In what might be the most loaded weight class in all of American wrestling, Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids continues to be the hottest wrestler among freestyle athletes. Bono won his first U.S. Nationals title in Las Vegas this year, emerging in a weight division that features tremendous talent and experience. It continued a winter of outstanding performances, including a World Cup gold medal, a gold medal in Uzbekistan and victories at the Titan Games. Bono has displayed tremendous defense and a revived offense in his recent run of success.    Bono captured the U.S. Nationals with a tight 3-1 win over 2001 World Team member Bill Zadick of the Hawkeye WC, a bout that was decided in the clinch position. Bono had defeated Zadick in a Special Wrestle-off for the 2002 U.S. World Team as well. Zadick was a 2002 U.S. Nationals champion, but did not wrestle in last year's World Team Trials due to injury. A veteran who knows what it takes to win, Zadick will have confidence that he can win against Bono, or anybody else in this division.    In the U.S. Nationals semifinals, Zadick defeated former teammate Lincoln McIlravy of the McIlravy WC, 3-1. McIlravy is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, who gave up his job as USA Wrestling's Resident Freestyle Coach to return to the mat. McIlravy also boasts World silver and bronze medals. He is competing at a lighter weight level than he ever did during his international freestyle career. After losing to Zadick, McIlravy rebounded by dominating the rest of his opponents to capture third place.    Placing fourth was Reggie Wright of the Gator WC, the former Oklahoma State star who has seemed to improve tremendously in freestyle. Wright beat three very talented opponents in consolation rounds, first T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC, then Jared Frayer of the Sunkist Kids, then Tony Davis of the Sunkist Kids, before losing to McIlravy in the bronze-medal bout.  His ability to survive that kind of test shows that Wright has the character to succeed at this division.    Taking fifth at the U.S. Nationals was Jamill Kelly of the Gator WC. Kelly was second behind Zadick at last year's U.S. Nationals and earned a No. 3 Team USA ranking at last year's World Team Trials. Another Oklahoma State product, Kelly has blossomed in freestyle. His losses in Las Vegas were to Davis and to McIlravy. Kelly avenged his 4-2 loss to Davis with a 4-3 win over Davis in the fifth-place match. Davis was perhaps the biggest surprise at the U.S. Nationals, truly giving his first serious try at international freestyle. Davis lost a 2-2 overtime match to Bono in the semifinals in Vegas, a match many felt that Davis could have won. That kind of ability is the reason that this weight class is so interesting, and potentially unstable.    The final qualifier from the U.S. Nationals was Doug Schwab of the Minnesota Storm, who placed seventh in the division. Schwab made his mark in college as a star at the Univ. of Iowa, and is now training with the Minnesota program. His losses in Las Vegas were to Frayer and Kelly, but he avenged the Frayer loss by beating him 4-0 in the seventh place match.    Confused yet? It gets better. Frayer did not qualify with his eighth place finish at U.S. Nationals, but gets into the Challenge Tournament by winning a gold medal at the Dave Schultz International this winter. Frayer was a NCAA runner-up at Oklahoma, but appears very comfortable competing in freestyle. Also joining the field by placing in a major international event is Celso DeAnda of Team Excel, who has given fits to many of the wrestlers at this division.    We would be remiss if we did not mention Cary Kolat of the Dave Schultz WC, a 2000 Olympian and two-time World medalist. Kolat was reportedly attempting to drop to 60 kg, but did not enter the U.S. Nationals at all. He may choose to test this weight class, which is higher than the 138.75 pounds he competed at the Olympics. Kolat was ahead of Zadick and many of the others at this division prior to 2001. He has no history against McIlravy or Bono on the Senior level. Frayer beat Kolat at the Dave Schultz International, Kolat's only test at this division this season. Many feel that Kolat would be a force here, if he committed to building up his strength and competing here for a full season.    Since NCAA Div. I finalists are eligible for the World Team Trials, these young stars could make an impact in Indianapolis. Perhaps the most talented of the college finalists in freestyle is Arizona State's Eric Larkin of the Sunkist Kids, who was third in the 2000 Olympic Trials and has won the Sunkist Kids International. Already proven in this style, many expect Larkin to get even better just concentrating on freestyle all year. Minnesota's Jared Lawrence, who competes for the Minnesota Storm, has competed for the United States on a Junior World Team. Oklahoma's Teyon Ware was a talented freestyle wrestler in high school, and the athlete he beat at the NCAA meet, Dylan Long, also has strong skills.     T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC gets into the Challenge Tournament after winning a Regional tournament this spring. An NCAA champion at Iowa, and brother of freestyle superstar Joe Williams, T.J. is also the kind of athlete who can win matches against quality opponents. Two others qualified for the World Team Trials through the Regional events, Juan Venturi of Team Excel and Dewitt Driscoll of the Nittany Lion WC.     The strength of this division is shown by the quality of the athletes who DID NOT qualify to compete. How about Harvard's Jesse Jantzen of the Dave Schultz WC, who was a U.S. Nationals All-American last year. What about John Fisher of the Sunkist Kids, a 1996 U.S. Nationals champion and two-time Olympic Trials alternate? How about Adam Tirapelle of the New York AC, Jeremy Ensrud of the Dave Schultz WC, Mike Eierman of Missouri Elite, Mike Mendoza of the Dave Schultz WC or Jamarr Billman of the New York AC? All of these athletes are extremely talented freestyle wrestlers who could not work through the battle royale at the U.S. Nationals.    If you love wrestling, you will not want to miss a single session of the World Team Trials. Right from the opening round of the Challenge Tournament, the stars at 66 kg in freestyle will put on a show worth the price of admission. Whoever comes out of the Challenge Tournament here will have achieved something outstanding. Because of the skill of the field, there is no guarantee that Lincoln McIlravy and Bill Zadick will get the chance for a rematch. Then the question becomes whether the Challenge Tournament survivor will have the energy to battle Chris Bono in a three-match series. By winning the U.S. Nationals, Bono may truly have an advantage in the finals series. But then again, anything seems possible in this weight division.    2003 U.S. Freestyle Nationals results at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.  1st - Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) dec. Bill Zadick (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), 3-1 OT  3rd - Lincoln McIlravy (Colorado Springs, Colo./McIlravy WC) dec. Reggie Wright (Bloomington, Ind./Gator WC), 8-0  5th - Jamill Kelly (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) dec. Tony Davis (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids), 4-3  7th - Doug Schwab (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) dec. Jared Frayer (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids), 4-0    2003 Freestyle World Team Trials qaulifiers at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.  National champion - Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)  National placerwinners - 2. Bill Zadick (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC); 3. Lincoln McIlravy (Colorado Springs, Colo./McIlravy WC); 4. Reggie Wright (Bloomington, Ind./Gator WC); 5. Jamill Kelly (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC); 6. Tony Davis (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids); 7. Doug Schwab (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm)  Past World or Olympic team member - Cary Kolat (Lock Haven, Pa./Dave Schultz WC); NCAA Div. I finalists - Teyon Ware (Norman, Okla./OU Underdogs); Dylan Long (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cat WC); Eric Larkin (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids); Jared Lawrence (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm); Regional champions - Juan Venturi (Dubuque, Iowa/Team Excel), Dewitt Driscoll (State College, Pa./NLWC); T.J. Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye W