U.S. World Team Trials Greco-Roman preview at 60 kg/132 lbs.

Winning his first U.S. Nationals title was Joe Betterman, who competed on the 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team. Betterman also won the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, but the U.S. did not qualify to compete at this weight at the Olympics. Betterman attended the Olympics as a training partner, an experience which has helped mature him. He has shown improvement at recent international events, including wins over World medalists.

Placing second to Betterman at the U.S. Nationals was Olympian Spenser Mango, who moved up from 55 kg. These two athletes trained often over the years at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan. Many expect Mango to drop back down to 55 kg, but if he stays up, he is capable of winning the World Team spot. Mango has competed at 60 kg on international tours and some domestic events and shown some success.

The U.S. Army team won the next four spots at the U.S. Nationals, with Nathan Piasecki in third, Glenn Garrison in fourth, Jeremiah Davis in fifth and Marco Lara in sixth. Garrison and Davis are past U.S. Nationals champions and capable of strong performances. Piasecki was as high as third at the 2006 World Team Trials. Lara also has had good performances at this weight class in the past. Both Piasecki and Lara are relatively new to the Army program, and are looking to see improvement this year.

Also qualifying for the World Team Trials with a seventh place at U.S. Nationals was Jimmy Chase, who made news at the 2008 Olympic Trials when he placed fourth at 55 kg while still in high school. Chase won the FILA Junior Nationals at 60 kg, and has extended his Junior World Team Trials finals series until after the Senior World Team Trials. At this weight, Chase is dangerous, but at 55 kg, he could be lethal.

University Nationals champion Nikko Triggas is a star at Ohio State and very strong in Greco-Roman. Other qualifiers to date are University runner-up David Armstrong, Northeast Regional champion Ryan Bridge and Chad Vandiver, who won a medal at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden. Mark Bradley claimed the final spot in the World Team Trials by winning the Last Chance Northern Plains Regionals. Vandiver is the most experienced of this group of athletes, all who seek to climb higher in the rankings.

2009 U.S. Nationals results at 60 kg/132 lbs.
1st - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Spenser Mango, St.Louis, Mo. (New York AC), 3-0, 2-0
3rd - Nathan Piasecki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo (U.S. Army), 2-0,0-2,1-0
5th - Jeremiah Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 2-0,1-0
7th - Jimmy Chase, Carol Stream, Ill. (New York AC) dec. Eric Stevenson, Newberg, Ore. (Newberg WC), 1-1,2-0

2009 U.S. Nationals results at 60 kg/132 pounds
U.S. Nationals Champion - Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, second place - Spenser Mango, St. Louis, Mo. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, third place - Nathan Piasecki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, fourth place - Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, fifth place - Jeremiah Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, sixth place - Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, seventh place - Jimmy Chase, Carol Stream, Ill. (New York AC)
Northeast Regional Trials Champion - Ryan Bridge, Galloway, N.J. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Northern Plains Trials Champion - Mark Bradley, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
University Nationals Champion - Nikko Triggas, Moraga, Calif. (Ohio State)
University Nationals Runner-up - David Armstrong, Norman, Okla. (Underdog WC)
08 Haparanda Cup (SWE) bronze medalist - Chad Vandiver, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)