2001 World Greco-Roman Champion Rulon Gardner (Cascade, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and 2001 World silver medalist Toccara Montgomery(Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) were named Wrestlers of the Year, and the 2001 U.S. Men's Greco-Roman World Team was named Wrestling Team of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.    Gardner received the USOC Male Wrestler of the Year award, the third time he has received a USOC Wrestler of the Year award (1997, 2000, 2001). Montgomery was named USOC Female Wrestler of the Year, the first time she was so honored.     Athletes and teams are nominated by the national governing bodies and disabled sports organizations. A total of 42 females and 42 males are being honored for their accomplishments in the year 2001, while 28 teams are being distinguished for their feats this year.    These NGB Athletes of the Year and Teams of the Year are all eligible for the 2001 USOC SportsMan, SportsWoman and Team of the Year award. Ballotting is underway, and the U.S. Olympic Committee expects to announce the USOC Athletes and Team of the Year on January 23.    Gardner was the 2000 USOC SportsMan of the Year, receiving the award after his historic victory in the 2000 Olympic Games gold-medal match against the legendary Alexandre Kareline of Russia. Two-time Olympic Champion John Smith is the only wrestler to win the USOC SportsMan of the Year when he was honored in 1990.    No woman wrestler has ever won the USOC SportsWoman of the Year, nor has a wrestling team received the USOC Team of the Year. Gardner has an opportunity to become the first wrestler to win the USOC SportsMan of the Year award for a second time.    Gardner won a World Championships gold medal at 130 kg/286 pounds. Gardner became the only U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to ever win both an Olympic gold medal and a World gold medal. He is just the third U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to capture a World title, joining Mike Houck (90 kg in 1985) and Dennis Hall (57 kg in 1995).    Gardner decisioned former World silver medalist Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary 2-0 in overtime in the gold medal match. Deak-Bardos had beaten Gardner twice during international events earlier in the year.    Just to win his preliminary pool, Gardner had to beat two talented stars, Yuriy Yevseychyk of Israel and Georgiy Soldadse of Ukraine. In the quarterfinals, he drew the "next Russian superstar," Yuri Patrikeev. Down 3-0, Gardner went upperbody, and threw and pinned Patrikeev at the 5:00 mark. To qualify for the finals, Gardner defeated World and Olympic medalist Sergej Moreyko of Bulgaria, 3-0. His five-match march to the title was one of the greatest U.S. Greco-Roman efforts ever.    Gardner retained the No. 1 position in the USA by winning gold medals at the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. It was his fourth career U.S. Nationals title. He also claimed a silver medal at the internationally respected Pytlaskinski Grand Prix in Poland.    Gardner is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. He was an NCAA All-American at the Univ. of Nebraska and an NJCAA national champion at Ricks College. He was a state champion for Star Valley High School (Wyo.).    Last year, besides the USOC SportsMan of the Year award, Gardner won the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, an ESPY as the top Male Olympic athlete, the Jesse Owens Award, the USA Wrestling Man of the Year Award and many other honors.    Montgomery won a silver medal at 68 kg/149.75 lbs. at the Women's World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, Nov. 22-25. She was one of two U.S. silver medalists, leading the USA to a seventh-place team finish. It was her first Senior World Championships appearance.    Her only loss at the World Championships came in the gold-medal finals to six-time World Champion Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Canada, 4-1. She pinned her other four opponents in the tournament, dominating the action in every match.    During the 2001 year, Montgomery claimed seven gold medals at major Senior women's events. She won the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey, the Manitoba Open in Canada and the Sunkist Kids International in the USA.    Domestically, she was also the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials champion, as well as the Hoover/Geller Keystone Open champion and the University Nationals champion. Montgomery won Outstanding Wrestler awards at the U.S. Nationals and the Sunkist Kids International Open.    During the 2001 season, Montgomery defeated three past Women's World Championships. She beat Nordhagen-Vierling in the finals of the Sunkist Kids International Open in October. Montgomery also defeated 2000 World Champion Kristie Marano of the United States at both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. She also scored a victory over 1999 World Champion Sandra Bacher of the United States at the U.S. Nationals.    Montgomery also claimed a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. She qualified for the U.S. Junior World Team by winning the FILA Junior Nationals title, her second straight Junior World team appearance.    She was named the 2001 International Women's Wrestler of the Year by FILA, the international wrestling federation. Montgomery becomes the first U.S. women's wrestler to win this prestigious award and only the third American to win a FILA International Wrestler of the Year honor, joining men freestyle wrestlers John Smith (1995) and Stephen Neal (1999).    Montgomery also received a number of other top wrestling honors. She received the 2001 USA Wrestling Championship Belt Series for Senior women, recognizing the most successful and active women's wrestler on the Senior level. She was also the winner of the 2001 TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year award, recognizing the top U.S. high school female wrestler.    Montgomery is now a freshman at Cumberland College in Kentucky, competing on its women's varisty wrestling team. In June, she completed her high school career at East Technical High School in Cleveland.    The 2001 U.S. Men's Greco-Roman World Team placed third as a team at the 2001 Greco-Roman World Championships, held in Patras, Greece, Dec. 6-9, its best placement ever  at a World Championships. It is the first time the USA has claimed a team trophy at the World meet, which only goes to a team in the top three in the standings.    Cuba won the World Team title with 54 points, followed by Russia with 38 and the United States with 33.  A total of 55  nations participated in the tournament.    The United States had three individual medalists: gold-medalist Rulon Gardner at 130 kg (286 lbs.), silver-medalist Brandon Paulson at 54 kg (119 lbs.) and silver-medalist Matt Lindland at 85 kg (187.25 lbs.)    Two other U.S. wrestlers placed in the top 10, scoring points for the USA: Kevin Bracken (seventh at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.) and James Gruenwald (10th at 58 kg/127.75 lbs.) Six of the eight U.S. wrestlers won their pool competition and advanced to the championship bracket. Other team members were Keith Sieracki (76 kg), Marcel Cooper (69 kg) and Jason Loukides (97 kg).    The team was coached by World Team Coaches Andy Seras and Joe DeMeo, National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser, plus coaching staff members Ike Anderson, Shon Lewis and Momir Petrovic.    The 2001 U.S. Men's Greco-Roman World Team roster included:    54 kg/119 lbs. - Brandon Paulson (Golden Valley, Minn./Minnesota Storm)  58 kg/127.75 lbs - Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)   69 kg/152 lbs. - Marcel Cooper (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines)  76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)  85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Matt Lindland (Oregon City, Ore./Sunkist Kids)  97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Jason Loukides (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)  130 kg/286 lbs.  - Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)    World Team Coach Andy Seras of Sandy Hook, Conn.  World Team Coach Joe DeMeo of Niskayuna, N.Y.  National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo.  Coaching staff member Ike Anderson of Colorado Springs, Colo.  Coaching staff member Shon Lewis of Colorado Springs, Colo.  Coaching staff memb