Dlagnev is lone U.S. freestyle champion in American Airlines NYAC International
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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Five U.S. wrestlers qualified for the finals, but Tervel Dlagnev emerged as the lone American champion in the men's freestyle division of the American Airlines New York Athletic Club International Open at the New York Athletic Club on Sunday.
Dlagnev (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), a 2008 University World champion, upset 2008 U.S. Olympian Steve Mocco (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) in the finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., by a 1-1, 0-2, 2-1 score. Dlagnev was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Dlagnev won the first period, scoring the last point of the period in a 1-1 tie with a takedown. Mocco had two pushouts in the second period to knot the score. In the deciding third period, Mocco scored first, but Dlagnev scored the next point and added an insurance takedown when Mocco had to force the action.
"I was strategic. I was prepared for the hand fight fire. It worked well for me," said Dlagnev.
A two-time Div. II NCAA champion for the Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney and a native of Texas, Dlagnev has been training at the Univ. of Northern Iowa with 96 kg wrestler Sean Stender.
"This is nice. It is a stepping stone. The World Team Trials and the World Championships are still ahead of us. It shows that my training is going well and I am doing the right things. I will put it in the goody bag and go on. He is a good competitor and will make adjustments. But it is nice to know where I am at this time of the year," said Dlagnev.
Dlagnev has had close matches with Mocco in the past, but this time was able to break through with a clutch win.
"That was a huge win. Steve is a real World contender. For him to get the win in three periods against a World-class guy like Steve Mocco is a huge boost to his confidence," said Sunkist Kids coach Kevin Jackson. "This is a great matchup. It will aid both of these wrestlers in the long run."
Mocco was the only 2007 NYAC International Open champion who qualified for the finals, so it was a brand new set of champions this year.
Four U.S. wrestlers earned silver medals, losing to international competitors in the finals. The closest final featuring an American came at 60 kg/132 lbs., where Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) was defeated in the finals by Armenian Martin Berberyan who competes for the Golden Boys club.
Berberyan won the deciding third period from the offensive position on the leg clinch, taking Bunch down on the edge of the mat. Berberyan was a three-time Olympian for Armenia and a former European champion.
The other U.S. silver medalists were Brian Stith (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Lloyd Rogers (Harrison, Tenn./unattached) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Eric Leudke (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) qualified for the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs.
Stith was defeated in the finals by Haislan Garcia of Canada, 1-0, 1-1. Stith, a NCAA runner-up at Arizona State in 2006, defeated 2008 U.S. Olympian Doug Schwab in the semifinals. Garcia competed in the 2008 Olympic Games for Canada.
Rogers and Leudke both fell to Russian opponents.
2008 Junior World champion Magomed Zubairov defeated Rogers, a graduate from UT-Chattanooga, in the finals, 4-0, 1-0. Taymuraz Friev defeated Luedke, who competed for the Univ. of Iowa, 3-0, 0-1, 6-0 in the finals.
Individual champions came from five different nations: Russia, the United States, Armenia, Canada and Moldova.
NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB INTERNATIONAL OPEN
At New York, N.Y., Nov. 23
Men's freestyle finals
55 kg/121 lbs.
1st Place - Makhmud Magomedov of Russia
2nd Place - Victor Lebedev of Russia
3rd Place - Nick Simmons of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
4th Place - Alexndre Chirtoaca of Moldova
1st - Makhmud Magomedov (Russia) dec. Victor Lebedev (Russia), 1-0, 1-0
3rd - Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Alexndre Chirtoaca (Moldova). 6-0,4-1
60 kg/132 lbs.
1st Place - Martin Berberyan of Results/Golden Boys (Armenia)
2nd Place - Shawn Bunch of Gator Wrestling Club
3rd Place - James Mancini of Montreal WC
4th Place - Edward Gutnik of Providence Wrestling Assoc.
1st - Martin Berberyan (Results/Golden Boys) dec. Shawn Bunch (Gator Wrestling Club), 2-0, 0-3, 1-0
3rd - James Mancini (Montreal WC) dec. Edward Gutnik (Providence Wrestling Assoc.), 1-2, 3-1, 2-2
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st Place - Haislan Garcia of BBWC
2nd Place - Brian Stith of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
3rd Place - Darsam Dzhaparov of Russia
4th Place - Josh Churella of NYAC
1st - Haislan Garcia (BBWC) dec. Brian Stith (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 1-0, 1-1
3rd - Darsam Dzhaparov (Russia) dec. Josh Churella (NYAC), 1-1, 1-0, 1-0
74 kg/163 lbs.
1st Place - Magomed Zubairov of Russia
2nd Place - Lloyd Rogers of unattached
3rd Place - Sobhan Namvar of Brickhouse
4th Place - Pedro Sato Cordero of PUR
1st - Magomed Zubairov (Russia) dec. Lloyd Rogers (unattached-TN), 4-0, 1-0
3rd - Sobhan Namvar (Brickhouse) dec. Pedro Sato Cordero (Puerto Rico), 1-0, 5-1
84 kg/185 lbs.
1st Place - Taymuraz Friev of Russia
2nd Place - Eric Luedke of Gator Wrestling Club
3rd Place - Bryce Hasseman of NYAC
4th Place - Keith Gavin of NYAC
1st - Taymuraz Friev (Russia) dec. Eric Luedke (Gator Wrestling Club), 3-0, 0-1, 6-0
3rd - Bryce Hasseman (NYAC) dec. Keith Gavin (NYAC), 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1st Place - Nicolai Ceban of Moldova
2nd Place - Alan Gelogaev of Gator Wrestling Club
3rd Place - Andy Hrovat of NYAC
4th Place - Evgeny Kolomiets of Russia
1st - Nicolai Ceban (Moldova) dec. Alan Gelogaev (Russia/Gator Wrestling Club), 1-0, 1-0
3rd - Andy Hrovat (NYAC) dec. Evgeny Kolomiets (Russia), 3-1, 2-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1st Place - Tervel Dlagnev of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
2nd Place - Steve Mocco of NYAC
3rd Place - Valeriy Bedoev of Russia
4th Place - John Laboranti of Penn State
1st - Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Steve Mocco (NYAC), 1-1, 0-2, 2-1
3rd - Valeriy Bedoev (Russia) dec. John Laboranti (Penn State), 6-3, 3-0
Dlagnev (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), a 2008 University World champion, upset 2008 U.S. Olympian Steve Mocco (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) in the finals at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., by a 1-1, 0-2, 2-1 score. Dlagnev was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Dlagnev won the first period, scoring the last point of the period in a 1-1 tie with a takedown. Mocco had two pushouts in the second period to knot the score. In the deciding third period, Mocco scored first, but Dlagnev scored the next point and added an insurance takedown when Mocco had to force the action.
"I was strategic. I was prepared for the hand fight fire. It worked well for me," said Dlagnev.
A two-time Div. II NCAA champion for the Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney and a native of Texas, Dlagnev has been training at the Univ. of Northern Iowa with 96 kg wrestler Sean Stender.
"This is nice. It is a stepping stone. The World Team Trials and the World Championships are still ahead of us. It shows that my training is going well and I am doing the right things. I will put it in the goody bag and go on. He is a good competitor and will make adjustments. But it is nice to know where I am at this time of the year," said Dlagnev.
Dlagnev has had close matches with Mocco in the past, but this time was able to break through with a clutch win.
"That was a huge win. Steve is a real World contender. For him to get the win in three periods against a World-class guy like Steve Mocco is a huge boost to his confidence," said Sunkist Kids coach Kevin Jackson. "This is a great matchup. It will aid both of these wrestlers in the long run."
Mocco was the only 2007 NYAC International Open champion who qualified for the finals, so it was a brand new set of champions this year.
Four U.S. wrestlers earned silver medals, losing to international competitors in the finals. The closest final featuring an American came at 60 kg/132 lbs., where Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) was defeated in the finals by Armenian Martin Berberyan who competes for the Golden Boys club.
Berberyan won the deciding third period from the offensive position on the leg clinch, taking Bunch down on the edge of the mat. Berberyan was a three-time Olympian for Armenia and a former European champion.
The other U.S. silver medalists were Brian Stith (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Lloyd Rogers (Harrison, Tenn./unattached) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Eric Leudke (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) qualified for the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs.
Stith was defeated in the finals by Haislan Garcia of Canada, 1-0, 1-1. Stith, a NCAA runner-up at Arizona State in 2006, defeated 2008 U.S. Olympian Doug Schwab in the semifinals. Garcia competed in the 2008 Olympic Games for Canada.
Rogers and Leudke both fell to Russian opponents.
2008 Junior World champion Magomed Zubairov defeated Rogers, a graduate from UT-Chattanooga, in the finals, 4-0, 1-0. Taymuraz Friev defeated Luedke, who competed for the Univ. of Iowa, 3-0, 0-1, 6-0 in the finals.
Individual champions came from five different nations: Russia, the United States, Armenia, Canada and Moldova.
NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB INTERNATIONAL OPEN
At New York, N.Y., Nov. 23
Men's freestyle finals
55 kg/121 lbs.
1st Place - Makhmud Magomedov of Russia
2nd Place - Victor Lebedev of Russia
3rd Place - Nick Simmons of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
4th Place - Alexndre Chirtoaca of Moldova
1st - Makhmud Magomedov (Russia) dec. Victor Lebedev (Russia), 1-0, 1-0
3rd - Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Alexndre Chirtoaca (Moldova). 6-0,4-1
60 kg/132 lbs.
1st Place - Martin Berberyan of Results/Golden Boys (Armenia)
2nd Place - Shawn Bunch of Gator Wrestling Club
3rd Place - James Mancini of Montreal WC
4th Place - Edward Gutnik of Providence Wrestling Assoc.
1st - Martin Berberyan (Results/Golden Boys) dec. Shawn Bunch (Gator Wrestling Club), 2-0, 0-3, 1-0
3rd - James Mancini (Montreal WC) dec. Edward Gutnik (Providence Wrestling Assoc.), 1-2, 3-1, 2-2
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st Place - Haislan Garcia of BBWC
2nd Place - Brian Stith of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
3rd Place - Darsam Dzhaparov of Russia
4th Place - Josh Churella of NYAC
1st - Haislan Garcia (BBWC) dec. Brian Stith (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 1-0, 1-1
3rd - Darsam Dzhaparov (Russia) dec. Josh Churella (NYAC), 1-1, 1-0, 1-0
74 kg/163 lbs.
1st Place - Magomed Zubairov of Russia
2nd Place - Lloyd Rogers of unattached
3rd Place - Sobhan Namvar of Brickhouse
4th Place - Pedro Sato Cordero of PUR
1st - Magomed Zubairov (Russia) dec. Lloyd Rogers (unattached-TN), 4-0, 1-0
3rd - Sobhan Namvar (Brickhouse) dec. Pedro Sato Cordero (Puerto Rico), 1-0, 5-1
84 kg/185 lbs.
1st Place - Taymuraz Friev of Russia
2nd Place - Eric Luedke of Gator Wrestling Club
3rd Place - Bryce Hasseman of NYAC
4th Place - Keith Gavin of NYAC
1st - Taymuraz Friev (Russia) dec. Eric Luedke (Gator Wrestling Club), 3-0, 0-1, 6-0
3rd - Bryce Hasseman (NYAC) dec. Keith Gavin (NYAC), 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1st Place - Nicolai Ceban of Moldova
2nd Place - Alan Gelogaev of Gator Wrestling Club
3rd Place - Andy Hrovat of NYAC
4th Place - Evgeny Kolomiets of Russia
1st - Nicolai Ceban (Moldova) dec. Alan Gelogaev (Russia/Gator Wrestling Club), 1-0, 1-0
3rd - Andy Hrovat (NYAC) dec. Evgeny Kolomiets (Russia), 3-1, 2-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1st Place - Tervel Dlagnev of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
2nd Place - Steve Mocco of NYAC
3rd Place - Valeriy Bedoev of Russia
4th Place - John Laboranti of Penn State
1st - Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Steve Mocco (NYAC), 1-1, 0-2, 2-1
3rd - Valeriy Bedoev (Russia) dec. John Laboranti (Penn State), 6-3, 3-0
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