Indiana University Athletics
Mena Qualifies for Olympic Trials
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Indianapolis, Ind. - The surprises were many at the 2004 USA Wrestling National Championships in Las Vegas last Friday (April 9) and Saturday (April 10).
Bloomington resident and Indiana University assistant coach Mike Mena reached the semifinals of the 55 kg/121 lbs freestyle division before losing to Sammie Henson (Highland Mills, N.Y./Sunkist Kids). Mena eventually finished in sixth place and qualified for the finals of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The Trials will take place Sunday, May 23 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. He finished second at the 2003 World Team Trials.
Additionally, Indiana assistant coach Reggie Wright was defeated early in the competition in Las Vegas and will have to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at one of the remaining regional Olympic qualifiers.
Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) upended 2000 Olympic champion Rulon Gardner (Cascade, Colo./Sunkist Kids) in the Greco-Roman heavyweight division. Lee Fullhart (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won his first U.S. nationals title by upsetting 2003 World silver medalist Cael Sanderson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs freestyle.
Both Byers and Fullhart automatically qualified in the finals in Indianapolis.
Gardner and Sanderson will have to earn their spot on the Olympic team the hard way. Each must win the challenge tournament (May 21-22) of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in his weight class to get to the finals.
The Las Vegas Convention Center was also the "theatre of the unexpected" in the 74 kg/163 lbs Greco Roman division where Gary native Steven Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) turned heads.
Woods, a graduate of Gary William Wirt High School, was seeded fourth and cruised to the semifinals not allowing a single point in his first three matches of the tournament. In the semifinals Saturday, he knocked off top seed and U.S. world team member T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York Athletic Club) 2-1 in overtime. Despite being defeated by Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York Athletic Club) in the finals 3-2, Woods' surprise runner-up finish at nationals, and his win at the Air Force Championships last month makes him a legitimate threat to make the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.
Several other Indiana wrestlers earned Olympic Team Trials berths with their performances at the national championships. The top eight finishers of each weight class from the event qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Former Purdue University grappler Tim Dernlan also successfully qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 55 kg/121 lbs freestyle division. Dernlan, who now resides in State College, Pa., where he wrestles for the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club, made it to the quarterfinals where he gave Mena all he could handle before losing 3-1. He went on to win three matches in the consolation bracket to take seventh place.
Pendleton native Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) moved up in weight to the 72 kg/158.5 lbs division of women's freestyle, and was seeded fourth going into the competition. The Pendleton Heights graduate reached the semifinals and was defeated by top seed Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Cumberland College). She took third place to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, winning two matches in the consolation rounds. Downing won the World Team Trials titles in 2002 and 2003 at 67 kg/147.5 lbs and a national championship in 2003.
Current Purdue wrestler Chris Fleeger was defeated early in the competition in Las Vegas and will have to qualify U.S. Olympic Team Trials at one of the remaining regional Olympic qualifiers.
Tickets are on sale for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling through TicketMaster (317-239-5151 in central Indiana/www.ticketmaster.com) or at www.trials2004.com.
Bloomington resident and Indiana University assistant coach Mike Mena reached the semifinals of the 55 kg/121 lbs freestyle division before losing to Sammie Henson (Highland Mills, N.Y./Sunkist Kids). Mena eventually finished in sixth place and qualified for the finals of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The Trials will take place Sunday, May 23 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. He finished second at the 2003 World Team Trials.
Additionally, Indiana assistant coach Reggie Wright was defeated early in the competition in Las Vegas and will have to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at one of the remaining regional Olympic qualifiers.
Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) upended 2000 Olympic champion Rulon Gardner (Cascade, Colo./Sunkist Kids) in the Greco-Roman heavyweight division. Lee Fullhart (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won his first U.S. nationals title by upsetting 2003 World silver medalist Cael Sanderson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs freestyle.
Both Byers and Fullhart automatically qualified in the finals in Indianapolis.
Gardner and Sanderson will have to earn their spot on the Olympic team the hard way. Each must win the challenge tournament (May 21-22) of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in his weight class to get to the finals.
The Las Vegas Convention Center was also the "theatre of the unexpected" in the 74 kg/163 lbs Greco Roman division where Gary native Steven Woods (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Air Force) turned heads.
Woods, a graduate of Gary William Wirt High School, was seeded fourth and cruised to the semifinals not allowing a single point in his first three matches of the tournament. In the semifinals Saturday, he knocked off top seed and U.S. world team member T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York Athletic Club) 2-1 in overtime. Despite being defeated by Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York Athletic Club) in the finals 3-2, Woods' surprise runner-up finish at nationals, and his win at the Air Force Championships last month makes him a legitimate threat to make the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.
Several other Indiana wrestlers earned Olympic Team Trials berths with their performances at the national championships. The top eight finishers of each weight class from the event qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Former Purdue University grappler Tim Dernlan also successfully qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 55 kg/121 lbs freestyle division. Dernlan, who now resides in State College, Pa., where he wrestles for the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club, made it to the quarterfinals where he gave Mena all he could handle before losing 3-1. He went on to win three matches in the consolation bracket to take seventh place.
Pendleton native Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) moved up in weight to the 72 kg/158.5 lbs division of women's freestyle, and was seeded fourth going into the competition. The Pendleton Heights graduate reached the semifinals and was defeated by top seed Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Cumberland College). She took third place to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, winning two matches in the consolation rounds. Downing won the World Team Trials titles in 2002 and 2003 at 67 kg/147.5 lbs and a national championship in 2003.
Current Purdue wrestler Chris Fleeger was defeated early in the competition in Las Vegas and will have to qualify U.S. Olympic Team Trials at one of the remaining regional Olympic qualifiers.
Tickets are on sale for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Wrestling through TicketMaster (317-239-5151 in central Indiana/www.ticketmaster.com) or at www.trials2004.com.
Monday, August 17
Thursday, August 13
Thursday, August 13
Wednesday, August 12