World Team Trials events promise to be exciting and unpredictable

The U.S. National Wrestling Championships is now in the record books. The 2006 U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas offered wrestling fans all kinds of drama, with a number of first-time champions in all three international styles. The event, which features the best Olympic-caliber wrestlers in the nation, sets the stage for some very exciting wrestling at the next stage of the wrestling season, the World Team Trials.

Wrestling fans are still buzzing over the achievement of high school sensation Henry Cejudo of the Sunkist Kids, who won the U.S. Nationals men’s freestyle gold at 121 pounds. The Outstanding Wrestlers at the U.S. Nationals were all first-time winners who finished ahead of established stars: Donny Pritzlaff of the New York AC in men’s freestyle at 163 pounds, Jacob Clark of the U.S. Marines in men’s Greco-Roman at 185 pounds and Sharon Jacobson of the USOEC/Gator WC in women’s freestyle at 130 pounds.

Winning a U.S. Nationals title is a highlight for men’s freestyle, men’s Greco-Roman and women wrestlers. It proves that the wrestler is the best in the nation at his or her craft. However, in order for an athlete to represent the United States at the World Championships, there is one more step. The U.S. World Team is determined at the World Team Trials.

This year, the men’s freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete at the U.S. World Team Trials at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa over Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28.

Because of a conflict with the Women’s World Cup, the Pan American Championships and other international events, the women freestyle wrestlers will have their trials event separately this year. The U.S. team will be determined at the Women’s World Team Trials at the Colorado Springs Christian School in Colorado Springs, Colo. on June 30.

There is a change in the format this year than in other seasons, to reflect the change in the international rules to a one-day format. Each and every weight class will be contested in one day, capped off with a best-of-three series for the World Team position.

Also, in the past, the U.S. Nationals champions were able to sit out of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament and advance directly to the best-of-three finals series. This format has changed in men’s wrestling. In freestyle, only World medalists who also win the U.S. Nationals can advance into the best-of-three series. In Greco-Roman, only athletes who placed in the top five in the World who also win the U.S. Nationals go directly into the finals series.

Going into the U.S. Nationals, only three men wrestlers had a chance to advance directly into championship series: freestylers Joe Williams of the Sunkist Kids and Tolly Thompson of the Sunkist Kids and Greco-Roman wrestler Justin Ruiz of the New York AC, all 2005 World bronze medalists. When Williams lost to Pritzlaff in the U.S. Nationals finals, his trip to the finals series was cancelled. Thompson and Ruiz won national titles, so they are the only wrestlers to advance into the finals series in Sioux City. Every other national champion from Las Vegas has to go into the Challenge Tournament, just like all of the other qualifiers.

In women’s wrestling, all of the U.S. Nationals champions still advance to their finals series. It will be interesting to see if the national champions end up making the World Team and take advantage of the free pass into the finals.

Based upon the results in Las Vegas, there should be some very compelling story lines in U.S. Olympic wrestling this year. These are among the many reasons that fans should be making plans to travel to Sioux City for Memorial Day, or to Colorado Springs at the end of June.

• Will Cejudo face Henson in Sioux City? – When prep star Henry Cejudo blasted through the field to win the U.S. Nationals title, there was one prominent wrestler who did not enter this year. 1998 World Champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson of the Sunkist Kids missed the U.S. Nationals, and will have to work his way through the field at the World Team Trials. Many look forward to a possible showdown between Cejudo and Henson at the World Team Trials, but both wrestlers will have to get past the rest of the field to secure a spot in the finals series.

• Will Thompson and Ruiz win after advancing to the finals? – Because of the new format, only Tolly Thompson and Justin Ruiz are able to skip the Challenge Tournament in Sioux City, and concentrate on the evening’s best-of-three series. Will this opportunity actually be an advantage for them, or will a wrestler who competes earlier in the day have the momentum going into the finals series? Nobody knows how the new format will affect the outcome, but Sioux City will be the first test.

• Will Pritzlaff and Clark be able to win in a best-of-three? When Donny Pritzlaff upset Joe Williams in the freestyle finals, it was Williams’ first U.S. loss since 2000. When Jake Clark beat Brad Vering, who had stopped Clark in all the major events in recent seasons, it marked a big step in his career. However, the World Team Trials is a best-of-three finals format. If they meet again, can Pritzlaff and Clark put together two great matches to beat these veteran stars with a World Team spot at stake?

• What will be going on at 132 pounds in men’s freestyle? – Not many people predicted that the U.S. Nationals champion at 60 kg/132 lbs. would be Zach Roberson of the Sunkist Kids, who put together his best tournament to win a first U.S. Nationals title. Going in, 2005 World Team member Michael Lightner and 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials Mike Zadick were among the top hopefuls, as was 2005 University World champion and recent NCAA champion Nate Gallick. How will this weight class sort out in Sioux City, when the deck is shuffled again and these wrestlers have to compete against each other another time?

• Will Jacobson have to beat George in the women’s draw? – Sharon Jacobson became the first USOEC women’s wrestler to win a Senior National title this year, with her stunning performance at 121 pounds in Las Vegas. However, two-time World silver medalist Tina George of the U.S. Army was upset in the opening round and never had a chance to wrestle the young Jacobson. George, who has shown her best effort usually occurs at the World Team Trials, will be looking for another shot at glory in Colorado Springs on May 30. If George makes the finals against Jacobson, will experience or youth be served?

• Now that they are champions, will Durlacher and Dantzler still make the team? – Two veteran Greco-Roman wrestlers, Lindsey Durlacher of the New York AC and T.C. Dantzler of the Gator WC, won their first U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas after many years of falling just short. Both have already made a U.S. World Team, with Dantzler winning the World Team Trials three times and Durlacher taking the title last year. How will these athletes perform now that they have knocked down the barrier at the U.S. Nationals?

• Will Konrad show up in Sioux City, and will that affect a Thompson/Mocco rematch? – The U.S. Nationals finals at 264.5 pounds went down to a final leg clinch, when Tolly Thompson took down Steve Mocco at the end of the deciding third period. However, missing in the field was 2006 NCAA champion Cole Konrad, who was third in last year’s World Team Trials, but beat Mocco four times in folkstyle wrestling during the college season. Konrad is not yet qualified for Sioux City, and will have to do that at the University Nationals or one of the Regionals. What will the outcome be if Mocco and Konrad wrestle to earn a shot at Thompson in the finals series? If Konrad wins, will he fare any better with Thompson than Mocco has done?

• What weight will Kristie Marano wrestle at the Trials? – Two-time World champion Kristie Marano of the New York AC surprised many by going up a weight class in Las Vegas, and capturing the U.S. Nationals title at the heaviest women’s weight, 158.5 pounds. She has not wrestled in the heavyweight class since the late 1990’s, when she won four World silver medals at the division. Marano has a rivalry at 147.5 pounds against 2005 World bronze medalist Katie Downing, and Downing has won the last three matches in their series. Marano will test herself at 158.5 pounds at the World Cup before making her decision about where to wrestle at the World Team Trials. World champion Iris Smith, who missed Vegas with an injury, may be back on the mats at 158.5 pounds in time for the Trials. What weight will Kristie choose? Will she battle Katie or go against Iris?

• Is Mo Lawal the next big star in American wrestling? – After making his first World team in 2005, with the departure of Olympic champion Cael Sanderson leaving a void in the 185 pound freestyle ranks, Mo Lawal arrived last year. He displayed some vast potential with his seventh place effort at the World Championships. This season, the talented and brash Lawal has been winning tournaments all around the globe and impressing coaches and fans alike. He was sharp while winning the U.S. Nationals crown again this year. Will Mo Lawal continue to improve and put himself in the upper ranks of international wrestling sometime soon? Is this the year that Mo Lawal becomes a big star?

• Who will be the impact wrestlers during the Trials events? – Every major USA Wrestling tournament has an unexpected story, an athlete who steps up and puts together a performance to remember. Back in 2003, everybody remembers the emergence of Jamill Kelly, who burst onto the national picture in Indianapolis and captured a World Team berth unexpectedly. At times, it is not even a wrestler who wins the tournament, but exceeds expectations or puts on a display of exciting action that gets the attention. One of these surprise stars in Las Vegas was USOEC Greco-Roman wrestler Spenser Mango, who placed second to Durlacher but showed some explosive technique and pizzazz on the mats. There should be a few new stories coming out of the tournaments in Sioux City and Colorado Springs. Who will made a buzz in wrestling at this year’s World Team Trials?

If you have not already done so, get your travel arrangements in order, check into hotels and purchase your tickets to this year’s two World Team Trials events.

For the U.S. World Team Trials in Sioux City, tickets are available through a number of outlets, including: Tyson Events Center Box Office, by phone at 712-252-3434 or on the web at www.2006trials.org or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the Women’s World Team Trials will be available at the door.

Gary Abbott is the Director of Communications and Special Projects for USA Wrestling and is a founder of the National Wrestling Media Association and is a 2005 recipient of the NWCA Meritorious Service Award.

Gary Abbott