U.S. wrestlers dominate competitive New York Athletic Club Championships
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
12/23/2002
U.S. wrestlers swept all the freestyle gold medals and also captured most of the Greco-Roman and women's titles at a competitive New York AC Championships in New York, N.Y., Dec. 21-22. Among the freestyle champions were 2002 World Team member Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids at 145.5 pounds and 2000 Olympic Charles Burton of the New York AC at 185 pounds. Bono received an injury default in the finals over T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC. Burton scored a 10-0 technical fall in the gold-medal match over Ken Bigley of the New York AC. Other individual freestyle champions were Mike Mena of the New York AC at 121 pounds, Jesus Wilson of the Minnesota Storm at 132 pounds, Joe Heskett of the Sunkist Kids at 163 pounds, Dean Morrison of the New York AC at 211.25 pounds and Tolly Thompson of the Sunkist Kids at 264.5 pounds. Among the women's freestyle champions were 2002 World Team members Patricia Miranda of the Dave Schultz WC at 105.5 pounds and Toccara Montgomery of the Sunkist Kids at 158.5 pounds. Montgomery won the most challenging division in the women's event, as the top four placewinners have all competed at the World Championships. Montgomery edged six-time World medalist Kristie Marano of the New York AC in the finals, 7-5. Miranda had an easier time in the finals, scoring a 10-0 technical fall over Canadian Krista Wells. Other individual U.S. champions in the women's event were Danielle Hobeika of the Dave Schultz WC at 112 pounds and Erin Tomeo of the Sunkist Kids at 130 pounds. A pair of Canadian athletes captured gold medals, Tonya Verbeek at 121 pounds and Tara Hedican at 138.75 pounds. Winning individual gold medals in Greco-Roman were two-time Olympians Dennis Hall of the Sunkist Kids at 132 pounds and Kevin Bracken of the New York AC at 145.5 pounds. Both claimed one-point wins in the finals. Hall beat Joe Warren of the New York AC, 3-2, while Bracken edged Faruk Sahin of the USOTC, 6-5. In a rematch of the 2002 World Team Trials finals, Ethan Bosch of the New York AC scored a 2-1 overtime referee's decision over Brad Vering of the Sunkist Kids at 185 pounds. Vering defeated Bosch in the World Team Trials to claim the spot on the U.S. team. Other U.S. champions were Lindsay Durlacher of the New York AC at 121 pounds and Matt Lamb of the New York AC at 264.5 pounds. Foreign champions included Aleh Mishalovich of Belarus at 163 pounds and Karam Gaber of Egypt at 211.25 pounds.