U.S. wrestlers won 11 of 16 matches on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Kurt Angle Classic in New Orleans, La., taking home most of the $75,000 in prize money from the extravagant event.    In Greco-Roman action, 2000 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 World Champion Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) made his dramatic return to the mat as well after sitting out last season due to a tragic snowmobiling accident in February. Gardner scored a 3-0 win at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. over Eddy Bengtsson of Sweden, who placed seventh at the 2001 World Championships.    In the match, Gardner scored two points from fleeing the mat calls and another point off of a takedown, showing his aggressiveness on the mat has not faltered.    "I just wanted to stay aggressive. I was not just pushing him around, but trying to get him off-balance and score some points. I felt really strong and I think technically, I am not far from where I need to be. There are just some physical aspects I need to get by," Gardner said after the match.    Also in Greco-Roman competition, Brandon Paulson (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm) won a major revenge match over 2002 World Champion Geider Mamadaliyev of Russia at 55 kg/121 lbs. In this year's World Championships, Mamadaliyev defeated Paulson after a controversial ending that awarded the Russian the third and final point. This time Paulson, a 1996 Olympic silver medalist, got off to a strong start, scoring on a hip toss nearly one minute into the match for a 3-0 lead. Paulson dominated the rest of the action for a 5-0 win.    "I knew I couldn't get the match back from the World Championships. That is all I have been thinking about since I lost that one. It eats me up when I drive even. He's on my turf and I knew that I would beat him," Paulson said. "At the World Championships I knew I had him dead tired. I just had to stay on him in this match. He got tired here and I just wanted to stay aggressive and keep pushing him."    2002 U.S. World Team member T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) scored a dramatic win at 74 kg/163 lbs., defeating 2000 Olympic silver medalist Katsuhiko Nagata of Japan 6-3 in overtime. Dantzler had controlled the match, holding a 3-0 lead with 15 seconds remaining, but instead of sitting on his lead, the offensive-minded Dantzler worked to score more points, giving up three points to send the match to overtime. In the extra period Dantzler stayed aggressive, and when he was placed in par terre, he scored three points on a lift to win the match.    "I tried to bury him and I got caught. I should have sat back and just taken it easy, but instead I was just trying to score more opponents," Dantzler said.    At 60 kg/132 lbs., 2002 U.S. World Team member Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) lost a controversial match to 2002 World Champion Armen Nazarian of Bulgaria, who Gruenwald lost to at the 2002 World Championships. Nazarian won the match 3-1 in overtime. In the second period, Nazarian appeared to clearly grab the ankle of an escaping Gruenwald, but no points were awarded to Gruenwald for the action which is illegal in Greco-Roman wrestling. Gruenwald also appeared to earn an escape at another point in the match, yet was not awarded that point either.    "I felt I guarded well against his reverse lift," a dejected Gruenwald said. "I felt like I wrestled well and I know I am right there with him. There are just some things that not everyone can control, and that is pretty frustrating."    2002 U.S. World Team members Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) lost their matches to 2002 World medalists.    Bracken was defeated 3-0 by World Champion Jimmy Samuelsson of Sweden at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Vering lost to World silver medalist Aleksandre Menshikov 3-0 at 84 kg/185 lbs.    In men's freestyle competition, the U.S. captured five out of seven matches.    2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) won his bout over Khadsimurad Magomedov of Russia at 74 kg/163 lbs. by a 5-2 score. Magomedov was a World Champion in 2001 and has since been competing at 84 kg/185 lbs., but due to visa problems, he was asked to step in and wrestle Williams as well.    Surprisingly, Williams dominated the bigger and stronger Magomedov, scoring three takedowns. But the most important score came midway through the first period. With the match tied at 1-1, Williams got in deep on a double-leg and took Magomedov to his back, taking a 4-1 lead that Magomedov could not recover from.    "He is not really bigger strength-wise, but body-wise. He was taller and his shots it was hard to get my legs back. I've seen him wrestle in the World Championships before so I knew I could wrestle with him. It was just a matter of staying in positions where I felt good," Williams said.    Williams did injure his groin during the match and will take some time off from wrestling to heal.    Magomedov also competed against 2002 U.S. World Team member Cael Sanderson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs., but once again, was defeated on his feet. Sanderson scored six takedowns in a 7-2 win, Sanderson's first at the senior level over a major international competitor.    "I wasn't as aggressive as I needed to be. I could have done a lot more offensively and I should have won by a bigger margin. He is a tough opponent and has a lot of experience. It was a good match to get under my belt," Sanderson said.    2002 U.S. World Team member Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) was also impressive in dismantling 2001 World Champion Herman Kontoev of Belarus 8-3 at 55 kg/121 lbs.    Abas took a quick 3-0 lead after scoring two takedowns and an ankle lace. Leading 5-1 in the second period, Kontoev appeared to be back in the match after scoring two exposure points in a scramble, but Abas was able to score two exposure points just seconds later to take control once again.    "I have been preparing for this match for two years. He was the last guy to beat me, so I had a lot to prove. I thought that there was no way that I am losing in my home country and on this stage," Abas said following his win. "I am used to being in awkward positions. When we scored the two and two, I wasn't too worried, because that is the style of wrestling that I use. Sometimes you will give up points, but other times I can score big."    Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), also a 2002 U.S. World Team member, showed that he can be one of the best in the world as well after defeating two-time World Champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria 4-2 at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. An aggressive Bono was awarded two points in the match for Barzakov fleeing the mat and his takedown midway through the second period gave Bono the 4-2 win.    At 120 kg/264.5 lbs., Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC) used a three-point throw one minute into his match with David Otiasvili of Georgia to carry him to an 8-3 win. McCoy never looked back after taking the early lead.    The two losses for the U.S. were by Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Tim Hartung (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    Guerrero lost 3-2 to 2001 World Champion Giuvi Sissaouri of Canada. Trailing 2-0 late in the first period, Guerrero mounted a furious comeback, scoring a takedown in the last 30 seconds of the first period and another in the first minute of the second period. But Guerrero was unable to score from par terre in the match, and Sissaouri scored a takedown with 19 seconds remaining in the match to win.    Hartung lost to 2002 World Champion and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Eldar Kurtanidze of Georgia 3-2.    Hartung fell behind 3-1 with only one minute remaining, but a takedown with 18 seconds left by Hartung gave him a slim hope of winning the match. Instead of attempting to score from par terre, though, Hartung let Kurtanidze back on his feet and was unable to score another takedown.    "I made some simple mistakes. The three points he scored were all things we knew he would do from scouting. One time I was careless on my