2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Championship team to celebrate 10-year reunion in Las Vegas, April 28-29

The 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Championship team. Photo courtesy of Steve Fraser.

Marking the 10-year anniversary of its World Championship performance, the 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Championship team will reunite at the World Team Trials, April 28-29, in Las Vegas for a two-day reunion.

“Not too many people around the world, or even in the United States, ever would have guessed that the U.S. Greco-Roman team could win a World Championship team title, but through the efforts of a lot of great volunteer coaches and staff coaches and dedicated athletes, we were able to do something that most people thought was impossible. It will be really special to have everyone back to celebrate,” former Greco-Roman national coach and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Steve Fraser said.

Highlighting the 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman team was silver medalist Brad Vering (84 kg) and bronze medalists Justin Lester (66 kg) and Dremiel Byers (120 kg). All three medalists are expected to attend.

The reunion will include three parts, starting with the team dinner on Friday night for those directly involved with the 2007 Greco team and their guests.

Saturday will feature a social for VIPs, those involved with the 2007 Greco-Roman World team and past World and Olympic team members at the Cinch Saloon inside the South Point Hotel, where next week’s competition will be hosted. 

There, the World Championship wrestlers will receive gifts, including an official 2007 World Championship Team jacket and Leroy Neiman print of World and Olympic champion Dave Schultz, as part of the team recognition.

The social will be followed by a parade of the team, scheduled for 5:45 p.m. PT, in front of the Trials spectators prior to the finals.

According to Fraser, almost everyone affiliated with the team is planning to attend.

A key member of the 2007 team, Lindsey Durlacher, who placed fifth at 55 kg, passed away in 2011. Durlacher has been honored with a memorial bench at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and has been inducted into the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions posthumously.

The event was made possible by U.S. Greco Team Leader from 2005-2008, John Bardis, who will be a guest speaker at Saturday afternoon’s social.

Bardis now serves as the Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services within the Trump administration.

“We are very excited and grateful that John Bardis has been so gracious to initiate this reunion and sponsor it,” Fraser said. “It should be a lot of fun. The Greco-Roman wrestling team and supporters are family, so it’s going to be a really exciting family get-together to celebrate the outstanding performance of this history-making team.”

2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team roster and results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Col./New York AC), 5th
60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman (Chicago, Ill./New York AC/USOEC), dnp/33rd
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio/USOEC/Gator WC), 3rd
74 kg/163 lbs. - T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), dnp/22nd
84 kg/185 lbs. - Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 2nd
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), dnp/13th
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), 3rd

Greco-Roman National Coach – Steve Fraser
Coach – Jay Antonelli
Coach – Rich Estrella
Coach – Ivan Ivanov
Coach – Shon Lewis
Coach – Momir Petkovic
Coach - Anatoly Petrosyan

Team Leader – John Bardis
Medical – Rod Rodriguez