-2 
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Miguel Spencer, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 5-1; 3rd - Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Mike Uker, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Hawkeye WC), 5-2 
 85kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Letki Marcin, Poland, 3-2; 3rd - Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Kevin Vogel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC), 4-0 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Fatinski Toicek, Poland dec. Marek Sitnik, Poland, 3-2; 3rd - Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) dec. Chad Love, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 17-2 
 130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - Rulon Gardner, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Andrezej Wronski, Poland, 4-1; 3rd - Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) dec. Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 3-1