Challengers determined for Olympic Trials finals
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Jason Bryant (USA Wrestling)
05/22/2004
The Championship Series of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Sunday will have some of the old and some of the new at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind. In Men's Freestyle, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson scored on a two-point gut wrench and bonus point in the waning seconds to rally from behind to beat Teague Moore at 55kg. Henson came into the U.S. Nationals as the sixth seed and finished second and came into the Challenge Tournament seeded first and finish first. Trailing 3-1 with 10 seconds to go, Henson tied the match with a two-point exposure and then as the clock ticked away, scored another exposure and tacked on the bonus point. Henson earned the right to face U.S. National champion and world team member Stephen Abas in Sunday's best-of-three series. At 120 kg, college phenom Steve Mocco's run for Athens was ended by veteran Tolly Thompson with a 3-0 overtime decision. Thompson scored first off the clinch at the start of the second period after the two grappled through a scoreless first period. Thompson went up 1-0 after Mocco broke first and unsuccessfully tried to parlay his broken lock into a takedown. Thompson extended his lead to 2-0 with a takedown at the 4:08 mark, but Mocco closed to within one, scoring a takedown with 10 seconds left in regulation. The clinch was anti-climactic, as Mocco broke his grip in the first five seconds of overtime. Thompson will face 2003 World silver medallist Kerry McCoy in a best-of-three series. Joe Heskett earned the only fall in the Men's Freestyle competition finals, stepping over on a gut wrench to score a fall at 1:24 over Ramico Blackmon at 74 kg. Heskett will re-acquaint himself with rival Joe Williams in the finals. In Greco-Roman, 2000 Olympic medallists Rulon Gardner (120 kg) and Garrett Lowney (96 kg) made return trips to the Olympic Team Trials finals as did 1996 Olympic silver medallist Dennis Hall (55kg). Hall beat top-seeded Lindsey Durlacher 3-1 in overtime, scoring the winning takedown from the clinch 20 seconds into overtime. Hall will face another 1996 Olympic silver medallist, Brandon Paulson, in the best-of-three series. Lowney earned a shot at U.S. National champion Justin Ruiz on Sunday by topping Dan Hicks 3-0 on overtime. Lowney, a 2000 Olympic bronze medallist, scored the deciding third point after Hicks broke his lock in the clinch 23 seconds into overtime. Gardner will have a chance at redemption in his final Olympic Trials against fellow World Champion Dremiel Byers. Gardner scored two, two-point gut wrenches and cruised to a 5-0 victory over Paul Devlin. Byers beat Gardner in the finals of the U.S. Nationals last month in Las Vegas, 3-1. Women's freestyle went according to seed, with the exception of Kristie Marano making the finals on Sunday at 72 kg, up from her usual 63 kg. Marano, a seven-time World medallist and 2003 World champion, scored three points from a throw on Stephany Lee and secure the fall at 3:34. Marano will face two-time World silver medallist Toccara Montgomery at 72 kg. Tela O'Donnell got past Jenny Wong, a 2003 World bronze medallist, 5-2 en route to face U.S. National Champion Tina George at 55 kg. O'Donnell trailed early, but went a head late in the first period with a two-point gut wrench. She tacked on three second-period takedowns, the last with six seconds to go. Alaina Berube gave up the first takedown to high school junior Stefanie Shaw, but never trailed again, as Berube outlasted Shaw 5-4 at 63 kg. Berube will face U.S. National runner-up Sara McMann on Sunday in a best-of-three to determine one of the four weights women's wrestling will be competed in Athens. McMann is at the top of the ladder because Marano, the U.S. National Champion at 63 kg, missed weight and was forced up to 72 kg.