A combination of world medalists of the past and newcomers to the highest level of international wrestling made it to the U.S. National Team Sunday as victors in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials, held in Ames, Iowa. Here are the full results of the finals, taken from the USOC Press Box page, by Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling: U.S. World Teams determined at World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa, June 19; Only two series extended to full three matches, with Durlacher and Lester winning deciding bouts by Gary Abbott – USA Wrestling The U.S. team for the 2005 World Wrestling Championships was determined during the Championship Series at the World Team Trials, held at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, June 19. Each of the team members had to win a best-of-three series to earn a spot on the team. Competition was in the three international styles of the sport, men’s freestyle, men’s Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle wrestling. All but two of the Championship Series were completed in two straight matches. The only two series to be extended to three bouts occurred in men’s Greco-Roman wrestling. In both of those series, the athlete who lost the first match came back with two wins in a row to win the series, two matches to one. Winning third and deciding matches to claim their Greco-Roman Championship Series were Lindsey Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio/USOEC/Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Durlacher lost 3-1, 3-1 in his first match to 2005 U.S. Nationals champion Sam Hazewinkel (Pensacola, Fla./Gator WC), but came back with a 3-0, 6-0 win in the second bout. In the deciding third match, Durlacher scored a convincing 5-1, 3-0 win to make his first World Team. Lester, the 2005 U.S. Nationals champion, lost the opening match to Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) , 5-3, 5-1, but won the second match, 2-0, 1-2, 3-1. In the deciding third match, Lester scored a 2-1, 2-0 victory to make his first World Team. Two past World champions made another World Team, Sammie Henson (St. Louis, Mo./Sunkist Kids) in men’s freestyle and Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in men’s Greco-Roman. Henson, a 1998 World champion, defeated Eric Akin (Gardner, Kan./Cyclone WC), 1-0, 6-0 in the first match and 4-0, 4-0 in the second match. Henson was also an Olympic silver medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Byers, a 2002 World champion, stopped Russ Davie (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 5-0, 2-0 in bout one, and 5-0, 3-0 in bout two. This will be Byers third U.S. World Team. Along with Henson, there was another Olympic silver medalist to make the World Team, Sara McMann (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in women’s wrestling. McMann won a silver at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and is competing in her first event since Athens. McMann has competed on four previous U.S. World Teams. McMann defeated Alaina Berube (Escanaba, Mich./New York AC), 6-0, 2-2, 4-3 in bout one and 2-1, 2-4, 4-2 in bout two. McMann was also a 2003 World silver medalist. Along with McMann, three other members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team earned spots on this year’s U.S. World Team: Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) and Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) in men’s freestyle, and Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) in men’s Greco-Roman. Williams earned the spot at 74 kg/163 lbs., defeating Kirk White (Tacoma, Wash./Bronco WC), 2-0, 1-0 in bout one and 1-0, 4-0 in bout two. Williams placed fifth in the 2004 Olympics. He made his fifth U.S. World Team, including a bronze-medal performance at the 2001 World Championships. Cormier was the champion at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., defeating Nick Preston (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids), 6-0, 4-0 in bout one and 2-0, 6-0 in bout two. Cormier was fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games. He also placed fifth at the 2003 World Championships. Vering was the Greco-Roman champion at 84 kg/185 lbs., stopping Jake Clark (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Marine Corps), 1-1, 2-0, 2-1 in the opening bout, and 3-0, 1-1 in the second match. Vering competed in the 2004 Olympics but did not place. He was fifth at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships, his two previous World Team appearances. The team will have a number of experienced athletes who have been to previous World Championships. Four other women wrestlers on the 2005 U.S. World Team have previous World Championships experience: Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Wong, Murata and Roberts are past World medalists. Wong made her second World Team, with a 0-1, 1-0, 0-1 win in bout one, and a 1-0, 0-2, 3-0 win in bout two over 2005 U.S. Nationals champion Sara Fulp-Allen (El Granada, Calif./Menlo College. Wong dropped down from 51 kg/112.25 lbs., where she was a 2003 World bronze medalist. Murata defeated Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill./New York AC) in two straight bouts, 3-0, 3-1 in the first and 1-0, 5-2 in the second. Murata was second in the 2001 World Championships and fourth in two other World meets. Roberts, a 2003 World bronze medalist, beat 2004 Olympian Tela O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) in two straight, 5-3, 4-1 in the first match and 0-4, 5-0, 2-0 in the second match. This will be Roberts
