GONZALES, SEAY, COZART AMONG FEATURED CHAMPIONS AT THE FIRST-EVER VETERANS FREESTYLE NATIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN LAS VEGAS, MAY 31The first-ever United States Veterans Freestyle National Wrestling Championships were held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the Univ. of Nevada-Las Vegas, Friday, May 30-31. The competition featured wrestlers 35 years old and above, competing in four age divisions.
Among the champions was 1984 Olympian Joe Gonzales (Huntington Beach, Calif./Sunkist), who claimed the 132-pound class in Div. A (35-41 years old). Joe Gonzales scored an 11-0 technical fall over Scott Naylor (Dallastown, Pa./Advantage) in 3:00 in the championship finals.
Joe Seay (Perry, Okla./Sunkist Kids), the 1996 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling coach, won the Div. C (49-55 years old) title in the 150-pound class. Seay won two bouts on the way to the title, including a 3-0 decision over runner-up Wayne Eric Boyd (Palm Springs, Calif.).
Two-time Veterans World Champion Russ Cozart (Brandon, Fla./Brandon WC), captured the title at 150 pounds in Div. B (42-48 years old). In the finals, Cozart won by technical fall over John Davidson (Warwick, R.I.), 10-0 in 35 seconds.
Three other past Veterans World Champions who won the title were Louie Lazzari (Dunedin, Fla./Team Spyder) at 150 pounds in Div. A, Shirzad Ahmadi (Coventry, R.I./NYAC) at 132 pounds in Div. B and Mansour Honarvar (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Hills HS) at 150 pounds in Div. D.
Lazzari, a Veterans World Champion in 1992, won by technical fall over Paul Hermann (York, Pa./Team Taz), 10-0 in 2:00 to win the title.
Ahmadi, who also won a Veterans World title in 1992, dominated his two opponents, with a technical fall and a pin. He beat runner-up Randall E. Bogar (Beavertown, Pa.), 13-1 in 2:25.
Honarvar, a Veterans World titlist in 1995, pinned Ed Woodburn, Sr. (Calimesa, Calif.) in 3:32 to claim the gold medal.
Other champions in Div. A (35-41 years) were Antoine Fischer (San Leandro, Calif./Wa-Tu-Wa- Zuri) at 168 pounds, Mike Clark (Midwest City, Okla./Bomber Freestyle) at 185 pounds, Leonard Simon (Mesa, Ariz.) at 203 pounds and Michael Van Hoven (Torrance, Calif./Golden West) at 287 pounds.
Other champions in Div. B (42-48 years) were Paul LaBlanc (Fountain Valley, Calif./Club Rio) at 168 pounds, William Kalivas (Bakersfield, Calif. /Sunkist Kids) at 185 pounds and Ronald Cole (Enumclaw, Wash.) at 203 pounds.
Other champions in Div. C (49-55 years) were Jack Hornbuckle (Poteau, Okla.) at 132 pounds, Don Apodaca (Huntington Beach, Calif./Golden West) at 185 pounds, Joe Reasbeck (Superior, Wis.) at 203 pounds and Jack Zindel (Las Vegas, Nev. /Michigan WC) at 287 pounds.
Claiming a Veterans National title in Div. D (52 and older) was Mahmoud Bassiri (Raleigh, N.C./NC State) at 185 pounds.
Olympian Joe Gonzales summed up the feeling of many of the competitors. "It was real fun. It gives me another excuse to stay in shape. I've got the itch to compete again and I'd like to do this again."
UNITED STATES VETERANS FREESTYLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS at Las Vegas, Nev., May 30, 1997
Finals results
Div. A (35-41 years)
60 kg /132 lbs.
1st - Joe Gonzales, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist) won by tech. fall over Scott Naylor, Dallastown, Pa. (Advantage), 11-0, 3:00
3rd - Jeff Wright, Scottdale, Ariz. won by tech. fall over George Dunn, Belleview, Wash. (Eastside), 10-0, 1:17
68 kg/150 lbs.
1st - Louie Lazzari, Dunedin, Fla. (Team Spyder) won by tech. fall over Paul Hermann, York, Pa. (Team Taz), 10-0, 2:00
3rd - Peter DeVlaminck, Monterey, Calif. (Monterey Peninsula) dec. Paul Hermann, York, Pa. (Team Taz), 6-1
76 kg/168 lbs.
1st - Antoine Fischer, San Leandro, Calif. (Wa-Tu-Wa-Zuri)
2nd - Herschel Sandler, Calif., Calistoga, Calif. (St. Helena)
3rd - Joe Solorio, Tucson, Ariz.
RR - Fischer dec. Sandler, 3-1; Fischer dec. Solorio, 7-6; Sandler dec. Solorio, 3-2, ot, 5:00
84 kg/185 lbs.
1st - Mike Clark, Midwest City, Okla. (Bomber Freestyle) won by tech. fall over Bruce Jasperson, Chula Vista, Calif. (Badgers), 13-2, 3:52
3rd - Harold Rogers, Oakland, Calif. (Riordan) won by tech. fall over Dev Doyna, Braden, Fla. (Manatee), 10-0, 3:45
92 kg/203 lbs.
1st - Leonard Simon, Mesa, Ariz.
130 kg/287 lbs.
1st - Michael Van Hoven, Torrance, Calif. (Golden West)
Div. B (42-48 years)
60 kg/132 lbs.
1st - Shirzad Ahmadi, Coventry, R.I. (NYAC)
2nd - Randall E. Bogar, Beavertown, Pa.
3rd - Tommy Reyna, Midwest City, Okla. (Bomber Freestyle)
RR - Ahmadi won by tech. fall over Bogar, 13-1, 2:25; Ahmadi pin Reyna, 3:37; Bogar dec. Reyna, 9-5
68 kg/150 lbs.
1st - Russ Cozart, Brandon, Fla. (Brandon WC) won by tech. fall over John Davidson, Warwick, R.I., 10-0, 0:35
3rd - Oleg Krepper, Laguna Nigel, Calif. won by ref. dec. over Jan Zolotov, Forest Hills, N.Y. (NYAC), 0-0, ot, 6:00
5th - Ron Engel, St. Helena, Calif. dec. Ed Lindsay, New York, N.Y., 12-9
76 kg/168 lbs.
1st - Paul LaBlanc, Fountain Valley, Calif. (Club Rio) pin Dr. Hamid Kermanshah, New York, N.Y. (NYAC), 1:24
3rd - John Abad, Redlands, Calif. (Bruins) won by inj. dft. over Chuck Hebermehl, Leesburg, Fla.
84 kg/185 lbs.
1st - William Kalivas, Bakersfield, Calif. (Sunkist)
2nd - Steve Contarino, Palmetto, Fla.
3rd - Glen Kinsman, Ulster, Pa. (Athens)
RR - Contarino dec. Kinsman, 9-6; Kalivas won by ref. dec. over Kinsman, 1-1, ot, 8:00; Kalivas dec. Contarino, 10-1
92 kg/203 lbs.
1st - Ronald Cole, Enumclaw, Wash. pin Robert Mustante, Napa, Calif. (Napa Valley), 3:59
Div. C (49-55 years)
60 kg/132 lbs.
1st - Jack Hornbuckle, Poteau, Okla.
68 kg/150 lbs.
1st - Joe Seay, Perry, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
2nd - Wayne Eric Boyd, Palm Springs, Calif.
3rd - Ken Wilson, Antioch, Calif. (Steel City)
RR - Seay dec. Boyd, 3-0; Seay won by tech. fall over Wilson, 10-0, 3:15; Boyd pin Wilson, 1:29
84 kg/185 lbs.
1st - Don Apodaca, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Golden West) pin Pat Farner, Vista, Calif., 1:59
92 kg/203 lbs.
1st - Joe Reasbeck, Superior, Wis. won by forfeit over Phillip Sullivan, Tulare, Calif.
130 kg/287 lbs.
1st - Jack Zindel, Las Vegas, Nev. (Michigan WC) pin Larry Prosper, Concord, Calif., 0:35
Div. D (56 years and over)
68 kg/150 lbs.
1st - Mansour Honarvar, Laguna Hills, Calif. (Laguna Hills HS) pin Ed Woodburn, Sr., Calimesa, Calif., 3:32
84 kg/185 lbs.
1st - Mahmoud Bassiri, Raleigh, N.C. (NC State)
2nd - Charles Boyd, Roanoke, Calif.
3rd - Bruce Bird, Novelty, Ohio (Eagle WC)
RR - Bassiri dec. Bird, 4-2; Bassiri pin Boyd, 0:38; Boyd dec. Bird, 6-4