Six challengers had a good morning during the first match of the Championships Series of the World Team Trials of Wrestling, held at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 24.    A best-of three series is being conducted in each weight class, with the winner earning a position on the U.S. World Team, which will compete at Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y., September 26-30. The 2001 U.S. Nationals champion in each weight is facing the winner of Saturday's Challenge Tournament.    In men's freestyle, four of the Challenge Tournament champions were able to upset the 2001 U.S. Nationals champions in the first match: Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) at 119 pounds, Kerry Boumans, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) at 127.75 pounds, Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) at 152 pounds and Chad Lamer, Coralville, Iowa (Hawkeye) at 213.75 pounds.    Abas stopped 2001 U.S. Nationals champion Eric Akin (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids), 3-1 in the first bout. Akin was a member of the 1999 World Team, and placed second in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Trials. Abas, a two-time NCAA champion for Fresno State, did not compete at the U.S. Nationals this year.     Boumans stopped 2001 U.S. Nationals champion Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 4-0 in bout one. It was a rematch of the U.S. Nationals finals this year, won by Guerrero. Boumans was second in the 2000 Olympic Trials, and was a 2000 U.S. Nationals champion.    Bono stopped 2001 U.S. Nationals champion Ramico Blackmon (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Excel), 3-0. It was a turnaround from the U.S. Nationals finals, won by Blackmon.    Lamer defeated 2001 U.S. Nationals champion Dominic Black, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 7-4. It was also a rematch of the U.S. Nationals finals, won by Black.    In men's Greco-Roman, two Challenge Tournament champions came out on top in match one: Brandon Paulson, Golden Valley, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) at 119 pounds and James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds.    Paulson, a 1996 Olympic silver medalist, edged 2001 U.S. Nationals champion Jeff Cervone, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force), 3-2. Paulson did not compete at the 2001 U.S. Nationals tournament, after taking second in the 2000 Olympic Trials.    Gruenwald continued perhaps the most intense rivalry in all of American wrestling, beating 1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall, Plover, Wis. (Sunkist Kids), 3-0, in overtime. Gruenwald defeated Hall in the 2000 Olympic Team Trials, but Hall came back to beat Gruenwald in the 2001 U.S. Nationals finals. Their rivalry goes back to their high school days back in Wisconsin.    All six U.S. Nationals champions in the women's freestyle division were able to beat their challenger in match number one. Claiming a 1-0 lead in the series for the women's division were 2001 U.S. Nationals champions Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) at 101.25 pounds, Stephanie Murata, E. Lansing, Mich. (Sunkist Kids) at 112.25 pounds, Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 123.25 pounds, Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa. (Sunkist Kids) at 136.5 pounds, Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) at 149.75 pounds and Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 165.25 pounds    Saunders, a four-time World Champion who has never lost to a U.S. opponent, was pushed hard in an 8-6 victory over Clarrisa Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii (Missouri Valley College). Saunders led throughout, but held off a late charge by Chun in the second period.    Montgomery and Smith both defeated past World Champions. Montgomery beat 2000 World Champion Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA), 12-6 in their first match. Smith stopped Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) , 8-6 in a wild match.    In men's freestyle, the anticipated battle at 286 pounds between 2000 Olympian Kerry McCoy, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC) and 1999 World Champpion Stephen Neal, Bakersfield, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC),  went to McCoy by a 4-3 margin. It was their first meeting since McCoy beat Neal in the 2000 Olympic Team Trials.    In a battle of Greco-Roman Olympians at 187.25 pounds, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland, Oregon City, Ore. (Sunkist Kids) edged 1988 and 1992 Olympian Dan Henderson, Gresham, Ore. (Dave Schultz WC), 3-2, in overtime. Lindland scored off the clinch position, breaking a 2-2 tie for the win.    Two other 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman medalists won their first matches, bronze medalist Garrett Lowney, Appleton, Wis. (Minnesota Storm) at 213.75 pounds and gold medalist Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds.    Other freestyle match one winners were Bill Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 138.75 pounds, Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) at 167.5 pounds and Cael Sanderson, Heber City, Utah (Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pounds.     Other Greco-Roman match one winners were Kevin Bracken Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) at 138.75 pounds, Marcel Cooper, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines) at 152 pounds and Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 167.5 pounds.    Also contested were the true third place matches, determining the No. 3 ranked wrestler on the U.S. Nationals team.    Winning men's freestyle bouts to make the national team were Mike Mena, Bloomington, Ind (New York AC) at 119 pounds, Danny Felix, Norman, Okla.(Sunkist Kids) at 127.75 pounds, Jamill Kelly, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) at 138.75 pounds, Yoshi Nakamura, Elyria, Ohio (Dave Schultz WC) at 152 pounds, Joe Heskett, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) at 167.5 pounds, Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) at 213.75 pounds and Tolly Thompson, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds    Men's Greco-Roman winners for the national team positions were Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 138.75 pounds, Dan Niebuhr, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 167.5 pounds, Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) at 187.25 pounds and Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) at 286 pounds    Women's Freestyle National team wrestle-off winners were Sandra Padron, Marshall, Mo. (Missouri Valley College) at 101.25 pounds, Jenny Wong, Stillwater, Minn. (Sunkist Kids) at 123.25 pounds, Lauren Lamb, Troy, N.Y. (Michigan WC) at 136.5 pounds and Melanie Macari, Fremont, Calif. (Missouri Valley College) at 165.25 pounds.