Feb 28

WRESTLING: U.S. Greco-Roman Team drops pair of duals at World Cup

SZOMBATHELY, Hungary-The United States Greco-Roman team won just 5-of-14 matches in dropping a pair of dual meets on Thursday in the 2008 World Cup. The U.S. team, wrestling without four members of the team that won the 2007 World Championships, fell to Hungary 4-3 and lost to Iran 5-2. The Americans will now face South Korea on Friday in the match for fifth place. Hungary will face Russia in the first-place dual with Iran battling Georgia for third place. Past World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), World silver medalist Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and National Team member Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) earned wins for the U.S, in the dual against Hungary. Vering downed Zsolt Dajka at 84 kg/185 lbs., Wheeler beat past Junior World silver medalist Balazs Kiss at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Byers beat past World silver medalist Mihaly Deak-Bardos at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Earning wins for the U.S. against Iran were World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and World University champion Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./USOEC/Gator WC). Durlacher beat Yasin Bahramipour at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Mango bumped up a weight class to beat Mohammadreza Ghazae at 60 kg/132 lbs. The U.S. was missing three No. 1 wrestlers because of this weekend's Pan American Championships. Joe Betterman (60 kg/132 lbs.), T.C. Dantzler (74 kg/163 lbs.) and Justin Ruiz (96 kg/211.5 lbs.) stayed in the U.S. to compete in this weekend's Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs. Betterman, Dantzler and Ruiz are trying to qualify their weight classes for the Olympics. Two-time World bronze medalist Harry Lester did not compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Lester, Byers, Vering and Durlacher qualified their weight classes for the Olympics by virtue of finishing in the top eight at the 2007 World Championships. 2008 WORLD CUP POOL A Russia 5, Georgia 2 Russia 5, South Korea 2 Georgia 4, South Korea 3 POOL B Hungary 4, United States 3 Iran 5, United States 2 Hungary 4, Iran 3 Hungary 4, United States 3 55 kg/121 lbs.-Peter Modos (Hungary) dec. Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 2-1, 1-1, 3-1 60 kg/132 lbs.-Balint Korpasi (Hungary) dec. Willie Madison (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), 3-0, 2-0 66 kg/145.5 lbs.-Tamas Lorincz (Hungary) dec. Mark Rial (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), 3-0, 6-0 74 kg/163 lbs.-Peter Bacsi (Hungary) pinned Keith Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) 84 kg/185 lbs.-Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) dec. Zsolt Dajka (Hungary), 7-0, 6-2 96 kg/211.5 lbs.-Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) dec. Balazs Kiss (Hungary), 1-1, 1- 120 kg/264.5 lbs.-Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) dec. Mihaly Deak-Bardos, 3-0, 1-1, 3-0 Iran 5, United States 2 55 kg/121 lbs.-Lindsey Durlacher (USA) dec. Yasin Bahmraipour (Iran), 0-3, 3-0, 2-1 60 kg/132 lbs.-Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./USOEC/Gator WC) dec. Mohammadreza Ghazae (Iran), 2-1, 1-1 66 kg/145.5 lbs.-Ali Mohammadi (Iran) dec. Mark Rial (USA), 3-2, 2-1 74 kg/163 lbs.-Mohtba Babajanzadeh (Iran) dec. Keith Sieracki (USA), 0-3, 1-1, 1-1 84 kg/185 lbs.-Taleb Nematpour (Iran) dec. Brad Vering (USA), 3-2, 1-1 96 kg/211.5 lbs.-Mohammad Ghorbani (Iran) dec. Adam Wheeler (USA), 3-0, 3-0 120 kg/264.5 lbs.-Massoud Hashemzadeh (Iran) dec. Dremiel Byers (USA), 1-1, 0-3, 1-1