U.S. TEAM PLACES SEVENTH IN WORLD MILITARY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING IN OSTIA, ITALY, OCTOBER 17-18The United States placed seventh as a team at the 1997 CISM World Military Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships, held in Ostia, Italy, October 17-18.
The top U.S. place finisher was Nate Jackson of the U.S. Navy, who placed fourth at 76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Jackson lost twice by technical fall to Germany's Erik Hahn, who was fourth in the 1996 Olympic Games. Hahn defeated Jackson in the opening round, but Jackson rebounded with a 5-0 decision over Mohamed Alkeh of Syria. In the bronze medal match, Hahn scored an 11-0 victory over Jackson in 1:12.
Two members of the U.S. Army team placed fifth in their weight classes, Shon Lewis at 69 kg/152 lbs. and Kenny Owens at 85 kg/187.25 lbs.
Lewis won three matches, the most of any U.S. athlete in the tournament. He opened by pinning Jehia Aljob of Syria in 2:41, then dropped a 3-1 overtime decision to Altay Mahmut of Turkey.
In the consolation rounds, Lewis beat Hirt Volker of Germany, 4-1, then lost by pin to Grigori Pulaev of Uzbekistan, at 2:14. In the fifth-place match, Lewis won by referee's decision over Aljob, 1-0 in overtime. Lewis was competing one weight class above his normal 138.75 weight division.
Owens also opened up with an impressive victory, scoring a technical fall over Tilt Tartlan of Estonia, 10-0, at 4:30. Owens dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime decision to Marko Vorpela of Finland at 7:25.
In the consolation rounds, Owens lost a 1-1 referee's decision to Alexander Vetchickanin of Ukraine, then won the fifth-place match by injury default over Jamshidi Berouz of Iran.
Although the other five U.S. wrestlers did not place in the top six of their weight classes, all were able to place in the top 10 and scored team points for the United States.
Dustin Waugh of the U.S. Navy was seventh at 54 kg/119 lbs., Dan Hicks of the U.S. Marines was eighth at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. and Matt Lamb of the U.S. Navy was eighth at 130 kg/286 lbs. In addition, Jason Tolbert of the U.S. Army was ninth at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Duaine Martin of the U.S. Marines was 10th at 58 kg/127.75 lbs.
Russia, with three individual champions, won the team title with 67 points. Turkey was second with 60 points, followed by Ukraine with 53 points. Syria, Germany and Uzbekistan rounded out the top six nations. Thirteen nations entered the tournament.
Rob Hermann, the head coach of the U.S. Navy team, served as the team's head coach, and Derrick Waldroup, the head coach of the U.S. Army team, served as the assistant coach. Hermann concentrated on the freestyle team, while Waldroup, a 1996 Olympian, worked with the Greco-Roman athletes.
The USA placed sixth in the freestyle competition, which was held Oct. 15-16.
The qualifying event for the U.S. team at the tournament was the 1997 Armed Forces Championships, which was held at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., March 20 and 22.
The U.S. Army team is based at Fort Carson, Colo. The U.S. Marine Corps team is based in Quantico, Va. The U.S. Navy team is based in Pensacola, Fla. and the U.S. Air Force team is based at Peterson AFB in Colo.
CISM WORLD MILITARY GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Ostia, Italy, October 17-18
U.S. Greco-Roman team results
54 kg/119 lbs. - Dustin Waugh (U.S. Navy), 7th - lost by tech. fall to Boris Ambarchumov (Russia), 11-0, 4:40; pin Andrea DeAngelis (Italy), 4:35; lost dec. to Harri Harjula (Finland), 4-2
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Duaine Martin (U.S. Marines), 10th - lost by tech. fall to Dundar Erkan (Turkey), 11-0, 5:00; lost dec. to Pasi Huntala (Finland), 5-1
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Jason Tolbert (U.S. Army), 9th - lost by tech. fall to Emik Bunjamin (Turkey), 11-0. 1:54; lost dec. to Marko Kruusman (Estonia), 4-0
69 kg/152 lbs. - Shon Lewis (U.S. Army), 5th - pin Jehia Aljob (Syria), 2:41; lost dec. to Altay Mahmut (Turkey), 3-1, ot, 7:30; dec. Hirt Volker (Germany), 4-1; lost by pin to Grigori Pulaev (Uzbekistan), 2:14; won by ref. dec. over Jehia Aljob (Syria), 1-0, ot, 8:00
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Nate Jackson (U.S. Navy), 4th - lost by tech. fall to Erik Hahn (Germany), 10-0, 1:00; dec. Mohamed Alkeh (Syria), 5-0; lost by tech. fall to Erik Hahn (Germany), 11-0, 1:12
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Kenny Owens (U.S. Army), 5th - won by tech. fall over Tilt Tartlan (Estonia), 10-0, 4:30; lost dec. to Marko Vorpela (Finland), 4-3, ot, 7:25; lost by ref. dec. to Alexander Vetchickanin (Ukraine), 1-1, ot, 8:00; won by inj. dft. over Jamshidi Berouz (Iran)
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Dan Hicks (U.S. Marines), 8th - dec. Dilshod Djuraev (Uzbekistan), 5-2; lost dec. to Giuseppe Giunta (Italy), 4-0; lost dec. to Sergej Artichin (Russia), 3-0
130 kg/286 lbs. - Matt Lamb (U.S. Navy), 8th - lost dec. to Aleksej Kolesnikov (Russia), 6-0; lost by pin to Adnah Alhacek (Syria), 1:25
Team standings - 1. Russia, 67 pts.; 2. Turkey, 60 pts.; 3. Ukraine, 53 pts.; 4. Syria, 41 pts.; 5. Germany, 35 pts.; 6. Uzbekistan, 32.5 pts.; 7. United States, 31 pts.; 8. Finland, 26.5 pts.; 9. Italy, 24.5 pts.; 10. Croatia, 19 pts.; 11. Estonia, 18.5 pts.; 12. Slovakia, 11 pts.; 13. Iran, 9 pts.
Greco-Roman medalists
54 kg/119 lbs. - Gold - Khaled Al Faraj (Syria); Silver - Boris Ambarchumov (Russia); Bronze - Bayran Ozdemir (Turkey)
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Gold - Zacharica Almashed (Syria); Silver - Leos Drmola (Slovakia); Bronze - Roman Vaschuk (Ukraine)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Emik Bunjamin (Turkey); Silver - Nikolaj Monov (Russia); Bronze - Asliddin Hudoyberdiev (Uzbekistan)
69 kg/152 lbs. - Gold - Valeri Nikitin (Estonia); Silver - Oleg Blochin (Russia); Bronze - Grigori Pulaev (Uzbekistan)
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Gold - Balerij Kapaev (Russia); Silver - Andrei Pakhomov (Ukraine); Bronze - Erik Hahn (Germany)
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Gold - Aleksej Zagrebin (Russia); Silver - Marko Vorpela (Finland); Bronze - Czden Serkan (Turkey)
97 kg/213.75 lbs. -Gold - Anatoli Kozulia (Ukraine); Silver - Maik Bullman (Germany); Bronze - Sergej Artichin (Russia)
130 kg/286 lbs. - Gold - Aleksej Kolesnikov (Russia); Silver - Aydin Polatci (Turkey); Bronze - Dirk Zimmerman (Germany)