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U.S. wins No-Gi team title at Grappling World Championships in Switzerland

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by UL

LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND - The United States dominated the competition to capture the team title in the No-Gi style at the Grappling World Championships on Saturday, December 20.

The United States swept the gold medals in the five men's weight classes, and added an individual champion in the women's division to take the No-Gi team title. The USA scored 135 team points, well ahead of runner-up France with 53 points. Canada, Great Britain and Poland rounded out the top five teams.

Claiming individual gold medals in the men's competition were:
- Matt Sanchez (Sacramento, Calif./Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness) at 62 kg/136.5 lbs.
- Ricky Lundell (Ames, Iowa/Grappler's Edge) at 70 kg/154 lbs.
- Jacob Volkmann (White Bear Lake, Minn./Minnesota Martial Arts Academy) at 80 kg/176 lbs.
- Raphael Davis (Lomita, Calif./Team Caique) at 92 kg/202.5 lbs.
- Jeff Monson (Olympia, Wash./American Top Team) at 125 kg/275 lbs.

"We grappled great on Saturday. Our athletes pulled out some big and exciting wins," said Jason Townsend, USA Wrestling Manager of Developing Styles. "The No-Gi competition was grueling. Many of our athletes got banged up."

Sanchez had a dominant performance, winning all four of his matches by submission. He stopped Tom Barlow of Great Britain in the finals by submission.

"I have been training hard in Sacramento and I wanted to dominate everyone," said Sanchez. "I tried to take it to my opponents early and stay on the neck attack. I was able to set up some opportunities to lock up some submissions. It was nice to tap everyone with a choke."

Townsend was impressed with the dominance of Sanchez' attacks.

Matt Sanchez was perfect in No-Gi with all submissions. He had two peruvian neck ties (a move made famous by Tony DeSouza) and two guillotines. Matt was the most dominant and impressive performance of the whole tournament," said Townsend.

All five of the individual champions from the United States were winners at the Dollamur U.S. Grappling World Team Trials in Rocklin, Calif. in September, and hold the No. 1 ranking in the United States.

Both Lundell and Monson won World gold medals in Grappling at the 2007 World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey. Sanchez was second at the 2007 World Wrestling Games, as well.

Two of the men's finals were all-American contests. At 96 kg/211.5 pounds, Davis defeated Ian Murphy (Fullerton, Calif./Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness) in the finals by submission. At 120 kg/275 lbs., Monson stopped Brandon Ruiz (West Jordan, Utah/Grappler's Edge) in the finals, 6-1. Both were rematches from the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials.

"Davis had a good tournament with a tough draw. He submitted Murphy with guillotine in the finals. It was a mirror of the World Team Trials finals win," said Townsend. "Monson beat Ruiz by passing his guard and getting back control."

Lundell defeated Nicolas Renier of France in the finals by submission. Volkmann stopped Marcello Salazar Mousinho of Brazil in the finals, 4-1.

"Lundell had great final. It was 0-0 until about a minute left when Ricky took his back and rear-naked choked him. Ricky had four submission throughout the day," said Townsend.

"Volkmann had some grinding matches. It was a great performance on his part his win over Marcelo Salazar of Brazil, a very good BJJ Black Belt competitor. Volkmann surprised a lot of people. He just kept pressuring the whole time and maintained top control the entire match. It was intelligent wrestling," said Townsend.

The U.S. won a total of nine medals in men's Grappling. Along with the five champions and two silver medalists, the U.S. also brought home bronze medals by Brian Peterson, (Valencia, Calif./Big John McCarthy's Ultimate Training Center) at 62 kg/136.5 lbs. and Tom LeCuyer (Plano, Ill./Atlas Xtreme Team, Torres Martial Arts) at 70 kg/154 lbs.

In the women's division, the U.S. placed four athletes in the finals. Capturing a gold medal was Lisa Ward (Olympia, Wash./United Fight Team) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., who defeated Lisa Newton of Great Britain in the finals by submission by triangle choke.

Ward was also a World champion at the 1997 World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey.

Three U.S. women won silver medals: Felicia Oh (Valencia, Calif./Big John McCarthy's Ultimate Fitness Center) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Molly Helsel (San Diego, Calif./North County Fight Club) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Miesha Tate (Olympia, Wash./Victory Athletics) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. All three were defeated by submission in the finals on armbars.

Capturing a bronze medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. was Tara LaRosa (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Fight Factory).

Grappling, also known as submission wrestling, was recognized as an international style of wrestling in 2006. FILA held its first major international event in Grappling in 2007 at World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey. The United States swept all nine World titles in Antalya, with gold medals in the five men's weight classes and four women's weight classes.

This year, FILA will hold both a No-Gi and a Gi competition at the Grappling World Championships. The U.S. team qualified in No-Gi Grappling, and all of the team members competed in the No-Gi tournament on Saturday, December 20.

Many of the U.S. team members are also expected to enter the Gi tournament on Sunday, December 21.

For more information on the FILA Grappling World Championships, visit the official website at:
http://www.d4-world.com/

2008 USA GRAPPLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lucerne, Switzerland

62 kg/136.5 lbs.
Gold - Matt Sanchez (USA)
Silver - Tom Barlow (Great Britain)
Bronze - Brian Peterson (USA)
Bronze - John Louro (Canada)
5th - Jose Zapater (Spain)
5th - Fabian Brechetelle (France)

70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold - Ricky Lundell (USA)
Silver - Nicolas Renier (France)
Bronze - Tom LeCuyer (USA)
Bronze - Jose Fernando Ferreira (Spain)
5th - Joao Catisti (Brazil)
5th - Peter Mettler (Switzerland)

80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold - Jacob Volkmann (USA)
Silver - Marcello Salazar Mousinho (Brazil)
Bronze - Tomasz Michalowski (Poland)
Bronze - Davied Pierre-Louis (France)
5th - Ivalo Andreeve Kemnov (Bulgaria)
5th - Miguel Campos (Spain)

92 kg/202.5 lbs.
Gold - Raphael Davis (USA)
Silver - Ian Murphy (USA)
Bronze - Takanori Kuno (Japan)
Bronze - Nick Ring (Canada)
5th - Piotr Baginski (Poland)
5th - Stefan Osinski (Poland)

125 kg/275 lbs.
Gold - Jeff Monson (USA)
Silver - Brandon Ruiz (USA)
Bronze - Ioannis Arzoumanidis (Greece)
Bronze - Rodrigo Munduruca (Canada)
5th - Svetoslav Samoilov Zahariev (Bulgaria)
5th - Vlado Pilipovic (Croatia)

U.S. Men's results

62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Matt Sanchez, Sacramento, Calif. (Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness), 1st
WIN Volkan Icki (Switzerland), submission
WIN John Louro (Canada), submission
WIN Jose Zapater (Spain), submission WIN Tom Barlow (Great Britain), submission

62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Brian Peterson, Valencia, Calif. (Big John McCarthy's Ultimate Training Center), 3rd
WIN Patrick Oppliger (Switzerland)
LOSS Tom Barlow (Great Britain)
WIN Herminio Garcia (Spain)
WIN Fabien Brechetelle (France)

70 kg/154 lbs. - Ricky Lundell, Ames, Iowa (Grappler's Edge), 1st
WIN A. Panoussis (Canada)
WIN Tom LeCuyer (USA)
WIN Aleksandar Milicevic (Serbia)
WIN Joao Catisti (Brazil)
WIN Nicolas Renier (France), submission

70 kg/154 lbs. - Tom LeCuyer, Plano, Ill. (Atlas Xtreme Team, Torres Martial Arts), 3rd WIN Patrick Berisha (Kosovo)
LOSS Ricky Lundell (USA)
WIN A. Panoussis (Canada)
WIN Aleksandar Milicevic (Serbia)

80 kg/176 lbs. - Jacob Volkmann, White Bear Lake, Minn. (Minnesota Martial Arts Academy), 1st
WIN Maciej Jewtuzsko (Poland)
WIN I. Volkmann (Bulgaria)
WIN Stauffer Queseda (Croatia)
WIN Tomadz Michalowski (Poland)
WIN Marcello Salazar Mousinho (Brazil), 4-1

80 kg/176 lbs. - Mike Kelly, Hebron, Ill. (Gilbert Grappling), dnp/22nd
LOSS Hiroshi Tsuruya (Japan)

92 kg/202.5 lbs. - Raphael Davis, Lomita, Calif. (Team Caique), 1st
WIN Takanori Kuno (Japan)
WIN Kevin Webb (Great Britain)
WIN Piotr Baginski (Poland)
WIN Ian Murphy (USA), submission

92 kg/202.5 lbs. - Ian Murphy, Fullerton, Calif. (Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness), 2nd
WIN Kemal Tajic (Bosnia and Herzoginiva)
WIN Stefan Osinski (Poland)
WIN Nick Ring (Canada)
LOSS Raphael Davis (USA), submission

125 kg/275 lbs. - Jeff Monson, Olympia, Wash. (American Top Team), 1st
WIN Hermann Binek (Germany)
WIN Vlado Pilipovic (Croatia)
WIN Ioannis Arzomanidis (Greece)
WIN Brandon Ruiz (USA), 6-1

125 kg/275 lbs. - Brandon Ruiz,West Jordan, Utah (Grappler's Edge), 2nd
WIN Svetoslav Samoilov Zahariev (Bulgaria)
WIN Mohammed Cherif (France)
WIN Rodrigo Munduruca (Canada)
LOSS Jeff Monson (USA), 1-6

Women's results (Incomplete at this time)

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold - Lisa Ward (USA)
Silver - Lisa Newton (Great Britain)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Laurence Fouillat (France)
Silver - Felicia Oh (USA)
Bronze - Tara LaRosa (USA)
4th - Kathy Gifford (Great Britain)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold - Sheila Bird (Canada)
Silver - Molly Helsel (USA)
Bronze - Sara DeLuna (France)
Bronze - Caolimhe McGill (Great Britain)
5th - Sonia Raeber (Switzerland)
5th - Rosa Wellenzhon (Italy)

72 kg/158.5 lbs
Gold - Romy Ruyssen (France)
Silver - Miesha Tate (USA)
Bronze - Karolina Zawodnik (Poland)
4th - Alaina Hardie (Canada)
5th - Angela Poe (USA)

U.S. women's performances

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Lisa Ward, Olympia, Wash. (United Fight Team), 1st
WIN Lisa Newton (Great Britain), submission

55 kg/121 lbs. - Felicia Oh, Valencia, Calif. (Big John McCarthy's Ultimate Fitness Center), 2nd
WIN Tara LaRosa (USA)
WIN Kathy Gifford (Great Britain)
LOSS Laurence Fouillat (France), submission in finals

55 kg/121 lbs. - Tara LaRosa, Philadelphia, Pa. (Philadelphia Fight Factory), 3rd LOSS Felicia Oh (USA)
LOSS Laurence Fouillat (France)
WIN Kathy Gifford (Great Britain)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Molly Helsel, San Diego, Calif. (North County Fight Club), 2nd
WIN Sonia Raeber (Switzerland)
WIN Sara DeLuna (France)
LOSS Sheila Bird (Canada), submission

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Miesha Tate, Olympia, Wash. (Victory Athletics), 2nd
WIN Karolina Zawodnik (Poland)
WIN Alaina Hardie (Canada)
WIN Angela Poe (USA)
LOSS Romy Ruyssen (France), submission

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Angela Poe, Craig, Colo. (Grappler's Edge), 5th
LOSS Alaina Hardie (Canada)
LOSS Romy Ruyssen (France), injury withdrew

Team Standings
1 United States, 135
2 France, 53
3 Canada, 43
4 Great Britain, 36
5 Poland, 34
6 Spain, 23
7 Brazil, 15
8 Switzerland, 14
9 Bulgaria, 14
10 Germany, 13



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