USA vs Russia dual in New Jersey displays East Coast talent on November 15

By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling/Themat.com
gabbott@usawrestling.org

The wrestling community has very strong local roots in the United States, with a tremendous amount of pride on a statewide basis.

Fans on the East Coast will have a tremendous opportunity to see many of their greatest local stars in action when the famed New York Athletic Club battles Russia in an international dual meet in West Orange, N.J. on Thursday, November 15.

The U.S. freestyle team in this dual meet features three of the greatest high school wrestlers in New Jersey history, as well as one of the legends of New York state high school wrestling.

The New Jersey homegrown heroes competing that evening will be Donny Pritzlaff at 74 kg/163 lbs., Damion Hahn at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Steve Mocco at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

The New York superstar on the dual meet card will be Jesse Jantzen at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

The match will be held at West Orange High School in West Orange, N.J., starting at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door, $20 for adults and $15 for kids. This is a can’t-miss-event for anybody who loves outstanding wrestling and takes pride in their local wrestling stars.

In these wrestling-rich states, you really don’t need to explain much when you mention these wrestling names. However, for those who do not know their local history, I’ll give a little perspective.

Pritzlaff won three state titles for Lyndhurst High School, before going on to win two NCAA titles at the Univ. of Wisconsin. He has already had a major impact on the international level, winning a 2006 World bronze medal. Donny was also a Junior World freestyle champion while he was competing in college. The name Pritzlaff is legendary in the region, because his cousin Glenn was a NCAA champion at Penn State.

Hahn was a three-time state champion for Lakewood High School, which was a major achievement because he competed at such a heavy weight class. He was already nationally ranked on the Senior level in freestyle while he was still competing in high school. Hahn won two NCAA titles at the Univ. of Minnesota in dramatic fashion.

Mocco had a huge local and national following when he won four Prep School National titles, capturing two for St. Benedicts Prep and two for Blair Academy. He also dominated the national freestyle scene, winning three Junior National titles in a row in freestyle. Mocco made big waves in college as well, winning two NCAA titles, one each for wrestling powerhouses Iowa and Oklahoma State. As a heavyweight, he was considered one of the most feared wrestlers in the sport.

When they were high school seniors, Hahn and Mocco received the ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year awards, as the best high school wrestlers in the nation.

None of these athletes currently live in New Jersey. Pritzlaff is a coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin and Hahn coaches at Cornell Univ. Mocco is training full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

“This is a great opportunity for us as New Jersey natives, but also for our country. Russia has won the World Championships for a number of years, and has many of the best wrestlers in the world. Having the dual meet in New Jersey, with a number of New Jersey wrestlers in the lineup, is tremendous. I am glad to be a part of this,” said Hahn.

All three of them are very excited about returning home to wrestle on their native soil, especially with the Olympic year unfolding. They can’t wait to see their family and friends back home that evening.

“For me, it is very exciting. It is being held in Northern New Jersey, and many of my friends and family can come to see me wrestle. When I was in college, they could see me wrestle often, because the events were in the United States. Now, when I compete, the events are overseas and they have to follow it on the internet. To have this dual meet right in my backyard will be exciting,” said Pritzlaff.

Jantzen is just as big a legend in New York as the Jersey boys are in their native state. He was the first four-time New York State high school champion, competing for Shoreham-Wading River High School out on Long Island. Like both Hahn and Mocco, Jantzen was awarded the ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year award as the nation’s top wrestler after his senior season.

Jantzen developed an exciting and funky style of wrestling, which featured some amazing dominance from the top position. He went on to Harvard University and made history by winning an NCAA title for them. Jantzen developed a strong following among Ivy League and Eastern wrestling fans, for his ability and charisma.

Long Island fans can take the short drive across the bridge to New Jersey and enjoy watching Jantzen again in a major competition. Anybody from the surrounding states that enjoy high quality wrestling should make plans to head for West Orange, N.J. to attend this meet.

All four of these wrestlers are serious hopefuls for the U.S. Olympic Team, and are using this dual meet as a way to prepare for their Olympic quest. They are also expected to compete over the weekend at New York Athletic Club Holiday International Championships, scheduled for November 17-18 in New York City.

Those from Pennsylvania will also have a native star in the lineup. Jason Kutz, who was a state bronze medalist for Altoona High School and went on to compete for Lehigh Univ., will be wrestling at 60 kg/132 lbs. Kutz made his biggest splash in freestyle, competing for the U.S. Army and placing as high as No. 3 on Freestyle Team USA two times. After the 2004 Olympic Trials, he retired and went into coaching. This year, he has returned to Lehigh for his second stint as an assistant coach, and is making an athletic comeback, seeking another shot at the Olympics.

This event offers way more than just these local wrestling legends. At least five of the seven members of the 2007 World Champion Greco-Roman Team from USA Wrestling will be competing in the dual meet.

Included in the Greco-Roman matches will be 2007 World silver medalist Brad Vering at 84 kg/185 lbs., 2007 World bronze medalist and 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. and 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Other U.S. World Team members competing in the dual are Joe Betterman at 60 kg/132 lbs. and T.C. Dantzler at 74 kg/163 lbs.

This will be the first time that this group of athletes will come together on the mat since their historic day in late September in Baku, Azerbaijan when they edged Russia by one point and won the World Team Title for the first time ever for the United States in Greco-Roman.

The United States and Russia are considered the world’s top wrestling nations. The USA won the 2007 World title in Greco-Roman wrestling. Russia won the 2007 World title in freestyle wrestling.

Wrestling fans will also truly enjoy the skill of the Russian wrestlers. Russia truly dominated the 2007 World Championships in freestyle, winning six of the seven World gold medals and a World bronze medal. The Russian freestylers lost only one match the entire week in Baku. Although the Russian lineup is not completed yet, there are expected to be some very talented athletes facing the Americans.

Click here for a flier about this exciting event:
http://www.themat.com/eventfliers/2007/07USARussiaFlier.pdf

For additional information, contact Sonny Greenhalgh at 973-256-0670 or Stephan Zichella of West Orange High School at 973-476-8782.

Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate East Coast wrestling heritage, as well as to support Team USA against its top archrival from Russia.

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