International sports hero Rulon Gardner of the Sunkist Kids has been the world's best Greco-Roman heavyweight for the last two years. He shocked Russian legend Alexander Kareline in the gold-medal finals of the Sydney Games, then came back a year later, overcame a tremendously difficult draw, and won the 2001 World gold medal. After a winter snowmobile incident where he lost a toe to frostbite, Gardner has not been able to compete this year and is still recovering from his frightening night in the mountains.    The United States has been very strong in this weight class for many years, as Gardner wrestled away the spotlight from World and Olympic medalist Matt Ghaffari in 2000. Go back one year from there and the top American Greco-Roman big man was Dremiel Byers of the U.S. Army, who placed sixth in the World and was named the USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year.    Byers claimed his second U.S. Nationals title this year, pinning veteran Billy Pierce of the Minnesota Storm from the clinch position in the gold-medal finals. A powerful athletes with great physical skills, Byers has also established himself as a world-class wrestler. He has wrestled very well this year, and is seeking another shot at a World medal this summer.     The return of Billy Pierce of the Minnesota Storm after a year off the mats gives this weight class more balance and experience. Pierce has been a member of Greco-Roman Team USA, but is still seeking his first U.S. World Team berth on the Senior level. He has the ability to win this weight class, but must first get through a tough Challenge Tournament field.     Matt Lamb of the New York AC, a veteran first made his mark as a member of the U.S. Navy wrestling team, also returned this year and is competing as well as ever. His third place at the U.S. Nationals makes him one of the favorites for the Challenge Tournament. Placing fourth in this division in Las Vegas was U.S. Army wrestler Paul Devlin, who has been one of the most active and competitive heavyweights in recent seasons.    Josh Etu, a college wrestler from the Univ. of Virginia, placed fifth in the U.S. Nationals. Etu was an ag-group World medalist and distinguished himself in Greco-Roman competing out of the Greco-Roman hotbed of Albany, N.Y. One of the athletes who have a legitimate chance in the Challenge Tournament is veteran Corey Farkas of the U.S. Air Force, who was sixth at the U.S. Nationals but held a No. 3 Team USA ranking this past season. Farkas has had trouble against Byers, but could match up well with the opponents in the Challenge Tournament.    Also qualifying by placing seventh in the U.S. Nationals was Tyrone Davis of St. Anthony's. The University Nationals champion is Andy Bowlby, who has done very well in Greco-Roman in recent seasons. LeRoy Gardner of the Minnesota Storm made the World Team Trials by winning a Regional. Gardner was a Junior World placewinner last year for the United States.     Although in his late 40's, ageless Greg Gibson, who has competed as a heavyweight during the last decade, has strength and experience. He was not at the U.S. Nationals, but Gibson, as a World and Olympic medalist, is eligible to compete if he wants. He is wrestling's George Foreman, competing and winning into middle age.    Dremiel Byers enters this event with confidence, experience and talent. Regardless of who wins the Challenge Tournament, he will be a force in the finals. He would like to see Rulon Gardner back on the mats soon, to give him even more motivation to train. Even without Gardner, the U.S. has some good depth at heavyweight, and somebody is certain to emerge to give Byers a good series. Perhaps this is the year that Billy Pierce puts together a strong tournament and makes his first World Team. Competing in front of his home fans in Minnesota could help put him over the top.    <120 kg/264.5 lbs.  National champion - Dremiel Byers, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army)  U.S. Nationals #2 - Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn.(Minnesota Storm)  U.S. Nationals #3 - Matt Lamb, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  U.S. Nationals #4 - Paul Devlin, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army)  U.S. Nationals #5 - Joshua Etu, Charlottesville, Va. (Virginia)  U.S. Nationals #6 - Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)  U.S. Nationals #7 - Tyrone Davis, Hempstead, N.Y. (St. Anthony's)   World and Olympic Team - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  World and Olympic Team - Greg Gibson, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)  University Nationals champion -  Andy Bowlby, Newburg, Ore. (Orange Crush)  Regional champion - LeRoy Gardner III, Robinsdale, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)  NCAA Div. I finalist - Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Dave Schultz WC)  NCAA Div. I finalist - Steve Mocco, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)    Men's Greco-Roman criteria: 1. Top seven at 2002 Senior National Championships; 2. Current National Team Member - Top three; 3. Top three Finisher in a FILA A Championship in the past two years, including the Pan Ams, but not Sunkist; 4. 2002 University National Champion; 5. Past World or Olympic Team member; 6. Medalist at Junior World Championships in the past two years; 7. 2002 NCAA Div. I Finalist; 8. 2002 Regional Tournament Champion from the Northeast, Northern Plains and Rocky Mountain Regionals    Note 1: Some athletes qualified in more than one way, although just one is noted in this list.  Note 2: Other wrestlers who meet qualifying criterion may identify themselves, and will be added to this list leading up to the event. Some of the anticipated qualifiers may choose not to attend.    Starting on May 30, TheMat.com will feature a daily interview with one of the 2002 U.S. Nationals champions, as well as a preview of that weight class for the upcoming World Team Trials, set for Saint Paul, Minn., June 21-23. Visit TheMat.com daily to read about America's best international athletes and learn about the exciting action expected at this year's World Team Trials.