MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- 1996 U.S. Olympian David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minnesota Storm) led the list of winners in the 1997 Greco-Roman World Team Trials ÒMini-TournamentÓ held Friday, June 27 at Augsburg College. The winners of the ÒMini-TournamentÓ now advance to the best-of-three championship series against the 1997 U.S. Nationals Champion on Saturday, June 28. The best-of-three finals series will begin at 10:00 a.m. in Melby Hall on the Augsburg College campus. The second match will take place at 5:00 p.m. with the third match (if necessary) will take place 30 minute after the conclusion of all second place matches. The winner of the best-of-three series on Saturday will represent the United States at the 1997 Greco-Roman World Championships in Wraclaw, Poland, Sept. 8-13. Zuniga, who placed ninth in the 1996 Olympics, claimed a spot in the finals at 63 kg./138.75 lbs. with a 1-0 overtime referees decision over Shon Lewis (Ft. Benning, Ga./Army). Zuniga, who wrestled at the University of Minnesota, did not allow a single point in his two matches in the tournament.Zuniga will now face 1997 National Champion Kevin Bracken (DeKalb, Ill./NYAC) on Saturday in the best of three final series.
Another former Golden Gopher standout that reached the finals series on Saturday was Billy Pierce (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm). Pierce won the mini-tournament at 125 kg./275.5 lbs. with a 2-0 overtime referees decision over Matt Lamb (Pensacola, Fla./Navy) in the finals. Pierce, who is attempting to make his first U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, will face 1997 National Champion Rulon Gardner (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) in the finals.
Other "Mini-Tournament" winners included two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) at 54 kg./119 lbs., James Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kg./127.75 lbs., Mike Ellsworth (Colorado Springs, Colo./Michigan WC) at 69 kg./152 lbs., Matt Lindland (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 76 kg./167.5 lbs., Tod Giles (Nanuet, N.Y./NYAC) and John Oostendorp (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 97 kg./213.75 lbs.
Sheldon, the 1997 National runner-up, scored a 4-0 decision over Cody Sanderson (Heber City, Utah/Cyclone WC) to gain a spot in the finals at 54 kg./119 lbs. Sheldon, who is attempting to make his eighth World Team, will face National Champion Broderick Lee (Portland, Ore./Peninsula WC) on Saturday.
Gruenwald, the runner-up at the 1997 Nationals, qualified for the finals with a 4-0 decision over Duaine Martin (Quantico, Va./Marines in the 58 kg./127.75 lb. finals. Gruenwald will now face 1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall (Stevens Point, Wis./Sunkist Kids) in the finals.
Ellsworth, who placed fourth in the U.S. Nationals, defeated national runner-up Marcel Cooper (Quantico, Va./Marines) in the 69 kg./152 lb. finals with a 4-2 decision. Ellsworth now advances to the final series on Saturday against National Champion Chris Saba (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC).
Lindland, the U.S. Nationals runner-up, scored a 10-3 decision over Keith Wilson (Quantico, Va./Marines) in the 76 kg./167.5 lb. finals. Lindland will now face national champion Miguel Spencer (Ft. Benning, Ga./Army) in the finals.
Giles, who placed second at the nationals, defeated Dan Niebuhr (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) 4-2 in the 85 kg./187.25 lb. finals. Giles, who is also looking for his first World Team position, will wrestle two-time Olympian Dan Henderson (Huntington Beach, calif./S. Cal. Future Champs) in the finals.
Henderson the 1997 Nationals champion, will be looking to make hi s fourth World or Olympic Team.
Oostendorp, also a runner-up at the 1997 Nationals, secured a spot in the finals on Saturday with a 4-2 decision over Dan Hicks (Quantico, Va./Marines) at 97 kg./213.75 lbs. Oostendorp will now face national champion Randy Couture (Covallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids).
1997 GRECO-ROMAN WORLD TEAM TRIALS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., JUNE 27
"MINI-TOURNAMENT" RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
54 kg./119 lbs.
Eric Wetzel, Quantico, Va. (Marines) dec. Mark Yanagihara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC), 3-0
58 kg./127.75 lbs.
Joe Warren, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan WC) dec. Chris Mirabella, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC)
63 kg./138.75 lbs.
Shon Lewis, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army) won by tech. fall over Mark Kessler (NYAC), 12-1, 2:26
Herb House, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army) won by tech. fall over Phil Rembert, DeKalb, Ill. (Sunkist Kids), 10-0, 3:51
Jeremy McVige, Waterport, N.Y. (NYAC) won by tech. fall over Anthony Hamlett, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 11-0, 1:55
69 kg./152 lbs.
Steven Woods, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force) dec. Curt Onstead, Quantico, Va. (Marines), 9-7
76 kg./167.5 lbs.
Joe Sabol, New York, N.Y. (NYAC) dec. Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 7-0
Keith Wilson, Triangle, Va. (Marines) dec. Felipe Perez, Quantico, Va. (Marines), 3-2
85 kg./187.25 lbs.
Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Quincey Clark, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 2-1 ot, 8:00
Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Kenny OwensFt. Benning, Ga. (Army), 5-2
Kevin Vogel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) pin William Carr, Quantico, Va. (Marines), 1:20
97 kg./213.75 lbs.
Dave Surofchek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC) dec. Dan Sanchez, New York, N.Y. (NYAC), 6-0
Mike Van Arsdale, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Dan Hicks, Quantico, Va. (Marines), 3-0
125 kg./275.5 lbs.
Tim Tekautz, LaCrosse, Wis. (Minn. Storm) dec. Greg Gibson, Quantico, Va. (Marines), 4-0
Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Dremiel Byers, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army), 1-0, ot, 8:00
Matt Lamb, Penacola, Fla. (Navy) dec. Jason Gleasman, Boonville, N.Y. (NYAC), 3-0
QUARTERFINALS
54 kg./119 lbs.
Dustin Waugh, Pensacola, Fla. (Navy) dec. Jeff Schering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Michigan WC), 4-2, ot
Jeff Cervone, Meadville, Pa. (NYAC) won by tech. fall over Anthony Gibbons, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army), 10-0, 4:41
Cody Sanderson, Heber City, Utah (Cyclone) dec. Brady Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sundance), 5-0
Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Eric Wetzel (Marines), 10-3
58 kg./127.75 lbs.
Jason Tolbert, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army) won by tech. fall over Barrett Golyer, Cedar, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 10-0, 4:34
Duaine Martin, Quantico, Va. (Marines) won by tech. fall over Charley Carbaugh, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Air Force), 11-0, 1:14
Keith Idleburg, Ft. Benning, Ga. (Army) dec. Mujaahid Maynard, Seattle, Wash. (Dave Schultz WC), 8-1
James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Joe Warren (Michign WC), 12-0, 1:40
SEMI-FINALS
54 kg./119 lbs.
Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) dec. Dustin Waugh (Navy), 4-0
Cody Sanderson (Cyclone) dec. Jeff Cervone (NYAC), 4-0
58 kg./127.75 lbs.
James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) won by disqulification over Jason Tolbert (Army), 3:54
Duaine Martin (Marines) dec. Keith Idleburg (Army), 3-2
63 kg./138.75 lbs.
David Zuniga, New Brighton, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Herb House (Army), 4-0
Jeremy McVige (NYAC) vs. Shon Lewis (Army)
69 kg./ 152 lbs.
Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (Marines) won by tech. fall over Steven Woods (Air Force), 11-0, 3:48
Mike Ellsworth (Michigan WC) dec. Derek Mountsier (Cyclone), 3-1
76 kg./167.5 lbs.
Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Joe Sabol (NYAC), 4-2, ot, 5:30
Keith Wilson (Marines) dec. T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Wildcat WC), 3-2
85 kg./187.25 lbs.
Tod Giles Nanuet, N.Y. (NYAC) dec. Ethan Bosch (NYAC), 10-1
Dan Niebuhr (Sunkist Kids) dec. Kevin Vogel (Michigan WC), 4-1
97 kg./213.75 lbs.
John Oostendorp, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) dec. Dave Surofchek (Michigan WC), 9-0
Dan Hicks (Marines) won by ref. dec. over Mike Van Arsdale (Sunkist Kids), 2-0, ot, 8:00
125 kg./275.5 lbs.
Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm) dec. Brian Keck (NYA