Bios of 2003 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
09/19/2003


BRANDON PAULSON  2003-04 Team USA Ranking: No. 1 at 55 kg/121 lbs.  Years on Team USA: 8 (1991-92, 95-97, 99-04)  Residence: Anoka, Minn.  Club: Minnesota Storm  Club Coach: Dan Chandler  College: Univ. of Minnesota  High School: Anoka, Minn. (Anoka)   Born: October 22, 1973 in Anoka, Minn.  Height: 5-5   International Competition: Second in 2003 Pan American Games... Second in 2003 Dave Schultz Memorial International... Competed in 2003 Titan Games... Second in 2003 Concord Cup... Eighth in 2002 World Championships... 2001 World silver medalist... Fourth in 2001 World Cup... 2000 Pan American Olympic Qualifying Challenge champion... Third in 2000 Pan American Championships... 1999 Winter Classic champion... Third in 1999 Nordvest Cup (Norway)... 1996 Olympic silver medalist... Fourth in 1996 Peer Gynt Cup (Finland)... Third in 1996 Sweden Cup Grand Prix... Second in 1995 Concord Cup... Second in 1993 Espoir World Championships... Third in 1992 Michigan WC Open... Third in 1991 World Team Trials... Fourth in 1991 Concord Cup... Seventh in 1991 Espoir World Championships... Fourth in 1989 Cadet World Championships in freestyle...   U.S. Competition: 2000, 2002-03 U.S. Nationals champion...  2001-03 World Team Trials champion... Second in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials...  1999 Winter Classic champion... Second in 1999 World Team Trials... Third in 1996 and 1999 U.S. Nationals... 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion... 1996 North Regional Olympic Trials champion... Second in 1995 World Team Trials... 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival champion... Second in 1995 U.S. Nationals... 1995 University Nationals champion... Fourth in 1993 World Team Trials... Fourth in 1991 and 1993 U.S. Nationals... 1992-93 Espoir National champion... Fifth in 1992 U.S. Nationals... 1992 Junior National champion... 1991 Espoir Nationals double champion... Second in 1991 Junior Nationals... 1990 U.S. Olympic Festival double champion... 1990 Espoir Nationals champion in freestyle... Second in 1990 Espoir Nationals... 1989 Junior Nationals champion... 1989 Cadet National champion in freestyle... Second in 1989 Cadet Nationals... 1988 Cadet National double champion...   College:Attended the Univ. of Minnesota, where he was coached by J Robinson...  He studied Finance... Seventh in the 1998 NCAA Championships... Received his B.S. in Management with an empahsis in Finance in 1998...   High School: 1990-92 Minnesota state champion for Anoka HS... His coach was Ron Malcom... Also participated in tennis, and was active with the D.A.R.E. program...   Personal: Son of Doug and Sherry Paulson... He and his wife Rochell have two daughters, Sydney and Abby... Became the first high school wrestler ever to make the senior-level Team USA when he qualified for the 1991-92 Greco-Roman National Team... Has won  a national title on all four age-group levels (Cadet, Junior, Espoir, University)... Currently employed for Paulson Construction in Sales/Marketing... Hobbies include golf and movies...   Awards: Outstanding Greco-Roman wrestler at the 1992 Junior Nationals... Championship Belt Series winner on the Junior and Espoir levels... Won the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1998...   Records:  Paulson has the most USA Wrestling age-group national titles with 11...    JIM GRUENWALD  2003-04 Team USA ranking: No. 1 at 60 kg/132 lbs.  Years on Team USA: 8 (1994-95, 1997-04)  Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.  Club: Sunkist Kids  Club Coaches: Anatoly Petrosyan, Andy Seras  College: Maranatha Baptist Bible College  High School: Greendale, Wis. (Greendale)  Born: June 9, 1970 in Milwaukee, Wis.  Height: 5-4      International Competition: Third in 2003 Pan American Games... 1998 and 2003 Pan American Championships champion (Guatemala)... Competed in 2003 Titan Games... Second in 2003 Dave Schultz Memorial International... Third in 2003 Concord Cup... Eighth in 2002 World Championships... Second in 2002 Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)... Second in 2002 Demokritia Tournament (Greece)... 1999 and 2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion... 2002 World Cup champion... Tenth in 2001 World Championships... Third in 2001 World Cup... Second in 1997, 2001-02 Pan American Championships... Third in 2001 Acropolis Tournament (Greece)... 2001 Hungary Grand Prix champion... Sixth in the 2000 Olympics... 2000 Olympic Qualifier champion (Egypt)... Ninth in 2000 Olympic Qualifier (Uzbekistan)... Third in 2000 Olympic Qualifier (France)... Third in 2000 Olympic Qualifier (Italy)... 1999 Winter Classic champion... 1998-99 Sunkist Kids International Open champion... 1999 Poland Open champion... Fifth in 1999 Granma Cup (Cuba)... Third in 1998 Henri Deglane Challenge (France)... 1998 Concord Cup champion... 1998 Sweden Cup Grand Prix champion... Second in 1998 Peer Gynt Cup (Norway)... Second in 1997 Concord Cup ... Second in 1996 and 2001 Sunkist International Open... Fourth in 1996 Greco-Roman World Cup... Third in 1995 Sunkist International Open... Third in 1995 Concord Cup...  Fourth in 1995 Peer Gynt Cup (Norway)... Fourth in 1994 Concord Cup...  U.S. Competition: 2001-03 World Team Trials champion... 2003 U.S. Nationals champion... 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Champion... 1998-99 Winter Classic champion... Seven-time U.S. Nationals runner-up (1996-02)... Second in 1997-99 World Team Trials... Fourth in 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials... 1996 West Regional Olympic Trials champion... Fifth in 1995 U.S. Nationals... Second in 1994 Winter Classic... Second in 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival... Third in 1994 World Team Trials... Fourth in 1994 U.S. Nationals... Third in 1993-94 University Nationals... 1994 Rocky Mountain Regional champion... 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival champion... Second in 1988 Junior Nationals... Third in 1987 Junior Nationals... 1986 Cadet Nationals champion...  College:Competed for Ben Peterson, the 1972 Olympic champion, at Maranatha Baptist Bible College... Three-time National Christian College champion, winning titles in 1989, 1991 and 1992, finished second in 1990... Graduated in 1994 with a degree in secondary education...  High School: Competed for Rob Carlson at Greendale HS in Wisconsin... He won the 1987 state title as a junior... Second in 1986 and 1988 state meets...  Personal: He and his wife, Rachel, have one son, Adin... Works as a math teacher at Hilltop Baptist High School... U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete... Hobbies include reading and weightlifting... Volunteers as a wrestling referee...   Awards:   Who's Who of American High School Students ... Who's Who of American College Students ... Who's Who of American Teachers ...     KEVIN BRACKEN  2003-04 Team USA Ranking: No. 1 at 66 kg./145.5 lbs.  Years on Team USA: 8 (1996-04)  Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.  Club: New York AC  College: Illinois State Univ.  High School: Chicago, Ill.  (St. Laurence)  Born: October 29, 1971 in Chicago, Ill.  Height: 5-6  International Competition: Fourth in 2003 Pan American Games... 2003 Pan American Championships champion (Guatemala)... 2003 Granma Cup champion (Cuba)... 2001 and 2003 Dave Schultz International champion... 2003 Concord Cup Champion... 2002 NYAC Christmas Championships champion... DNP in 1998 and 2002 World Championships... 2002 Pytlasinski Tournament champion (Poland)... Second in 2001 NYAC Open... Seventh in 2001 World Championships... Second in 2001 World Cup... Fifth in 2001 Pan American Championships... Fourth in 2001 Acropolis Tournament (Greece)... Tenth in 2001 Hungary Grand Prix... Sixth in the 2000 Olympics... Second in 2000 Granma Cup (Cuba)... Seventh in 2000 Olympic Qualifier (France)... Second in  2000 Dave Schultz Memorial International... Second in 1999 Sunkist Kids International Open... Third in 1999 Poland Open... Ninth in 1999 Granma Cup (Cuba)... Fifth in 1999 Dave Schultz Memorial International... 1998 Sunkist Kid