InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A
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World Team Trials Notes
updated 10:30 a.m. CDT
By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com
Greco rule changes prompt more looks
As Jacob Fisher and Zac Dominguez stepped to the mat for Saturday’s first Greco-Roman bout, they probably had more of a viewing audience than the normal pigtail challenge tournament match brings.
Dominguez, representing the Sunkist Kids, scored a three-period decision over Fisher, who was competing for the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan.
Dominguez wasn’t concerned about wrestling his former pupil, but it was the first match to get underway with the new FILA Greco-Roman rules.
The new rules read like stereo instructions or computer programming language, with if and then verbiage if something doesn’t go as planned.
It’s making some athletes nervous.
“I was a little more (nervous) than I wanted,” Dominguez said. “I’m just trying to learn how to adjust.”
Brian Keck switched back to specializing on Greco-Roman in 2005 likes the new rules.
“You’ll see a lot more par terre, but it’s going to be different for different weight classes,” Keck said. “You better have good reverse lift defense.”
Keck sat along the media mix zone railing watching the Dominguez and Fisher, noticeably enjoying the new rules compared to the old ones.
“At U.S. Nationals, watching Greco was like watching paint dry,” Keck said.
Dominguez concurred.
“They (FILA) are hoping to make the sport more fun and hopefully it works.
After the first half hour, USA Wrestling Greco-Roman coach and current Sacred Heart head wrestling coach Andy Seras wasn’t too impressed – at least not yet.
“I don’t love it,” Seras said. “The refs are going to have to have some teeth and call some stalling.”
“In the long run, it will end up boring,” he said. “Guys are going to defend better and you’ll see more stalling.”
Veteran Keith Sieracki doesn’t care one way or the other.
“I moved down a weight to meet the guy toughest from the position,” Sieracki said of T.C. Dantzler, known for his high amplitude reverse lifts.
Bracket notes
USA Wrestling has abandoned the follow-the-leader method of bracketing for the U.S. World Team Trials. The format, used in Las Vegas at the U.S. Nationals, isn’t big with the athletes or USA Wrestling.
Gary Abbott, the Director of Special Communications for USA Wrestling explained that the World Team Trials are full consolations to determine national team rankings and a chain of command for sending wrestlers to national team events.
The U.S. Nationals in 2006 will also have complete consolations, but any event FILA sponsors, the international pool system will be utilized.
Watch the poles
With the implementation of the new FILA rules, USA Wrestling has tried to figure out a way to show fans and coaches who won a period, since the score clocks in use at the Hilton Coliseum do not have an indicator for a period winner.
In Ames, fans will see blue and red poles on either side of each mat’s respective scorer’s table. Both poles begin on the ground and when the red wrestler wins a period, the red pole is placed in the stand and sits upright. If each wrestler has won a period, then both poles would be standing.
For future events, the score clocks will reflect the period winners.
Welcome back
2004 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann made her return to the wrestling mat after nearly a year layoff. She’s the top seed in the challenge tournament at 63kg. … Katie Downing and Ashley Sword will spend most of Saturday simply watching, as the pair are the only entrants in the challenge tournament at 67kg. … Keith Sieracki dropped to 74kg and is the top seed. Sieracki was the runner-up at the U.S. Nationals at 84kg.
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