The No. 1 athlete in this division for two years has been Stephen Abas of the Sunkist Kids, a former three-time NCAA champion at Fresno State. Abas has won two straight World Cup titles. He lost at the 2001 World Championships to eventual champion Herman Kontoev of Belarus, who Abas has since defeated here in the USA. Abas was among the 2002 U.S. World Team members who did not get his chance to shine when the USA did not compete in Iran last year.  A 1998 Junior World Champion, Abas seeks to add a Senior World title to his resume. His ability to score points from both the feet and the mat has increased his effectiveness against international opponents.    Abas did not compete at the 2002 U.S. Nationals, leaving the weight open for Teague Moore of the Gator WC , an emerging international talent. After winning the U.S. Nationals, Moore dropped a competitive series to Abas in the World Team Trials last June. Since then Moore won a silver at the World Cup and has continued his vast improvement. Moore has the pedigree for success on this level, including age-group national titles and a NCAA title at Oklahoma State.    Considering a challenge for the top is 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson of the Sunkist Kids, who was also a 1998 World Champion. Henson has not been consistently engages and motivated since his Olympic experience. Henson turned on the intensity this year, winning gold medals at a number of international tournaments including a win over the current World champion. A recent announcement that he is putting a larger focus on his coaching career makes Henson's status for the U.S. Nationals a bit unclear this year. With Sammie, you just never know.    Jody Strittmatter of the Hawkeye WC, who was second at the 2002 U.S. Nationals and is No. 3 on the ladder, has not competed since last year's World Team Trials. An All-American at Iowa, as well as a Div. II national champion at Pitt-Johnstown, Strittmatter was a talented freestyler during his development years in Pennsylvania. His height gives him a big edge over some opponents, and a win over Henson at last year's U.S. Nationals is indication of his skill level.    Veterans Mike Mena of the New York AC, Tim Dernlan of the Dave Schultz WC and Eric Albarracin of the U.S. Army, round out the top six from the World Team Trials. All will give tough matches to any opponent. Mena is a big lightweight, and has wrestled at the U.S. Nationals at the next weight up, but tries out for the World Team at the lowest weight. Dernlan has paid his dues, training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He competed for the USA at the Pan American Championships this year. Albarracin has shown flashes of outstanding wrestling in the past, and can use his experience to his advantage.    Eric Akin of the Dave Schultz WC, second in the Olympic Trials twice, is a big threat if he drops back to this division. Last year, Akin went up a weight class, and the bet is that he will continue to test the bigger boys. Veteran Jeff Prescott of the New York AC was third at the 2002 U.S. Nationals, but fell short at the World Team Trials. Prescott has the ability, when wrestling well, to defeat top contenders. NCAA finalists Travis Lee and Chris Fleeger are expected to emerge on the Senior scene. Lee, the NCAA champion from Cornell, was a Junior National double champion, and helped train with Team USA prior to last year's World meet. Fleeger, the runner-up from Purdue, has tremendous freestyle credentials, including places at the U.S. Nationals and age-group World Teams.    Grant Nakamura of Iowa State, Rocco Mansueto of Cleveland State and Gavin James of New Mexico were All-Americans at last year's U.S. Nationals. Past Junior World champion T.J. Hill of Lion Den will always offer a challenge at this division, with his high-energy attack and tremendous freestyle experience. An emerging talent is Nick Simmons of Michigan State, who beat Hill in the finals of this year's University Nationals.    2002 U.S. Freestyle Nationals results at 55 kg/121 lbs.  1st - Teague Moore, Norman, Okla. (Gator WC) dec. Jody Strittmatter, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 7-2  3rd - Jeff Prescott, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) won by tech. fall over Grant Nakamura, Ames, Iowa (Cyclone), 11-0  5th - Eric Albarracin, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army) won by forfeit  6th - Rocco Mansueto, Cleveland, Ohio, (Cleveland WC) dec. Gavin James, Farnington, N.M. (unattached), 7-2