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UPDATED: Olympians Mocco, Hrovat, Bernard among champions at Hargobind International in Canada

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by Gary Abbott

SURREY, B.C., CANADA - Three members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team were among the individual champions of the Hargobind International Championships on Saturday.

Capturing gold medals were U.S. men's freestyle Olympians Steve Mocco (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. and Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., along with women's freestyle Olympian Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Bears) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Mocco defeated 2000 Olympic champion David Musulbes of Slovakia by forfeit in the championship finals. Mocco, who was seventh at the 2008 Olympic Games, had four victories in the tournament.

Hrovat, competing up a weight class from his normal 84 kg/185 lbs. division, won his gold medal with a victory over Canada's Kory Jarvis in the finals. Hrovat also had four wins in the competition.

Bernard, who was fifth at the 2008 Olympics, won her gold medal with a victory over Canada's Pam Wilson. Bernard also scored a pin in the semifinals over Canada's Erin Church.

In total, U.S. wrestlers won six individual titles. Claiming men's freestyle gold medals were Zack Esposito (Stillwater, Okla./unattached) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and B.J. Padden (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Capturing a women's freestyle gold medal was Elena Pirozkkov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Esposito, competing up one weight class from his normal 66 kg/145.5 lbs., defeated India's Ramesh Kumar in the championship finals. Padden stopped fellow American Travis Pascoe (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) in his gold-medal match.

Pirozkhov, a 2008 U.S. World Team member, claimed her gold medal with a win over India's Geetika Jakhar in the finals. Pirozkhov was a 2008 University World champion and placed eighth at the 2008 World Championships. Jakhar was a 2006 Asian Games runner-up

The tournament featured $30,000 in prize money, which included three special challenge bouts among the men's champions.

For the second straight year, Mocco won the match for $5,000 in the match between the 120 kg and 96 kg winners, defeating Hrovat for the prize. In the challenge match between the 84 kg and 74 kg winners, Esposito defeated Padden for a $2,000 prize.

Five U.S. wrestlers won silver medals. Men's freestyle runners-up included Pascoe, along with Nick Simmons (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Matt Valenti (New York, N.Y./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Nate Gallick (Chattanooga, Tenn./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Winning a silver medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. in women's freestyle was 2007 Junior World champion Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC)

The lone bronze medalist for the U.S. was Jeremiah Hasseman of the New York AC at 84 kg/185 lbs.

The United States swept the top five spots at 84 kg/185 lbs., with medalists Padden, Pascoe and Hasseman followed by fourth-place Eric Leudke of the Sunkist Kids and fifth-place Terry Madden of the New York AC.

HARGOBIND INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Surrey, B.C., Canada, November 8

Men's Freestyle Placewinners


55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - John Pineda (Canada-BMWC)
Silver - Nick Simmons (USA-Sunkist Kids)
Bronze - Vinad Kumar (India)
4th - Javier Maldonado (USA-Tennessee)
5th - Raj Virdi (Canada-BMWC)
6th - Aso Palani (Canada-BMWC)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Yogeshwar Dutt (India)
Silver - Matt Valenti (USA-New York AC)
Bronze - C.J. Hudson (Canada-Brock)
4th - Santokhi Singh (Canada-Reb)
5th - Clay Dixon (Canada-Salisbury)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Haislan Garcia (Canada-BMWC)
Silver - Nate Gallick (USA-Sunkist Kids)
Bronze - Amit Kumar (India)
4th - Josh Churella (USA-New York AC)
5th - Jeremy Podlog (Canada-unattached)
6th - Jack Bond (Canada-Salisbury)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Zack Esposito (USA-unattached)
Silver - Ramesh Kumar (India)
Bronze - Dean Dehamel (Canada-BMWC)
4th - Alex Brown (Canada-Brock)
5th - Lloyd Rogers (Canada-unattached)
6th - Sheldon Francis (Canada-McMaster)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - B.J. Padden (USA-Sunkist Kids)
Silver - Travis Pascoe (USA-Sunkist Kids)
Bronze - Jeremiah Hasseman (USA-New York AC)
4th - Eric Leudke (USA-Sunkist Kids)
5th - Terry Madden (USA-New York AC)
6th - Jeff Adamson (Canada-Saskatoon)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - Andy Hrovat (USA-New York AC)
Silver - Kory Jarvis (Canada-Guelph)
Bronze - Jagroop Bhular (Canada-BMWC)
4th - Kurt Backes (USA-Sunkist Kids)
5th - Gurjot Kooner (Canada-BMWC)
6th - Mikhail Abdul-Latif (Canada-Hargobind)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Steve Mocco (USA-New York AC)
Silver - David Musulbes (Slovakia)
Bronze - Palwinder Cheema (India)
4th - Gurdeep Beesia (Canada-BMWC)
5th - Mike Neufield (Canada-BMWC)
6th - Les Sigman (USA-Sunkist Kids)

Women's Freestyle Placewinners

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold - Lyndsay Rushton (Canada-Guelph)
Silver - Ashley McKilligan (Canada-BMWC)
Bronze - Alana King (Canada-Brock)
4th - Sebeh Palani (Canada-BMWC)
5th - Jasmine Mian (Canada-Brock)
6th - Coralee Dixon (Canada-Salisbury)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold - Jessie Bondy (Canada-Brock)
Silver - Whitney Conder (USA-Gator)
Bronze - Genevieve Haley (Canada-UCWC)
4th - Diana Ford (Canada-Brock)
5th - Poonam Rani (India)
6th - Pam Ewanishin (Canada-BWC)

55kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Britanee Laverdure (Canada-UCWC)
Silver - Miranda Dick (Canada-BMWC)
Bronze - Anju Chaudry (India)
4th - Laura Gordon (Canada-BMWC)
5th - Coralynn Shepard (Canada-Salisbury)
6th - Rita Pare (Canada-BMWC)

59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold - Amanda Gerhardt (Canada-BMWC)
Silver - Michelle Fazzari (Canada-Brock)
Bronze - Heidi Erdle (Canada-UCWC)
4th - Nimia Devi (India)
5th - Megan King (Canada-Cattown)
6th - Celeste Rodriguez (Canada-Brock)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold - Elena Pirozkhov (USA-Gator)
Silver - Geetika Jakhar (India)
Bronze - Justine Bouchard (Canada-BMWC)
4th - Danielle Lappage (Canada-BMWC)
5th - Amy Dyck (Canada-SWC)
6th - Avalon Doyle (Canada-BMWC)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold - Stacie Anaka (Canada-BMWC)
Silver - Megan Buydens (Canada-SWC)
Bronze - Ashlea McManus (Canada-BMWC)
4th - Suman Kundu (India)
5th - Deborah Jehu (Canada-Brock)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold - Ali Bernard (USA-Bears)
Silver - Pam Wilson (Canada-UCWC)
Bronze - Erica Wiebe (UCWC)
4th - Navlot Kaur (India)
5th - Erin Church (Canada-BMWC)
6th - Jo LeLu (USA-Yakima Valley CC)

80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold - Stephanie Buchan (Canada-BMWC)
Silver - Hillary Greening (Canada-BMWC)
Bronze - Amy Easton (Canada-Salisbury)

U.S. placewinners in men's freestyle

55 kg/121 lbs. - Nick Simmons, Corvallis, Ore. (USA-Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN JJ Lum (Canada), pin
WIN Jake Hergenhein (Canada)
WIN Vinad Kumar (India)
LOSS John Pineda (Canada)

55 kg/121 lbs. - Javier Maldonado, Chattanooga, Tenn. (USA-Tennessee), 4th
WIN Jason Wass (Canada), pin
WIN Alce Yuura (Canada)
LOSS John Pineda (Canada)
WIN Raj Virdi (Canada)
LOSS Vinad Kumar (India)

60 kg/132 lbs. - Matt Valenti, New York, N.Y. (USA-New York AC), 2nd
WIN Nick Gheani (Canada)
LOSS Yogeshwar Dutt (India)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Nate Gallick, Chattanooga, Tenn. (USA-Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN Jack Bond (Canada)
WIN Ryan Myfield (Canada), pin
WIN Amit Kumar (India)
LOSS Haislan Garcia (Canada)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Josh Churella, Ann Arbor, Mich. (USA-New York AC), 4th
LOSS Chris Prickett (Canada)
WIN Ryan Myrfield (Canada), pin
WIN Kiril Sheymeov (Bulgaria)
WIN Jeremy Podlog (Canada)
LOSS Amit Kumar (India)

74 kg/163 lbs. - Zack Esposito, Stillwater, Okla. (USA-unattached), 1st
WIN Matt Miller (Canada), tech fall
WIN Dean DeHamel (Canada)
WIN Ramesh Kumar (India)

84 kg/185 lbs. - B.J. Padden, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USA-Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Jeff Adamson (Canada), tech fall
WIN Terry Madden (New York AC)
WIN Eric Leudke (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Travis Pascoe (Sunkist Kids)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Travis Pascoe, Corvallis, Ore. (USA-Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN Chris Hobman (Canada)
WIN Clete Hanson (Canada)
WIN Jeremiah Hasseman (New York AC)
LOSS B.J. Padden (Sunkist Kids)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Jeremiah Hasseman (USA-New York AC), 3rd
WIN Alex Clemsen (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Majot Sandhu (Canada)
LOSS Travis Pascoe (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Terry Madden (New York AC)
WIN Eric Leudke (Sunkist Kids)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Eric Leudke, Iowa City, Iowa (USA-Sunkist Kids), 4th
WIN Ram Vir (India)
WIN Dustyn Fisher (Canada)
LOSS B.J. Padden (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Jeff Adamson (Canada)
LOSS Jeremiah Hasseman (New York AC)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Terry Madden, New York, N.Y. (USA-New York AC), 5th
WIN Kostas Sirpostos (Greece)
LOSS B.J. Padden (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Alex Clemsen (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Alex Burke (Canada)
LOSS Jeremiah Hasseman (New York AC)
WIN Jeff Adamson (Canada)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (USA-New York AC), 1st
WIN Paul Ruiz (Canada)
WIN Jagoop Bhullar (Canada), pin
WIN Kurt Backes (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Kory Jarvis (Canada)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Kurt Backes, Columbia, Mo. (USA-Sunkist Kids), 4th
WIN Micah Breakfield (Canada)
LOSS Andy Hrovat (New York AC)
WIN Gurjot Kooner (Canada), pin
LOSS Japgoop Bhullar (Canada), pin

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steve Mocco, Iowa City, Iowa (USA-New York AC), 1st
WIN Suhag Singh (India), pin
WIN, Jamie Cox (Canada), forfeit
WIN Palwinder Cheema (India)
WIN David Musulbes (Slovakia), forfeit

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Les Sigmon, Omaha, Neb. (USA-Sunkist Kids), 6th
WIN Mike Neufield (Canada)
LOSS David Musulbes (Slovakia), inj dft. (withdrew)

U.S. placewinners in women's freestyle

51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Whitney Condor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USA-Gator), 2nd
WIN Cady Chambers (Yakima Valley CC), tech fall
WIN Genevieve Haley (Canada)
LOSS Jessica Bondy (Canada)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Elena Pirozkkov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USA-Gator), 1st
WIN Sydney Morrison (Canada), tech fall
WIN Justine Bouchard (Canada)
WIN Geetika Jakhar (India)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (USA-Bears), 1st
WIN Erin Church (Canada), pin
WIN Pam Wilson (Canada)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Jo LeLu, SeaTac, Wash. (USA-Yakima Valley CC), 6th
LOSS Erin Church (Canada), pin
LOSS Navjot Kaur (India), pin
LOSS Erin Church (Canada), forfeit



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