2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Faruk Sahin came back strong this year to win his first U.S. Nationals title. Sahin, who has extensive international experience, captured a silver medal at the Military World Championships last fall. Sahin, who emigrated from Turkey and became a U.S. citizen in 2004, is 33 years old. He has the ability to lift and throw opponents and is very technical in his wrestling approach.
Mark Rial, the 2008 U.S. Nationals champion, returned after taking most of the year off and reached the national finals against Sahin. Rial is another veteran who seeks his first World Team berth and has paid his dues. He returned to his native Iowa to be on the staff at his alma mater, the Univ. of Northern Iowa, after tuning his craft at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
2004 Olympian Oscar Wood placed a strong third at the U.S. Nationals and remains a dangerous opponent. When Wood gets on a roll, his experience and skills can take him a long way in any tournament. Jake Curby, who was fourth at the U.S. Nationals, has placed as high as second at the 2007 World Team Trials, and is a legitimate title contender. Curby has also expanded his international experience and continues to improve.
Two wrestlers who were successful in freestyle and are concentrating on Greco-Roman are C.C. Fisher and two-time NCAA champion Teyon Ware. Fisher was fifth at the U.S. Nationals and Ware placed seventh. Both have wrestled down at 60 kg, but may stay up at this class. Ware trains with 55 kg star Sam Hazewinkel, and is coached by 2000 Olympian Kevin Bracken, speeding up his learning curve in Greco-Roman.
Kerry Regner, who has shown improvement in recent years, placed sixth at the U.S. Nationals. University Nationals champion Ben Sanchez and Bo Beckman, the true-second finisher at the University Nationals, are among the young talents to qualify. All three of these athletes have improved as members of the USOEC Greco-Roman program at Northern Michigan under Ivan Ivanov and Jim Gruenwald.
Daniel Caywood was the Northeast Regional champion, and Matt Holt was the Northern Plains Regional champion. Holt has improved since coming to the U.S. Olympic Training Center and getting some international experience.
2009 U.S. Nationals results at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Mark Rial, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Gator WC), 3-0, 1-0
3rd - Oscar Wood, Fountain, Colo. (Army) dec. Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (New York AC), 0-1, 3-2, 3-0
5th - C.C. Fisher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (Sunkist Kids), 4-3,1-0
7th - Teyon Ware, Springboro, Ohio, (New York AC) dec. Ben Sanchez, Leominster, Mass. (USOEC), 2-0,1-0
World Team Trials qualifiers at 66 kg/145.5 pounds
U.S. Nationals Champion - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, second place - Mark Rial, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Gator WC)
U.S. Nationals, third place - Oscar Wood, Fountain, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, fourth place - Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, fifth place - C.C. Fisher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, sixth place - Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (Sunkist Kids)
U.S. Nationals, seventh place - Teyon Ware, Springboro, Ohio, (New York AC)
Northeast Regional Trials Champion - Daniel Caywood, Imperial Beach, Calif. (All-Navy)
Northern Plains Trials Champion - Matt Holt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (unattached)
University Nationals Champion - Ben Sanchez, Leominster, Mass. (USOEC)
University Nationals Runner-up - Bo Beckman, Orem, Utah (USOEC)
Mark Rial, the 2008 U.S. Nationals champion, returned after taking most of the year off and reached the national finals against Sahin. Rial is another veteran who seeks his first World Team berth and has paid his dues. He returned to his native Iowa to be on the staff at his alma mater, the Univ. of Northern Iowa, after tuning his craft at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
2004 Olympian Oscar Wood placed a strong third at the U.S. Nationals and remains a dangerous opponent. When Wood gets on a roll, his experience and skills can take him a long way in any tournament. Jake Curby, who was fourth at the U.S. Nationals, has placed as high as second at the 2007 World Team Trials, and is a legitimate title contender. Curby has also expanded his international experience and continues to improve.
Two wrestlers who were successful in freestyle and are concentrating on Greco-Roman are C.C. Fisher and two-time NCAA champion Teyon Ware. Fisher was fifth at the U.S. Nationals and Ware placed seventh. Both have wrestled down at 60 kg, but may stay up at this class. Ware trains with 55 kg star Sam Hazewinkel, and is coached by 2000 Olympian Kevin Bracken, speeding up his learning curve in Greco-Roman.
Kerry Regner, who has shown improvement in recent years, placed sixth at the U.S. Nationals. University Nationals champion Ben Sanchez and Bo Beckman, the true-second finisher at the University Nationals, are among the young talents to qualify. All three of these athletes have improved as members of the USOEC Greco-Roman program at Northern Michigan under Ivan Ivanov and Jim Gruenwald.
Daniel Caywood was the Northeast Regional champion, and Matt Holt was the Northern Plains Regional champion. Holt has improved since coming to the U.S. Olympic Training Center and getting some international experience.
2009 U.S. Nationals results at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1st - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Mark Rial, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Gator WC), 3-0, 1-0
3rd - Oscar Wood, Fountain, Colo. (Army) dec. Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (New York AC), 0-1, 3-2, 3-0
5th - C.C. Fisher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (Sunkist Kids), 4-3,1-0
7th - Teyon Ware, Springboro, Ohio, (New York AC) dec. Ben Sanchez, Leominster, Mass. (USOEC), 2-0,1-0
World Team Trials qualifiers at 66 kg/145.5 pounds
U.S. Nationals Champion - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, second place - Mark Rial, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Gator WC)
U.S. Nationals, third place - Oscar Wood, Fountain, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, fourth place - Jacob Curby, LaGrange, Ill. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, fifth place - C.C. Fisher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, sixth place - Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (Sunkist Kids)
U.S. Nationals, seventh place - Teyon Ware, Springboro, Ohio, (New York AC)
Northeast Regional Trials Champion - Daniel Caywood, Imperial Beach, Calif. (All-Navy)
Northern Plains Trials Champion - Matt Holt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (unattached)
University Nationals Champion - Ben Sanchez, Leominster, Mass. (USOEC)
University Nationals Runner-up - Bo Beckman, Orem, Utah (USOEC)
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