Capturing the first four matches, the United States wrestled with dominance and passion and defeated Russia, 17-9, to claim the team title at the Northern Quest 2002 World Cup of Wrestling in Spokane, Wash., April 7.    At 55 kg/121 lbs., Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) started the USA off well, with a solid 6-0 shutout win over Nassir Abduallaev . Abas opened with a takedown with 2:29 to go in the first period, for a 1-0 lead. After being hit for passivity, Abas worked a reversal with exposure for a 3-0 lead with 45 seconds left in the period. In the second period, Abas added another takedown with 1:58 left and a 4-0 margin. After an exchange with Abas on top was reviewed by officials, he was awarded to points for exposure and the final 6-0 margin.     Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids)  extended the U.S. lead with a 4-2 decision over two-time World medalist Ramil Islamov at  60 kg/132 lbs. Guerrero scored first, converting a low single leg for a takedown with 1:32 left in the period. In the second period, during a scramble, the officials reviewed the tape and awarded Guerrero two points for a 3-0 lead. He added a takedown at 1:35 to go for a 4-0 lead. Islamov answered with a takedown with less than a minute to go for a 5-1 margin, then added a final takedown with four seconds to go for the 4-2 final score.    Continuing the U.S. run was Bill Zadick, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), who stopped  Chamil Oumalatov, 5-1  at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.  Zadick opened the scoring with a takedown with about a minute left in the first period, then executed a powerful gutwrench for two more points with 42 seconds to go and a 3-0 lead at the mid-match break. Zadick scored another takedown with 2:30 left in the second period for a 4-0 margin. Oumalatov got his first point on a caution and one-point penalty against Zadick with 55 seconds to go. Zadick closed the door with a final takedown with just 10 seconds on the clock.    At 74 kg/163 lbs., 2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) controlled the action on the feet, scoring five takedowns in a 5-0 victory over Irbek Farniev. Both wrestlers entered the match without a loss in the tournament. Williams scored one first period takedown, then added four more in the second stanza.    Russia won its first bout at 84 kg/185 lbs., where Khadshimourad Gatsalov  stopped Lee Fullhart (Havre, Mont/Hawkeye WC), 7-1. Gatsalov scored all of his points in the first period, hitting a three-point fireman's carry just 25 seconds in, then adding a pair of exposure techniques. Fullhart picked up the pressure in the second period, and received a point when Gatsalov was cautioned for fleeing the hold with 32 seconds to go.    The final two matches were battles between wrestlers without a loss in the tournament. At 97 kg/211.5 lbs., 2001 World champion Guegorgui Gogchelidze of Russia escaped with a tight 4-3 win over Chad Lamer (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC). Gogchelidze scored the first four points in the opening 20 seconds of the bout, on a three-point takedown to exposure and an additional backpoint. Lamer got the reversal and exposure to close it to a 4-2 margin. In the second period, Lamer increased the intensity, and scored a takedown with 52 seconds to go for the final 4-3 margin.    The final bout went to Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC), who beat Oleg Khorpiakov,  4-1  at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.  It was the fourth straight year that McCoy closed out the World Cup with a win. The first period ended at 1-1, with each athlete scoring a takedown. In the second period, McCoy wore down Korpiakov, adding three more takedowns in the final 1:30 of the match.    U.S. quotes  Bruce Burnett, head coach  "I have not had an assignment since the Olympic Games. This was fun. This was a great group of athletes. They never quit. They worked hard. Coach Jackson had them ready. What a performance! This is a great place to do it, in Spokane! It was a great crowd. They beat a great Russian team, and they beat them down."    Stephen Abas, 55 kg gold medalist  "I wanted to go in with a positive attitude and get as many good matches as I could. I did well on the bottom, in the par terre. That is what I wanted to work on. This got me off the a great start, on how I want things to be. Once I got done with college, that took a tremendous burden off me. College has so much pressure. This is so much more relaxing for me. Believe it, that wrestling for the USA is less pressure. I can wrestle who I want to and have fun. The atmosphere is different in freestyle. I can focus better."    "We are very dominant, up and down the lineup. We don't even know the No. 1 team for the USA yet. It will be great to see who our No. 1 team will be in a few months."    Joe Williams, 74 kg gold medalist  "It always feels good when the entire team effort is strong and the team did well. I did my part. I wrestled to my capability, and we won the title at home. Anytime you wrestle in an international competition and win, it is always a plus. Even if you don't win, you look at it for the positive things. There were many positives here."    Kerry McCoy, 120 kg gold medalist  "Four in a row for me, and four in a row for the team. It is exciting when you can perform well and contribute to the team effort. We wrestled smart and hard. Even in the matches we lost, we were able to keep up the pressure and compete hard. I'm proud of the team effort."    "It was my intention to come here and see how I perform, and base my decisions on that. I felt good. I'm going to put a bullseye on some future goals and see how I do."    Korea edges Germany, 15-13, to claim third place in World Cup team competition    Winning four of the seven matches, Korea edged Germany, 15-13 in the final round of the Northern Quest 2002 World Cup of Wrestling. Korea finished with a 3-2 record for the meet, taking third place. Germany finished with an 0-5 record in sixth place.    The match was even in the early going, with Germany scoring wins with Vasilij Zeiher at 55 kg/121 lbs. and with Alexander Leipold at 74 kg/163 lbs. Leipold's pin of Choi Kwon-Sub in 1:46 gave Germany a 9-7 lead after four matches.     However, Korea picked up a victory by injury default at 84 kg/185 lbs., then claimed the next key bout, a 6-1 win by Kang Dong-Guk over Juri Schmatow at 97 kg/211.5 lbs. In the final bout, Germany's 1995 World silver medalist Sven Thiele stopped Jung Chun-Mo, 10-3 at 120 kg/264.5 pounds.    Mongolia stops Canada, 19-9, to capture fourth place in World Cup team competition    Capturing five of the seven matches, Mongolia defeated Canada, 19-9, in the final round of the Northern Quest 2002 World Cup of Wrestling. Mongolia finished the meet with a 2-3 team record, good for fourth place, while Canada ended up with a 1-4 record and fifth place.    Mongolia came out with a strong start, winning the first four matches. At 55 kg/121 lbs., Naranbaatar Bayaraa turned and pinned Mikheil Japaridze in 1:52.    The 60 kg/132 lbs. match was a rematch of the 2001 World Championships finals, between World champion Giuvi Sissaouri  of Canada and World silver medalist Oyunbileg Purevbaatar of Mongolia. As in the World finals, the match went into a clinch. This time, Purevbaatar won the flip and was able to lock up first, and when the whistle blew, Purevbaatar tossed Sissaouri directly to his back for three points, then held him for an addition backpoint. It was the key move in Purevbaatar's 5-1 win.    Mongolia added to its lead with a decision victory by Adiyakhuu Boldsuhk  at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and a pin by Battuyaa Batchuluun at 74 kg/163 lbs.    Canada captured the next two matches, an overtime decision by Nick Ugoalah at 84 kg/185 lbs. and an injury default victory by Dean Schmeichel at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Closing out Mongolia's victory was Gelegjamts Usukhbayar, winner by a 10-0 technical fall over Eric Kirschner.    U.S. claims three individual gold medalists at Northern Quest 2002 World Cup of Wrestling    The United States, which claimed the team title, had the most individual gold medalists at the Northern Quest 2002 World Cup of Wrestling.    Winning individual golds