| T.C. Dantzler named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for May 6-12 |
|
|
By Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
05/12/2008
T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for May 6-12.
Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level.
Dantzler swept Egypt's Ahmed Abdelsadek 7-0, 3-0 in the bronze-medal match at Olympic Greco-Roman Qualifier No. 1 on May 11 in Rome, Italy. By finishing in the top four, Dantzler qualifies the U.S. for the Olympics at 74 kg/163 lbs. The Olympics in wrestling are set for Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China.
Dantzler will now turn his focus to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, set for June 13-15 in Las Vegas. He clinched a spot in the best-of-3 finals of the Olympic Trials by virtue of winning last month's U.S. Nationals. A win at the Olympics Trials would send Dantzler to Beijing.
Dantzler wrestled for the bronze medal in Rome after going 3-1 in the first session of the Olympic qualifier.
Dantzler recorded a second-period fall in his first match over Graham Keitani of the Federated States of Micronesia. He followed with a 3-0, 3-0 win over Jonut Strambeanu of Romania. In the quarterfinals, Dantzler notched a 4-2, 4-2 win over 2006 World champion Vladimir Shatskikh of Ukraine. In the semifinals, Azerbaijan's Ilgar Abdulov edged Dantzler 1-1, 4-3.
He came back from the loss to dominate Abdelsadek in the bronze-medal match.
The 37-year-old Dantzler has made the last five U.S. World Teams in Greco-Roman wrestling. He placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships and was a member of the 2007 U.S. squad that won the team title at the World Championships. He is shooting for his first trip to the Olympics this year.
Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Craig Sesker at csesker@usawrestling.org
|
|
|
HOME
