Local wrestlers medal at freestyle nationals
Four wrestlers from Nebraska colleges earned medals Saturday at the U.S. Freestyle Championships in Las Vegas and also berths in the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
The heavyweight division (120 kilograms, 264.5 pounds) was loaded with Nebraska flavor, as local wrestlers took third through fifth places.
Tervel Dlagnev, this year’s 2008 NCAA Division II champion from Nebraska-Kearney, defeated former Husker national champion and former U.S. World team member Tolly Thompson 3-0, 0-1, 1-0 to take third place.
Les Sigman, an assistant at Nebraska and former Division II champion at Nebraska-Omaha, took fifth by beating Patrick Cummins 2-0, 2-0.
In the second round, though, Sigman defeated Dlagnev 1-0, 3-0, before losing 1-0, 1-0 to Steve Mocco in the semifinals.
Thompson lost to Cummins 4-0, 0-1, 3-0 in the second round, then defeated Sigman 3-0, 1-0 in the wrestlebacks.
At 84 kilograms (185 pounds), former Husker B.J. Padden earned fifth place when Matt Pell had to take an injury default.
Padden was pinned in the semifinals by Andy Hrovat, then lost his first match in wrestlebacks, 1-0, 1-1 against Clint Wallenberg.
On Friday, a pair of former Huskers, who were members of the gold-medal-winning U.S. world team last September, again qualified for the Greco-Roman Olympic Trials.
Justin Ruiz won at 96 kilograms (211½ pounds), while Brad Vering took fourth at 84 kilos.
— Karl Vogel
The heavyweight division (120 kilograms, 264.5 pounds) was loaded with Nebraska flavor, as local wrestlers took third through fifth places.
Tervel Dlagnev, this year’s 2008 NCAA Division II champion from Nebraska-Kearney, defeated former Husker national champion and former U.S. World team member Tolly Thompson 3-0, 0-1, 1-0 to take third place.
Les Sigman, an assistant at Nebraska and former Division II champion at Nebraska-Omaha, took fifth by beating Patrick Cummins 2-0, 2-0.
In the second round, though, Sigman defeated Dlagnev 1-0, 3-0, before losing 1-0, 1-0 to Steve Mocco in the semifinals.
Thompson lost to Cummins 4-0, 0-1, 3-0 in the second round, then defeated Sigman 3-0, 1-0 in the wrestlebacks.
At 84 kilograms (185 pounds), former Husker B.J. Padden earned fifth place when Matt Pell had to take an injury default.
Padden was pinned in the semifinals by Andy Hrovat, then lost his first match in wrestlebacks, 1-0, 1-1 against Clint Wallenberg.
On Friday, a pair of former Huskers, who were members of the gold-medal-winning U.S. world team last September, again qualified for the Greco-Roman Olympic Trials.
Justin Ruiz won at 96 kilograms (211½ pounds), while Brad Vering took fourth at 84 kilos.
— Karl Vogel
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