BONO, BRINZER, MURATA NAMED OUTSTANDING WRESTLERS AT SUNKIST KIDS/ASU INTERNATIONAL OPEN, OCT. 25-26Tempe, Ariz. - Many of the top wrestlers in the United States, along with some talented foreign athletes, competed in men¹s freestyle, men¹s Greco-Roman and women¹s freestyle wrestling at the 13th annual Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open, held at the University Activity Center at Arizona State Univ., Oct. 25-26.
The winners of the Outstanding Wrestler awards were Chris Bono (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) in men¹s freestyle, Ray Brinzer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) in men¹s Greco-Roman and Stephanie Murata (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in women¹s freestyle.
Bono, a 1996 NCAA champion for Iowa State Univ., claimed the 152-pound freestyle title with a 3-1 overtime decision over veteran Terry Steiner (Madison, Wis./Excel). Bono was a 1997 University Nationals freestyle champion.
Brinzer, a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, won the 187.25-pound Greco-Roman title, stopping another resident athlete, Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 5-3 in the finals. Brinzer was a U.S. Nationals runner-up in 1996.
Murata, a two-time U.S. World Team member, stopped 1995 World bronze medalist Vickie Zummo (Hamburg, N.J./New York AC), 6-1 at 112.25 pounds. It was a rematch of the 1997 World Team Trials finals at 123.25 pounds, also won by Murata.
U.S. wrestlers claimed all of the gold medals in the men¹s freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions. In Greco-Roman, two members of the 1997 U.S. World Team claimed titles: Randy Couture (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 213.75 pounds and Rulon Gardner (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds. Gardner placed fifth in the 1997 World Championships, while Couture placed ninth.
Among the other Greco-Roman champions were two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 127.75 pounds, plus 1997 U.S. Nationals champion Miguel Spencer, (Fort Benning, Colo./Armed Forces) at 167.5 pounds.
Other Greco-Roman champions were Lindsay Durlacher (Champaign, Ill./Illini WC) at 119 pounds, Brandon McNab (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 138.75 pounds, and Marcel Cooper (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines) at 152 pounds.
The men¹s freestyle competition featured numerous young athletes, many who are expected to challenge for future U.S. teams. The most successful of the young champions has been Kerry McCoy (State College, Pa./New York AC), who claimed the 286-pound title with a 10-0 technical fall over Brian Keck (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). McCoy was second in the 1997 U.S. Nationals, and is a former Junior World champion.
Veteran Dominic Black (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won the 213.75 pound title, stopping Rex Holman (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids), 5-0 in the finals. Black was a gold medalist at the 1995 World Cup.
Other men¹s freestyle champions were Sheldon Thomas (Clarion, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 119 pounds, Yero Washington (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Bill Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 138.75 pounds, Daryl Weber (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 167.5 pounds and Derek Jones (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 187.25 pounds.
Two U.S. wrestlers claimed gold medals in the women¹s freestyle competition. Joining Murata on champions row was Dominique Smalley (Iowa City, Iowa/UM-Morris), who pinned Tanya Yaunish of Canada in 51 seconds in the finals at 165 pounds. Smalley was second in the 1997 World Team Trials.
Other women¹s freestyle champions were Japanese stars Shoko Yoshimura at 101.25 pounds and Yuka Mitadera at 123.25 pounds, plus Canadian stars Jane Hofweber at 136.5 pounds and Kim Bergey at 149.75 pounds.
Winning the team titles were the Sunkist Kids in men¹s freestyle, the Armed Forces in men¹s Greco-Roman and Japan in the women¹s freestyle competition.
SUNKIST KIDS/ASU INTERNATIONAL OPEN at Tempe, Ariz., Oct. 25-26
Men¹s Freestyle results
54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Sheldon Thomas, Clarion, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 8-7; 3rd - Paul Ragusa (Canada) dec. Sean Kim, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 6-1; 5th - Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Selwyn Tam (Canada), 4-2
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Yero Washington, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Eric Akin, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 9-6; 3rd - Kim Sung Sil (Korea) dec. Tony Purler, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 7-0; 5th - Jeff Bedard, Atlanta, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Kerry Boumans, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC), 4-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Bill Zadick, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye) dec. John Fisher, Ypsilanti, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), 4-1; 3rd - Gerry Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) pinned James Cako (Canada), 2:24; 5th - Troy Steiner, Madison, Wis. (Excel) pinned Russell Friend, Calgary, Canada (Canada), 4:09
69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Chris Bono, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) dec. Terry Steiner, Madison, Wis. (Excel), 3-1, ot; 3rd - Daniel Igali (Canada) dec. John Giura, Philadelphia, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC), 7-5; 5th - David Kjeldgaard, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Excel) won by inj. dft. over Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Daryl Weber, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye) pinned Tony Robie, Edinboro, Pa. (New York AC), 2:17; 3rd - Sean Bormet, Madison, Wis. (Dave Schultz WC) pinned Michael Schyck, Columbus, Ohio (Buckeye WC), 4:01; 5th - Dan Wirnsberger, Charlottesville, Va. (Dave Schultz WC) won by inj. dft.
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - 1st - Derek Jones, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Jon McGovern, Fairfax, Va. (Dave Schultz WC), 4-0. ot; 3rd - Dean Morrison, Morgantown, W.Va. (New York AC) won by ref. dec. over Brandon Slay, Amarillo, Texas (Univ. of Pennsylvania), 2-1, ot, 8:00; 5th - Steve Williams, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Seahorse)
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - 1st - Dominic Black, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Rex Holman, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), 5-0; 3rd - Johnny Curtis, Fairfax, Va. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Chad Lamer, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 12-5; 5th - Danny Faqir, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. John McIntyre, Concord, Calif. (Concord), 9-5
130 kg/286 lbs. - 1st - Kerry McCoy, State College, Pa. (New York AC) won by tech. fall over Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 10-0, 1:49; 3rd - Yogi Johl (Canada) pinned Joseph Starika, Pensacola, Fla. (U.S. Navy), 0:22; 5th - Kevin Schiltz, Charlottesville, Va. (Cavalier)
Outstanding Wrestler - Chris Bono, Sunkist Kids, 152 pounds
Teams - 1. Sunkist Kids, 92 pts.; 2. Dave Schultz WC, 54 pts.; 3. New York AC, 46 pts.; 4. Canada, 40 pts.; 5. Hawkeye WC, 36 pts.; 6. Excel, 26 pts.; 7. Minnesota Storm, 10 pts.; 8. Korea, 8 pts.; 9. (tie) Buckeye WC, Pennsylvania, Armed Forces, 7 pts.; 12. Seahorse, 6 pts.; 13. (tie) Concord, Cavalier, 5 pts.
Men¹s Greco-Roman results
54 kg/119 lbs. - 1st - Lindsay Durlacher, Champaign, Ill. (Illini WC) pin Michael Santos (Armed Forces), 0:46; 3rd - Chris Mirabella, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Anthony Wilkes, Fort Carson, Colo. (Armed Forces), 9-7
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - 1st - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) won by tech. fall over Duaine Martin, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 12-0, 3:58; 3rd - Josh Fox, Colorado Springs, Colo. dec. Corey Robinson (Canada), 11-9; 5th - Anthony Gibbons, Fort Carson, Colo. (Armed Forces)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Brandon McNab, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Keith Idleburg, Fort Carson, Colo. (Armed Forces), 8-6; 3rd - Jason Tolbert, Fort Carson, Colo. (Armed Forces) won by tech. fall over Dave Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Armed Forces), 11-0, 3:40; 5th - Philip Rembert, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
69 kg/152 lbs. - 1st - Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines) won by ref. dec. over Derek Mountsier, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 0-0. ot, 8:00; 3rd - Glen Nieradka, Fort Carson, Colo. (Armed Forces), dec. David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 6-4; 5th - Herb House, Fort Carson, Colo. (Arm