The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials will be held June 12-15, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Overall, the U.S. team finished fourth in the freestyle competition with 32 points. Russia won the event with 68 points, while Turkey (40 points) was second and Cuba rounded out the Top 3 (34 points).
Heskett, who wrestled at 74kg/163 pounds, won his first four matches before dropping his final two decisions. Of his four wins, Heskett shut out his opponent in seven of the 10 periods wrestled, including a 1-0, 6-0 victory over Hiroki Kayamori of Japan in his second bout of the event. Prior to that match, Heskett defeated China's Zijian Wu, 4-3, 1-0. In his third and fourth match-ups, Heskett topped Asghar Ali Bazrighaleh of Iran (4-0, 0-4, 2-0) and Gabor Hatos of Hungary (1-0, 0-4, 2-0). Heskett then faced former world champion Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia in the semifinals. After winning the first period, 3-1, Heskett lost the final two periods, 1-0 and 3-1. Still in contention for the bronze medal, Heskett faced Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev of host country Azerbaijan, but eventually lost, 1-0, 3-1.
After winning his first match in dominating fashion against Mexico's Lawrence Langowski Mendoza, 6-1, 6-0, at 120kg/264.5 pounds, Rowlands would face former world champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in the third round, where he lost, 2-0, 1-0. However, Rowlands would rebound with consecutive wins against Germany's Martin Siddiqui, 1-3, 1-0, 3-0, and Bulgaria's Boyidar Boyadzhiev, 1-0, 1-2, 1-0, to advance to the bronze medal round. It was in his final match up, Rowlands would wrestle former Olympic and World champion Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan and drop a 3-0, 6-0 decision.
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