USA to battle Azerbaijan in freestyle dual meet in Baku on July 18
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by Gary Abbott
BAKU, Azerbaijain - The United States will face 2009 European champion Azerbaijan in a freestyle dual meet on Saturday night July 18, with $29,000 in prize money up for grabs.
The 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team and additional national team members are in Azerbaijan for training, and will also compete in the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix tournament on July 19 in Baku.
The U.S. will face a very strong Azerbaijan team, which recently defeated Russia to win the European freestyle team title, and also added a team victory at the 2009 Freestyle World Cup.
There will be seven matches in the dual meet. There is no 55 kg bout, but there will be two matches at 84 kg.
The team that wins the dual meet will receive $22,000 and the team which loses will receive $7,000.
The Azerbaijan team is very strong, and features a number of veteran talents. Leading the way is 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Hetag Gazumov at 96 kg, along with Zelimhan Guseynov at 60 kg, who was fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
There will be four 2009 European champions competing for Team Azerbaijan in the dual meet: Guseynov, Gazumov, Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev at 74 kg and Ali Isayev at 120 kg.
The U.S. team in the dual meet will feature four members of the 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team: Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) at 60 kg, Dustin Schlatter (Massillon, Ohio/Minnesota Storm) at 74 kg, Jake Herbert (Evanston, Ill./Wildcat WC) at 84 kg and Tervel Dlagnev (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Dlagnev is a past World University champion and Herbert is a past World University bronze medalist in freestyle.
Also wrestling for the USA at 96 kg is Andy Hrovat, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and 2006 U.S. World Team member.
USA VS. AZERBAIJAN DUAL MEET MATCHUPS
At Baku, Azerbaijan, July 19
60 kg/132 lbs.
Shawn Bunch, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- 2008 U.S. Nationals champion
- Second in 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
- 2005 NCAA runner-up for Edinboro
Zelimhan Guseynov
- 2009 European Champion
- 2009 World Cup champion
- Fifth in 2008 Olympics
- Third in 2001 Junior World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Darrion Caldwell, Rahway, N.J. (Sunkist Kids)
- Third in 2009 World Team Trials
- 2009 NCAA champion for North Carolina State
- Fifth in 2008 NCAA Championships
Djabrail Gasanov
- 2009 European silver medalist
- Second in 2008 Junior World Championships
- Third in 2007 Junior World Championships
- Azerbaijan National champion
74 kg/163 lbs.
Dustin Schlatter, Massillon, Ohio (Minnesota Storm)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- Third in 2009 U.S. Nationals
- 2006 NCAA champion for Minnesota
- Two-time Junior Nationals champion
Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev
- 2009 European champion
- 2009 World Cup champion
- Third in 2007 World Championships
- 2008 Golden Grand Prix champion
84 kg/185 lbs.
Jake Herbert, Evanston, Ill. (New York AC)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- 2009 U.S. Nationals champion
- 2006 and 2009 University World bronze medalist
- Two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern
Nauruz Temrezov
- 2009 World Cup champion
- Third in 2005, 2008 and 2009 European Championships
- Seventh in 2008 Olympic Games
- Third in 2006 Golden Grand Prix
84 kg/185 lbs.
Bryce Hasseman, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)
- Second in 2009 World Team Trials
- Third in 2008 and 2009 U.S. Nationals
- Fourth in 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
- 2009 Dan Kolov International champion (Bulgaria)
Sharip Sharipov
- Azerbaijan National Champion
- 12th in 2007 European Junior Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
- 2008 U.S. Olympian
- 2006 U.S. World Team member
- Second in 2008 U.S. Nationals
- 2007 Pan American Games silver medalist
Hetag Gazumov
- 2009 European champion
- 2008 Olympic bronze medalist
- 2009 World Cup bronze medalist
- 2006 World Cup champion
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tervel Dlagnev, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- 2008 University World champion
- Second in 2009 U.S. Nationals
- Two-time Div. II national champion for Nebraska-Kearney
Ali Isayev
- 2009 European champion
- 2009 World Cup silver medalist
- Second in 2008 European Championships
- 2008 Golden Grand Prix champion
U.S. Coaches - Zeke Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brandon Slay, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb.
U.S. Team Leader: Paul Kieblesz, New York, N.Y.
U.S. Trainer: Lori Walling
The 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team and additional national team members are in Azerbaijan for training, and will also compete in the Heydar Aliyev Golden Grand Prix tournament on July 19 in Baku.
The U.S. will face a very strong Azerbaijan team, which recently defeated Russia to win the European freestyle team title, and also added a team victory at the 2009 Freestyle World Cup.
There will be seven matches in the dual meet. There is no 55 kg bout, but there will be two matches at 84 kg.
The team that wins the dual meet will receive $22,000 and the team which loses will receive $7,000.
The Azerbaijan team is very strong, and features a number of veteran talents. Leading the way is 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Hetag Gazumov at 96 kg, along with Zelimhan Guseynov at 60 kg, who was fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
There will be four 2009 European champions competing for Team Azerbaijan in the dual meet: Guseynov, Gazumov, Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev at 74 kg and Ali Isayev at 120 kg.
The U.S. team in the dual meet will feature four members of the 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team: Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) at 60 kg, Dustin Schlatter (Massillon, Ohio/Minnesota Storm) at 74 kg, Jake Herbert (Evanston, Ill./Wildcat WC) at 84 kg and Tervel Dlagnev (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Dlagnev is a past World University champion and Herbert is a past World University bronze medalist in freestyle.
Also wrestling for the USA at 96 kg is Andy Hrovat, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and 2006 U.S. World Team member.
USA VS. AZERBAIJAN DUAL MEET MATCHUPS
At Baku, Azerbaijan, July 19
60 kg/132 lbs.
Shawn Bunch, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- 2008 U.S. Nationals champion
- Second in 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
- 2005 NCAA runner-up for Edinboro
Zelimhan Guseynov
- 2009 European Champion
- 2009 World Cup champion
- Fifth in 2008 Olympics
- Third in 2001 Junior World Championships
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Darrion Caldwell, Rahway, N.J. (Sunkist Kids)
- Third in 2009 World Team Trials
- 2009 NCAA champion for North Carolina State
- Fifth in 2008 NCAA Championships
Djabrail Gasanov
- 2009 European silver medalist
- Second in 2008 Junior World Championships
- Third in 2007 Junior World Championships
- Azerbaijan National champion
74 kg/163 lbs.
Dustin Schlatter, Massillon, Ohio (Minnesota Storm)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- Third in 2009 U.S. Nationals
- 2006 NCAA champion for Minnesota
- Two-time Junior Nationals champion
Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev
- 2009 European champion
- 2009 World Cup champion
- Third in 2007 World Championships
- 2008 Golden Grand Prix champion
84 kg/185 lbs.
Jake Herbert, Evanston, Ill. (New York AC)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- 2009 U.S. Nationals champion
- 2006 and 2009 University World bronze medalist
- Two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern
Nauruz Temrezov
- 2009 World Cup champion
- Third in 2005, 2008 and 2009 European Championships
- Seventh in 2008 Olympic Games
- Third in 2006 Golden Grand Prix
84 kg/185 lbs.
Bryce Hasseman, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)
- Second in 2009 World Team Trials
- Third in 2008 and 2009 U.S. Nationals
- Fourth in 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
- 2009 Dan Kolov International champion (Bulgaria)
Sharip Sharipov
- Azerbaijan National Champion
- 12th in 2007 European Junior Championships
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
- 2008 U.S. Olympian
- 2006 U.S. World Team member
- Second in 2008 U.S. Nationals
- 2007 Pan American Games silver medalist
Hetag Gazumov
- 2009 European champion
- 2008 Olympic bronze medalist
- 2009 World Cup bronze medalist
- 2006 World Cup champion
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Tervel Dlagnev, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
- 2009 U.S. World Team member
- 2008 University World champion
- Second in 2009 U.S. Nationals
- Two-time Div. II national champion for Nebraska-Kearney
Ali Isayev
- 2009 European champion
- 2009 World Cup silver medalist
- Second in 2008 European Championships
- 2008 Golden Grand Prix champion
U.S. Coaches - Zeke Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brandon Slay, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb.
U.S. Team Leader: Paul Kieblesz, New York, N.Y.
U.S. Trainer: Lori Walling
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