Lawrence knocks off Bono, Garrison ends Rial’s run, H.S. junior Shaw beats Roberts

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Jason Bryant (USA Wrestling)
05/22/2004


Two former U.S. World Team members fell in the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Challenge Tournament at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind. on Saturday morning and one upstart's Olympic run came to an end.    In Men's Freestyle, Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Storm beat top-seeded Chris Bono of Sunkist Kids 3-1 in overtime at 66 kg. Lawrence took the lead on a caution and one point as Bono broke his lock in the clinch at the start of the second period after the first period went scoreless. Bono tied the match in the final minute with a takedown, but Lawrence responded with a takedown with three seconds left in regulation. Heading into overtime, Lawrence led 2-1 and Bono broke his lock in the clinch just five seconds into the extra period. Bono was a member of the 2001 and 2002 U.S. World Team, and placed second at the U.S. Nationals this year.    Lawrence will face Eric Larkin of Sunkist Kids in the Challenge Tournament final. Larkin beat Jared Frayer of the Dave Schultz WC 3-2 in the other semifinal. Frayer had beaten Larkin twice this year at the U.S. Nationals.    At 60 kg, Mike Zadick of Hawkeye WC rallied to beat Jesus Wilson of the Minnesota Storm 5-4 in overtime. Wilson took a 4-0 lead with a first period takedown and a three-point throw early in the second period. Zadick scored four points in the final 1:30 to force overtime, two on takedowns and two on fleeing the mat cautions against Wilson.  Zadick scored on a takedown 11 seconds into overtime.    At 96 kg, 40-year-old Melvin Douglas' comeback ended at the hands of Tim Hartung, as Hartung scored four takedowns to win 4-0. Douglas was given a standing ovation as he walked across the mat for the final time during the consolation semifinal round. Hartung was a member of the 2002 U.S. World Team. Douglas was a two-time Olympian and 1993 World Champion.    Cael Sanderson, the 2003 world silver medallist reached the Challenge Tournament finals at 84 kg with a 7-2 victory over Clint Wattenburg of the New York AC. Sanderson dove in right off the whistle, scoring on his trademark anklepick and quickly getting two more points on a gut-wrench. Wattenburg answered with a takedown of his own, but Sanderson scored twice from the top position in the second period.    In Women's Freestyle, Stefanie Shaw, a high school junior from Connecticut, pulled one of the biggest upsets of the year, earning a 4-2 decision over world bronze medallist Sally Roberts, the top seed at 63kg.    Shaw, a 17-year old in only her second senior level event, scored the first points of the match, countering a Roberts single leg and turning it into a two-point crotch lift exposure. Roberts rallied to tie the match at two apiece with a pair of takedowns, but Shaw took the lead for good, countering on a Roberts arm-spin attempt for one point, and she added the final takedown, again countering Roberts' offense to win 4-2.    Tricia Saunders, one of the U.S. Olympic Team Coaches for women, said, "She (Shaw) was unmoved and kept her composure and wrestled like she'd been wrestling a while; not a high school kid. Sally's a tough wrestler; she just won the World Cup. This young woman wasn't fazed by it at all."  Shaw will face Alaina Berube of the New York AC in the Challenge Tournament final. Berube beat Kaci Lyle 5-1.    One of the loudest ovations from the early morning crowd came at 48kg, where Sara Fulp-Allen of Menlo College beat Mary Kelly of the New York AC 8-6. Kelly nearly tied the match late, but had a bow-and-arrow attempt stopped late in the bout that potentially could have tied the match. Fulp-Allen will face Clarissa Chun in the Challenge Tournament final. Chun beat Laura Felix of Dave Schultz WC by a 13-2 count.     In Men's Greco-Roman, Mark Rial reached the semis at 66 kg  by beating two former U.S. world team members, Marcel Cooper and T.C. Dantzler, but he didn't have an answer for sixth-seeded Glenn Garrison of the U.S. Army. Garrison scored the winning two-point gut wrench in overtime to knock 10th-seeded Rial from the championship bracket.    Garrison will face top-seed and 2000 Olympian Kevin Bracken of the New York AC in the finals. Bracken beat Harry Lester of the USOEC 5-2 in overtime. Two of the most explosive wrestlers in Greco-Roman, the two wrestled relatively even on their feet, with Lester getting a point in the first period for lift appreciation. Bracken broke his grip in overtime, giving Lester a point, but Bracken scored the winning move with a three-point dump on the edge of the mat.      At 120 kg, 2000 Olympic champion Rulon Gardner earned the only pin of the semifinals, charging Corey Farkas and taking him to the mat at 5:25. Gardner, leading 3-0 at the time, got a rousing ovation from the fans in attendance after his fall. Gardner will meet Paul Devlin, a 3-0 winner over Russ Davie, in the Challenge Tournament final.