2004 U.S. Nationals champion Stephen Abas has owned this weight class since after the 2000 Olympics, claiming the World Team Trials event the last three years. Abas has continued to expand his experience and skills, and is looking to turn that into an Olympic medal this year. His fifth place at the 2003 World Championships was his best World-level finish to date.  Abas has won gold medals at the World Cup, Pan American Games and Junior World Championships, but still does not have a World-level medal. He is driven to achieve that goal.    He has been training in Colorado Springs much of this year, looking for an edge. Abas wins with technique and aggressive wrestling, and a keen mat sense in all positions. He has come a long way since the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, when he was a college student with high goals. By winning the U.S. Nationals, this has become his weight class to defend, something he has done very well.    Placing second to Abas at the U.S. Nationals was 1998 World Champion Sammie Henson, who has made a strong comeback after reversing a decision to retire. Henson won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games, and has developed a burning desire to win a gold medal. He bounced in and out of the sport in recent years, but has made the full commitment to train and compete this season. Henson wrestles with power and passion, but was unable to complete his attacks in his finals match against Abas at the U.S. Nationals. Can Henson close the gap in just a few weeks, or has Abas progressed so far that he can not be caught?    Certainly, Henson is no lock to win the Challenge Tournament. A number of quality athletes have legitimate chances to win the right to battle Abas in the finals series. Placing third at the U.S. Nationals was Teague Moore, a former U.S. Nationals champion with considerable international experience. Moore's loss at the U.S. Nationals was to Henson in the quarterfinals, 7-3, then he wrestled  back with four straight wins for the bronze. Moore must be considered a true threat to win this division. Moore has shown the ability to win matches against international competitors; his next big challenge is beating the other U.S. opponents for a shot at Abas in the finals.    The talent level at this division is very close among the athletes placing in the top six in Las Vegas. Losing to Moore in the bronze-medal match at the U.S. Nationals was Matt Azevedo, who has quickly become a serious freestyle wrestler. Azevedo's loss in the U.S. Nationals quarterfinals was to Jeremy Hunter, who then lost to Abas in the semifinals. Hunter was defeated by Moore by one point in the wrestle-backs and placed fifth. Among Hunter's achievements this season were a gold medal at the Sunkist Kids International and a silver medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial International.    Also in this mix is Mike Mena, who finished sixth in Vegas. Mena placed second at last year's World Team Trials, where he showed the ability to win the Challenge Tournament against most of these same competitors. This year, Mena's losses at the U.S. Nationals were to Henson and Azevedo, then he defaulted in the fifth-place bout to Hunter. As an assistant coach at the Univ. of Indiana, Mena is considered a local favorite, and he is looking to have another strong event like he did at the 2003 World Team Trials, which were also held in Indianapolis.    A proven freestyle competitor is Tim Dernlan, who placed seventh at the U.S. Nationals. Dernlan improved his craft at the U.S. Olympic Training Center before moving into the college coaching ranks. As a college wrestler at Purdue, Dernlan will also receive support from the home crowd in Indiana. Dernlan lost to Hunter in the finals at the Sunkist Kids International this season.    Taking eighth place in Las Vegas was Nick Simmons, who is pursuing an Olympic redshirt year from Michigan State. Simmons qualified two ways for the Olympic Trials, also capturing the North Regional Trials. Simmons has proven to be a talented freestyler, winning on the age-group level and has been competitive on the Senior level. Although many would expect that Simmons is a legitimate contender for the 2008 Olympic team, he is taking his run for this team very seriously.    Among the veterans who qualified for the Challenge Tournament by winning Regional Trials events were T.J. Hill (South Regional) and Eric Albarracin (Central Regional). Hill is a bit undersized at 121 pounds, but has a huge heart and a great freestyle background. He was a Junior World Champion at a lower weight, 50 kg, which is where he plans to return in 2005 when FILA adds this division for the World Championships. Albarracin is a dangerous athlete, a veteran who has many high national placements and could pop a victory over a higher-ranked wrestler at any time.     College star Mark McKnight won the East Regional and will continue his freestyle development. McKnight, who competes for the Univ. of Buffalo, went pretty deep into the U.S. Nationals, losing to Moore just one round short of earning a top eight-placement. Competing at the Olympic Trials as a college freshman is a great achievement, and should bring McKnight into the national picture in future seasons.    Angel Alegre, the West Regional champion, is an unknown quantity, and should have a real tough draw in the Challenge Tournament in Indianapolis.    There are some athletes in the field in Indianapolis who have qualified up a division and are expected to go down to their weight class for the Trials. The only possibility for that at 60 kg/132 lbs. is Eric Akin, a two-time Olympic Trials runner-up at the lowest division. Akin has indicated that he is staying at 60 kg, so fans should not expect any other athletes in this division than those who came through the qualifying events.    This is a weight class where the USA has not won a World-level medal since Henson's Olympic silver medal in Sydney in 2000. Abas has come close and has shown the ability to beat many of the world's best at this division. Henson believes he can return to the glory of the late 1990's, when he could beat anybody on the planet. Moore and others feel that their time in now, and that if they win the Olympic Trials, they will be the next next American medalist at this division. With Abas at the top of the ladder, the odds are in his favor to make the Olympic Team. However, the Challenge Tournament should be fiercely competitive, and whoever emerges will have a confidence that they can stop the Abas reign.    2004 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS IN FREESTYLE AT 55 KG/121 POUNDS  U.S. Nationals Champion - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)   U.S. Nationals, second place - Sammie Henson, Highland Mills, N.Y. (Sunkist Kids)  U.S. Nationals, third place - Teague Moore, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)  U.S. Nationals, fourth place - Matt Azevedo, Grover Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)  U.S. Nationals, fifth place - Jeremy Hunter, Champaign, Ill. (New York AC)  U.S. Nationals, sixth place - Mike Mena, Bloomington, Ind. (New York AC)  U.S. Nationals, seventh place - Tim Dernlan, State College, Pa. (Dave Schultz WC)   U.S. Nationals, eighth place - Nick Simmons, Williamston, Mich. (Michigan WC)  South Regional Trials Champion - T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. (Mineral Area)   West Regional Trials Champion - Angel Alegre (California)  North Regional Trials Champion - Nick Simmons, Williamston, Mich. (Mich. WC)  East Regional Trials Champion - Mark McKnight, Buffalo, N.Y. (Angry Fish)  Central Regional Trials Champion -Eric Albarracin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)