Bracken captures gold medal, four U.S. wrestlers win medals at the Granma Cup in Matanzas, Cuba

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
02/23/2003


Two-time U.S. World Team member Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) captured the gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Feb. 21-23 at the 25th Granma Cup in Matanzas Cuba. Bracken was one of four medalists for the United States.    Bracken defeated three-time Olympic medalist Juan Luis Maren of Cuba in the semifinals before defeating 2001 CISM World Military Championships bronze medalist Eduard Kratz of Germany 6-3 for the gold medal. Bracken's gold medal match was also named the best match of the tournament.    Also winning medals for the U.S. were Aaron Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) with a bronze medal at 84 kg/185 lbs., Corey Farkas (Colorado Springs, U.S. Air Force) with a silver medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. and 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) with a bronze medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    Sieracki defeated Tim Nettekoven of Germany 2-1 in overtime for his bronze medal.    Farkas and Byers both lost to the same competitor, Mijain Lopez of Cuba.  Byers lost to Lopez 4-0 in the semifinals before defeating Carlos Gonzalez of Cuba 5-1. Farkas pinned Gonzalez in the semifinals to qualify for the finals against Lopez, who defeated Farkas by technical fall, 12-0.    Lopez, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, has now defeated the top three U.S. super-heavyweights in the past month after also posting two victories over 2000 Olympic champion and 2001 World Champion Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids).    Lindsay Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) made it to the bronze medal match at 55 kg/121 lbs., but lost to Yoendry Hechevarria of Cuba 3-0.    Cuba captured the team title with a total of 15 medals: six gold, four silver and five bronze. The U.S. placed second and was the only other country to win at least one gold, silver and bronze medal.    Granma Cup Medal Winners  Matanzas, Cuba  Feb. 21-23, 2003  55 kg/121 lbs.  Gold - Osmany Duca (Cuba)  Silver - Yasnier Hernandez (Cuba)  Bronze - Yoendry Hechevarria (Cuba)    60 kg/132 lbs.  Currently unavailable    66 kg/145.5 lbs.  Gold - Kevin Bracken (United States)  Silver - Eduard Kratz (Germany)  Bronze - Juan Luis Maren (Cuba)    74 kg/163 lbs.  Gold - Odelis Herrero (Cuba)  Silver - Cecilio Rodriguez (Cuba)  Bronze - Alesky Garcia (Cuba)    84 kg/185 lbs.  Gold - Rafael Gomez (Cuba)  Silver - Luis Mendez (Cuba)  Bronze - Aaron Sieracki (United States)    96 kg/211.5 lbs.  Gold - Ernesto Pena (Cuba)  Silver - Mirko Englich (Germany)  Bronze - Maikel Santiesteban (Cuba)    120 kg/264.5 lbs.  Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba)  Silver - Corey Farkas (United States)  Bronze - Dremiel Byers (United States)    U.S. Results  55 kg/121 lbs. - Lindsay Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) - 4th  dec. Heinz Marnette (Germany), 3-2  dec. Mauricio Cabello (Argentina), 3-1  tech. fall Jose Magallanes (Peru), 10-0  lost dec. Yasnier Hernandez (Cuba), 5-3  lost dec. Yoendry Hechevarria (Cuba), 3-0    55 kg/121 lbs. - Neal Rodak, San Diego, Calif. (U.S. Navy) - 8th  lost dec. Yoendry Hechevarria (Cuba), 6-0  lost tech. fall Alexander Casal (Cuba), 10-0  dec. Yosbel Rodriguez (Cuba), 8-0    66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) - 1st  pool results unavailable  dec. Juan Luis Maren (Cuba)  dec. Eduard Kratz (Germany), 6-3    74 kg/163 lbs. - Steve Woods, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) - 6th  dec. Benjamin Dahn (Germany), 6-0  lost dec. Pablo Enrique Shorey (Cuba), 5-4    84 kg/185 lbs. - Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) - 3rd  pool results unavailable  lost tech. fall Rafael Gomez (Cuba), 14-4  dec. Tim Nettekoven (Germany), 2-1, ot    96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Phillip Johnston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) - 7th  lost dec. Andreas Fix (Germany), 8-2  lost dec. Maikel Santiesteban (Cuba), 9-3    120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force) - 2nd  dec. Yovsanni Hernandez (Cuba), 3-1  by fall over Andres Ayub (Chile)  dec. Ralf Bohringer (Germany), 3-0  by fall over Carlos Gonzalez (Cuba)  lost tech. fall Mijain Lopez (Cuba), 12-0    120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) - 3rd  tech. fall Edward Diaz (Venezuela), 10-0  by fall over Carlos Gonzalez (Cuba)  dec. Ronald Kraft (Germany), 6-0  lost dec. Mijain Lopez (Cuba), 4-0  dec. Carlos Gonzalez (Cuba), 5-1