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Finally. Thompson makes World Team
Experience leads the way with the U.S. World Team Trials’ 21 champions
By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com
AMES, IOWA -- He’s a mountain of a man and one of the top wrestlers in the nation for the past decade, but Tolly Thompson had never broken through.
That is, until his two match championship series victory over Steve Mocco vaulted Thompson on to his first World Team.
Twice a U.S. National Champion, but unable to compete as the top seed in 1998, Thompson’s victory wasn’t only special because his family watched intently from the Hilton Coliseum seats on Father’s Day, but because Thompson was born in Ames.
“I grew up in Story County, so what better place for me to come back and make my first world team at 31 years old.” Thompson said.
It almost seemed fitting that Thompson’s battle with Oklahoma State rising senior Steve Mocco was towards the end of the event.
Wrestling fans had seen former World Champions win and lose on Sunday afternoon, but Thompson, who turns 32 in a week, seemed to have everyone rooting for him.
With Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blaring through the arena, two giants of the sport of wrestling battled and the fans started getting louder. It could have been the fact that they were rooting for an Iowa native, or it could have been they were rooting against an Iowa defector. Mocco left the University of Iowa after winning the 2003 NCAA championship.
Regardless, Thompson’s takedown from a snap down with 17 seconds to go led to the loudest reaction from the event spectators.
This wasn’t an upset, since Thompson didn’t have to go through the challenge tournament and was the man to beat.
Thompson won two Pan Am Games championships and in late September, the Northern Iowa assistant coach will go to Budapest, Hungary, to represent the United States.
In 1998, Thompson was the U.S. National Champion but didn’t compete at the Trials.
“I had surgery the day of the Trials,” Thompson said. “I didn’t even watch.”
Drained after battling the youthful Mocco, Thompson said: “I just fought out and to be a champion, you have to go out and compete.”
“Being a national champion made it official that I’m here as a heavyweight,” Thompson said.
Another gritty veteran that made his first World Team was Lindsey Durlacher. A two-time Trials runner-up, Durlacher rebounded from a first match loss to Oklahoma collegiate standout Sam Hazewinkel to force a third match and came away with a 5-1, 3-0 victory at 55kg in Greco-Roman.
Durlacher celebrated by embracing coach Shawn Sheldon, then tossing him to the mat.
“I was so excited,” Durlacher said. “I’ve worked my entire life for a spot on the World Team. I’m ecstatic right now.”
On the women’s side, Katie Downing got a personal breakthrough of her own, beating nemesis Kristie Marano, a two-time World Champion, in two matches to make her first world team at 67kg.
Downing defended a Marano shot in the first period and quickly secured a fall at 30 seconds to give her a lead in the best-of-three series, but in the second match, Downing didn’t falter, winning 4-0, 1-0.
“I just want to win, it doesn’t matter who it is I have to beat to get to Worlds,” Downing said. “The motivation has been the same the whole time.”
But Downing knew that the road anywhere, whether it be Budapest or any other place, went through Marano.
“I had to win, I had to beat Kristie,” Downing said. “I finally broke that seal I’ve been trying to break for a couple of years now.”
“I knew it would be. The past 3-4 years I had to wrestle her. I knew it had to be here, now.
Also making their first World Teams were Michael Lightner at 60kg in men’s freestyle, Mo Lawal at 84kg in men’s freestyle, Harry Lester at 66kg in Greco.
Lawal was dominant in his two match series victory over 2004 U.S. National Champion Lee Fullhart.
Lawal scored the three first period points on a driving double leg takedown to Fullhart’s back and in the second period of the deciding match, Lawal lifted Fullhart from the mat and planted him squarely for a period and match ending five-point throw.
Grinning from ear to ear, Lawal was pleased to follow up his 2005 U.S. National Championship with a berth on the World Team.
“All this hard work is going to have to payoff sometime for me,” he said.
The new freestyle rules also work in favor of Lawal’s quick, takedown-oriented style.
“It’s a takedown game,” Lawal said. Lawal was also quick to point out that his admitted lackluster par terre game isn’t an issue.
“I don’t got to work on that anymore,” he said, still grinning.
Lightner’s rise to the top of the USA Wrestling freestyle ladder came on the heels of a disappointing year a season ago, where he was out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
“I tore my ACL last year and my goal was just to get back on the mat,” Lightner said. “It’s a different perspective being gone six months. Wrestling is something I’ve done my whole life.”
“Coming back, I fell in love with it again. I’m a lot more loose,” he said.
Lester, who lost his first ever collegiate match in the Hilton Coliseum, was pushed to a third match by Glenn Garrison, but came away with a decisive 2-1, 2-0 victory in the third match.
Ironically, only two matches of the 21 contested finals were forced to go to a third bout, both in Greco and both won by first-time World Team members.
“I love it here,” Lester said. “It’s great to wrestle in Ames.”
Lester left Iowa State after his redshirt freshman year to specialize in Greco-Roman at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University.
To Lester, it’s all about having fun.
“(Greco Roman) is more exciting,” Lester said. “I really love it, my focus is here.”
Iowa State assistant coach Chris Bono made his second World Team, ousting Jared Lawrence in two matches.
“It’s great to be here in front of my fans and boosters and friends and family,” Bono said. “They’ve supported me so much.”
“There is nothing like wrestling in front of all my friends and family,” he said.
Bono along with wrestlers like Thompson and Sammie Henson isn’t concerned with age.
“I’m in my best shape. I’m not going to step on the mat without being in the best shape of my life,” Bono said.
Henson agreed.
“I feel about 22,” Henson said. “I’m so much better now.”
“You hear the cliché that older athletes enjoy it more, but it’s true,” he said. “This is sweet because I have my wife and kids here with me to support me.
Henson beat another 34-year old, Eric Akin, in two matches to win at 55kg in men’s freestyle.
“I love him (Akin),” Henson said. “I just told him that. We’re old friends and we’ll probably go have a beer together tonight.”
Sally Roberts returned to the World Team after missing a spot on the Olympic Team in 2004.
A former World bronze medalist, Roberts was at one of the deepest weights in the tournament and she beat 2004 Olympian Tela O’Donnell in two matches.
“Just because 59 is a non-Olympic weight doesn’t mean there’s scrubs out there,” Roberts said.
Only one of the 21 weights has yet to be decided, as Marcie Van Dusen’s victory over Minnesota high schooler Chelynne Pringle won her the World Team Trials title, but a match with U.S. National Champion Tina George is looming, although a time and place has yet to be determined.
FINALS RESULTS
Freestyle
55kg (121 pounds)
Sammie Henson (Sunkist Kids) def. Eric Akin (Cyclone WC)
Match 1: Henson dec. Akin 1-0, 6-0.
Match 2: Henson dec. Akin 4-0, 4-1.
Henson wins series 2-0.
60kg (132 pounds)
Michael Lightner (Sunkist Kids) def. Nate Gallick (Sunkist Kids)
Match 1: Lightner dec. Gallick 1-0, 1-0 (OT)
Match 2: Lightner dec. Gallick 1-0, 2-2, 2-2
Lightner wins series 2-0.
66kg (145.5 pounds)
Chris Bono (Sunkist Kids) def. Jared Lawrence (Minnesota Storm)
Match 1: Bono dec. Lawrence 2-0, 0-2, 2-0 (OT)
Match 2: Bono dec. Lawrence 3-0, 3-2.
Bono wins series 2-0.
74kg (163 pounds)
Joe Williams (Sunkist Kids) def. Kirk White (Bronco WC)
Match 1: Williams dec. White 2-0, 1-0.
Match 2: Williams dec. White 1-0, 4-0.
Williams wins series 2-0.
84kg (185 pounds)
Mo Lawal (Gator WC) def. Lee Fullhart (Gator WC)
Match 1: Lawal dec. Fullhart 0-2, 1-1, 1-0.
Match 2: Lawal dec. Fullhart 3-0, 5-0.
Lawal wins series 2-0.
96kg (211 pounds)
Daniel Cormier (Gator WC) def. Nick Preston (Sunkist Kids)
Match 1: Cormier dec. Preston 6-0, 4-0.
Match 2: Cormier dec. Preston 2-0, 6-0.
Cormier wins series 2-0.
120kg (264 pounds)
Tolly Thompson (Sunkist Kids) def. Steve Mocco (New York AC)
Match 1: Thompson dec. Mocco 2-0, 1-0.
Match 2: Thompson dec. Mocco 0-3, 1-0, 2-0.
Thompson wins series 2-0.
Greco-Roman
55kg (121 pounds)
Lindsey Durlacher (New York AC) def. Sam Hazewinkel (Gator WC)
Match 1: Hazewinkel dec. Durlacher 2-1, 3-1.
Match 2: Durlacher dec. Hazewinkel 3-0, 6-0.
Match 3: Durlacher dec. Hazewinkel 5-1, 3-0.
Durlacher wins series 2-1.
60kg (132 pounds)
Joe Warren (New York AC) def. James Johnson (U.S. Army)
Match 1: Warren dec. Johnson 1-1, 4-3, 5-1.
Match 2: Warren dec. Johnson 3-0, 2-1.
Warren wins series 2-0.
66kg (145.5 pounds)
Harry Lester (USOEC/Gator WC) vs. Glenn Garrison (U.S. Army)
Match 1: Garrison dec. Lester 5-3, 5-1.
Match 2: Lester dec. Garrison 2-0, 1-2, 2-1.
Match 3: Lester dec. Garrison 2-1, 2-0.
Lester wins series 2-1.
74kg (163 pounds)
T.C. Dantzler (New York AC) def. Darryl Christian (New York AC)
Match 1: Dantzler pin Christian 1:38.
Match 2: Dantzler dec. Christian 4-0, 1-3, 4-3.
Dantzler wins series 2-0.
84kg (185 pounds)
Brad Vering (New York AC) def. Jacob Clark (U.S. Marines)
Match 1: Vering dec. Clark 1-1, 1-1, 2-1.
Match 2: Vering dec. Clark 3-0, 1-1.
Vering wins series 2-0.
96kg (211 pounds)
Justin Ruiz (New York AC) def. Adam Wheeler (USOEC/Gator WC)
Match 1: Ruiz dec. Wheeler 5-0, 6-0.
Match 2: Ruiz dec. Wheeler 3-0, 3-0.
120kg (264 pounds)
Dremiel Byers (U.S. Army) def. Russ Davie (New York AC)
Match 1: Byers dec. Davie 5-0, 2-1.
Match 2: Byers dec. Davie 4-0, 3-0.
Byers wins series 2-0.
Women's Freestyle
48kg (105.5 pounds)
Jenny Wong (Sunkist Kids) def. Sara Fulp-Allen (Menlo College)
Match 1: Wong dec. Fulp-Allen 0-1, 1-0, 1-0.
Match 2: Wong dec. Fulp-Allen 1-0, 0-2, 3-0.
Wong wins series 2-0.
51kg (112 pounds)
Stephanie Murata (Sunkist Kids) def. Mary Kelly (Dave Schultz WC)
Match 1: Murata dec. Kelly 3-0, 3-1.
Match 2: Murata dec. Kelly 1-0, 5-2.
Murata wins series 2-0.
55kg (121 pounds)
Marcie Van Dusen (Sunkist Kids) def. Chelynne Pringle (Minnesota Storm)
Match 1: Van Dusen dec. Pringle 2-2, 1-0.
Match 2: Van Dusen dec. Pringle 5-0, 2-0.
Van Dusen wins series 2-0.
59kg (130 pounds)
Sally Roberts (Gator WC) def. Tela O'Donnell (Sunkist Kids)
Match 1: Roberts dec. O'Donnell 5-3, 4-1.
Match 2: Roberts dec. O'Donnell 0-4, 5-0, 2-0 (OT)
Roberts wins series 2-0.
63kg (138.5 pounds)
Sara McMann (Sunkist Kids) def. Alaina Berube (New York AC)
Match 1: McMann dec. Berube 6-0, 0-1, 4-3.
Match 2: McMann dec. 2-1, 2-4, 4-2.
McMann wins series 2-0.
67kg (147.5 pounds)
Katie Downing (Sunkist Kids) def. Kristie Marano (New York AC)
Match 1: Downing pin Marano :30.
Match 2: Downing dec. Marano 4-0, 1-0.
Downing wins series 2-0.
72kg (158.5 pounds)
Iris Smith (U.S. Army) def. Ali Bernard (U. of Regina)
Match 1: Smith dec. Bernard 2-0, 2-3, 6-0.
Match 2: Smith dec. Bernard 2-0, 3-0.
Smith wins series 2-0.
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