U.S. Olympic Team Trials preview in Greco-Roman at 74 kg/163 lbs.
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by Craig Sesker
Long-time Greco-Roman standout T.C. Dantzler is the No. 1 competitor here with another veteran, Keith Sieracki, right behind him. Sieracki is 36 and Dantzler is 37, both with considerable international experience.
Dantzler has made the last five U.S. World Teams and is looking to make his first Olympic Team. Dantzler placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships. Dantzler qualified the U.S. for the Olympics by winning a bronze medal at the Olympic qualifier on May 11 in Rome. Dantzler earned a berth in the best-of-3 finals at the Olympic Trials by virtue of winning the 2008 U.S. Nationals.
Sieracki made the 2001 U.S. World Team and has had numerous close battles with Dantzler over the years. He won the 2000 Olympic Trials but ended up losing his spot on the Olympic Team to Matt Lindland after legal battles. In 2004, Sieracki won the Trials again, but the U.S. did not qualify the weight class so it did not earn him an Olympic berth.
Andrew Bisek, second to Dantzler at U.S. Nationals, is a top young wrestler to watch in this weight class. Bisek won the University Nationals for the last two years. Another emerging young prospect is Jake Fisher, who third at U.S. Nationals. Placing third at the U.S. Nationals was Cheney Haight. All three are products of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program and have numerous age-group medals to go along with their Senior-level achievements.
Jess Hargrave and James Johnson, teammates with the U.S. Army, placed fifth and sixth at the U.S. Nationals. Talan Knox, another USOEC athlete, was seventh at U.S. Nationals.
2008 U.S. Nationals results
1st - T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) dec. Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 2-2, 3-2
3rd - Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo. (New York AC) dec. Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC), 3-0, 4-1
5th - Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo (U.S. Army) inj. dft. over James Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
7th - Talan Knox, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sunkist Kids) dec. Marco Toledo, Miami, Fla. (USOEC), 1-1, 1-1, 1-1
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Pre-Seeds
Qualified for best-of-three finals: T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
Challenge Tournament seeds
1. Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo. (New York AC)
3. Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
4. Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
5. Ken Cook, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo (U.S. Army)
7. James Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
8. Talan Knox, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sunkist Kids)
9. Brandon McNab, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
10. Kevin Lozano, Jefferson, La. (Gator WC)
11. Steven Forrest, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
12. Chris Bullins, Stoneville, N.C. (Y.E.S Greensboro)
Dantzler has made the last five U.S. World Teams and is looking to make his first Olympic Team. Dantzler placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships. Dantzler qualified the U.S. for the Olympics by winning a bronze medal at the Olympic qualifier on May 11 in Rome. Dantzler earned a berth in the best-of-3 finals at the Olympic Trials by virtue of winning the 2008 U.S. Nationals.
Sieracki made the 2001 U.S. World Team and has had numerous close battles with Dantzler over the years. He won the 2000 Olympic Trials but ended up losing his spot on the Olympic Team to Matt Lindland after legal battles. In 2004, Sieracki won the Trials again, but the U.S. did not qualify the weight class so it did not earn him an Olympic berth.
Andrew Bisek, second to Dantzler at U.S. Nationals, is a top young wrestler to watch in this weight class. Bisek won the University Nationals for the last two years. Another emerging young prospect is Jake Fisher, who third at U.S. Nationals. Placing third at the U.S. Nationals was Cheney Haight. All three are products of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program and have numerous age-group medals to go along with their Senior-level achievements.
Jess Hargrave and James Johnson, teammates with the U.S. Army, placed fifth and sixth at the U.S. Nationals. Talan Knox, another USOEC athlete, was seventh at U.S. Nationals.
2008 U.S. Nationals results
1st - T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) dec. Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 2-2, 3-2
3rd - Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo. (New York AC) dec. Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC), 3-0, 4-1
5th - Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo (U.S. Army) inj. dft. over James Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
7th - Talan Knox, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sunkist Kids) dec. Marco Toledo, Miami, Fla. (USOEC), 1-1, 1-1, 1-1
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Pre-Seeds
Qualified for best-of-three finals: T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
Challenge Tournament seeds
1. Andrew Bisek, Chaska, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
2. Jake Fisher, Platte City, Mo. (New York AC)
3. Keith Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
4. Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
5. Ken Cook, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
6. Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo (U.S. Army)
7. James Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
8. Talan Knox, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sunkist Kids)
9. Brandon McNab, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
10. Kevin Lozano, Jefferson, La. (Gator WC)
11. Steven Forrest, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
12. Chris Bullins, Stoneville, N.C. (Y.E.S Greensboro)
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