Up to 200 of America’s best wrestlers to compete at the 2002 World Team Trials, presented by United

<< Back to Articles
Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
05/09/2002


A strong field of up to 200 of the best freestyle, Greco-Roman and women wrestlers in the nation are expected to compete at  2002 World Team Trials, presented by United Airlines. This spectacular event will be held at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minn., June 21-23.    Champions from this competition will receive the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2002 World Championships of Wrestling. Each style has its own World Championships this year, with men's freestyle in Tehran, Iran, (Sept. 4-7), men's Greco-Roman in Moscow, Russia (Sept. 19-22) and women's freestyle in Halkida, Greece (Nov. 2-3).    The quality of the competition is expected to be outstanding. Only athletes who have met specific qualification requirements may compete in this tournament.    The major qualifying event was the 2002 U.S. National Wrestling Championships, held in Las Vegas, Nev. April 26-27. The top seven men's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman placewinners in each weight class from the U.S. Nationals have qualified for Saint Paul, as have the top eight women's freestyle placewinners.    In addition to the U.S. Nationals, there are a number of other qualifying procedures in place. The specific qualifying requirements for each style are different, based upon decisions by each style's Sport Committee. Included among these qualifying standards are current Team USA members, athletes with past success on the international level, gold medalists at Regional Championships and the University Nationals as well as NCAA Div. I Championships finalists. There are at least 242 athletes who meet the qualifying criteria, not all of those qualified have attended in the past.    Many local wrestling stars are expected to be on display, including 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney, 1996 Olympic silver medalist Brandon Paulson and 2001 World silver medalist Brandon Eggum. These stars, along with many other talented wrestlers, live and train full-time in Minnesota.    The field will feature numerous World and Olympic medalists, as well as many of the top young athletes who are expected to challenge for positions on future World and Olympic teams.    Among the top seeded stars in men's freestyle wrestling are 2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Coralville, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs., four-time NCAA Div. I champion Cael Sanderson (Heber City, Utah/Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and 2000 Olympian Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    Talented top seeds in men's Greco-Roman include 2000 Olympian Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., as well as Dremiel Byers (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., who was sixth in the 1999 World Championships.    The women's field has three top seeds who are past World medalists:  2000 World silver medalist Patricia Miranda (Stanford, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., 2001 World silver medalist Stephanie Murata (Minden, Nev./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2001 World silver medalist Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.    This is only the second time in USA Wrestling history that the World Team Trials for men's freestyle, women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman will be held together at one site. USA Wrestling expects that this competition will continue to grow into one of the most popular wrestling events in the nation. The tournament format features a two-day Challenge Tournament and a championship finals series. The Challenge Tournament in all three styles will be held on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22. This includes all of the competitors, except for the 2002 National Champions who are automatically in the finals.     On Sunday, June 23, the Championship finals in each weight class will be held, featuring the national champion facing the Challenge Tournament winner in a best-of-three series.     The event is being organized by Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau, Minnesota/USA Wrestling and USA Wrestling.    Tickets can be purchased in a number of ways. A single-day general admission ticket is $16.50 for adults and $11.50 for youth. Three-day VIP reserved seats cost $60 for adults and $45 for youth. For the final day, Sunday, VIP reserved seats cost $21 for adults and $16 for youth.    Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 800-733-6466, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.    2001 TENTATIVE WORLD TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS    Men's Freestyle criteria: 1. Top seven at 2002 Senior National Championships; 2. Current National Team Member - Top three; 3. Top three Finisher in a FILA A Championships in the past two years including Pan Ams, but not Sunkist; 4. Past World or Olympic Team Member; 5. Medalist at Junior World Championships in the past two years; 6. 2002 NCAA Div. I Finalist; 7. 2002 Regional Tournament Champion from the Northeast, Northern Plains and Rocky Mountain Regionals    MEN'S FREESTYLE  55 kg/121 lbs.  National champion - Teague Moore, Norman, Okla. (Gator WC)  National placerwinners - 2. Jody Strittmatter, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC); 3. Jeff Prescott, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 4. Grant Nakamura, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone); 5. Eric Albarracin, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army); 6. Rocco Mansueto, Cleveland, Ohio, (Cleveland WC); 7. Gavin James, Farnington, N.M. (unattached)  Team USA member - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids); NCAA Div. I finalists - Luke Eustice, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC); World or Olympic team member - Sammie Henson, State College, Pa. (Sunkist Kids); Regional champions - Jasper Hubbert, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm); Tim Dernlan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC); Junior World medalists - T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. (Team Hoggs) and Jason Powell, Lincoln, Neb. (Husker WC): Medalist at Group A Tournament -  Martin Kusick, Baltimore, Md. (Sunkist Kids)    60 kg/132 lbs.  National champion - Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)  National placerwinners - 2. Eric Akin, Lincoln, Neb. (Dave Schultz WC); 3. Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids); 4. Jesus Wilson, Fayette, Iowa (Minnesota Storm); 5. Jeff Bedard, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army); 6. Mike Mena, Bloomington, Ind. (New York AC), 6-1; 7. C.C. Fisher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Team Excel)  Team USA member - Danny Felix, Chandler, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids); NCAA Div. I finalists - Johnny Thompson, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) and Ryan Lewis, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm); Regional champions - Eric Keller, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cat WC), Phil Mansueto, Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland WC); Medalist at Group A Tournament - Cody Sanderson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), Jason Kutz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)    66 kg/145.5 lbs.  National champion - Bill Zadick, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye)  National placerwinners - 2. Jamill Kelly, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC); 3. Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids); 4. Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC); 5. Jesse Jantzen, Cambridge, Mass. (Dave Schultz WC); 6. John Fisher, Flint, Mich. (Sunkist Kids); 7. Adam Tirapelle, Champaign, Ill. (Dave Schultz WC)  NCAA Div. I finalists - Aaron Holker, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone WC), Eric Larkin, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), Jared Lawrence, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) and Jared Frayer, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids); World or Olympic team member - Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC); Regional champions - Reggie Wright, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), Nick Mitchell, Waverly, Iowa (Knights WC); Medalist at Group A tournament - Celso DeAnda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Team Excel), Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), Mike Mendoza, Alamosa, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)    74 kg/163 lbs.  National champion - Joe Williams, Coralville, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)   National placerwinners - 2. Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids); 3. Ramico Blackmon, Monument, Colo. (Team Excel); 4. Kirk White, Boise, Idaho (Dave Schultz WC); 5. Donny Pritzlaff, Madison, Wis. (Dave Schultz WC); 6. Brian Dolph, Ridley Park, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC); 7. Joe Heskett, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)  Team USA member - Byron Tucker, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids); NCAA Div. I finalists - Luke