Four past World champions lead large U.S. team at Veterans World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, Oct. 8-13
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Two-time Veterans World champion George Porter celebrates a big win at the 2017 Veterans Worlds. Photo by Robbert Wijtman.
TBILISI, Georgia – A large group of U.S. Veterans-age wrestlers, who are 35 years old and above, will be competing at the 2019 Veterans World Championships in Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia.
This year’s World Championships will feature both men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. The U.S. is projected to enter 41 athletes in the men’s freestyle division, and 30 athletes in the Greco-Roman tournament. There will be 27 wrestlers who plan to compete in both of the international styles.
The U.S. roster features four past Veterans World champions. Leading the group is five-time Veterans World freestyle champion Brad Swartz of Puyallup, Wash., who will compete in men’s freestyle in Div. E at 78 kg. Swartz won his Veterans World freestyle gold medals in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
A two-time Veterans World freestyle champion, George Porter of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will wrestle at 130 kg in Div. C in both styles in Tbilisi. Porter won Veterans World freestyle golds in 2016 and 2017.
Competing at 130 kg in Div. E is Daniel Chaid on San Jose, Calif., who was a Veterans World freestyle champion in 2000. Wrestling in both styles this year in Div. E at 88 kg is Petros Petrosyan of Los Alamitos, Calif., who won a Veterans World freestyle title in 2016.
Numerous other Veterans World medalists are competing in both styles. The United States is traditionally one of the most successful nations at the Veterans World Championships each year.
Three athletes who won 2018 Veterans World medals have signed up to compete again this year. In 2018, Steven Horton of Cibolo, Texas won Veterans World medals in both styles, claiming a silver medal in Greco-Roman and a bronze medal in freestyle in Div. D at 70 kg. Horton will return at the same weight class and age division this year, and is entered in both disciplines again.
The other two returning Veterans World freestyle medalists on the USA roster are bronze medalist Jordin Humphrey of Monrovia, Calif. at 70 kg in Div. A, and silver medalist Rudy James of St. Paul, Minn. at 78 kg in Div. B. Both athletes are returning at the same weight class and age-division as last year. Both Humphrey and James will be competing in both styles in Tbilisi.
This year, the Greco-Roman competition will be held from Tuesday through Thursday, October 8-10, followed by the men’s freestyle competition from Friday through Sunday, October 11-13. Tbilisi is eight hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone.
The Team Leader for the United States is two-time Veterans World Greco-Roman champion Chris Brown of Boyds, Md., who is also a member of USA Wrestling’s Associated Styles Committee.
Two additional coaches are with the team, Jon McGovern of Dubuque, Iowa and Geoffrey Kaylor of Puyallup, Wash. Serving as a referee is Brad Boucher of Mulliken, Mich.
VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Tbilisi, Georgia, October 8-13
U.S. Men’s Freestyle entries
Div. A
58 kg – Nicholas Hull, Indianapolis, Ind.
62 kg – Nathan Hansen, Firestone, Colo.
70 kg – Jordin Humphrey, Monrovia, Calif.
70 kg – Gralan Early, Fort Wayne, Ind.
78 kg – Milton Yates, Washington, D.C.
88 kg – James Medeiros, Van Nuys, Calif.
130 kg – Joseph Bellavia, San Diego, Calif.
Div. B
62 kg – Gary Cook, Syracuse, N.Y.
62 kg – Roger Stewart-Fredrick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
70 kg – Will Anderson, Danville, Calif.
78 kg – Rudy James, St. Paul, Minn.
100 kg – Octavius Bellamy, Bollingbrook, Ill.
100 kg – Joshua Nacey, Rock Springs, Wyo.
130 kg – Christopher Pierce, Lemont Furnace, Pa.
Div. C
62 kg – Carson Gainey, The Plains, Ohio
70 kg – Tom Donahue, Bethel, Ohio
70 kg – Ben Fielding, Colorado Springs, Colo.
78 kg – Boris Kulich, Westmont, Ill.
78 kg – Jon Banko, New Kensington, Pa.
88 kg – Alsandro Turner, Woodbridge, Va.
130 kg – George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Div. D
62 kg – Joseph Raia, South Elgin, Ill.
62 kg – Michael Madry, St. Petersburg, Fla.
62 kg – Matthew Robertson, Auburn, Wash.
70 kg – Steven Horton, Cibolo, Texas
88 kg – Jeff Anderson, Zeeland, Mich.
88 kg – Ronald Ayers, Globe, Ariz.
100 kg – Erik Hinckley, Lansing, Kansas
130 kg – Matthew Nowak, Johannesburg, Mich.
Div. E
62 kg – Joe Coletta, Lisle, Ill.
62 kg – Jeffrey Mallett, Lanham, Md.
70 kg – Keith Stagg, Washington Twp., N.J.
78 kg – Kevin Kares, Henderson, Nev.
78 kg – Bill Newton, Morgan Hill, Calif.
78 kg – Louis Orr, Rochester, Minn.
78 kg – Brad Swartz, Puyallup, Wash.
88 kg – Jeff Henry, Los Angeles, Calif.
88 kg – Petros Petrosyan, Los Alamitos, Calif.
88 kg – Russell Schenk, Holiday, Fla.
100 kg – Daniel Studenic, Cumming, Ga.
130 kg – Daniel Chaid, San Jose, Calif.
U.S. Greco-Roman entries
Div. A
70 kg – Jordin Humphrey, Monrovia, Calif.
78 kg – Milton Yates, Washington, D.C.
88 kg – James Medeiros, Van Nuys, Calif.
130 kg – Joseph Bellavia, San Diego, Calif.
Div. B
62 kg – Gary Cook, Syracuse, N.Y.
62 kg – Roger Stewart-Fredrick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
78 kg – Rudy James, St. Paul, Minn.
100 kg – Octavius Bellamy, Bollingbrook, Ill.
130 kg – Christopher Pierce, Lemont Furnace, Pa.
Div. C
62 kg – Robinson Prebish, Richmond, Va.
62 kg – Carson Gainey, The Plains, Ohio
70 kg – Tom Donahue, Bethel, Ohio
78 kg – Jon Banko, New Kensington, Pa.
130 kg – George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Div. D
62 kg – Joseph Raia, South Elgin, Ill.
62 kg – Michael Madry, St. Petersburg, Fla.
70 kg – Steven Horton, Cibolo, Texas
78 kg – Ernesto Alarcon, Houston, Texas
88 kg – Jeff Anderson, Zeeland, Mich.
88 kg – Ronald Ayers, Globe, Ariz.
100 kg – Erik Hinckley, Lansing, Kansas
130 kg – Matthew Nowak, Johannesburg, Mich.
Div. E
62 kg – Jeffrey Mallett, Lanham, Md.
78 kg – Kevin Kares, Henderson, Nev.
78 kg – Bill Newton, Morgan Hill, Calif.
78 kg – Louis Orr, Rochester, Minn.
88 kg – Jeff Henry, Los Angeles, Calif.
88 kg – Petros Petrosyan, Los Alamitos, Calif.
88 kg – Russell Schenk, Holiday, Fla.
100 kg – Daniel Studenic, Cumming, Ga.
Team Leader – Chris Brown, Boyds, Md.
Coach – Jon McGovern, Dubuque, Iowa
Coach – Geoffrey Kaylor, Puyallup, Wash.
Referee – Brad Boucher, Mulliken, Mich.
Competition Schedule
Tbilisi is eight hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone
Tuesday, October 8
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for Greco-Roman Div. B and Div. E
6:00 p.m. – Finals for Greco-Roman Div. B and Div. E
Wednesday, October 9
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for Greco-Roman Div. C and Div. D
6:00 p.m. – Finals for Greco-Roman Div. C and Div. D
Thursday, October 10
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for Greco-Roman Div. A
6:00 p.m. – Finals for Greco-Roman Div. A
Friday, October 11
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for freestyle Div. B and Div. E
6:00 p.m. – Finals for freestyle Div. B and Div. E
Saturday, October 12
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for freestyle Div. C and Div. D
6:00 p.m. – Finals for freestyle Div. C and Div. D
Sunday, October 13
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for freestyle Div. A
6:00 p.m. – Finals for freestyle Div. A
TBILISI, Georgia – A large group of U.S. Veterans-age wrestlers, who are 35 years old and above, will be competing at the 2019 Veterans World Championships in Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia.
This year’s World Championships will feature both men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. The U.S. is projected to enter 41 athletes in the men’s freestyle division, and 30 athletes in the Greco-Roman tournament. There will be 27 wrestlers who plan to compete in both of the international styles.
The U.S. roster features four past Veterans World champions. Leading the group is five-time Veterans World freestyle champion Brad Swartz of Puyallup, Wash., who will compete in men’s freestyle in Div. E at 78 kg. Swartz won his Veterans World freestyle gold medals in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
A two-time Veterans World freestyle champion, George Porter of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will wrestle at 130 kg in Div. C in both styles in Tbilisi. Porter won Veterans World freestyle golds in 2016 and 2017.
Competing at 130 kg in Div. E is Daniel Chaid on San Jose, Calif., who was a Veterans World freestyle champion in 2000. Wrestling in both styles this year in Div. E at 88 kg is Petros Petrosyan of Los Alamitos, Calif., who won a Veterans World freestyle title in 2016.
Numerous other Veterans World medalists are competing in both styles. The United States is traditionally one of the most successful nations at the Veterans World Championships each year.
Three athletes who won 2018 Veterans World medals have signed up to compete again this year. In 2018, Steven Horton of Cibolo, Texas won Veterans World medals in both styles, claiming a silver medal in Greco-Roman and a bronze medal in freestyle in Div. D at 70 kg. Horton will return at the same weight class and age division this year, and is entered in both disciplines again.
The other two returning Veterans World freestyle medalists on the USA roster are bronze medalist Jordin Humphrey of Monrovia, Calif. at 70 kg in Div. A, and silver medalist Rudy James of St. Paul, Minn. at 78 kg in Div. B. Both athletes are returning at the same weight class and age-division as last year. Both Humphrey and James will be competing in both styles in Tbilisi.
This year, the Greco-Roman competition will be held from Tuesday through Thursday, October 8-10, followed by the men’s freestyle competition from Friday through Sunday, October 11-13. Tbilisi is eight hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone.
The Team Leader for the United States is two-time Veterans World Greco-Roman champion Chris Brown of Boyds, Md., who is also a member of USA Wrestling’s Associated Styles Committee.
Two additional coaches are with the team, Jon McGovern of Dubuque, Iowa and Geoffrey Kaylor of Puyallup, Wash. Serving as a referee is Brad Boucher of Mulliken, Mich.
VETERANS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Tbilisi, Georgia, October 8-13
U.S. Men’s Freestyle entries
Div. A
58 kg – Nicholas Hull, Indianapolis, Ind.
62 kg – Nathan Hansen, Firestone, Colo.
70 kg – Jordin Humphrey, Monrovia, Calif.
70 kg – Gralan Early, Fort Wayne, Ind.
78 kg – Milton Yates, Washington, D.C.
88 kg – James Medeiros, Van Nuys, Calif.
130 kg – Joseph Bellavia, San Diego, Calif.
Div. B
62 kg – Gary Cook, Syracuse, N.Y.
62 kg – Roger Stewart-Fredrick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
70 kg – Will Anderson, Danville, Calif.
78 kg – Rudy James, St. Paul, Minn.
100 kg – Octavius Bellamy, Bollingbrook, Ill.
100 kg – Joshua Nacey, Rock Springs, Wyo.
130 kg – Christopher Pierce, Lemont Furnace, Pa.
Div. C
62 kg – Carson Gainey, The Plains, Ohio
70 kg – Tom Donahue, Bethel, Ohio
70 kg – Ben Fielding, Colorado Springs, Colo.
78 kg – Boris Kulich, Westmont, Ill.
78 kg – Jon Banko, New Kensington, Pa.
88 kg – Alsandro Turner, Woodbridge, Va.
130 kg – George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Div. D
62 kg – Joseph Raia, South Elgin, Ill.
62 kg – Michael Madry, St. Petersburg, Fla.
62 kg – Matthew Robertson, Auburn, Wash.
70 kg – Steven Horton, Cibolo, Texas
88 kg – Jeff Anderson, Zeeland, Mich.
88 kg – Ronald Ayers, Globe, Ariz.
100 kg – Erik Hinckley, Lansing, Kansas
130 kg – Matthew Nowak, Johannesburg, Mich.
Div. E
62 kg – Joe Coletta, Lisle, Ill.
62 kg – Jeffrey Mallett, Lanham, Md.
70 kg – Keith Stagg, Washington Twp., N.J.
78 kg – Kevin Kares, Henderson, Nev.
78 kg – Bill Newton, Morgan Hill, Calif.
78 kg – Louis Orr, Rochester, Minn.
78 kg – Brad Swartz, Puyallup, Wash.
88 kg – Jeff Henry, Los Angeles, Calif.
88 kg – Petros Petrosyan, Los Alamitos, Calif.
88 kg – Russell Schenk, Holiday, Fla.
100 kg – Daniel Studenic, Cumming, Ga.
130 kg – Daniel Chaid, San Jose, Calif.
U.S. Greco-Roman entries
Div. A
70 kg – Jordin Humphrey, Monrovia, Calif.
78 kg – Milton Yates, Washington, D.C.
88 kg – James Medeiros, Van Nuys, Calif.
130 kg – Joseph Bellavia, San Diego, Calif.
Div. B
62 kg – Gary Cook, Syracuse, N.Y.
62 kg – Roger Stewart-Fredrick, Colorado Springs, Colo.
78 kg – Rudy James, St. Paul, Minn.
100 kg – Octavius Bellamy, Bollingbrook, Ill.
130 kg – Christopher Pierce, Lemont Furnace, Pa.
Div. C
62 kg – Robinson Prebish, Richmond, Va.
62 kg – Carson Gainey, The Plains, Ohio
70 kg – Tom Donahue, Bethel, Ohio
78 kg – Jon Banko, New Kensington, Pa.
130 kg – George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Div. D
62 kg – Joseph Raia, South Elgin, Ill.
62 kg – Michael Madry, St. Petersburg, Fla.
70 kg – Steven Horton, Cibolo, Texas
78 kg – Ernesto Alarcon, Houston, Texas
88 kg – Jeff Anderson, Zeeland, Mich.
88 kg – Ronald Ayers, Globe, Ariz.
100 kg – Erik Hinckley, Lansing, Kansas
130 kg – Matthew Nowak, Johannesburg, Mich.
Div. E
62 kg – Jeffrey Mallett, Lanham, Md.
78 kg – Kevin Kares, Henderson, Nev.
78 kg – Bill Newton, Morgan Hill, Calif.
78 kg – Louis Orr, Rochester, Minn.
88 kg – Jeff Henry, Los Angeles, Calif.
88 kg – Petros Petrosyan, Los Alamitos, Calif.
88 kg – Russell Schenk, Holiday, Fla.
100 kg – Daniel Studenic, Cumming, Ga.
Team Leader – Chris Brown, Boyds, Md.
Coach – Jon McGovern, Dubuque, Iowa
Coach – Geoffrey Kaylor, Puyallup, Wash.
Referee – Brad Boucher, Mulliken, Mich.
Competition Schedule
Tbilisi is eight hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone
Tuesday, October 8
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for Greco-Roman Div. B and Div. E
6:00 p.m. – Finals for Greco-Roman Div. B and Div. E
Wednesday, October 9
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for Greco-Roman Div. C and Div. D
6:00 p.m. – Finals for Greco-Roman Div. C and Div. D
Thursday, October 10
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for Greco-Roman Div. A
6:00 p.m. – Finals for Greco-Roman Div. A
Friday, October 11
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for freestyle Div. B and Div. E
6:00 p.m. – Finals for freestyle Div. B and Div. E
Saturday, October 12
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for freestyle Div. C and Div. D
6:00 p.m. – Finals for freestyle Div. C and Div. D
Sunday, October 13
10:30 a.m. – Preliminaries and repechage for freestyle Div. A
6:00 p.m. – Finals for freestyle Div. A
Read More#
Lilledahl, Mendez and Shapiro advance to U20 World finals
World champion Elor heads dynamite U.S. women’s team at U20 World Championships
Lockett wins gold, Villasenor gets bronze, USA places second at U17 World Championships in men’s freestyle
Hafizov claims silver medal in Greco-Roman at German Grand Prix in Dortmund
