Zuniga, Knauer named Outstanding Wrestlers at North Regional Olympic Team Trials in St. Joseph, Minn
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/13/2004
David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minnesota Storm) and Mark Knauer (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone WC) were named the Outstanding Wrestlers at the North Regional Olympic Team Trials, held in St. Joseph, Minn., March 13. Winners in each weight class in men's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman qualified for the Challenge Tournament at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling in Indianapolis, Ind., May 21-23. Zuniga was named Outstanding Wrestler at 74 kg/163 lbs. in freestyle wrestling. He scored a 10-0 technical fall over Juan Mena of the Minnesota Storm in the gold-medal finals. Zuniga was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team in Greco-Roman wrestling. He has been competing on the national level in freestyle wrestling in recent years. Knauer won the Outstanding Wrestler award in Greco-Roman wrestling, after capturing the title at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Knauer scored an 11-0 technical fall over Adam Haake of the U.S. Olympic Education Center team in the championship match. A pair of former teammates and All-Americans from the Univ. of Minnesota claimed gold medals in men's freestyle: Ryan Lewis at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Jared Lawrence at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Lewis defeated 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson (West Point, N.Y./Sunkist Kids) in the gold-medal finals, 4-1. Henson, who was also a World Champion in 1988, was competing up one weight division from his normal 55 kg/121 lbs. Lawrence, a former NCAA Div. I champion, scored a 3-1 victory in the gold-medal finals over unattached Scott Owen, who competed at Northern Illinois Univ. Nick Simmons (E. Lansing, Mich./Mich. WC) captured the 55 kg/121 lbs. title with an injury default over former Junior World champion T.J. Hill (Old School). Simmons is seeking an Olympic redshirt year, as he has taken the year off from Michigan State. Another Michigan State student, Max Lossen (E. Lansing, Mich./Michigan State) claimed the title at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., with a pin in 2:13 of Zak Jensen (Huskie WC). Other individual freestyle champions were Sean Salmon of Ohio at 84 kg/185 lbs. and unattached Carlos Eason at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. In Greco-Roman, two members of the U.S. Marine Corps team in Quantico, Va. claimed individual gold medals: Kelly Pederson at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Frank Workman at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Pederson scored a pin over James Bleau of the U.S. Olympic Education Center in the finals, in 1:38. Workman won his gold-medal match by an 11-0 technical fall over Isaiah Larson of Missouri. Workman qualified for the 2003-04 Greco-Roman Team USA, with a No. 3 ranking at 211.5 pounds. At 74 kg/163 lbs., Cheney Haight (Marquette, Mich./U.S. Olympic Education Center) captured the gold medal stopping Curtis Barnes (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines), 4-1. Another athlete seeking an Olympic redshirt year, Luke Smith (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Gator WC), captured the title at 55 kg/121 lbs. Smith, who is taking a year off from Central Michigan Univ., scored a 10-0 technical fall over Ramie Mohlman of the New York AC in the finals. Other individual Greco-Roman champions were John Habeck (Eagle) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and John Wechter (Michigan WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. This was the first of the five Olympic Regional Trials events being hosted by USA Wrestling this year. Olympic Trials Qualifying Regionals for men will also be held in Laramie, Wyo. (March 25-27), Battle Ground, Wash. (March 26-28), Brockport, N.Y. (April 16-18), and Kenner, La (April 22-24). Olympic Trials Qualifying Regionals for women will take place in three other cities: Battle Ground Wash. (March 26-28), and Kenner, La (April 22-24), and Brockport, N.Y. (April 16-18). ------------- The U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling are May 21-23 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Tickets and hotel accommodations are available. Visit www.trials2004.com for more information.