Lewis, Antonelli to coach 2003 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
05/23/2003


USA Wrestling has named its head and assistant coaches for the 2003 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team: head coach Shon Lewis of Colorado Springs, Colo. and assistant coach Jay Antonelli of Quantico, Va.    The U.S.  Greco-Roman World Team will compete at the 2003 Greco-Roman World Championships, set for Cretiel, France, October 2-5. The U.S. team will be determined at the 2003 World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., June 20-22.    Lewis served as the assistant coach of the 2002 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, which placed fifth in the World Championships held in Moscow, Russia. The team was led by World Champion Dremiel Byers at 120 kg/264.5 pounds. Lewis is also Byers' full-time coach, a major reason that Byers was able to develop into a World champion. Lewis was also named USA Wrestling's 2002 Greco-Roman Coach of the Year.    Lewis works as the coach of the U.S. Army team, stationed in Fort Carson, Colo. He is responsible for training the athletes in the Army's World Class Athlete Program. The U.S. Army team features a number of nationally-ranked Greco-Roman athletes, including Byers, and 2001 U.S. World Team member Keith Sieracki. One of the U.S. Army women athletes, Tina George, won a World silver medal in 2002.    Under Lewis' guidance, the U.S. Army has emerged victorious at the Armed Forces Championships, claiming the title in both freestyle and Greco-Roman as well as the overall title for the last two years. Lewis has served as a coach for the U.S. World Military team, which competes at the annual CISM World Military Championships.    As an athlete, Lewis competed on the 1993 and 1999 U.S. World Championships teams. He also qualified for the 1998 U.S. World Team, but was unable to participate in the World Championships that year. He was a four-time U.S. Nationals Greco-Roman champion (1993-94, 1996, 1998), and was a medalist in three U.S.Olympic Team Trials (1992, 1996, 2000).    Lewis was a member of the U.S. Army team as an athlete, winning six Armed Forces Greco-Roman titles and competing in the World Military Championships. He was the 1993 U.S. Army Athlete of the Year, an award including all sports in the Army's program. He also competed at the Univ. of Oregon, and is originally from Auburn, Calif.    Antonelli will serve as the Assistant Coach of the 2003 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team that will compete in Cretiel, France.    Antonelli, who is a major in the Marines, works as the head coach of the U.S, Marines Corps team. Four members of the U.S. Marines team qualified for the 2002-03 Greco-Roman Team USA by placing in the top three of their weight classes at the World Team Trials. The Marine Corps was the overall champion at the 2001 Armed Forces Championships, and claimed the Greco-Roman team title in 1998. Antonelli has coached dozens of individual Armed Forces champions in both styles.    Antonelli was named USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Coach of the Year in 1998. He was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team coaching staff. Antonelli has also been a member of three U.S. World Team coaching staff. Antonelli was the head coach for three CISM World Military Championship teams.     He was the head coach of the 2002 U.S. World Cup team. Antonelli has coached a number of other U.S. teams on international tours. He has been active in coaching youth Greco-Roman teams in the past, including working with the New Jersey Junior National team.     As an athlete, Antonelli was a nationally-ranked Greco-Roman wrestler for the U.S. Marines team. He placed eighth  in the 1995 U.S. Nationals, and was fifth in the 1994 World Team Trials. He competed in college for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Antonelli also received a masters degree in exercise and health fitness promotion from George Mason Univ. He competed for the Pingry School in New Jersey in high school.