The 5th World University Championships will take place in Edmonton, Canada from June 21 to June 25. This event will feature some of the brightest young amateur wrestling stars from around the world at the University level. The event is open for age levels between 17-28 years old. The event will feature men's freestyle and Greco-Roman as well as women's freestyle competition. "It's a great opportunity developmentally for us," said Mitch Hull, USA Wrestling Director of National Teams. "It's an opportunity to get the international matches that don't normally come to this age group. I fully expect that most of these athletes that are going to wrestle at this event will wrestle for us at the Senior level." This marks the first time that women will compete at the World University Championships. "This is very important for Universities. The hardest thing is to put this in. Now that it's in, they are going to have a hard time taking it out. Canada looked at this opportunity and really pushed for it," Hull said. The freestyle team is led by U.S. Nationals placewinner and NCAA Finalist Jon Trenge (Bethlehem, Penn./Lehigh WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Trenge's only loss at the U.S. Nationals was to eventual champion Lee Fullhart 4-1. Other NCAA All-Americans competing for the squad include Chris Fleeger (Trout Run, Penn./DSWC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Andrew Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Damion Hahn (Lakewood, NJ/Minn. Storm) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Andy Bowlby (Newburg, Ore./Orange Crush), who will compete at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., qualified for the World University Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, but has elected to only participate in Freestyle. The youngest member of the freestyle team is Mike Silengo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unatt.) at 55 kg/121 lbs. Silengo has committed to wrestle at the University of Pennsylvania next season. Jeremy Spates (Norman, Okla./Missouri) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. to round out the freestyle squad. Silengo and Spates were alternates at the University Nationals. In Greco-Roman, six of the seven University Nationals champions will compete in the tournament. U.S. Nationals placewinners Joe Espinoza (Stockton, Calif./USOEC) and Nathan Piasecki (Minocqua, Wis./USOEC) will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 60 kg/132 lbs., respectively. Both placed seventh at the U.S. Nationals in April. Espinoza and Piasecki both train at the United States Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Mich. They will be joined on the University World Team by fellow USOEC trainees Darnell Lollis (Marquette, Mich./USOEC) and R.C. Johnson (Plymouth, Minn./USOEC). Lollis will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. while Johnson will weigh-in at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 157-pound NAIA National Champion Pat Cadwallader (Anaheim, Calif./S. California) will get into international competition at 74 kg/163 lbs. Jordan Holm (Northfield, Minn./Cat Club) will wrestle at 84 kg/185 lbs. Paul Devlin (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) is the lone alternate to become a starter. He will compete at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. after Bowlby elected to only wrestle Freestyle. Devlin placed fourth at this year's U.S. Nationals. In women's freestyle competition, only four weight classes for the U.S. team have been filled. Elizabeth Short (Lombard, Ill./Minn. Storm) will compete at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. after placing third at the University Nationals. Kera Pemberton (Manhattan, Kan./DSWC) also placed third at the University Nationals after finishing sixth at U.S. Nationals. She will compete at 51 kg/112 lbs. At 55 kg/121 lbs., Sarah Tolin (Casper, Wyo./DSWC) will take the mat for the U.S. team. Tolin was a runner-up at University Nationals. Rounding out the current squad will be Samantha Branka (Lincoln Park, Mich./Minn. Storm), who will compete at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Branka placed fourth at the U.S. Nationals and second at the University Nationals. Branka joins Short on the World University Team after being on the same team at UM-Morris. Pemberton and Tolin are also teammates - at Neosho Community College. The U.S. last competed in the World University Championships in 2000. The Freestyle team placed first while the Greco-Roman team placed fifth. The tournament saw Teague Moore, Cael Sanderson and Chad Lamer claim individual titles. Moore and Sanderson are the top seeds at the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials. Other placewinners from the 2000 World University Team that will contend for spots on this year's World Team are Stephen Abas, Casey Cunningham, Joe Warren, Chael Sonnen and Josh Etu. Piasecki, 8th at 54 kg/119 lbs., and Lollis, 5th at 58 kg/127.75 lbs., are the only two members of the 2002 World University Team to have placed at the 2000 World University Championships. Members of the U.S. World University team earned their spot by capturing titles at the University National Championships in May. Since the U.S. World Team Trials will take place June 21-23, some competitors who qualified for the Team Trials may choose to not compete in the World University Championships. In that case, the true alternate from the University National Championships was selected to represent the United States in Edmonton. Members of the University World Teams are as follows: Weight - Name (Hometown/Club/College) Men's Freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. - Mike Silengo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unatt./Penn) 60 kg/132 lbs. - Chris Fleeger (Trout Run, Penn./OSWC/Purdue) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jeremy Spates (Norman, Okla./Missouri/Missouri) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Michigan) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Damion Hahn (Lakewood, NJ/Minnesota Storm/Minnesota) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jon Trenge (Bethlehem, Penn./Lehigh WC/Lehigh) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Andy Bowlby (Newburg, Ore./Orange Crush/Oregon State) Coaches - Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore.), Mike Hagerty, Cliff Laughlin Men's Greco-Roman 55 kg/121 lbs. - Joe Espinoza (Stockton, Calif./USOEC/Northern Michigan) 60 kg/132 lbs. - Nathan Piasecki (Minocqua, Wis./USOEC/Northern Michigan) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Darnell Lollis (Marquette, Mich./USOEC/Northern Michigan) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Pat Cadwallader (Anaheim, Calif./Southerm California/Embry-Riddle) 84 kg/185 lbs. - Jordan Holm (Northfield, Minn./Cat Club/Northern Iowa) 96 kg211.5 lbs. - R.C. Johnson (Plymouth, Minn./USOEC/Northern Michigan) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Paul Devlin (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) Coaches - James Hall, Ivan Ivanov (Marquette, Mich.), Chris James Women's Freestyle 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Elizabeth Short (Lombard, Ill./Minn. Storm/UM-Morris) 51 kg/112 lbs. - Kera Pemberton (Manhattan, Kan./DSWC/Neosho CC) 55 kg/121 lbs. - Sarah Tolin (Casper, Wyo./DSWC/Neosho CC) 72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Samantha Branka (Lincoln Park, Mich./Minn. Storm/UM-Morris) Coaches - Tadaaki Hatta (Oberlin, Ohio)