Hard-charging Schwab advances to freestyle finals at U.S. Nationals
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by Craig Sesker
LAS VEGAS - Doug Schwab proved he belonged on the United States World Team in freestyle wrestling last year.
A surprise winner at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas, Schwab placed fifth in his first trip to the World Championships and qualified the United States for the Olympics at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
But Schwab still has his share of doubters and detractors - many of whom feel Schwab turned in the tournament of his life and couldn't repeat his feat again this year.
The top-seeded Schwab took a big step toward proving many of them wrong by advancing to the finals of the U.S. Nationals on Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
A win over 2006 World champion Bill Zadick in Saturday night's finals would send Schwab into the best-of-3 finals series at June's U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
"I'm sure there were a lot of guys here hoping they would draw me, and that's fine," Schwab said. "A lot of people just think I had one good tournament. I want to show them I can consistently beat these guys because I know I can."
Upsets occurred early and often on Saturday morning as No. 1 seeds Casey Cunningham (74 kg/163 lbs.) and Joe Williams (84 kg/185 lbs.) both dropped first-round matches.
Schwab outlasted No. 5 seed Jared Frayer 4-3, 2-3, 1-0 in the semifinals. The third period was scoreless after two minutes and came down to the leg clinch. Schwab won the coin flip and quickly finished with Frayer's leg to pull out the win.
"He's a dangerous wrestler and he caught me in the second period with an arm spin," Schwab said. "I shouldn't have let it come down to the clinch in the third period. I need to stay on the attack more and not let that happen."
It will be an interesting battle in the finals, matching a pair of past NCAA champions for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Zadick, 35, made his second World Team in 2006 and won a World title in Guangzhou, China. Schwab, 30, followed by making his first World Team in 2007 before turning in a top-five finish in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Schwab is coached by Iowa head coach Tom Brands, a past Olympic and World champion. Zadick is coached by U.S. Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands, Tom's twin brother who was a two-time World champion.
"That's great," Schwab said when informed Zadick had reached the finals. "It will be a great opportunity for me to wrestle a World champion. Bill's a tough competitor. I'm looking forward to it."
Schwab, an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, has made noticeable gains since making the World Team last year. He won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before turning in a strong performance at the World Championships.
"I'm so much better than I was last year," Schwab said. "Obviously, everything I went through after making the World Team made me a much better wrestler. I'm really excited to see what I can do this year. I gained a lot of experience and confidence. I know I can wrestle with anybody right now."
Unseeded Eric Luedke, a past All-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes, knocked off Cunningham 0-3, 4-4, 4-2 in the opening round. Cunningham placed second at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials.
The top-seeded Williams, a two-time World bronze medalist, suffered a stunning early loss when he fell to unseeded B.J. Padden in the first round. Padden shot in on a duck-under maneuver and finished with a double-leg takedown with four seconds left to earn the 0-1, 3-0, 2-2 win.
Another early upset occurred at 74 kg/163 lbs. when Ryan Churella knocked off 2006 World bronze medalist and No. 2 seed Donny Pritzlaff in the quarterfinals.
Three other members of the 2007 U.S. World Team reached the finals Saturday. That group includes World bronze medalist Daniel Cormier (96 kg/211.5 lbs.) along with World Team members Henry Cejudo (55 kg/121 lbs.) and Tommy Rowlands (120 kg/264.5 lbs.).
Mike Zadick and Nate Gallick, ranked 1-2 at 60 kg/132 lbs., are not competing this weekend. Zadick wrestled in an Olympic qualification tournament last weekend in Switzerland and Gallick is scheduled to compete in the final Olympic qualifier for freestyle next weekend in Poland.
Gallick needs to place in the top three to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at 60 kilos.
U.S. NATIONALS FREESTYLE FINALISTS
55 kg/121 lbs. - Henry Cejudo (Sunkist Kids) vs. Matt Azevedo (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Coleman Scott (Gator WC) vs. Shawn Bunch (Gator WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab (Gator WC) vs. Bill Zadick (Gator WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Tyrone Lewis (Gator WC) vs. Ben Askren (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Andy Hrovat (New York AC) vs. Mo Lawal (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Daniel Cormier (Gator WC) vs. Nik Fekete (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tommy Rowlands (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco (New York AC)
A surprise winner at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas, Schwab placed fifth in his first trip to the World Championships and qualified the United States for the Olympics at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
But Schwab still has his share of doubters and detractors - many of whom feel Schwab turned in the tournament of his life and couldn't repeat his feat again this year.
The top-seeded Schwab took a big step toward proving many of them wrong by advancing to the finals of the U.S. Nationals on Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
A win over 2006 World champion Bill Zadick in Saturday night's finals would send Schwab into the best-of-3 finals series at June's U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
"I'm sure there were a lot of guys here hoping they would draw me, and that's fine," Schwab said. "A lot of people just think I had one good tournament. I want to show them I can consistently beat these guys because I know I can."
Upsets occurred early and often on Saturday morning as No. 1 seeds Casey Cunningham (74 kg/163 lbs.) and Joe Williams (84 kg/185 lbs.) both dropped first-round matches.
Schwab outlasted No. 5 seed Jared Frayer 4-3, 2-3, 1-0 in the semifinals. The third period was scoreless after two minutes and came down to the leg clinch. Schwab won the coin flip and quickly finished with Frayer's leg to pull out the win.
"He's a dangerous wrestler and he caught me in the second period with an arm spin," Schwab said. "I shouldn't have let it come down to the clinch in the third period. I need to stay on the attack more and not let that happen."
It will be an interesting battle in the finals, matching a pair of past NCAA champions for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Zadick, 35, made his second World Team in 2006 and won a World title in Guangzhou, China. Schwab, 30, followed by making his first World Team in 2007 before turning in a top-five finish in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Schwab is coached by Iowa head coach Tom Brands, a past Olympic and World champion. Zadick is coached by U.S. Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands, Tom's twin brother who was a two-time World champion.
"That's great," Schwab said when informed Zadick had reached the finals. "It will be a great opportunity for me to wrestle a World champion. Bill's a tough competitor. I'm looking forward to it."
Schwab, an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, has made noticeable gains since making the World Team last year. He won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before turning in a strong performance at the World Championships.
"I'm so much better than I was last year," Schwab said. "Obviously, everything I went through after making the World Team made me a much better wrestler. I'm really excited to see what I can do this year. I gained a lot of experience and confidence. I know I can wrestle with anybody right now."
Unseeded Eric Luedke, a past All-American for the Iowa Hawkeyes, knocked off Cunningham 0-3, 4-4, 4-2 in the opening round. Cunningham placed second at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials.
The top-seeded Williams, a two-time World bronze medalist, suffered a stunning early loss when he fell to unseeded B.J. Padden in the first round. Padden shot in on a duck-under maneuver and finished with a double-leg takedown with four seconds left to earn the 0-1, 3-0, 2-2 win.
Another early upset occurred at 74 kg/163 lbs. when Ryan Churella knocked off 2006 World bronze medalist and No. 2 seed Donny Pritzlaff in the quarterfinals.
Three other members of the 2007 U.S. World Team reached the finals Saturday. That group includes World bronze medalist Daniel Cormier (96 kg/211.5 lbs.) along with World Team members Henry Cejudo (55 kg/121 lbs.) and Tommy Rowlands (120 kg/264.5 lbs.).
Mike Zadick and Nate Gallick, ranked 1-2 at 60 kg/132 lbs., are not competing this weekend. Zadick wrestled in an Olympic qualification tournament last weekend in Switzerland and Gallick is scheduled to compete in the final Olympic qualifier for freestyle next weekend in Poland.
Gallick needs to place in the top three to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at 60 kilos.
U.S. NATIONALS FREESTYLE FINALISTS
55 kg/121 lbs. - Henry Cejudo (Sunkist Kids) vs. Matt Azevedo (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Coleman Scott (Gator WC) vs. Shawn Bunch (Gator WC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab (Gator WC) vs. Bill Zadick (Gator WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Tyrone Lewis (Gator WC) vs. Ben Askren (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Andy Hrovat (New York AC) vs. Mo Lawal (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Daniel Cormier (Gator WC) vs. Nik Fekete (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tommy Rowlands (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco (New York AC)
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