Andy Seras, Shon Lewis to coach 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/24/2002


USA Wrestling has named its head and assistant coaches for the 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, head coach Andy Seras of Newtown, Conn. and assistant coach Shon Lewisof Colorado Springs, Colo.    The U.S. Greco-Roman World Team will compete at the 2002 World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia in September. The team will be determined at the World Team Trials, set for Saint Paul, Minn., June 21-23.    Both Seras and Lewis were on the coaching staff of the 2001 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, which turned in a third-place finish in the standings, the best-ever performance by a U.S. Greco-Roman team.    "We have a chance to do real well this year," said Seras. "If we have the same preparation and everybody stays on the same page, we can have the same results or better. A goal of mine is to have fun. You can't win if you don't have fun doing it. For each athlete, the goal is to wrestle to their potential. Can they wrestle their best match when it really counts? As coaches, it is our job to help them reach that level."    Seras was selected as the assistant coach for the 2001 U.S. World Team, and worked in that capacity during its training period. When head coach Joe DeMeo was injured and could not attend the World Championships, Seras assumed additional responsibility on the coaching staff, serving as the head coach.  The United States won the third-place trophy, led by three medalists, World champion Rulon Gardner and World silver medalists Brandon Paulson and Matt Lindland.    He was also the head coach of the 2001 U.S. Greco-Roman World Cup team, which competed in France in November and placed third in the standings. The U.S. had four individual medalists, including champion Dremiel Byers. Seras served as assistant coach of the 2001 U.S. team at Pytlasinski Tournament in Poland, as well as assistant coach of U.S. tour team that competed in Russia and Sweden.    Seras was selected as the 2001 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Coach of the Year, and will receive his award this weekend at the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas. He has coached a number of U.S. teams on international tours. He is a club coach with the Atlas Wrestling Club and the Sunkist Kids. He has also served on the coaching staff of the Connecticut Junior National Team in 1999 and 2000.    He works as an assistant wrestling coach at Div. I Sacred Heart Univ., and was previously an assistant coach at SUNY-Albany.     Seras was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. He was the 1991 Pan American Games champion, and placed second in the 1995 Pan American Games. Seras claimed a gold medal at the 1994 World Cup. He competed on five U.S. World teams, placing sixth in the 1991 World Championships and ninth in the 1989 World Championships. Seras won five U.S. National titles and made the finals of the U.S. Greco-Roman National Championships for 12 straight years. Seras competed during his international Greco-Roman career for the Adirondack TWA, Jets USA and the New York AC.    He competed for SUNY-Albany, where he was a 1985 NCAA Div. III national champion. He is originally from Niskayuna, N.Y., where he was fourth in the New York state high school meet. Seras was a two-time placewinner at the Junior World Championships.     Lewis, like Seras, has become a top Greco-Roman coach after completing a successful career as an international athlete. Lewis works as the coach of the U.S. Army team, stationed in Fort Carson, Colo. He is responsible for training the athletes in the Army's World Class Athlete Program. The U.S. Army team features a number of nationally-ranked athletes, including 2001 U.S. World Team member Keith Sieracki.    Under Lewis' guidance, the U.S. Army won the 2002 Armed Forces Championships, claiming the title in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, as well as the overall title. The Army beat the Marines in the deciding dual meets in both styles. Lewis has served as a coach for the U.S. World Military team, which competes at the annual CISM World Military Championships.    As an athlete, Lewis competed on the 1993 and 1999 U.S.World Championships teams. He also qualified for the 1998 U.S. World Team, but was unable to participate in the World Championships that year.  He was a four-time U.S. Nationals Greco-Roman champion (1993-94, 1996, 1998), and was a medalist in three U.S.Olympic Team Trials (1992, 1996, 2000).    Lewis was a member of the U.S. Army team as an athlete, winning six Armed Forces Greco-Roman titles and competing in the World Military Championships. He was the 1993 U.S. Army Athlete of the Year, an award including all sports in the Army's program.    Seras compares the Greco-Roman climate in the United States today to when he was active as a top international athlete a decade ago.    "It has been a building process,"said Seras. "Certainly, the resident program has had a big impact. There has been a push within wrestling that Greco-Roman is not a bad program to be involved with and that it is OK to specialize in Greco-Roman in the United States."