2009 U.S. World Team Trials Preview (Greco-Roman)

The U.S. Greco-Roman team is coming off a disappointing Olympic Games as only one wrestler, Adam Wheeler (96 kg), came home with a medal (bronze). In 2007, the U.S. Greco-Roman team won the World title, which had never been accomplished. Was the performance in 2007 merely an aberration? Time will tell. Wheeler has retired from the sport to become a police offer. Past World medalists Brad Vering and Justin Ruiz have also retired. World champion Joe Warren has been out of the sport for two years. But there are still several talented and experienced Greco-Roman wrestlers competing, including World bronze medalists Lindsey Durlacher (55 kg) and Harry Lester (74 kg), as well as World champion Dremiel Byers (120 kg).

Will we see some new blood break through in Greco-Roman and compete at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark? Or will it be the same names we have grown accustomed to see winning this event?

Below is a weight-by-weight preview of the Greco-Roman competition at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials.

55 kg:
Spencer Mango had a breakthrough season in 2008, winning both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He placed eighth at 2008 Olympic Games. Mango, though, decided to compete up at 60 kg for April’s U.S. Nationals, where he was runner-up. He will be making the move back down to 55 kg this weekend. In Mango’s absence, Armed Forces champion Jermaine Hodge won his first U.S. Nationals title, defeating Sam Hazewinkel in the finals. Hazewinkel is a two-time U.S. Nationals champions, but he has yet to make a World or Olympic team. Lindsey Durlacher, a 2006 World bronze medalist, lost to Hazewinkel in the Challenge Tournament at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and left his shoes on the mat, signifying that he’s retiring from the sport. But he changed his mind and has opted to compete again this season. He recently placed third at the U.S. Nationals. USOEC wrestlers Nate Engel and Max Nowry placed fourth and fifth respectively in this weight class at the U.S. Nationals.

Prediction: Spenser Mango over Sam Hazewinkel

60 kg:

Joe Betterman defeated Spenser Mango to win the 2009 U.S. Nationals title at 60 kg (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

This was the lone weight class the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games. Ironically, the U.S. has arguably the best 60 kg wrestler in the world in Joe Warren, who was suspended in 2007 after failing his second drug test. Warren is now competing in MMA. In Warren’s absence, Joe Betterman has stepped up and become the No. 1 man. Betterman defeated Mango to win the U.S. Nationals. Nathan Piasecki placed third at the U.S. Nationals, with his only loss coming to Betterman in the semifinals. Glenn Garrison and Jeremiah Davis have won U.S. Nationals titles in the past … and should challenge for the title. Garrison has a win over Betterman this season at an international event in Slovenia. Marco Lara placed sixth at the U.S. Nationals, but wrestled a close match with Betterman in that event. Jimmy Chase placed fourth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials down a weight class at 55 kg.

Prediction: Joe Betterman over Glenn Garrison

66 kg:
This weight class lost some firepower when Harry Lester and Jake Deitchler opted to move up to 74 kg. But there are still several talented and experienced competitors, including U.S. Nationals champions Faruk Sahin and Mark Rial, as well as past Olympian Oscar Wood. Sahin, a Military World champion, won his second U.S. Nationals title in April, defeating Rial in the finals. It was Rial’s first event since the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Wood placed third at the U.S. Nationals, losing only to Rial. Jacob Curby has shown that he has the tools to challenge for the title. He has been runner-up at the U.S. World Team Trials … and won the Dave Schultz Memorial this season. C.C. Fisher placed fifth at the U.S. Nationals, but nearly defeated Sahin the semifinals, losing a close match in three periods. Teyon Ware, a two-time NCAA champion from Oklahoma, made the switch from freestyle and has a victory over Wood this season.

Prediction: Faruk Sahin over Mark Rial

74 kg:

Harry Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist, completely dominated the competition at 74 kg at the 2009 U.S. Nationals (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

Harry Lester, like Durlacher, left his shoes on the mat at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last summer signifying his retirement from the sport, only to change his mind and come out of retirement. I think it’s safe to say that most the U.S. coaches and wrestling fans are thrilled about Lester’s return. Lester, who moved up from 66 kg, completely dominated his competition at the U.S. Nationals. The fat and happy (his words) Lester plowed through the competition, which included a dominating win over Jake Deitchler, the wrestler who upset him at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Lester gets an automatic berth in the best-of-3 finals by virtue of winning the U.S. Nationals and being a past World medalist. Lester’s friend and training partner, Jake Fisher, finished runner-up to Lester at the U.S. Nationals. Fisher is a two-time New York AC International champion. Cheney Haight, who was runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, lost in the second round at the U.S. Nationals to Jess Hargrave, but came to avenge that loss in the third-place match. Deitchler, who placed sixth at the U.S. Nationals, shocked the wrestling world when he made the U.S. Olympic team at the age of 18 last summer. He has spent this last year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, but recently made the decision to return to return to Minnesota and wrestle collegiately for the Gophers. Another talented Minnesota wrestler, Andy Bisek, has the tools to challenge for the title. Bisek was runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Nationals … and defeated Deitchler for fifth place at this past U.S. Nationals.

Prediction: Harry Lester over Jake Deitchler

84 kg:
Brad Vering owned this weight class from 2002 to 2008. During that time span, Vering made four U.S. World teams, two U.S. Olympic teams, and earned a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships. After the 2008 U.S. Olympic Games, Vering retired from competition. It appears that the lone wrestler to unseat Vering from a U.S. World team, Jake Clark, has moved up to 96 kg. Enter T.C. Dantzler, who has moved up from 74 kg. The charismatic Dantzler, who has competed in five World Championships and the Olympics, topped Aaron Sieracki to win his fourth U.S. Nationals title in April. Dantzler gets an automatic berth in the best-of-3 finals … since he won the U.S. Nationals and has placed in the top five at the World Championships. Sieracki is a veteran who has proven that he can compete with the top wrestlers in the weight class, but he has yet to make a U.S. World or Olympic team. Chas Betts is a young and talented wrestler who has steadily climbed the U.S. ladder in this weight class. He placed third at the U.S. Nationals, losing only to Dantzler. Walter Hoffman was a surprise fourth-place finisher. Other wrestlers in the mix in this weight class include Gabe Dretsch, Jacob Ison, and Peter Hicks.

Prediction: T.C. Dantzler over Chas Betts

96 kg:

Brad Ahearn, who moved up this season from 84 kg, defeated R.C. Johnson to win his second straight U.S. Nationals title at 96 kg (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

Brad Ahearn has made the move up to 96 kg for the second time in his career. Ahearn, who has primarily wrestled at 84 kg throughout his career, moved up to 96 kg in 2007, before moving back down to 84 kg last season. He broke through and won his first U.S. Nationals title in 2008. Prior to that, Ahearn had never reached the finals of any senior-level event. He lost in the semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, competing with an injured hand. He has since moved back up to 96 kg and won his second straight U.S. Nationals title. Jake Clark, who competed in the 2006 World Championships, moved up to 96 kg and won the Northern Plains Regional in Waterloo. Clark is an extremely talented wrestler who has won national titles in each of the age-group levels. R.C. Johnson has been a serious contender in this weight class in recent years, but has not yet been able to make a U.S. World or Olympic team. He was runner-up to Ahearn at the U.S. Nationals. Justin Millard was third at the U.S. Nationals, losing in the second round to Zac Nielson, but came back to finish a strong third. Nielson was a member of the 2008 Junior World team … and has proven that he can compete with the top wrestlers in this weight class. Others to watch include Deon Hicks, Pete Gounaridis, and John Wechter.

Prediction: Jake Clark over Brad Ahearn

120 kg:
Dremiel Byers, a 2002 World champion and 2007 World medalist is the prohibitive favorite in this weight class. He won his eighth U.S. Nationals title in April … and has taken control of this weight class since Rulon Gardner hung up the shoes. He gets to sit out the Challenge Tournament … since he won the U.S. Nationals and is a past World champion and World medalist. Brandon Rupp, who is trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, was runner-up at the U.S. Nationals. Erik Nye had a solid U.S. Nationals, finishing third. Tim Taylor has been solid in this weight class for many years and beaten many tough wrestlers throughout his career, including Byers. David Arendt and Mark Simmonds are also challengers in this weight class.

Prediction: Dremiel Byers over Tim Taylor

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2009 U.S. World Team Trials Preview (Greco-Roman)

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