Author: Mike Carey

Some Facts, Figures, and Opinions About The 2012 London Olympics

Men’s Freestyle Team Was Golden
The US men’s freestyle wrestling team had their best Olympic performance since 1996.  This year’s squad had a combined record of 14-7 and brought home 2 gold medals and one bronze medal.  New Jersey native Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) led the US contingent by claiming his second consecutive major world wrestling title at 74kg.  Burroughs used his unstoppable double-leg take-down just as he did  last year in winning the 2011 World Championships in Turkey.  Jake Varner surprised many in attendance by claiming the gold at 96kg.  Varner, a 2X California HS state champion, is a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club where he is coached by his former college coach at Iowa State Cael Sanderson.  Sanderson, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, is currently the head wrestling coach at Penn State University.  The final medalist from the men’s freestyle team was Pennsylvania native Coleman Scott (@CScott60kg).  Scott, a 3X PA state champ and an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State, earned a bronze medal at 60kg.  Make sure you read the rest of this article….you may be surprised when you learn about one of Scott’s losses while in college!

For the record, the 1996 men’s freestyle team had three gold medalists (Kendall Cross, Tom Brands, and Kurt Angle…yes he used to be a real wrestler), one silver medalist (Townsend Saunders), and a bronze medalist (Bruce Baumgartner).  To be fair to this year’s team, back in 1996, there were 10 weight classes in men’s freestyle…currently there are only 7 classes.

Women’s Freestyler Chun Grabs Bronze
The US Women’s freestyle team is making strides…but Japan absolutely dominated the competition.  The US squad went 3-5 with Hawaii native Clarissa Chun serving as the lone medalist for the women.  Chun went 3-1 and captured the bronze at 48kg.  The Japanese team was a combined 16-1 and took home 3 gold medals.

Women’s freestyle wrestling has only been an Olympic sport since the 2004 games held in Los Angeles.  The US earned two medals in ’04, one in ’08, and one this year…no US woman has ever won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling.  Better days are ahead though.  Next year, for the first time in US history, girls high school wrestling will be an official sport.  The state of Massachusetts will launch a girl’s freestyle wrestling season.  Until now, girls have been able to wrestle however the absence of a girls-only league has forced them to wrestle against boys.  Although some girls have done great against the boys, the total number of girls who choose to wrestle is minuscule.  Hopefully the pilot MA program is a sign of things to come.  Oh, by the way, the person perhaps most responsible for starting the high school girl’s program is none other than Section 9’s very own Anibal Nieves!  Great job Anibal!

Men’s Greco-Roman Team Fails To Medal
For the first time since the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the US Men’s Greco-Roman wrestling team did not take home a single medal.  Please note that the US boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.  This year’s team went a combined 4-8 competing in only 6 of the 7 weight classes.  The US did not qualify wrestler at 96kg.  I was actually pleasantly surprised when I did the research and learned that the US has been consistently “solid” in men’s Greco-Roman.  Folkstyle wrestling is the predominant wrestling style in the US…it’s what we do in youth, high school, and college.  Greco-Roman wrestling does not allow for any leg attacks, thus it does not translate into success as consistently as it does in freestyle.  Hopefully through the continued hard work of the US Olympic Training Centers, US men’s Greco-Roman will continue to improve and get back on the medal stand….hey, who can forget the name Rulon Gardner!!!

Did You Know???
Back in November of the 2007-2008 college wrestling season, Oklahoma State’s Coleman Scott was the #1 ranked wrestler in the nation at 133 lbs.  Scott lost his #1 ranking when he was defeated by a score of 3-2 at the Brute/Journeymen Northeast Duals during a match against Hofstra.  Who beat him???  You guessed it….Valley Central graduate and 3X NYS Champion Lou Ruggirello!!!

Also…many of our Section 9 wrestlers do a tremendous amount of training in the off-season.  One of the more popular wrestling clubs in our region is SIR Wrestling in northern New Jersey.  One of the instructors at SIR is Will Livingston.  Livingston was a 4X state place winner and the 2006 NJ state champion while wrestling at Kittatinny HS.  He place 4th in his sophomore season.  During the medal round of the state tournament that season, Will Livingston recorded a pin to ensure that he would place in the top 8.  Who did he pin???  He pinned the now Olympic gold medalist, Jordan Burroughs! 

Jared Frayer
66kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  10/7/78 in Miami, FL
High School: Countryside HS, Clearwater, FL
College:  Oklahoma; coached by Jack Spates; degree in Social Studies Education

Accolades:
– High School:  3X Florida state champion; also lettered in swimming and diving
– College:  4X NCAA qualifier; 2X All-American (dnp,dnp,4,2)
– 2010:  US Open Champion
– 2012:  US Olympian

Frayer’s Results:
Jared Frayer (USA) lost to Ali Shabanau (Belarus), 0-3, 0-1
Shabanau does not make finals so Frayer is eliminated

Jake Varner   ***Gold Medalist***
96kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  3/24/86 in Bakersfield, CA
High School:  Bakersfield HS
College: Iowa State; coached by Cael Sanderson

Accolades:
– High School:  2X CA state champion
– College:  4X NCAA all-american; 2X NCAA Champion (2,2,1,1)
– 2009: World Team Trials Champion (9th at Worlds)
– 2011: World Team Trials Champion (3rd at Worlds)
– 2012: US Olympian

Varner’s Results:
Jake Varner (USA) WIN over Kurban Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 1-0, 0-1, 1-0
Jake Varner (USA) WIN over Khetag Pliev (Canada), 1-0, 1-0
Jake Varner (USA) WIN over Georgi Gogshelidze (Georgia), 0-2, 1-0, 1-0
Jake Varner (USA) WIN over Valeri Andritsev (Ukraine), 1-0, 1-0 for GOLD!!!

Coleman Scott   Bronze Medalist!!!!
60kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  4/19/86 in Waynesburg, PA
High School:  Waynesburg Central HS
College:  Oklahoma State; coached by John Smith

Accolades:
– High School:  3X PA state champion, 156-12 career record in high school
– College:  4X AA (8,5,2,1); 2008 NCAA Champion with a :49 pin over Joe Slaton (Iowa)
– 2012: US Olympian; Scott earned his birth by winning the US Olympic Team  Trials tournament in Iowa City, then winning wrestle offs over Reece Humphrey and Shawn Bunch at the 2012 Beat the Streets event held in Times Square, NYC.

Scott’s Results:
Coleman Scott (USA) dec. Seung-Chul Lee (Korea), 3-0, 3-0
Coleman Scott (USA) pinned Malkhaz Zarkua (Georgia)
Toghrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan) dec. Coleman Scott (USA), 1-0, 4-0
Coleman Scott (USA) dec. Kenichi Yumoto (Japan), 0-1, 3-0, 3-1 for Bronze!!!!!

Jake Herbert
84kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  3/6/85 in North Allegheny, PA
High School:  North Allegheny HS
College: Northwestern University; coached by Tim Cysewski; BA in Communications

Accolades:
– High School: 2003 PA state champion, 4X state place winner; Dapper Dan selection
– College:  4X All-American (3,2,1,1); NCAA Champion in 2007, 2009; (2008 he took an Olympic red-shirt); 2009 Hodge Trophy Award winner
– 2009:  US Nationals champion; US World Team Trials champion (2nd at Worlds)
– 2010:  US Open Champion; US World Team Trials Champion (DNP at Worlds)
– 2011:  US Open Champion; Pan-American Games Champion
– 2012: US Olympian

Herbert’s Results:
Jake Herbert (USA) dec. Humberto Arencibia (Cuba), 1-4, 8-0, 1-1
Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan) dec. Jake Herbert (USA), 4-1, 6-0
Sharifov makes it to finals fo Herbert pulled back in to repechage
Ibrahim Bolukasi (Turkey) dec Jake Hervert (USA), 0-1, 4-1, 4-5

Tervel Dlagnev
120kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  11/19/85 in Arlington, TX
High School:  Arlington HS, Arlington, TX
College: Nebraska – Kearney (DII); coached by Marc Bauer

Accolades:
– High School:  Placed 3rd as a senior, 4th as a junior; very impressive considering the first time he stepped onto a wrestling mat was as a high school sophomore!
– College:  4X DII AA; 2X DII National Champion (2007, 2008)
– 2009: World Team Trials Champion (3rd at Worlds)
– 2011: US Open Champion; World Team Trials Champion (5th at Worlds)
– 2012: US Olympian

Dlagnev’s Results:
Tervel Dlagnev (USA) dec. Eldesoky Shaban (Egypt), 6-2, 1-0
Tervel Dlagnev (USA) dec. Aleksei Shemarov (Belarus), 2-0, 3-1
Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan) pinned Tervel Dlagnev (USA)
Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) dec. Tervel Dlagnev (USA), 0-4, 1-0, 0-1

Sam Hazewinkel
55kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  3/4/84 in Minneapolis, MN
HS: Pensecola Christian Academy, Pensecola, FL
College:  University of Oklahoma,  Communications Degree

Accolades:
– High School:  3X Florida State Champion, 140-0 record, also lettered in track and cross-country
– College: Wrestled for Jack Spates at Oklahoma, 4X AA (3,3,3,2)
– 2005 US Nationals Champion (Greco)
– 2007 US Nationals Champion (Greco)
– 2008 World University Champion (Greco)
– 2011 US Open Champion (Freestyle)
– 2012 US Olympic Team Trials Champion (Freestyle)

Hazewinkel’s Results:
 Dauhelet Niyazbekov (Kazakhstan) dec. Sam Hazewinkel (USA) 3-1, 2-0
 Dauhelet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan lost in semis so Hazewinkel is eliminated

Jordan Burroughs **Gold Medal**
74kg Men’s Freestyle
Born:  7/8/88 in Winslow, NJ
High School:  Winslow Township HS
College: University of Nebraska, graduated 2011

Accolades:
– High School:  2006 NJ State Champion, 115-20 career record
– College: Wrestled for Mark Manning at Nebraska, 3X AA, 2X NCAA Champion (2009&2011), 2011 Dan Hodge Winner
– 2011 US Open Champion, World Team Trials Champion (1st @ Worlds)
– 2012 US Olympic Team Trials Champion

Burrough’s Results:
Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Francisco Soler (Puerto Rico), 4-0, 6-0
Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Matt Gentry (Canada) 2-1, 1-1
Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Denis Tsargush (Russia) 3-1, 0-2, 2-1
Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Sadegh Goudarzi (Iran) 1-0, 1-0 for GOLD!!!!!

 

Kelsey Campbell
55 kg Women’s Freestyle
Born:  6/5/85 in Milwaukee, OR
High School:  Milwaukee HS
College:  Arizona State

Accolades:
– 2007 Women’s Collegiate National Champion
– 2009 US Nationals Champion
– 2010 US Open Champion, World Team Trials Champion (placed 5th at Worlds)
– 2011 World Team Trials Champion (dnp at Worlds)
– 2012 US Olympic Team Trials Champion

Campbell’s Results: 
Kelsey Campbell (USA) lost to Saori Yoshida (Japan), 0-1, 0-1
Yoshida (Japan) makes it to finals so Campbell enters repechage
Kelsey Campbell (USA) lost to Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan), 0-4, 0-1

Ali Bernard
72kg Women’s Freestyle
Born:  4/11/86 in New Ulm, MN
High School:  New Ulm, MN
College:  University of Alberta, Regina

Accolades:
– 2004 US Nationals Champion
– 2005 Junior World Champion
– 2008 US Open Champion, US Olympic Team Trial Champion (5th at Olympics)
– 2009 US World Team Trials Champion (dnp at Worlds)
– 2011 US Open Champion, World Team Trials Champion (3rd at Worlds)
– 2012 US Olympian

Bernard’s Results:
Ali Bernard (USA) lost to Jenny Fransson (Sweden), 0-3, 1-3
Fransson (Sweden) does not make it to the finals so Bernard is eliminated

CHUN WINS BRONZE!!!!!

Clarissa Chun
48kg Women’s Freestyle
Born:  8/27/81 in Honolulu, Hawaii
High School:  Roosevelt High School, Honolulu, Hawaii
College:  Missouri Valley College, University of Colorado

Accolades:
– High School  1999 State Champion, 3rd in Nationals, State Qualifier in Swimming and Bowling
– 2006  US Nationals Champion
– 2007  Sunkist Kids International Open Champion
– 2008  Olympic Team Trials Champion (placed 5th)
– 2009  World Team Trials Champion (placed 9th)
– 2011  World Team Trials Champion (placed 7t)
– 2012  Olympic Team Trials Champion

Chun’s Results:  3-1 (Bronze Medal)
Clarissa Chun (USA) dec. Shasha Zhao (China), 5-0, 1-0
Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) dec. Clarissa Chun (USA), 2-0, 3-0
Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) makes it to finals so Chun enters repechage
Clarissa Chun (USA) pinned Iwona Matkowska (Poland), 2:43
Clarissa Chun (USA) dec. Irina Merleni (Ukraine), 1-0, 3-0 for Bronze Medal!!!!

Elena Pirozhkova
63kg Women’s Freestyle
Born:  10/13/86 in Greenfield, MA
High School: Greenfield HS, MA

Pirozhkova’s high school club coach for 3 years was Section 9’s very own….Anibal Nieves!!!!  Anibal has made the trip to London to support his former pupil.  Great job Elena and Anibal!!!

Accolades:
– 2008  World Team Trials Champion (placed 8th at Worlds), Pan-American Champion
– 2009  World Team Trials Champion (placed 7th at Worlds)
– 2010  US Open Champion, World Team Trials Champion (placed 2nd at Worlds)
– 2011   US Open Champion, World Team Trials Champion (placed 5nd at Worlds)
– 2012  Olympic Team Trials Champion

Pirozhkova’s Results: 0-1 (did not medal)
Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia) dec. Elena Pirozhkova (USA), 0-2, 5-0, 2-0
Grigorjeva (Latvia) does not make it to finals so Pirozhkova is eliminated

Justin Lester
66kg Men’s Greco-Roman
Born:  9/30/83 in Akron, OH
High School:  Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
College: Iowa State, Northern Michigan (USOTC)

Accolades:
– High School: 4X Ohio State Champion, 2nd Team All-State in Football
– 2003 FILA Junior World Team Trials champion
– 2005 World Team Trials Champion (dnp @ Worlds)
– 2006 World Team Trials Champion (3rd @ Worlds)
– 2007 World Team Trials Champion (3rd @ Worlds)
– 2009 World Team Trials Champion, US Nationals Champion 
– 2011 US Open Champion, World Team Trials Champion (5th @ Worlds)
– 2012 Olympic Team Trials Champion

Lester’s Results: 
Justin Lester (USA) dec. Tsutomu Fujimura (Japan), 3-0, 3-1
Tamas Lorincz (Hungary) dec. Justin Lester, 0-2, 1-0, 2-0
Lorincz makes it to finals so Lester’s medal hopes are still alive via repechage
Justin Lester (USA) vs. Frank Staebler (Germany) in repechage

***96kg Men’s Greco-Roman is also competed on this day, however the United States did not qualify at this weight class.***

Ellis Coleman
aka “The Flying Squirrel”
60kg Men’s Greco-Roman
Born: 8/16/91 in Oak Park, IL
High School:  Oak Park-Forest River
College:  Northern Michigan (USOTC)
– 2010 FILA Junior Nationals Champion
– 2011 NYAC International Open Champion, Sunkist Kids International Open Champion
– 2012 Olympic Trials Champion
                Flying Squirrel Video

Coleman’s Results:  0-1 (did not medal)
Ivo Serafimov Angelov (Bulgaria) dec. Ellis Coleman (USA), 1-0, 7-1
Angelov does not make finals so Coleman is eliminated.

Chas Betts
84kg Men’s Greco-Roman
Born:  3/8/86 in St. Michael, MN
High School:  St. Michael Albertville
College:  Northern Michigan (USOTC)
– High School: 2004 State Champion, 4X MN state tournament qualifier
– 2004 Junior Nationals Champion
– 2006 Junior World Team Trials Champion
– 2009 World Team Trials Champion (DNP)
– 2012 US Open Champion, US Olympic Team Trials Champion

Betts’ Results: 1-1 (did not medal)
Chas Betts (USA) dec. Keitani Graham (Micronesia), 6-0, 1-0  
Pablo Enrique Shorey Hernandez (Cuba) dec. Chas Betts (USA), 1-0, 1-0
 Hernandez does not make finals so Betts is eliminated.

Dremiel Byers
120kg Men’s Greco-Roman
Born: 9/11/74 in Newark, NJ
High School: Kings Mountain (North Carolina)
College: NC State A&T
Hold rank of Sergeant 1st Class in the US Army
– High School 1993 North Carolina state champion
– 1997 Armed Forces Champion
– 1999 World Team Trials Champion (placed 6th @ Worlds), Armed Forces Champion
– 2002 World Team Trials Champion (World Champion)
– 2003 US Nationals Champion, Armed Forces Champion
– 2004 US Nationals Champion, Armed Forces Champion
– 2005 World Team Trials Champion (DNP), Armed Forces Champion
– 2006 World Team Trials Champion (placed 9th @ Worlds)
– 2007 World Team Trials Champion (3rd @ Worlds)
– 2008 US Olympic Team Trials Champion (7th @ Olympics)
– 2009 World Team Trials Champion (2nd @ Worlds)
– 2010 World Team Trials Champion (5th @ Worlds)
– 2011 US Opn Champion, World Team Trials Champion (DNP)
– 2012 Olympic Team Trials Champion

Byers’ Results: 1-1 (did not medal)
Dremiel Byers (USA) dec. Muminjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan), 1-0, 2-0
Riza Kayaalp (Turkey) dec. Dremiel Byers (USA), 1-0, 1-0
Kayaalp does not make finals so Byers is eliminated.

Wrestling Begins on 8/5 With Mango and Provisor!

Spenser Mango
55kg Men’s Greco-Roman
Born:  7/6/86  St. Louis, MO
High School:  Christian Brothers College
College:  Northern Michigan University via the US Olympic Education Program

Accolades:                 
     – 2X state champion in high school, 3X state qualifier, also lettered in football
     – 2008 US Olypic Trials Champion (placed 8th in Beijing)
     – 2009 World Team Trials Champion (placed 9th at Worlds)
     – 2010  World Team Trials Champion, US Open Champion
     – 2011  World Team Trails Champion, US Open Champion
     – 2012  Olympian, US Open Champion

Mango’s Results: 1-2 (did not medal)
Won: 6-1, 1-0 over Mohamed Abouhalima (Egypt)
Lost: 4-0, 4-0 to  Rovshan Bayramov (Azerbaijan)
Bayramov makes it to finals so Mango re-enters through repechage
Lost: 2-0, 1-0 to Mingiyan Semenov (Russia)

Ben Provisor
74kg Men’s Greco-Roman
Born:  6/26/90  Stevens Point, Wisconsin
High School:  Stevens Point
College:  Northern Michigan University via the US Olympic Education Program

Accolades:                    
     – 4X Wisconsin state place winner in high school, also lettered in football
     – 2010 US Junior World Team Trials Champion
     – 2011 US Open Champion
     – 2012 US Olympic Trials Champion

Provisor’s Results:  1-1 (did not medal)
Won: 0-3, 1-0, 1-0 over Alexi Bell (Cuba)
Lost: 1-0, 6-0 to  Zurabi Datunashvili (Georgia)
Datunashvili lost in quarters thus eliminating Provisor