2006 U.S. World Team Trials Sunday Afternoon Recap

One thing was certain on Sunday at the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials in Sioux City, Iowa: You could expect the unexpected. After Saturday's competition saw only one new Trials champion crowned, Sunday's competition saw four new Trials champions crowned in the seven weight classes contested.

In freestyle, Donny Pritzlaff at 74 kg and Andy Hrovat at 84 kg, both of the New York AC, became first time Trials champions, and Bill Zadick of the Gator WC won his second Trials title. Jake Clark of the U.S. Marines at 84 kg became a first-time champion in Greco-Roman.

Tolly Thompson of the Sunkist Kids (120 kg/freestyle), Lindsey Durlacher of the New York AC (55 kg/Greco-Roman), and Joe Warren of the New York AC (60 kg/Greco-Roman) successfully defended their Trials titles on Sunday.

The 14-member squad is now set and will represent the U.S. at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships in Guangzhou, China, Sept. 26-Oct. 1.

Pritzlaff, who was runner-up at the New York AC Holiday meet and fifth at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial in Russia, parlayed the momentum he gained from winning his first U.S. Nationals title in April into his first Trials title with a dramatic finals victory over Tyrone Lewis of the Gator WC, 0-2, 2-0, 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, and 0-1, 1-1, 1-1.

"I felt confident the whole year," said Pritzlaff, a former two-time NCAA champion at Wisconsin. "I felt that I could compete on the international level. In the last few years before this, I didn't have enough confidence to go overseas and win. This year, I felt like I made that jump where I could compete against guys around the world."

Andy Hrovat (Photo/John Sachs)

Hrovat, who won the Sunkist Kids and Henri Deglane events earlier this year, pulled the shocker of the semifinals when he pinned defending Trials champion Mo Lawal of the Gator WC in the first period. Hrovat then defeated his training partner and friend Clint Wattenberg in the finals, 2-0, 0-3, 1-1 and 1-1, 4-2 to make his first U.S. World Team.

Hrovat said that he and Wattenberg, who are both coached by Sean Bormet at the Overtime School of Wrestling in Chicago, put everything aside as they prepared for this event.

"We just talked to each other and we said, 'Look, I know that we wrestle each other all the time, our goal is to get to the finals of the World Team Trials,'" said Hrovat. "We pushed each other and we helped each other. And we both ended up in the finals. That was our goal. It was just unfortunate that one of us had to lose."

The 33-year-old Zadick, who won his first Trials title in 2001, is wrestling as well as he ever has throughout his career. He finished runner-up at the U.S. Nationals in April to Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids in arguably the deepest weight class, but turned in an even better performance at the Trials, outscoring his opponents 27-2 on the way to his title. In the finals, Zadick defeated Jared Frayer of the Gator WC, 5-0, 3-1 and 1-0, 2-0. On Saturday, Zadick's younger brother, Mike, won the 60 kg title and earned his first trip to the World Championships.

The elder Zadick was excited about his brother's accomplishment, but knew that it was important for him to focus on the task at hand.

"Yesterday I was so excited for Mike," said Zadick. "I really had to focus, concentrate, and put a cap on my emotions, and not carried away with the whole deal. I knew the best thing that I could do to achieve our goal of us both winning gold medals at the Worlds was to just try ignore it for a day."

Jake Clark (Photo/John Sachs)

Clark, who won his first U.S. Nationals title in April and earned Outstanding Wrestler honors in the process, defeated another Armed Forces wrestler in the finals, Aaron Sieracki of the U.S. Army, in three matches, 1-1, 1-1, 5-0, 4-0, and 3-2, 1-1.

After the match, Clark saluted the crowd at the Tyson Events Center.

"It's memorial weekend," said Clark. "At Nationals, I was able to get one out, too. It's my way of representing, my way of thanking everyone out there. This is a big weekend to be able to win this title here, just to represent not only myself, the military, but especially the Marine Corps and all of the people serving overseas. For me to able to be here, that's because of them. Without them, I wouldn't be able to be here. That's my way of showing respect for them."

Clark was thrilled to get his first Trials title.

"It's a great feeling," said Clark. "I mean, it's something that I've always thought about. To just finally be here, it's kind of surreal in a way. It's something that my family and everybody else always told me. They've been supporting me forever. It's something that I finally had to believe in myself to do."

Thompson claimed his second straight Trials title with a pin in the second match over the same opponent he defeated in last year's finals, Steve Mocco of the New York AC.

"I'm real motivated now getting back on this team and going out and winning a world title," said Thompson. "I was right there last year. You always have to prove yourself. You make it one time, people might say, 'Oh, it was a fluke that you're on the team.' But I'm on the team again, that's the bottom line."

Joe Warren (Photo/John Sachs)

Warren, who placed ninth at the 2005 World Championships, won convincingly in the finals over Jeremiah Davis of the Sunkist Kids WC, 4-0, 6-0 and 3-0, 7-1. Warren defeated Davis in last month's U.S. Nationals, but later had his title stripped after he tested positive for a banned substance. Warren was given a three-month suspension according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. However, because the suspension was deferred, he was allowed him to compete at the Trials.

"I made a mistake," said Warren. "I'm extremely sorry about everything for USA Wrestling. It's a black eye on it. I'm hoping to be a role model for the kids. Things happen. I learned how to deal with and I moved on. I'm the same person as I was before. I'm just happy to be on top again and on another World Team."

Warren is now focused on winning a world title.

"Personally, I'm proud of myself and the coaching staff," said Warren. "They really got me tuned in. I'm really focused on winning a gold medal for the U.S. in China."

Sunday's Finals Results (Courtesy of USA Wrestling):

66 KG/145.5 LBS. FREESTYLE
Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) vs. Jared Frayer, Cambridge, Mass. (Gator WC)

Match 1: Zadick dec. Frayer 3-0, 3-1
Match 2: Zadick dec. Frayer 1-0, 2-0

55 KG/121 LBS. GRECO-ROMAN
Lindsey Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC) vs. Sam Hazewinkel, Pensacola, Fla. (Gator WC)

Match 1: Durlacher dec. Hazewinkel 3-2, 2-0
Match 2: Durlacher dec. Hazewinkel 4-1, 4-0

74 KG/163 LBS. FREESTYLE
Donny Pritzlaff, Northport, N.Y. (NYAC) vs. Tyrone Lewis, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)

Match 1: Pritzlaff dec. Lewis 0-2, 2-0, 1-0
Match 2: Lewis dec. Pritzlaff 1-1, 2-1
Match 3: Pritzlaff dec. Lewis 0-2, 1-1, 1-1

60 KG/132 LBS. GRECO-ROMAN
Jeremiah Davis, El Cajon, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC)

Match 1: Warren dec. Davis 3-0, 6-0
Match 2: Warren dec. Davis 3-0, 7-1

84 KG/185 LBS. FREESTYLE
Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (NYAC) vs. Clint Wattenburg, Ithaca, N.Y. (NYAC)

Match 1: Hrovat dec. Wattenberg 2-0, 0-3, 1-1
Match 2: Hrovat dec. Wattenberg 3-0, 4-2

84 KG/185 LBS. GRECO-ROMAN
Jake Clark, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) vs. Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

Match 1: Sieracki dec. Clark 1-1, 1-1
Match 2: Clark dec. Sieracki 5-0, 4-0
Match 3: Clark dec. Sieracki 3-2, 1-1

120 KG/264.5 LBS. FREESTYLE
Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco, N. Bergen, N.J. (NYAC)

Match 1: Thompson dec. Mocco 1-0, 1-0
Match 2: Thompson pins Mocco 1:59

Complete Brackets

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2006 U.S. World Team Trials Sunday Afternoon Recap

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