In a very competitive finals round, a few new young champions made their name on international wrestling with victories at the ASU/Sunkist Kids International Open in Tempe, Ariz., October 24-25. Competition was held in all three international styles of wrestling: men's freestyle, women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman wrestling. Winning the Outstanding Wrestler awards were Doug Schwab (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) in freestyle, Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army) in Greco-Roman and Sara McMann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) in women's freestyle. In an intense battle, Schwab defeated two-time World Team member Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), 3-2 in the finals at 66 kg/121 lbs. Schwab scored second period takedowns to get the needed three points, and held off a hard-charging Bono at the match end to secure his first major international win. Sahin, a native of Turkey who is a U.S. resident and serving in the U.S. Army, was dominant in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 pounds, scoring a 12-1 technical fall over Mark Rial (Gator WC) in 1:25. McMann also dominated her finals opponent, Canadian World Team member Shannon Samler (Canada/Burnaby Mt.), with a 13-2 technical fall in 5:19. 2000 Olympic Champion Rulon Gardner (Cascade, Colo./Sunkist Kids) captured the Greco-Roman title at 264.5 pounds, defeating 2000 and 2003 World Champion Kristie Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won the women's title at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., winning a five-athlete roundrobin with dominant wins. One of the most anticipated matches went into overtime, as college star Steven Mocco (N. Bergen, N.J./Sunkist Kids) edged two-time Olympian Melvin Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), 4-3 in overtime at 120 kg/264.5 pounds. Douglas, who is 40 years old, used his craftiness and experience to come from behind and tie Mocco in the second period. Late in regulation, Douglas got behind Mocco and almost scored again, but the action was out of bounds. In the sudden death overtime, Mocco blasted a leg attack for the winning takedown. It was the first competition for Douglas since the 2000 Olympic Games, and he was competing up a weight division in this tournament. Mocco, who is taking an Olympic redshirt year, was a NCAA champion as a sophomore last year. The most outstanding international wrestler was two-time World silver medallist Karim Gaber of Egypt, who captured the 96 kg/211.5 pound title with a 6-1 win over R.C. Johnson (New York AC/USOEC) in the finals. Other men's freestyle champions were Jeremy Hunter (Bloomington, Ind./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Michael Lightner (Marlow, Okla./Dave Schultz WD) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Ramico Blackmon (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Excel) at 74 kg/163 lbs., Lee Fullhart (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Dominic Black (U.S. Army) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Other Greco-Roman champions were Joe Espinoza (Gator/USOEC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Joe Warren (New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Ken Cook (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Kenny Owens (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Canada had two women's champions: Tonya Verbeek at 55 kg/121 lbs. and six-time World Champion Christine Nordhagen at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Other women's champions were Patricia Miranda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Malinda Ripley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., and Alaina Berube (Escanaba, Mich./Cumberland) at 59 kg/130 lbs. Quotes from assorted champion and competitors Patricia Miranda - "This tournament was a kickoff to how I want to wrestle all year. I'm not holding anything back. I want to be on the top of the podium in Athens." Michael Lightner - "I am working hard and I believe in myself. I have worked on the mental part of it all. It is about hard work and belief in myself." Joe Warren - "I know he is from Belarus, and if I stayed on him, I would break him. I had to stay hard nosed and he would break. My strategy went well. It's a big win for me, and my confidence is high." Sara McMann - "This helps my confidence a lot. I have gotten better as a wrestle. I'm more consistent now." Doug Schwab - "I got him off-balance a lot later in the match. I got in on him and was able to finish. He beat me three times before. But this is Sunkist, not the World Team Trials. I feel good where I am at, but I've got a lot of work to do." Rulon Gardner - "I hate to be put in an dangerous position, like he had me when he scored. I had to put pressure back on him. I came back and scored the points to finish the match off. I have a lot of work to do still. My feet are feeling good." Melvin Douglas - "I felt strong. I'm not in the shape I need to be in. He is big and strong and a goer. He reminds me of Royce Alger. He will need a little more technique as he gets better. I felt good about the match. This is a starting point for me. Its my first competition since the Sydney Olympic Games. Steven Mocco - "I felt good. I held my positions well. I'll be competing more and I'm getting ready to go." ASU/SUNKIST KIDS INTERNATIONAL OPEN at Tempe, Ariz., October 25 Freestyle medal matches 55 kg/121 lbs. Gold - Jeremy Hunter (New York AC) dec. Tim Dernlan (Dave Schultz WC), 3-0 Bronze - Leroy Vega (Minnesota Storm) won by inj. dft. over Nick Simmons (Michigan WC), 0:00 60 kg/132 lbs. Gold - Michael Lightner (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Yero Washington (Sunkist Kids), 3-0 Bronze - Danny Felix (Sunkist Kids) won by ref. dec. Jason Kutz (U.S. Army), 2-2, ot, 9:00 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Gold - Doug Schwab (Minnesota Storm) dec. Chris Bono (Sunkist Kids), 3-2 Bronze - Danny Brown (Canada) dec. Rob Lang (Canada/Regina), 3-2 74 kg/163 lbs. Gold - Ramico Blackmon (Team Excel) dec. Donny Pritzlaff (Dave Schultz WC), 5-4 Bronze - Sean Harrington (New York AC) won by inj. dft. over Zoltan Hunyady (Canada), 0:00 84 kg/185 lbs. Gold - Lee Fullhart (Gator WC) dec. Nick Ugoalah (Canada/Burnaby Mt.), 3-2 Bronze - Mo Lawal (Gator WC) dec. Greg Jones (Sunkist Kids), 5-1 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Gold - Dominic Black (U.S. Army) dec. Wes Hand (Hawkeye WC), 9-5 Bronze - Jon Trenge (New York AC) dec. Ryan Tobin (Dave Schultz WC), 4-2, ot, 5:37 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Gold - Steve Mocco (New York AC) dec. Melvin Douglas (Sunkist Kids), 4-3, ot, 6:14 Bronze - Kellan Fluckiger (Sunkist Kids) dec. Eric Kirschner (Canada/Calgary), 5-1 Outstanding Wrestler - Doug Schwab (Minnesota Storm) Greco-Roman Medal matches 55 kg/121 lbs. Gold - Joe Espinoza (Gator/USOEC) dec. Anthony Gibbons (U.S. Army), 3-2 Bronze - Joseph Betterman (New York AC/USOEC) dec. Neal Rodak (U.S. Navy), 6-4 60 kg/132 lbs. Gold - Joe Warren (New York AC) dec. Alex Pashkov (New York AC), 8-0 Bronze - Marco Lara (Tanstaffl/USOEC) dec. A.J. Lavender (Cyclone WC), 7-0 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Gold - Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army) won by tech. fall over Mark Rial (Gator WC), 12-0, 1:25 Bronze - Harry Lester (Gator WC/USOEC) dec. Glenn Garrison (U.S. Army), 3-0 74 kg/163 lbs. Gold - Ken Cook (Sunkist Kids) dec. Darryl Christian (Dave Schultz WC), 5-3 Bronze - Brandon McNab (New York AC) dec. Leonard Frincu (Golden Boys), 5-1 84 kg/185 lbs. Gold - Kenny Owens (U.S. Army) dec. Quincey Clark (unattached), 3-1 Bronze - Ethan Bosch (New York AC) pin James Meyer (Minnesota Storm), 1:53 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Gold - Karam Gaber (Egypt) dec. R.C. Johnson (New York AC/USOEC), 6-1 Bronze - Brandon Ruiz (Elite) dec. Philip Johnston (U.S. Air Force), 4-1 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Gold - Rulon Gardner (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Kevin Hoy (U.S. Air Force), 12-2, 2:54 Bronze - Khoren Papoyan (Golden Boys) dec. Steve Goss (Michigan WC), 8-0 Outstanding Wrestler - Faruk Sahin (U.S. Army) Outstanding Foreign Wrestler (all style) - Karim Gaber (Egypt) Women's Freestyle Medal matches 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Gold - Patricia Miranda (Dave Schultz WC) pin Clarrisa Chun (Gator WC), 2:13 Bronze - Mary Kelly (New York AC) dec. Belinda Chow (Canada/Regina), 9-1 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Gold - Malinda Ripley (Sunkist Kids) dec. Katie Kunimoto (Gator), 6-1 Bronze - Sheila Lerit