Steve Mocco records fall to reach semifinals at Dave Schultz Memorial International
Share:
by Craig Sesker
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Steve Mocco has been knocking on the door the past three years to make a World-level team for the United States.
Now the freestyle heavyweight is ready to bust through.
Mocco, who has placed second at the U.S. World Team Trials the past three years, pinned Venezuela's Luis Vivenes to advance to the semifinals of the Dave Schultz Memorial International on Sunday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Mocco, a two-time NCAA champion, placed third at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He advances to face Dirk Winterfeldt of Germany in the semifinal round at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Michael Irving, a former heavyweight, looked strong in advancing to the semifinals in freestyle at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Irving, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, has dropped down a weight class for the Olympic year.
U.S. Army wrestler Willie Parks, a past junior-college and NAIA champion in college, advanced to meet 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert in the freestyle semifinals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Herbert is taking an Olympic redshirt this year and has one year left of college eligibility at Northwestern.
It will be a matchup of World champions in the women's freestyle semifinals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. 2005 World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will battle 2006 and 2007 World champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria.
Defending Schultz champion Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was upset by Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis./USOEC/Sunkist Kids) 2-0, 1-1 in the quarterfinals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Murata, a past World silver medalist, has made eight U.S. World Teams.
Lampe, 19, placed third at the 2007 Junior World Championships and took fifth at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials.
Lampe was one of four American women to reach the semifinals at 48 kilos. Lampe will face Sara Fulp-Allen (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in one semifinal. Past World Team members Mary Kelly (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will meet in the other semifinal.
Kelly beat Chun in a Special Wrestle-Off to make the 2006 U.S. World Team.
Two-time World bronze medalist Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) reached the semis at 55 kg/121 lbs. Roberts normally competes at 59 kg/130 lbs., but has moved down a weight since her division is not an Olympic weight class.
2007 World Team member Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won her first match on Sunday before being pulled out of the tournament with a minor injury. Van Dusen will try to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs. at the upcoming Pan American Championships.
SUNDAY'S SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS
Men's freestyle
74 kg/163 lbs.
Donny Pritzlaff (New York AC) vs. Andriy Shyyka (Germany)
Aliaksandr Matyl (Belarus) vs. Matt Gentry (Canada)
84 kg/185 lbs.
Bryce Hasseman (New York AC) vs. Davyd Bichinashvili (Germany)
Willie Parks (U.S. Army) vs. Jake Herbert (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Wladyslaw Bartnicki (Poland) vs. Sean Stender (Sunkist Kids)
Michael Irving (Gator WC) vs. Stefan Kehrer (Germany)
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Steve Mocco (New York AC) vs. Dirk Winterfeldt (Germany)
Markus Hamann (Germany) vs. Maksim Mikhalevich (Belarus)
Women's freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) vs. Mary Kelly (New York AC)
Sara Fulp-Allen (New York AC) vs. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs.
Deanna Rix (New York AC) vs. Sylwia Bilenska (Poland)
Teresa Zwirydowska (Poland) vs. Sally Roberts (Gator WC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Helena Allandi (Sweden) vs. Yoselin Rojas (Venezuela)
Alaina Berube (New York AC) vs. Randi Miller (Gator WC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria) vs. Iris Smith (U.S. Army)
Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) vs. Ali Bernard (Gator WC)
Now the freestyle heavyweight is ready to bust through.
Mocco, who has placed second at the U.S. World Team Trials the past three years, pinned Venezuela's Luis Vivenes to advance to the semifinals of the Dave Schultz Memorial International on Sunday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Mocco, a two-time NCAA champion, placed third at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He advances to face Dirk Winterfeldt of Germany in the semifinal round at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Michael Irving, a former heavyweight, looked strong in advancing to the semifinals in freestyle at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Irving, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, has dropped down a weight class for the Olympic year.
U.S. Army wrestler Willie Parks, a past junior-college and NAIA champion in college, advanced to meet 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert in the freestyle semifinals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Herbert is taking an Olympic redshirt this year and has one year left of college eligibility at Northwestern.
It will be a matchup of World champions in the women's freestyle semifinals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. 2005 World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will battle 2006 and 2007 World champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria.
Defending Schultz champion Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was upset by Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis./USOEC/Sunkist Kids) 2-0, 1-1 in the quarterfinals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Murata, a past World silver medalist, has made eight U.S. World Teams.
Lampe, 19, placed third at the 2007 Junior World Championships and took fifth at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials.
Lampe was one of four American women to reach the semifinals at 48 kilos. Lampe will face Sara Fulp-Allen (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in one semifinal. Past World Team members Mary Kelly (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will meet in the other semifinal.
Kelly beat Chun in a Special Wrestle-Off to make the 2006 U.S. World Team.
Two-time World bronze medalist Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) reached the semis at 55 kg/121 lbs. Roberts normally competes at 59 kg/130 lbs., but has moved down a weight since her division is not an Olympic weight class.
2007 World Team member Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won her first match on Sunday before being pulled out of the tournament with a minor injury. Van Dusen will try to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs. at the upcoming Pan American Championships.
SUNDAY'S SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS
Men's freestyle
74 kg/163 lbs.
Donny Pritzlaff (New York AC) vs. Andriy Shyyka (Germany)
Aliaksandr Matyl (Belarus) vs. Matt Gentry (Canada)
84 kg/185 lbs.
Bryce Hasseman (New York AC) vs. Davyd Bichinashvili (Germany)
Willie Parks (U.S. Army) vs. Jake Herbert (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Wladyslaw Bartnicki (Poland) vs. Sean Stender (Sunkist Kids)
Michael Irving (Gator WC) vs. Stefan Kehrer (Germany)
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Steve Mocco (New York AC) vs. Dirk Winterfeldt (Germany)
Markus Hamann (Germany) vs. Maksim Mikhalevich (Belarus)
Women's freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) vs. Mary Kelly (New York AC)
Sara Fulp-Allen (New York AC) vs. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs.
Deanna Rix (New York AC) vs. Sylwia Bilenska (Poland)
Teresa Zwirydowska (Poland) vs. Sally Roberts (Gator WC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Helena Allandi (Sweden) vs. Yoselin Rojas (Venezuela)
Alaina Berube (New York AC) vs. Randi Miller (Gator WC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria) vs. Iris Smith (U.S. Army)
Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) vs. Ali Bernard (Gator WC)
Read More#
Lee vs. Ono to highlight FloWrestling Night In America on Feb. 26
Snyder, Macchiavello win men’s freestyle bronzes at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania
Attao to wrestle in both styles at the Sirakov–Iliev International in Bulgaria this weekend
Marsteller to go for gold, Woods, Green & Lewan for bronze at Muhamet Malo Ranking Event in Albania
