LeVesseur stars at University National Freestyle Championships; Taylor wins double title

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
05/08/2004


Marcus LeVesseur (Minneapolis, Minn./Augsburg) won the 74 kg/163 lbs. division and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the University National Freestyle Championships, held at Northwestern Univ., May 8.    LeVesseur, a Div. III national champion at Augsburg College, defeated Bryce Hasseman (Bloomsburg, Pa./New York AC), 4-2 in the gold-medal finals. He also defeated Univ. of Missouri star Tyron Woodley (Columbia, Mo./Mo. Elite) in the semifinals, 3-1. He won five matches on the way to the title.    Capturing a double title, by winning both the University freestyle and Greco-Roman titles the same year, was Tim Taylor (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines). Taylor stopped  Jamie Rakevich (Elma, Wash./Orange Crush) 8-4 in the championship finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    There were no repeat individual champions from last year.    Capturing a very competitive division was Austen Palmer (Norman, Okla./Dave Schultz WC), who captured the 84 kg/185 lbs. division. Palmer stopped Willie Parks (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone), 3-1, in overtime. In the semifinals, he defeated University Nationals Greco-Roman champion Jacob Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./USMC), 3-1. Palmer competed at Iowa State as an undergrad and is now training at the Univ. of Oklahoma.    Placing third in this division was NCAA runner-up Ben Askren, Columbia, Mo./Mo Elite), who finished third. Askren was defeated in the semifinals by Parks, 7-5.    Four athletes won their gold medal finals by pin: Sal Gonzalez (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 50 kg/110 lbs., Austin Devoe  (Columbia, Mo./Mo Elite) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Tim Norman (Corvallis, Ore./Orange Crush)  at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Joel Flaggert (Choctaw, Okla./OU Barry Weldon) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    Gonzales pinned Terry Allison (Trusville, Ala./AWC) in 1:08. DeVoe pinned Obe Blanc (Lock Haven, Pa./unattac hed) in just 42 seconds. Norman pinned Matt Pitts  (Calhoun, Ga./UTC) in 2:34. Flaggert put away Chris Skretkowicz (Hempstead, N.Y./New York AC) in just 47 seconds.    The champion at  66 kg/145.5 lbs. was  Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./Dave Schultz WC), who defeated Ron Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./Pittsburgh), 7-4 in the gold-medal match. Tannenbaum also beat NCAA All-American Jeff Ratliff (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio International). 6-3 in the semifinals.    Orange Crush, the club team from Oregon State Univ., won the team title with 25 points, followed by the Dave Schultz WC with 21 points.