U.S. Rosters set for 2003 Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France, Nov. 28-29

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
11/18/2003


The Henri Deglane Challenge is slated to begin on Nov. 28 in Nice, France and the Dave Schultz Wrestling Foundation will send a team of top U.S. athletes to compete. This annual event features many talented athletes from European nations.    The Dave Schultz Wrestling Foundation will also bring 15-20 fans to the event, an annual social activity that accompanies the tour.    Leading the U.S. men's freestyle lineup will be 2003 U.S. National Team members Kirk White (Tacoma, Wash./Dave Schultz WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Lee Fullhart (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.    White placed third at the U.S. World Team Trials earlier this year. He won a gold medal at this tournament last year, helping the U.S. to win the team title.    Fullhart has placed second at the last two U.S. World Team Trials. He captured a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Championships. He has won seven international medals throughout his career.    Also competing in men's freestyle for the United States will be Chris Fleeger (Trout Run, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Jared Frayer (Cambridge, Mass./Dave Schultz WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Ryan Tobin (Philadelphia, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    Fleeger was an NCAA runner-up for Purdue in 2003, and has taken an Olympic redshirt year for the 2003-04 college season. He won a bronze medal in the 2002 University World Championships and also captured a bronze at the 2000 Henri Deglane Challenge when he was a redshirt freshman in college.    Frayer has won multiple international events in the past year, including the 2003 Manitoba Open and 2003 Dave Schultz Memorial International. He is currently an assistant coach at Harvard Univ.    Tobin placed fifth at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials. He won a bronze medal at the 2002 Henri Deglane Challenge. He is currently an assistant coach at the Univ. of Pennsylvania.    Competing in women's freestyle for the U.S. will be Patricia Miranda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Tela O'Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.    Miranda has had a stellar year, winning gold medals at the 2003 Pan American Games and World Cup along with a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. She won a gold medal at the 2002 Henri Deglane Challenge.    O'Donnell placed second at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials after winning her first U.S. Nationals title in May. She recently captured a bronze medal at the Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open.    Both women will be wrestling outside of their natural weight classes at this event due to the fact that only two women's weight classes are competed at this event.    The U.S. Greco-Roman roster will include Joe Warren (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Heath Sims (Huntington Beach, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs., Chael Sonnen (Eugene, Ore./Dave Schultz WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Jason Loukides (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    Warren placed third at the 2003 U.S. Nationals and fourth at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials. He won a silver medal at the 2002 Henri Deglane Challenge.    Sims was a 2000 Olympian. He has competed in the Henri Deglane Challenge twice, winning a gold medal in 2000. He placed fifth at the 2003 U.S. Nationals.    Sonnen placed sixth in the 2002 Henri Deglane Challenge. In 2000, he placed third in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He currently competes in submission fighting.    Loukides won a bronze medal at the 2003 CISM Military World Championships and was the Pan American Championships runner-up this year as well. He placed fourth at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials.    Coaching the U.S. teams will be Kendall Cross (Brookline, Mass.), a 1996 Olympic gold medalist and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dave Schultz Wrestling Foundation.    All U.S. athletes in this event will represent the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club.    In last year's Henri Deglane Challenge, the U.S. captured eight medals overall. Winning gold medals were Cary Kolat at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and White at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men's freestyle and Miranda at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Sara McMann at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in women's freestyle.    Also coming home with medals were men's freestyle wrestlers Donny Pritzlaff at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Tobin at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., who both won bronze medals, and Greco-Roman competitors Warren at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Mike Ellsworth at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., who both won silver medals.    The United States won the team title in both men's and women's freestyle while placing third in Greco-Roman.    Henri Deglane Challenge  at Nice, France  Nov. 28-29, 2003  U.S. Men's Freestyle Lineup  60 kg/132 lbs. - Chris Fleeger, Trout Run, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jared Frayer, Cambridge, Mass. (Dave Schultz WC)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Kirk White, Tacoma, Wash. (Dave Schultz WC)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Lee Fullhart, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Ryan Tobin, Philadelphia, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC)  Coach: Kendall Cross, Brookline, Mass.    U.S. Women's Freestyle Lineup  55 kg/121 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Tela O'Donnell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  Coach: Kendall Cross, Brookline, Mass.    U.S. Greco-Roman Lineup  60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Heath Sims, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Chael Sonnen, Eugene, Ore. (Dave Schultz WC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jason Loukides, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  Coach: Kendall Cross, Brookline, Mass.