Gray qualifies for world team

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MARQUETTE - United States Olympic Education Center women's freestyle wrestler Adeline Gray was crowned champion at 67 kilograms at the U.S. World Team Trials May 30-31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The champions of this tournament qualified to compete in the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, in September. USOEC women's freestyle wrestlers came away with six medals.

Gray advanced directly to the finals because of her win at the Senior National Championships. She defeated Christen Paysse in two rounds for the title.

"I thought the girls did very well overall," women's freestyle wrestling coach Shannyn Gillespie said. "Though there's always room for improvement, we came away with medals and a champion, so they're proving they have talent."

At 48 kg, Northern Michigan University junior Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis.) took home silver, falling to 2008 Olympian Clarissa Chun after two rounds in a best-of-three match. In the 55-kg weight class, NMU freshman Amy Whitbeck (Duanesburg, N.Y.) defeated Ashley Hudson in the quarterfinal and then fell to Whitney Conder and Michaela Hutchinson for a 1-2 tournament record. Schuyler Brown took home silver at 59 kg, losing by pin in the final round.

In the 63-kg weight class, Marquette Senior High School seniors Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md.) took home silver, Veronica Carlson (Addison, Ill.) earned bronze and NMU freshman Melissa Apodaca (Chugiak, Alaska) took fourth place. Maroulis defeated Lauren Louive 6-0, 6-3 then claimed victory against teammate Carlson in a 6-0, 2-1 decision before falling to Vanessa Oswalt 2-3, 6-2, 3-1. Carlson defeated Samantha Phillips 6-0, 6-0 before falling to Maroulis. Carlson then defeated Tessa Plana and Apodaca. In the consolation semi-final, Apodaca won by decision over Lauren Louive 1-0, 3-0. She was defeated in the third place match by Carlson 1-0, 1-0.

NMU junior Amber Miracle (Berlin, Wis.) took fourth in the 67 kg weight class. Miracle won by injury default over Shaw in the consolation semifinal, but fell to McCabe 0-2, 3-3, 4-0 in the third-place match.

Rounding out the freestyle team, NMU freshman Erin Clodgo earned bronze at 72 kg with a 2-1 tournament record, defeating Melissa Simmons 2-0, 2-2 in the final match.

"These girls are setting the standard for future USOEC wrestlers," Gillespie added. "They're doing big things, and this is what's going to be expected from future athletes."

Men wrestlers finish on top at trials

Three United States Olympic Education Center Greco-Roman wrestlers were crowned champions at the U.S. World Team Trials May 30-31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Seventeen USOEC Greco-Roman wrestlers attended the tournament, which was used as a qualifier for the World Team competing in September's World Championships in Herning, Denmark. The top two wrestlers in each weight class competed in a best-of-three match for first place.

First-place finishers for the USOEC included Spenser Mango at 55 kilograms, Harry Lester (74 kg) and Chas Betts (84 kg).

Mango, a Northern Michigan University senior from St. Louis, Mo., defeated 2007 World Team member Lindsey Durlacher in two matches to take first.

Two-time world bronze medalist Lester (Akron, Ohio) earned gold at 74 kg after two wins against Jess Hargrave (Army).

Lester, an NMU post-baccalaureate student, advanced directly into the best-of-three finals series because of his World medals.

Betts, an NMU senior, (St. Michael, Minn.) won gold after defeating 2008 Olympian T.C. Dantzler in a 2-1 final series.

Top USOEC finishers also include post-baccalaureate student Jacob Curby (La Grange, Ill.) who earned third place at 66 kg; post-baccalaureate student Jake Fisher (Platte City, Mo.), third place at 74 kg; post-baccalaureate student Cheney Haight (Orem, Utah), fourth place at 74 kg; junior Pete Gounaridis (Leominster, Mass.), silver medalist, and sophomore Zac Nielson (Zimmerman, Minn.) fourth place at 96 kg.

Other USOEC Greco-Roman wrestlers who competed were post-baccalaureate student Nate Engle (St. Helena, Calif.), freshman Max Nowry (Wheeling, Ill.) at 55 kg; senior Kerry Regner (Darlington, Pa.), senior Ben Sanchez (Leominster, Mass.), and junior Bo Beckman (Orem, Utah) at 66 kg; senior Andy Bisek(Chaska, Minn.) and sophomore Aaron Briggs (Tucson, Ariz.) at 74 kg; junior Talan Knox (Salt Lake City, Utah) and freshman Chad Hemerson (Monterey, Calif.) at 84 kg; and sophomore David Arendt (Port Washington, Wis.) at 120 kg.