MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - - 1996 U.S. Olympic Team members David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minn. Storm), Dennis Hall (Stevens Point, Wis./Sunkist Kids) and Dan Henderson (Huntington Beach, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) claimed victories at the 1997 U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling World Team Trials held at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, June 28.The winners at each weight class in the World Team Trials will represent the U.S. at the 1997 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships to be held in Wraclaw, Poland, September 8-13.
Zuniga, who placed ninth at the 1996 Olympic Games, qualified for his fourth straight World Team by defeating 1997 National champion Kevin Bracken (DeKalb, Ill./NYAC) in three matches in the 63 kg./138.75 lb. final.
Zuniga, who was injured at the 1997 Nationals, petitioned into the Greco-Roman World Team Trials and qualified for the final series by winning the mini-tournament on Friday.
In the finals, Bracken won the first match with a 4-1 decision over Zuniga. In the second match Zuniga scored a 5-3 decision over Bracken to force a third match. In the final match Zuniga qualified for the World Team with a 3-0 decision.
1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall qualified to compete in his fifth World Championships with a two match win over national runner-up James Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kg./127.75 lbs. Hall, the 1995 World Champion, defeated Gruenwald 1-0 in overtime in the first match. In the second match Hall scored a 5-0 decision to secure his spot on the World Team.
Henderson, a two-time Olympian in Greco-Roman, claimed consecutive wins over Tod Giles (Nanuet, N.Y./NYAC) to qualify for his second World Championships. He defeated Giles by scores of 6-0 and 5-0.
Qualifying for his fourth World Team was Randy Couture (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 97 kg./213.75 lbs. Couture, the 1997 National champion, took three matches to defeat national runner-up John Oostendorp (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) in the finals. Couture scored a 9-3 decision in the first match of the day. In the second match Oostendorp scored early and defeated Couture 3-0 to force the third match. In the third match Couture outscored Oostendorp 4-1 to secure his position on the World Team.
Qualifying for their first U.S. Greco-Roman World Team was Broderick Lee (Portland, Ore./Peninsula WC) at 54 kg./119 lbs., Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 69 kg./152 lbs., Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 76 kg./167.5 lbs. and Rulon Gardner (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 125 kg./275.5 lbs.
Lee, the 1997 Nationals champion, defeated two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) in a tough three match series that were all decided in overtime.
In the first match, Lee won with a 1-0 overtime decision. Sheldon returned the favor in the second match, winning a 1-0 overtime referees decision. In the deciding match, Lee again won a 1-0 overtime referees decision to gain a spot on the U.S. World Team at 54 kg./119 lbs.
Saba, the 1997 Nationals champion, defeated mini-tournament champion Mike Ellsworth (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC) in the 69 kg./152 lb. finals to claim his spot on the world team.
In the first match Saba pinned Ellsworth 1:21. Saba secured the title with a 7-0 decision over Ellsworth in the evening session.
Lindland defeated 1997 Nationals champion Miguel Spencer (Ft. Benning, Ga./Army) in two straight matches to qualify at 76 kg./167.5 lbs.
Lindland scored a 3-2 overtime decision over Spencer in the morning session and followed with a 4-2 decision in the evening to win the title.
Gardner, the 1997 Nationals champion, was pushed to three matches by Billy Pierce (Minneapolis, Minn./Minn. Storm) before qualifying for the world team in the 125 kg./275.5 lb. weight class.
Gardner, the 1996 Greco-Roman World Cup champion, lost his first match 4-3 but rebounded to gain a pair of 0-0 referee decision wins over Pierce to claim the title.
The U.S. World Team will be coached by Dan Chandler of Minneapolis, Minn. and Rob Hermann of Pensacola, Fla. Chandler is the head coach of the Minnesota Storm Wrestling Club based in Minneapolis. Hermann is the head coach of the Navy wrestling team and served as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team.
1997 Greco-Roman World Team Trials
Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minn., June 28
Championship Finals
MATCH ONE54 kg./119 lbs. - Broderick Lee, Portland, Ore. (Peninsula WC) dec. Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 1-0, ot, 8:00
58 kg./127.75 lbs. - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis. (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2-0, ot, 8:00
63 kg./138.75 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill. (NYAC) dec. David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 4-1
69 kg./152lbs. - Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) pin Mike Ellsworth, Colorado, Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC), 1:21
76 kg./167.5 lbs. - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Miguel Spencer, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army), 3-2, ot, 7:46
85 kg./187.25 lbs. - Dan Henderson, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Tod Giles, Nanuet, N.Y. (NYAC), 6-0
97 kg./213.75 lbs. - Randy Couture, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) dec. John Oostendorp, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 9-3
125 kg./275.5 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm) 4-3
MATCH TWO
54 kg./119 lbs. - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) won by ref. dec. over Broderick Lee, Portland, Ore. (Peninsula WC), 1-0, ot, 8:00
58 kg./127.75 lbs. - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis. (Sunkist Kids) dec. James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5-0
63 kg./138.75 lbs. - David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill. (NYAC), 5-3
69 kg./152lbs. - Chris Saba, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Mike Ellsworth, Colorado, Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC), 7-0
76 kg./167.5 lbs. - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Miguel Spencer, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army), 4-2
85 kg./187.25 lbs. - Dan Henderson, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Tod Giles, Nanuet, N.Y. (NYAC), 5-0
97 kg./213.75 lbs. - John Oostendorp, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) dec. Randy Couture, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids), 3-0
125 kg./275.5 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 0-0, 8:00
MATCH THREE
54 kg./119 lbs. - Broderick Lee, Portland, Ore. (Peninsula WC) won by ref. dec. over Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 1-0, ot, 8:00
63 kg./138.75 lbs. - David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Kevin Bracken, DeKalb, Ill. (NYAC), 3-0
97 kg./213.75 lbs. - Randy Couture, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) dec. John Oostendorp, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 4-1
125 kg./275.5 lbs. - Rulon Gardner, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. over Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 0-0, ot, 8:00