Chris Bono
NCAA and US Nationals Champ
2001, 2002, and 2005 Freestyle World Team Member
Articles/Multimedia
Chris Bono
NCAA and US Nationals Champ
2001, 2002, and 2005 Freestyle World Team Member
Articles/Multimedia
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Coach Bono talks the morning of the Iowa/Iowa State matchup Sunday, December 6, 2009 (Courtesy of Flowrestling)
ARTICLE INDEX
07/23/2011 Where are they now?: Champion wrestler Chris Bono
RADIO/TV INTERVIEWS INDEX
06/04/2009 Video of my welcome back to Iowa State press interview (10 megs)
RETROSPECTIVE VIDEO
Where are they now?: Champion wrestler Chris Bono What he’s doing now: Lives in Columbia, S.C. with his wife Niki and daughters Josie (10) and Ellie (8). He moved there from job as a salesman for Striker medical equipment. Bono sells supplies related to arthroscopies and urology. Bono served as assistant Iowa State (1997-2005) before becoming the head wrestling coach at Chattanooga (2005-09), then left to return to Iowa State year. On why he kept wrestling into his mid-30s, with a wife and two kids: “The goal has always been to be the best in the world Luckily, I was supported by my family. I’m so far removed from it now that I don’t think I could get back to that shape again. But or just going for a run, the first thing that I think about is wrestling again. It’s always in the back of my mind. I still miss it.” ©2011, The Florida Times Union/Jacksonville.com
Chris Bono resigns as assistant coach at Iowa State Chris Bono, assistant wrestling coach -- and former NCAA champ -- for Iowa State has announced his resignation from the Cyclone staff. A press release issued by the school said he is going to "pursue opportunities inside and outside the wrestling community." The 36-year-old Bono has a long history with Iowa State. Wrestling for the Cyclones, Bono became a three-time NCAA Division I All-American, winning the 150-pound title in 1996. After graduating in 1997, Bono became the assistant wrestling coach for the Cyclones under head coach Bobby Douglas. In 2005, Bono left Ames to become an assistant coach at University of Tennessee -Chattanooga. After one season, he was promoted to the head coaching position at UTC, which he held for three seasons. However, in 2009, Bono returned to Iowa State as assistant coach to Kevin Jackson,newly hired as head coach after Cael Sanderson's departure to Penn State. Recently, Bono had wrestled at the 2010 World Team Trials. He also had been one of three finalists for the head coaching job at the University of Northern Iowa, a position filled by Doug Schwab, assistant at the University of Iowa. “Chris Bono will always be a part of the Cyclone family and has been a valuable member of my staff,” coach Jackson said in the ISU press statement. “He has made significant contributions as a student-athlete and as a coach at ISU. Chris will be hard to replace but we are going to seek a worthy successor.” ©2010, College Wrestling Examiner
Bono To Lead U.S. Pan-Am Team in Mexico COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Iowa State assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono has been named coach of USA Wrestling’s Pan-American Championships freestyle squad, it was announced. The 2010 Pan-American Championships are in Monterrey, Mexico, April 30-May 5. Bono will be coaching several of the top U.S. competitors at the Senior-level in his first coaching opportunity internationally. “I get to represent the United States in an international tournament as a coach,” Bono said. “I’ve been at the Pan- Am tournament before as a competitor, but I’m really excited for this first opportunity to coach.” Bono, a four-time Pan-Am participant, has placed third in the tournament three times. He will call upon his past experiences to aid the current squad members. “Instead of worrying about myself, I’ll be worrying about seven athletes,” Bono said. “It’ll come down to everything, not just making sure they are ready to wrestle. I plan to give them everything they need to compete at the highest level possible.” Countries from North, Central and South America will be competing in the event. Arizona State head coach Shawn Charles is also on the U.S. staff. Charles was an ISU assistant from 1993-1995. Former Cyclone national champion Trent Paulson will be competing at 74 kg (163 pounds). Bono plans to take notes for his return to coaching in the Cyclone wrestling room. “We’ll be studying what everyone is doing,” Bono said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to bring home some new technique and strategies. There are those little things that it takes to win a World Championship or an Olympic Gold medal.” ©2010, Cyclones.com
Gadson Verbals to Cyclones WATERLOO --- Kyven Gadson was cleaning out his bedroom recently when he came across some old journals. Printed on and through out those journals was the phrase, 'I want to be a Cyclone.' Those junior high journals turned out to be prophetic. Last Thursday, the Waterloo East state champion and senior-to-be made a verbal commitment to new Iowa State wrestling coach Kevin Jackson, becoming Jackson's first recruit at ISU. "I just felt coach Jackson could get me to where I wanted to be," Gadson said. "I grew up wanting to be a Cyclone." Gadson will be following in the footsteps of his father and high school coach, Willie, who was a two-time all-American for the Cyclones in the mid 1970s. Jackson and his assistant head coach Chris Bono visited Gadson on July 9, Gadson's 17th birthday. Jackson and Bono told Gadson he was their top in-state target. Gadson, the 56th-ranked recruit in the nation by Intermat, was still going to let the recruiting process develop after that in-home meeting, but had a change of heart last week. "He really was going to got through the whole process," Willie Gadson said. "But last week, he called me and said, dad, I'm ready to commit. I think it was one of those things where we've been working out with the Waverly-Shell Rock kids and he saw some of them commit so he decided to verbal to Iowa State. "I think coaching Jackson getting hired at Iowa State was important, too. He is a very good coach technically." "They told me they really liked me and liked the things I can and will be able to do on the mat in the future," Kyven added about the Cyclone coaching staff. "I think he (coach Jackson) is going to be great fit in Ames. And, I'm following my dad to ISU. Hopefully, I can do a little better than him." Gadson won the 171-state championship for East in February which came on the heels of a state runner-up finish as a sophomore at 145 in 2007. He expects to start his college career at 184, but at his current rate of growth figures he'll wrestle in the 197-pound classification eventually. Currently, Gadson is rehabbing from knee surgery earlier this month. The injury was expected to keep Gadson out four-to-six months, but he his physical therapist told Kyven he was ahead of schedule Monday. "I was happy to hear that," Kyven said. "Four months would be November and our first dual meet is in December. But at the same time I'm not going to rush the process. I have bigger things in mind for the end of the season." ©2009, WCFcourier.com
Bono to Create More Memories at ISU AMES, Iowa – The well-known saying “Home Sweet Home” comes to mind for ISU assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono. Ames is a familiar place for Bono. Not only is it the hometown of Iowa State athletics and its countless years of tradition-rich Cyclone wrestling, but Ames was Bono’s home for five years as a student-athlete and nine years as an ISU assistant coach. Bono is back on Iowa State’s coaching staff for a second time. This time it is under head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson. Countless memories come to mind for Bono when recalling his first stint of time at Iowa State. “My favorite memory as an athlete was definitely when I won the (150-pound) national championship in 1996,” Bono said. “My favorite memory as a coach was when we beat Iowa in 2003 for the first time since 1987. But personally, meeting my wife (Niki) here in Ames is tops and both my kids (Josie and Ellie) were born here at Mary Greely Medical Center.” As a Cyclone wrestler, Bono was nothing short of stellar. He amassed 130 wins, ranking fifth on ISU’s all-time victory list. The NCAA 150-pound title Bono won was the 54th individual national title won in Iowa State’s program history. The Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. native realized what wrestling meant to the Cyclone faithful in his time as a student-athlete. “As a wrestler it was awesome,” Bono said. “The crowds created a lot of good memories for me. But I can tell you, when I came back into Hilton last year as an opposing coach, the crowd was unbelievable and the atmosphere was electric.” Iowa State’s fervent fan base not only makes for memorable moments but Bono knows it also acts as a draw for some of the top prep wrestling talent in the nation. “Our fans are second to none,” Bono said. “We want kids to know that they are wrestling for fans that are knowledgeable and excited. The dual crowds are great and our team is also supported at the NCAA Championships by crowds that are at least 1,000 people strong.” Head coach Jackson begins his first season at the helm of the Iowa State wrestling in 2009-10 and Bono knows this is the place to be at this point in his career. Bono left his own head coaching post at Tennessee-Chattanooga to grasp the opportunity. “(Coach Jackson) is the only coach I would leave a head coaching job for,” Bono said. “I love this place. It’s my alma mater. There is something going on with this place that I truly believe in. To be able to come back here to coach is the best.” Bono returns to Ames with plenty of experience from the mat as well as the coaching corner, making him a valuable asset to ISU’s program. “I’ve learned a ton,” Bono said. “At my last job, I was doing it with a short staff, so I had my hands in everything. There was fundraising, scheduling and running a budget. I’ve learned everything. I did it all off the mat and everything in between.” Bono concluded his collegiate wrestling career in 1997 but was a fixture on the national freestyle scene for many of the following years. Bono was a U.S. World Championships team member in 2001, 2002 and 2005. He won U.S. national titles in 2003 and 2005. Bono will now put all his focus into coaching the ISU wrestlers and developing world-level talent. “We will be able to make these guys better,” Bono said. “With ISU being an Olympic Training site, I’ll be able to help the wrestlers here with training for the Olympic-level and becoming a champion.” The goal of the Iowa State’s wrestling program is to be the best and Bono has set his coaching goals appropriately. Bono’s experience as a student-athlete at ISU helps him set the most important objectives first. “We want student-athletes with high academic aspirations,” Bono said. “We are going to preach to them to go get a master’s degree. We aren’t just telling them to come for four years. We want them to be here for eight years, wrestling for World titles and going after a higher education.” Once ISU’s wrestlers are out of the classrooms and onto the mats, Bono outlines ISU’s direction clearly. “Our goal is Big 12 and NCAA championships,” Bono said. “Our staff is going to bring home championships and crown individual champions. During the offseason, we’ll get World and Olympic champions.” It is good to have Bono back in Ames. ©2009, Cyclones.com
Bono No Phoney- Was Great for UTC It was about this time three years ago that my relationship with Chris Bono really began. He'd been here for a year working under Joe Seay and had assumed the job of head wrestling coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He thought he had hung up the phone after our initial conversation and, in general terms, "dogged me" pretty good to his lovely wife, Niki. I couldn't pass up the opportunity after hearing his colorful description of me to let him know I had heard. So I called back and told him that if he was going to blister somebody with such language that he ought to make sure he had hung up the phone. It is a story that each of us has told in private, "off the record" environments, filling in with that colorful language, but those two telephone conversations were the beginning of a wonderful relationship. Seriously. I have come to know and love Chris Bono, and I am disheartened -- as sad as any of his wrestlers -- that he is leaving Chattanooga to return to Iowa State and resume his former job as the Cyclones' assistant head coach. The guy is phenomenal, intent on being a better person and taking those around him along for the ride. He has been wonderful for Chattanooga -- a great ambassador for the university and a shot in the arm for area wrestling. It's no real surprise that he has been so successful or that Iowa State called him home. Although he doesn't realize it now, UTC is better off because he was here. And Iowa State is regaining a champion. One of these days when he looks back, he'll hopefully realize what he has meant to the Mocs program. Chris is leaving without having attained his goals and therefore he looks at his time here as partial failure. UTC never cracked the top 10 at the NCAA tournament in his three years. The Mocs never came close to winning a national championship. And Chris, if he had a fault, is driven to success and impatient for those much-desired results. Through no fault of his own or even the university, he was somewhat handicapped. UTC is not a fully funded program like Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Ohio State or the other national powers. Sure, things got better under athletic director Rick Hart, who responded in a positive fashion to the strides Chris made. And Bono made those strides with what he had. He drove his wrestlers -- bending even the most stubborn to his philosophy -- and he drove himself. He was at times a no-nonsense coach who demanded that his kids toe the line academically, socially and athletically. Yet he also was compassionate and understanding. He worked tirelessly to enhance the program through coaching, fundraising, glad-handing and talking with sports writers, and it was a unique time if you looked around the stands during one of the high school tournaments and failed to find him. I don't know who will replace him. The university is in the initial stages of finding a successor. What I do know is that the new hire will find a program in good shape with a good stock of talented guys who are willing to learn and work, guys who have been taught the right way from conditioning to technique to responsibility. I know UTC is a much better program than when Chris took over and that many of the rungs the university needed to climb for success have been passed. UTC may find someone close to his abilities, but the Mocs will be hard-pressed to find someone better, even if the new guy knows how to hang up a phone. ©2009, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Bono Steps Down as Chattanooga Wrestling Coach The Chattanooga Mocs nearly lost wrestling coach Chris Bono about a month ago to Iowa State. On Wednesday, they officially lost him to the Cyclones. Bono informed UT-Chattanooga athletic director Rick Hart Wednesday that he is stepping down as the Mocs' head wrestling coach to become an assistant at his alma mater under Kevin Jackson, who was chosen over Bono as the Cyclones' new head coach in April. Hart said he had talks with Bono last week about the opportunity, and he allowed the third-year coach the freedom to make whatever decision he thought was best. "We knew it was a possibility," Hart said by phone Thursday afternoon. "We couldn't be his home. We can't be his alma mater, so we just tried to be supportive. "But this is truly just part of the evolution of the program. I think Chris was exactly the right person for the job three years ago, and because of his contribution we are in a good position to go out now and find a quality individual because it's a great job." Bono was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a national champ during his days on the mat for ISU, and told the Chattanooga Times-Free Press that he probably woundn't have done this for any other program or any other coach. The Mocs have not lost a Southern Conference dual since Bono was named head coach prio to the 2006-2007 season. His three straight SoCon titles made it five consecutive conference championships for UTC wrestling. Hart said the search for a replacement is already underway, and is already proving to be quite exciting. "If the past day of applications is any indication, we're going to have a very diverse and a very qualified group of coaches to choose from," Hart said. "I'm very encouraged and very optimistic about the future of the program." UTC assistant coach Nate Gallick also left the team last month to become a volunteer assistant at Iowa State, where he will continue to train in preparation for a run at the 2012 Olympics. ©2009, WRCB TV
Iowa State Hires New Assistants; Cael Feels the Heat from Fans in Iowa Amazing how a simple change of jobs still generates headlines nearly two months later. In April, Cael Sanderson shocked the collegiate wrestling world by leaving Iowa State – his wrestling alma mater, and where he had been head coach for three seasons – for Penn State. Now, in early June, Sanderson’s replacement at Iowa State, Kevin Jackson, has announced that Chris Bono and Yero Washington have been hired as assistant wrestling coaches for the Cyclones… while, in an article in a major Iowa newspaper, Sanderson shared how difficult life has been for him and his family in Ames, ISU’s home, since accepting the head coaching position for the Nittany Lions. New assistants at Iowa State: A couple weeks ago, Kevin Jackson selected former Cyclone wrestler Nate Gallick as a volunteer assistant coach. On Thursday, he completed his makeover of the Iowa State coaching roster by hiring Chris Bono and Yero Washington to his staff. For the past three seasons, Bono has been head coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Under Bono, the Mocs have been Southern Conference champs, and have not lost to conference rivals in dual-meet competition. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Chris Bono. He wrestled for the Cyclones under head coach Bobby Douglas, earning NCAA All-American honors four times, and winning the NCAA title as a senior in 1996. Yero Washington was a two-time All-American for Fresno State. For the past decade, he has served in various capacities on the coaching staff at Columbia University, including as head assistant coach from 2004-2007. “Both Chris and Yero have been world-class wrestlers who have had a successful run of ten years in coaching,” according to coach Jackson. “Both understand exactly what it takes to be an NCAA champ and successful international competitors and will guide our wrestlers to their goals.” Washington will work with ISU’s lighter-weight wrestlers, Bono will focus on middleweights, and Jackson, the upperweights. Fan-atics put the Sandersons on the defensive: While Cael Sanderson is now wrestling coach at Penn State, he and his family still have their home in Ames, Iowa. However, according to an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the family is taking some heat for the husband’s job change. According to Sanderson – who compiled a 159-0 record as a wrestler at Iowa State from 1998-2002 – the family received vulgar and threatening email and letters. In one bizarre incident, an irate fan came to his front door, rang the doorbell and threw ISU clothing into the house at his wife, Kelly, and 2-year-old son Tate. Because of these reactions from some Cyclone fans, the Sandersons are careful about opening the front door to strangers, and have tried to maintain a low profile while in town. “The only problem is that I like to eat (out) a lot,’ Sanderson told the Gazette. “I’m not in Ames a great deal. I just do what I have to do. I don’t go out.” The 2004 Olympic gold medalist understands how some fans might feel. “That’s expected. Kelly knew that when we were making the decision,” he said. “I expected people to be upset. I understand. It was emotional for me at first. People care about wrestling and that’s why Iowa State has been so good since the beginning.” Sanderson reports that the backlash has died down, especially as Kevin Jackson takes the reins of the Cyclone wrestling program and makes it his own. Jackson’s selection of Yero Washington and Iowa State alum Chris Bono as assistant coaches will continue to further the healing process. ©2009, The College Wrestling Examiner
Iowa State Wrestling: Bono to Join Jackson's Coaching Staff Two longtime friends are going to work together again as Tennessee-Chattanooga wrestling coach Chris Bono has resigned to become an assistant coach on Kevin Jackson’s staff at Iowa State. A story on the Chattanooga Times Free Press Web site stated that Bono had resigned effective June 30 to return to his alma mater. “I would never have done this with any other school in the country, and I don’t know that I would have done it to work with any other coach,” Bono was quoted on the Chattanooga paper’s Web site. “It’s home and it’s family, plus it’s a chance to go back to a fresh start and work under a guy for whom I have tremendous respect.” The Des Moines Register was unable to reach Bono and Jackson for comment Wednesday night. In returning to Ames, Bono will be reunited with Nate Gallick, an NCAA champion at Iowa State and Bono’s assistant at Chattanooga. Gallick will be Jackson’s volunteer assistant. Bono, 35, was an NCAA champion at Iowa State in 1996, a three-time all-American and was later an assistant under coach Bobby Douglas for nine seasons until he joined the staff in Chattanooga as an assistant for the 2005-06 season. He was interim head coach for a season and named the Mocs’ head coach for the 2007-08 season. Bono had a 40-17 record as head coach. ©2009, The Des Moines Register
Bono Leaves UTC Chris Bono has resigned as wrestling coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and will be returning to his old job as assistant head coach at Iowa State. “It’s home and it’s family plus it’s a chance to go back to a fresh start and work under a guy for whom I have remendous respect,” Bono said. Bono, a four-time NCAA qualifier and a NCAA champion during his time at Iowa State, will go to work for Kevin Jackson, who was named head coach earlier this year. He also will be joining former Mocs assistant Nate Gallick, another Iowa State alum who was named the team’s volunteer coach last month. “I would never have done this with any other school in the country, and I don’t know that I would have done it to work under any other coach,” he said. UTC athletic director Rick Hart has known that Bono was considering the offer, which was made last week. “This is something he and I have been discussing and assessing. When he made up his mind this morning he had only positive things to say about his time here,” Hart said Wednesday evening. “Chris was clear about his reasons and it wasn’t anything that he didn’t have or something we weren’t doing. This was simply an opportunity for him to return to his alma mater and a chance for his family to go home.” Bono’s three-year run as the Mocs included consecutive regular season and tournament championships each season and an unbeaten streak against Southern Conference opponents. “The wrestlers believed in my system and in me. I feel like I’m letting them down, but I feel they’re going to win some championships for whomever comes in. There are some champions and all-Americans in this group.” The Mocs have five returning NCAA qualifiers including former All-American Cody Cleveland. The program improved under Bono beyond wins and losses and its first top 10 appearance two years ago in the wrestling coaches association’s national poll. “I look at it in terms of how we talk about our vision and our goals for our department. There are three goals – academic, athletic and social — and I look at those areas and the culture he created in our wrestling program,” Hart said. “He made sure our student athletes were using the opportunity to get an education and transformed (low) APR scores. Athletically, we competed for championships and captured the conference championships. Then you look at individuals we sent to NCAA (tournament) and the all-Americans and the development of kids socially. And then overarching all of that was the leadership he provided and the way he managed all facets of the program from athletics to community relations to budget, fund-raising and management of his staff.” Bono returned the compliment to Hart, to the wrestlers, the wrestling community in Chattanooga and the parents and supporters. “Rick Hart is unbelievable. The people in Chattanooga need to get to know this guy and understand that he is a great person and appreciate the job he’s doing for UTC. Have nothing but the utmost respect for him,” Bono said. “The boosters have been nothing but the best to me. These guys care about this program. Whoever gets this job is going to have a great amount of support. The boosters support here is second to none. The local coaches have been nothing but great. The wrestlers believed in my system and in me. The fans have been awesome and supported us like no other group. And the parents have been great for taking up tickets to working concession stand. Whenever I needed anything, somebody was there in this community to give it to me — whether it was baking a cake for the banquet or working that game, whatever.” ©2009, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Jackson Lures Bono Back to Iowa State AMES — Coaches don’t often accept a pay cut and step down in rank. Chris Bono jumped at the chance. Bono was introduced Thursday as Iowa State wrestling coach Kevin Jackson’s lead assistant, a pairing both men were excited about from the time the idea was hatched. “To get the chance to come home and work under Kevin, I wouldn’t have done it for any other coach or for any other school,” Bono said. “Put the coach and the school (together) ... it was meant to be.” The former Cyclone All-American and NCAA champion spent the last three seasons as head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga. Bono spent nine seasons in Ames on Bobby Douglas’ staff after his ISU wrestling career. He and his family are happy to be back in the state. “My kids are excited to get an ice cream from Coldstone,” Bono said. “That wasn’t here when we were.” Jackson helped coach Bono for years as the national freestyle coach at USA Wrestling. They were together a few times in a wrestler’s corner at last weekend’s World Team Trials in Council Bluffs. Bono, 35, decided recently to retire from international competition to focus on coaching. He interviewed with Athletics Director Jamie Pollard to be Iowa State’s head coach, a job that went to his buddy Jackson. Bono will oversee the Cyclones’ middle weights. “For him to leave a head coaching position ... it’s unbelievable,” Jackson said. “It shows his passion, his love, his want to be part of a national championship team and program. He’s a Cyclone, and he understands my philosophy both tactically and technically.” Also joining ISU’s staff is three-time U.S. World Team member and longtime coach at Columbia University Yero Washington. Washington, 35, also is recently retired. He’ll look after the lower weights and train with senior-level wrestlers who’ll be in the room as Jackson builds up to his idea of an Olympic training site in Ames. Jackson also helped train Washington — whose East and West Coast recruiting ties also are a big plus — during his post-collegiate freestyle career. “I was immediately interested,” Washington said. “I think (Kevin) is a tremendous leader and has a strong vision for where he wants to take the program.” Bono’s assistant coach at UTC, former Cyclone Nate Gallick, had already accepted a position as a volunteer assistant while he trains for his own career. Jackson said he has had wrestlers verbally commit to be a part of his year-round training center. Most of them are either participating or helping train for the Sept. 21-27 World Championships in Herning, Denmark, and will not be in Ames permanently until after that time. Jackson didn’t name names but there will be wrestlers at heavier weights to compliment Bono, Washington and Gallick. “That’s going to complete our overall program. It’s a work in progress,” he said. Jackson said the roster he has right now — counting incoming recruits Trent Weatherman and Boaz Beard — will be the one he enters the season with. All-American Cyler Sanderson and NCAA qualifier Tyler Clark have been released from their scholarship and are free to transfer. That should be it, Jackson said. “I’m pretty confident that no one else will leave. It hurt us to lose those two guys,” he said. Sanderson is following brothers Cael and Cody to Penn State. He will be able to wrestle immediately. Clark has not publicly said where he is continuing his career. The Cyclones return eight starters from last year’s team that took third at the NCAA Championships. They should be in contention for their first national title since 1987. “There’s a lot of work to be done and holes to fill,” Bono said. “It’s going to be a whole new system for them and a style of wrestling. We are going to work our tails off.” ©2009, Cedar Rapids Gazette Online
Jackson Announces New Assistant Coaches A homecoming for one and a dramatic change of scenery for another have completed wrestling coach Kevin Jackson’s staff and put yet another piece of the championship puzzle into place. Jackson introduced Chris Bono and Yero Washington as his new assistant coaches during a press conference on Thursday. Bono, an ISU graduate and former assistant coach at Iowa State from 1998 to 2005, will make his return to the Cyclone team after three years as head coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. “It’s a dream come true to get back here,” Bono said. “This is home for me.” Jackson said it is “unbelievable” that Bono left a head coaching position to come back to Iowa State. “It shows his passion, his love and his warmth to be part of a national championship program,” Jackson said. Bono also brings three Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards to Iowa State, but said he feels his experience will blend with Jackson’s rather than overshadow it. “I think we’ll complement each other and get this team better,” Bono said. Washington makes his way to the Cyclones after coaching at Colombia University in New York for a decade. Jackson said he chose to bring him in because of his experience with coaching at the competitive Ivy League level and his east coast to west coast connection. “Bringing him in is a great addition,” Jackson said. “He has a wealth of knowledge and experience.” Washington will be working with the lightweight wrestlers. Due to his recent activity in wrestling, he will be able to coach directly on the mat as well as off of it. “I still wrestle quite a bit with the guys so I’m hands-on,” Washington said. Nate Gallick, a 2006 ISU graduate, will also join fellow Cyclones Jackson and Bono as a volunteer assistant coach, thus making the connection among coaches that much closer. “We’re a tight-knit group, we’re all Iowa Staters,” Bono said. Jackson and his new assistants will begin recruiting for the upcoming season next week. ©2009, Iowa State Daily
Bono Resigns UTC Wrestling Post to Return to Iowa State UT-Chattanooga wrestling head coach Chris Bono has resigned and has accepted an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, Iowa State. Bono was the UTC coach for three seasons (2007-2009) with a 40-17 win-loss record and led the Mocs to three Southern Conference wrestling team championships. In those three seasons, his teams were undefeated in SoCon matches (15-0), produced 18 SoCon individual champions and two NCAA champions in Matt Keller (4th, 2008) and Cody Cleveland (8th, 2008). Bono ranks fourth among 11 coaches on the all-time win list for Moc wrestling coaches and second (70.2%) in win percentage to Jim Morgan (75.1%). Morgan (1968-1984) is also first in career wins (203-67-1). The 1996 NCAA champion for the Cyclones will be an assistant under new head coach Kevin Jackson. Bono served as an assistant coach at ISU for nine years (1997-2005) before coming to UTC. The Mocs will also be searching for an assistant coach as Nate Gallick, Bono's assistant the past two seasons, has accepted a position at Iowa State as a volunteer coach. Gallick was a 2006 NCAA champion at Iowa State. contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net UT-Chattanooga Wrestling Coaches (11 Coaches; 63 years - 1947-2009) Total Wins (517-297-12 63.3%) Jim Morgan (1969-1984), 16 years; 203–67-1 Andy Nardo (1953-1968) 16 years; 78-37-4 Ethan Reeve (1985-1990), 6 years; 57-38-1 Mark Leen (1996-2001), 6 years; 43-35-1 Chris Bono (2007-2009), 3 years; 40-17-0 Ralph Manning (1991-1995), 5 years; 32-28-0 Terry Brands (2003-2005), 3 years; 31-33-0 Joe Seay (2006), 1 year; 16-8-1 Franky James (2002), 1 year; 9-8-0 Ken Carpenter (1947-1951), 5 years; 5-21-4 Russ Skall (1952), 1 year; 3-5-0 Win Percentage Jim Morgan (1969-1984), 16 years; 203–67-1 (75.1%) Chris Bono (2007-2009), 3 years; 40-17 (70.2%) Andy Nardo (1953-1968) 16 years; 78-37-4 (67.2%) Joe Seay (2006), 1 year; 16-8-1 (66.0%) Ethan Reeve (1985-1990), 6 years; 57-38-1 (59.8%) Mark Leen (1996-2001), 6 years; 43-35-1 (55.1%) Ralph Manning (1991-1995), 5 years; 32-28-0 (53.3%) Franky James (2002), 1 year; 9-8-0 (52.9%) Terry Brands (2003-2005), 3 years; 31-33-0 (48.4%) Russ Skall (1952), 1 year; 3-5-0 (37.5%) Ken Carpenter (1947-1951), 5 years; 5-21-4 (23.3%) ©2009, The Chattanoogan
ISU Wrestling: Bono Returns to Cyclones, Washington Added to Staff Yes, Chris Bono left his job as head wrestling coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga to become an assistant at Iowa State. And yes, Bono agreed to work for Kevin Jackson — the man who landed the Cyclones’ top position over candidates that included, well, him. But no, Bono hasn’t lost his career-decision marbles. “My thinking, there was only one school and one coach I’d leave my job for — and they both happened to be at this university,” said Bono, who has been coached by Jackson as a freestyle wrestler and worked with him as a coach. “The stars kind of aligned for me.” Jackson introduced the rest of his coaching staff Thursday, including new assistant Yero Washington — a former Fresno State all-American and assistant at Columbia from 2004-07. The Cyclones already added former Iowa State champ Nate Gallick as a volunteer assistant. Bono, an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1996, said he and Jackson talked during the Cyclones' search for a head coach — even as they contended for the same job. "We'd say, 'Did you hear this? Did you hear that,' " Bono said. "I'd joke, 'I told (Iowa State) I'm bringing you in as an assistant." The situation eventually played out in reverse. "If I didn't get the job, I wanted Kevin to get it," he said. "He's a good friend, and a great coach." Some people at Tennessee-Chattanooga were less understanding. "Not really," Bono said when asked if they accepted his decision to return to Ames. "It's upsetting. They don't understand how I could leave to be an assistant coach. The Iowa ties, though, they get to you." Bono, a Florida native, said the situation reaches well beyond the state of Iowa feeling like home. “It is home to me,” said Bono, who was a Cyclone assistant from 1997-2005. Bono said the move was lateral, financially, though he declined specifics. "In the grand scheme of things, it's about the same," he said. "The money was not the priority at all, though." ©2009, The Des Moines Register
Jackson Chooses Bono, Washington AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson has announced that former Cyclone assistant coach and NCAA champion Chris Bono and former Columbia head assistant wrestling coach Yero (yah-ROO) Washington are joining the ISU wrestling staff as assistant coaches. Bono has been head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga the past three seasons, where his teams won a trio of Southern Conference titles and he was the league’s coach of the year three times. Washington was a club and volunteer wrestling coach at Columbia for the 2008-09 season. He has coached at Columbia for a decade, including a stint as head assistant wrestling coach from 2004-07. “Both Chris and Yero have been world-class wrestlers who have had a successful run of 10 years of coaching,” Jackson said. “Both understand exactly what it takes to be an NCAA champion and a successful international competitor and will guide our wrestlers to their goals. Yero will work with our lighter weights, Chris with the middle weights and I will work considerably with the upper weights. They both have administrative experience as NCAA coaches and that will be of great assistance to me as well.” Bono joined the UTC staff in 2005 after serving nine years as a wrestling assistant coach at Iowa State, where he graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science. He then worked for former Cyclone head coach Bobby Douglas as an assistant coach and was the Cyclones’ head assistant coach for the his final three years (2002-2005) in Ames. Bono was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002 for his role in ISU’s success that season. The Cyclones compiled a 17-5 dual match record and were NCAA runners-up with five wrestlers earning All-America status. “First and foremost, I am coming back to the school I love, my alma mater,” Bono said. “I know Kevin well, have worked with him in the past and believe in his vision for Iowa State wrestling.” Bono was a three-time All-American at Iowa State, winning 130 matches from 1994-97, including the NCAA 150-pound championship in 1996. He ranks fifth on the ISU’s all-time wins list. A four-time NCAA participant, he placed fifth at the national meet as a sophomore and second as a senior. Bono won the Big Eight Conference title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997. “Chris has a great passion for Iowa State University,” Jackson said. “He wants to be here. His experience will ease my transition to collegiate coaching.” Bono has had a distinguished post-collegiate freestyle wrestling career. He was a U.S. World Championships team member in 2001, 2002 and 2005. He won U.S. national titles in 2003 and 2005. “I have known Yero for many years and he is extremely skilled, has coaching experience and will be a great teacher for our wrestlers, especially in the lighter weights,” Jackson said. “He has trained under me and knows what we want to do here.” Washington first joined the Columbia staff in 2002, as a graduate assistant. After a year as a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, pursuing a berth on the United States Olympic Wrestling Team, Washington returned to Columbia in 2004. “The primary reason I’m headed to Iowa State is Kevin Jackson,” Washington said. “Kevin is an extraordinary leader. The fact that Iowa State is a collegiate wrestling powerhouse was also a factor in my decision.” Washington also participated in the Olympic Trials for the 2000 Games after winning the Northwest Regional Qualifier. The 1998 Sunkist International Tournament champion, he has been a member of the U.S. National team, America’s World Cup team and America’s Nations Cup teams. Born in Berkeley, Calif., Washington was a California state champion in high school in Porterville. A two-time junior college All-American at Fresno City (Calif.) College, Washington won the California State Junior College Championships. Transferring to Fresno State, he twice made All-American, in 1996, when he finished sixth in the nation at 134 pounds, and 1997, when he was third in the nation. He served as chief assistant wrestling coach at Fresno City College from 1997 to 1999, and was on the 1999-2000 Fresno State staff, working closely with Stephen Abas, a three-time NCAA champion, along with Stan Greene, a two-time NCAA All-American. Washington earned his bachelor of science degree from Fresno State in 1999. ©2009, Cyclones.com
Bono Leaves UTC Chris Bono has resigned as wrestling coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and will be returning to his old job as assistant head coach at Iowa State. “It’s home and it’s family plus it’s a chance to go back to a fresh start and work under a guy for whom I have tremendous respect,” Bono said. Bono, a four-time NCAA qualifier and a NCAA champion during his time at Iowa State, will go to work for Kevin Jackson, who was named head coach earlier this year. He also will be joining former Mocs assistant Nate Gallick, another Iowa State alum who was named the team’s volunteer coach last month. “I would never have done this with any other school in the country, and I don’t know that I would have done it to work under any other coach,” he said. UTC athletic director Rick Hart has known that Bono was considering the offer, which was made last week ©2009, Chattanooga Times Free Press
UTC's Bono Loses Assistant Gallick Chris Bono is looking for a new assistant coach. Nate Gallick, who has held the position the past two years, resigned that position with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s wrestling program Monday. “We’re losing an important part of the program, but Nate is going back home and I can’t fault him for that,” Bono said. Gallick will be a volunteer assistant at Iowa State, where he will be able to continue working toward his goal of winning an Olympic gold medal. A 2007 ISU graduate, he was a three-time All-American and 2006 NCAA champion with the Cyclones. “It was a good choice for me and for the team,” Gallick said. “Chris was good about letting me travel and train, but I don’t think I was being fair to the team or myself. I was in Russia preparing to compete, and I was worrying about our guys as they prepared to wrestle Oklahoma. “I don’t want anybody to take it personally. I guess I’m being a little selfish for my own goals. I only have a few competitive years left, and I need to focus in an environment for freestyle (wrestling) with post-college training partners and a full-time freestyle coach.” Gallick said Iowa State is putting together an Olympic training site with a full-time coach funded through USA Wrestling. He said as a volunteer assistant he will have fewer responsibilities and more time to train. “In order to reach my goals I need to put myself in the best position with coaches and partners at the freestyle level,” he said. He can leave knowing that UTC is a better place, especially with regard to its academic standing. The Mocs have been recognized for making major strides to improve their academic progress rate. According to a release from the National Wrestling Coaches Association, Bono’s program is fourth among most improved wrestling programs. The Mocs’ APR scores improved by 27 points over last year. “We need to put it behind us. We don’t even need to be in these categories,” Bono said. “We just need to be sure everybody is making their grades, staying eligible and graduating.” West Virginia had the biggest improvement (38). California-Davis was second (33) and Eastern Michigan was third (29). The Mocs were tied with Binghamton, N.Y., and Oklahoma. ©2009, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Wrestling: Bonos Says He Apllied for ISU Job Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard hasn’t spoken to reporters about his search for a replacement for wrestling coach Cael Sanderson. But The Des Moines Register confirmed Monday that former Cyclone star Chris Bono, who is now coaching at Tennessee-Chattanooga, is interested. Bono said he sent his resume to Ames on Monday. “I’m familiar with all of these juniors that are about to be seniors; I recruited them all,” Bono said. “I’m passionate for Iowa State, I love Iowa State, I’m a motivator, it’s home for me. It would be a smooth transition for me to get in there.” Iowa State was the only team to qualify all 10 weights for the NCAA tournament, at which the Cyclones placed third. All 10 qualifiers – including NCAA champion Jake Varner and three other 2009 all-Americans – are eligible to be back in the Iowa State practice room next winter. Bono has been head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga for three seasons after spending one season as an assistant. He was an NCAA champion in 1996 at Iowa State, and later was an assistant under Bobby Douglas for the Cyclones. Tennessee-Chattanooga athletic director Rick Hart told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that, as of Monday afternoon, he hadn’t been asked by Pollard for permission to speak with Bono. Pollard did not return a message from the Register on Monday. Neither did other potential coaches. ©2009, The Des Moines Register
Chris Bono has the Best of Both Worlds by Megan Myers, USA Wrestling When Chris Bono wakes up in the morning he wants to train, compete and win. However, instead of devoting all of this time to train for competitions, Bono dedicates his valuable training time to being the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Bono was named the head coach of the Mocs wrestling team in 2007. From the beginning, his team and athletic department have supported him and his goals of being a World champion. “I can see where a lot of people have a problem with it, but from day one my administration and my team have been behind me, that’s what really counts,” Bono said. “I have a lot of unfinished goals. It would probably kill me if I didn’t give it one more shot. With the support of my athletic department and my team, I’m going to give it 100 percent.” In recent months, Bono has been the victim of harsh criticism for competing while he coaches but that does not stop him from achieving his goals. “The people that don’t want me doing it, I invite them to come follow me for a week and see my devotion to the team,” he said. “My devotion is to the team first, training is second.” Bono uses his experience of being a three-time World Team member and four-time U.S. Nationals champion to teach his team what it takes to get to the next level. “When I wrestled at Midlands, I was one of the guys for the weekend. It was good because they saw my preparation and how I made weight. They saw it all,” Bono said. “When I am working out, sometimes the guys come in and they will get an extra workout in with me. It helps them to see what it takes to train to get them at the elite level.” He may have been “one of the guys” for a weekend, but Bono said as long as they are growing as a person, in wrestling, school, and being a good citizen and role model then he is accomplishing his job. “Our philosophy is to try to get them to be better men. Becoming a better man is by honesty, integrity and hard work,” he said. “We are graduating kids and we’re training hard. I just want these guys to have integrity in everything they do in their lives.” When Bono is not coaching, he is competing in tournaments and training for the 2009 World Championships. He may not be aiming to make it to the Olympics but winning gold at Worlds would not be for him. It would be for the people that have supported him throughout his wrestling career. “I would hang the medal around my wife’s neck, my mom’s neck and around my girls’ necks then move on. I would do it for everybody who have supported me and who have been there for me,” Bono said. “There has been a lot more down times than up times, and I’ve had the support from my wife, kids and family, to see them smile when I came home with that would be what it was all about. To come home with a gold medal at the end of September would cap off a pretty good career for me.” U.S. National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones said Bono is in a unique situation by being a competitor and a coach. He said coaching and competing compliment each other in that coaching makes you a better wrestler and wrestling makes you a better coach. “I think there are a lot of challenges to what Chris is doing because it is difficult to do two things,” Jones said. “The real world says we have to juggle responsibilities. I think it’s probably very difficult and I say the odds are against him, but if anybody could it, Chris could.” ©2009, The Mat.com
Bono Torn on Whether to Keep On by Ward Gossett For close to five hours Wednesday, Chris Bono had nothing to do but drive and fly and think as he went from one wrestling clinic to another. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach hasn’t yet made it home after last weekend’s loss at the U.S. Olympic team trials in Las Vegas. He flew from Las Vegas to Atlanta and then drove to the Tallahassee, Fla., area to work a camp. Wednesday he was back in the car driving to Atlanta to catch a flight for St. Louis and another one-day clinic. “I’ve got a bag of dirty clothes and a lot of thinking to do,” said Bono, who came within a win of wrestling for a berth in the Olympic Games. “It’s tough whenever I’m alone,” he said of the loss that might have been the last match of his career. “It is always on my mind — not so much what I could have done but how close I was. Everything fell into place. The training was perfect and I felt perfect. It was all right there. “I am a realist so I don’t rationalize the loss. I got beat. I’m not going to the Olympics. I was devastated right then and there, but seeing the devastation on the faces of those who have supported me, I don’t know how to describe it.” His wife, Niki, was at a loss for words, too. “My heart stopped,” she said. “I wanted to hug him, but I couldn’t find any words at that moment that would have helped.” The 34-year-old Bono, a three-time U.S. World championships team member, is torn on whether to continue competing. “I’m going to enjoy my summer and my family,” he said. “The girls are playing softball and I have the wrestling camps. But is that it? Where do I go? It’s rough emotionally, but you have to get back on the horse. Something I have learned is that if you let it keep you down, it’s going to ruin your life. “Normally I’d get back to work in the wrestling room and look for the next competition. That’s not happening right now.” Bono, who has guided UTC to consecutive conference championships and who has produced at least one All-American in each of his two years as the Mocs’ head coach, hasn’t known what the average guy would perceive to be a normal life in years. There were times when he was home 12 days of each month in his quest to be a world champion. Even this year and despite training at home, Bono would rise early to get in a morning run and return home after dark because of extra workouts that often followed team practices. “Heading into this year, I was 85 percent sure I was done. Now I’m probably 50-50,” he said. “Do I want to continue to do the things necessary to be around the best in the world? My life has been normal for me because that’s all I have ever known, but I’m thinking I’d like to enjoy life as a normal person.” He said he feels he has reached a crossroad. While he feels he can continue to compete successfully on national and international levels, the desire to be with his family and to experience another lifestyle is almost overwhelming. He has entertained thoughts of competing in triathlons even as he looks at a calendar and contemplates whether to circle dates for next year’s U.S. Open and the world team trials. “My experiences have all been positive. The only negative is that I didn’t accomplish my goal,” he said. “Th positives are the type person I have become and how much I have learned from my profession. I can tell you I’m a better person, a better wrestler, a better coach, a better husband, son, friend and father because of the process and the lessons I have learned from trying to be the best in the world.” Those experiences have caused him to look beyond his personal quest and view those close to him in a different light. “It isn’t about me anymore. It isn’t about people making sacrifices for me anymore,” he said. “It’s about me making sacrifices for others, and that’s directed toward my family which has made more sacrifices than I could ever repay. I didn’t think it would be this hard to make a decision. I thought I’d be able to walk away.” Niki already has urged Chris to continue his quest. “I don’t know that I want him to retire. I’d hate to see it end like this, because he is in the best shape of his life and he still loves the competition,” she said. “I enjoy watching him compete and coach, and I will always be proud of him because of his dedication. “I hear him say things about sacrifices and it breaks my heart. I want things for him. Sure, we’ve passed up family vacations at times and even eating as a family at McDonald’s. This wasn’t just a dream of his, but of ours. Chris is very driven person and it makes him a wonderful person, parent and father, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. “He certainly hasn’t failed. He has accomplished so much in the sport of wrestling and we are so proud of him, and I think he realizes that.” That endorsement and his experiences make Bono’s decision even tougher because he can’t satisfy himself with being one of the best. He already has decided to meet with administrators at USA Wrestling, which has supported him over the years, to get their input, but as he mulled aloud the pros and cons of walking away or continuing, Bono likely answered his inner turmoil. “I wanted to be the best in the world. I still want to be the best in the world,” he said. ©2008, Times Free Press
Chris Bono's Olympic Team Bid Falls Short LAS VEGAS --- Head Wrestling Coach Chris Bono's attempt to make the 2008 United States Olympic Team came to an end Saturday evening. Wrestling at 66 kg at the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Bono won three matches before falling in the finals of the Challenge Bracket. Former University of Iowa wrestler Bill Zadick defeated Bono, 0-1, 1-1, 3-0 for the right to face Doug Schwab in a best-two-out-of-three series with the winner earning the Olympic Team bid. Bono opened the Trials with a 5-2, 2-1 win over Nathanial Holt of the Bronco Wrestling Club. He defeated Eric Larkin of Sunkist Kids, 3-0, 1-5, 3-3 in the next round, then advanced to the bracket finals with a 0-1, 1-1, 2-2 victory over Cary Kolat of Sunkist Kids. Zadick is the 2006 World Champion and the 2008 U.S. Nationals runnerup to Schwab. The Schwab-Zadick series was to take place Saturday night. ©2008, GoMocs.com
UTC's Bono Headed to Olympic Trials University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head wrestling coach Chris Bono heads to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Thursday and will compete Saturday for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. The Olympic Trials will be held Friday through Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bono, a past World Team member, is competing for his first U.S. Olympic Team berth. He will wrestle in the 66 kilogram/145.5 pound freestyle division. Should Bono advance through the bracket and to the finals, he will face Doug Schwab, the 2008 U.S. Nationals Champion. Schwab receives a bye through to the finals, which will be a best of two-out-of-three series beginning at 5 p.m. PT. The Olympic Games are Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China. Bono sat down for a question and answer session Wednesday before departing on his trip: Q: How is your health and conditioning heading into the U.S. Open? A: It is perfect. I’m healthy. Even little things that bother me training wise, they don’t bother me right now. My conditioning is better than it is ever been. I take my training seriously. I did everything right. There will be no excuses win, lose or draw. Q: Has your training regimen varied any this time around? A: It varied because of some of the mistakes we made for the U.S. Open. I’ve got to attack more which means I have to be in better shape. We went through a series of more conditioning and more wrestling-related drills, making sure I’m attacking every 20 to 40 seconds. Our strategy changed up which means our training had to change a little bit. Q: You say we. Who makes up your team? A: Mike Hatcher, who is from Cleveland, Tenn., has been coming down and training me for the last six months. He has been really great and has helped me a bunch. Q: Do you know who your first-round opponent is? A: I don’t. I think it is all going to change. Right now, I get the winner of Paulson and Simpson, but I think what is going to happen is some 60 kilo guys are going to move up, which means I’ll have a first-round match and then get the winner of that match. That may change after weigh-ins. It doesn’t matter right now. We’ll have to see what happens. Q: What are the circumstances that have to happen in order for you to make the Olympic Team? A: I have to win, if everything stays the same right now, I have to win three matches between 10:00 and 2:00 and then I have to beat another guy that is sitting out, two-out-of-three at 5:00. Q: How do you rate your feelings going into this competition compared to some other International events? A: The feeling for me, I think, is this will define my career. I’ve worked so hard for so long and have never won a world medal. I’ve won a lot of International tournaments and been close but this is it. They are going to look back and say ‘I’m an Olympian and won a medal or I did all of this for nothing. This is it for me. That is the way I am approaching it. Q: How has your family been behind you? A: That has been the best thing about it. I’ve got no worries, no concerns. The support system that I’ve had in place for so long is stronger than ever. My mom is giving up a chance to maybe watch me wrestle for the last time by coming to watch my children so my wife can come out and watch. My dad will be there. I have high school coaches that are coming, cousins that are coming, but the support system before I can get there is what has been important to me. I haven’t made a team in two years and, going through some rough times, it’s always been the support of them that has kept me going. Q: Has the University shown its support as well? A: That helps. The support here has been tremendous. There are no other head coaches who are competing. Knowing that Rick is behind me and the support that everyone has given me here, even Dr. Brown has been really interested in the progress of this. But that’s huge. Knowing that I might get the chance to put UTC over in China will be a big deal for our program. Q: How does the rest of the world stack up against the United States’ wrestlers? A: Right now Russia is dominant. Russia won six Gold Medals in seven weight classes last year and the other guy took third. We are right there. We are second, third, fourth in the world the last couple of years. With the way our system is, we have a different guy make the team every year, whereas the Russians, they get their guy, and that’s their guy for five, six years. So he’s getting the experience; he’s doing it. We will be right there. No matter what, our country is so tough that whoever makes the Olympic Team will have a chance to go get a medal. Q: What has been the most satisfying accomplishment of your International career? A: I have never really looked back on it. I’ve made three World Teams and I haven’t brought a medal home. Making the World Team has been O.K. But I’ve won some other International tournaments. But I really don’t have anything. Hopefully this weekend. This is my ultimate goal. I hope this will be the defining moment. Q: How does this opportunity affect Chattanooga’s wrestlers and your program? A: It has been great. We have really bonded because I have needed these guys. I have needed them to train. It has really helped them to see what I am going through and that I need these guys. They are coming in every day working out with me when they could be out on the lake or they could be doing something else. They see an opportunity; they have really taken care of me. It’s almost like we have had a different relationship where they have been the coach, asking me if I need anything, massaging me after a workout, just making sure I’ve got workout partners, coming in to lift with me so I have someone to lift with. These guys have rallied. It’s not been one guy; there’s been 12-15 guys in there every day for the last six to eight weeks helping me get ready. ©2008, The Chattanoogan
Bono Brings Home Bronze Medal from Pan Am Games COLORADO SPRINGS --- Head wrestling coach Chris Bono captured a bronze medal Sunday at the 2008 Pan American Games in Colorado Springs, Colo. Wrestling freestyle in the 145.5 pound division (66 kg), Bono fell to the eventual Gold Medalist, Geandry Garzon of Cuba, in the second round, 4-1, 2-2, 2-1. He did not allow a point in the third-place match, defeating Peru's Pool Ambrocio, 5-0, 7-0. Bono, Garzon and Mexico's Ghandi Marquez each received first-round byes. Canada's Haislan Garcia claimed the silver medal. “I wrestled the best in the world, and I could have won,” Bono said. “I'm pleased with my training, and it was great to get back on the mat. I will make a few adjustments to make sure I am ready for the next competition and train with the goal of making the Olympic Team.” The bronze medal is the second for Bono at the Pan Am Games, also winning one in 2002. The second-year Chattanooga coach will continue to train and will compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. Bono has already qualified for the Olympic Trails. He will compete again in April at the U.S. Open, and with a title there, would need two wins at the Trials to become a U.S. Olympian. The 2008 Olympic Games will be held in August in Beijing, China. ©2008, GoMocs.com
Bono Gets Bronze at Pan Am Games by a Staff Writer COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Chris Bono earned a bronze medal in Pan-Am Games freestyle wrestling Sunday evening. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach rebounded from an opening loss to Cuba’s Geandry Garzon to defeat Peru’s Pool Ambrocio 5-0, 7-0. He lost to Garzon 4-1, 2-2, 2-1. While he went with the idea of a gold medal, Bono also wanted to see where he stood in relation to world competition. Garzon, Bono said, would be the favorite in the Olympic Games in Bejing. “He’s the best kid in the world. He finished second last year and he’s been third twice, and I should have won,” the Mocs coach said. “I was behind him with five seconds left, and all I had to do was get his knee to the mat. I didn’t get it done, but I’m right there with the best in the world. It was good to get out here and wrestle him before the Olympics.” He believes he is a few minor adjustments away. “Nobody likes to lose, but every time you train you wonder where you are. I did the right things training. I felt good. A few minor adjustments and I’ll be right there,” he said. This was Bono’s fourth Pan-Am games trip and he earned his second bronze medal. “I had to go get a medal. I promised my girls,” he said. Bono will be back in UTC’s practice room this afternoon. He is scheduled to arrive back in Chattanooga at 2 and will start practice at 3:30. “We’ll have a couple of tough practices and then start tapering off,” he said. The Mocs will host the Southern Conference wrestling tournament Saturday at McKenzie Arena. ©2008, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Quotes from U.S. freestyle wrestlers and National Coach at Pan American Championships by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling 55 kg/121 lbs. – Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), gold medal “I had to turn it up. I knew this was my home. After that first period, I had to pick up the pace. I live here and I had to do it.” “My number one concern was to qualify the weight class. For me, qualifying the weight class was winning the tournament. It was a hard weight cut for me. This was a good awakening.”
(about the possibility of going to the Olympics) 60 kg/132 lbs. – Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC), bronze medal “It is frustrating. You go overseas and you have to beat the politics. You train to expect that and to dominate. Being here in my country and to have the officials do that. It comes down to it being in my own hands. You feel in the match he is dying. You are pouring it on. I knew he was so tired, he wasn’t going to finish it. The odds are 90% in his favor. Let it wrestle. He has my leg. Let him finish on me. The official makes a mistake. They demote him. But to me, it’s an Olympic spot for my country. I get a bronze medal, something I don’t need and don’t collect.”
(about his win over Cuba’s Maykel Gonzalez)
(about upcoming qualifying events) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal
(On the strategy for the final match)
(On his attitude after the first loss)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), silver medal “My goal is to win every match. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I could win the Olympics. It shows me the areas I have to work on. It shows me where I need to go. I have time to make these improvements.” 84 kg/185 lbs. – Joe Williams, Belvidere, Ill. (Sunkist Kids), gold medal
(On the strategy in the second period)
(On this tournament’s significance)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Damion Hahn, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC), silver medal “This is a good competition. It is great to be here with the National Coaches, and to work out with the guys out here. This is all preparation for the big show, the Olympic Trials. Every competition adds up. The next couple months I will focus on my skills, concentrate on my leg attacks, and make the 2008 team. That is the plan.” 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), gold medal
(On the win against the Cuban)
(On working towards the Olympics) National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson “We are excited for our champions. Everybody medaled. Cuba had a strong team, the same team that they took to the World Cup and they were second there. I am excited about the way most of the guys wrestled. There were some great individual efforts. Henry Cejudo pinning the World bronze medalist was big. Tommy Rowlands pinning the World champion, and getting his offense going. Tommy has taken the step to putting himself in the hat for an Olympic gold medal. Joe Williams was consistent as he has always been, winning another Pan American Championships. He looks ready for our nationals.” “I am disappointed, too. Our number one goal was to qualify both weights. Mike Zadick could not get his offense going when he needed it. It is unfortunate about the officials call in the clinch. Ever since you are young, we are trained not to let the officials determine the match. We will now have to reload and get someone ready for the qualifier in Switzerland.” “I am happy with the Pan Am performance. Last year, at the Pan Am Games, we had only one champion, and Cuba had five. This shows some of our guys are doing the right things in their daily training.” ©2008, The Mat.com
Wrestling Coach Bono to Compete in Pan Am Games Head wrestling coach Chris Bono is no stranger to top-level international competition. The former NCAA wrestling champion has traveled around the world three times to compete in his chosen sport, and he has many medals and trophies as proof of his many successes. Bono will wrestle in the Pan Am Games Sunday with a potential U.S. Olympic Team berth on the line. The 2008 Pan Am Games, held in Colorado Springs, Colo., will serve as a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games, held in August in Beijing, China. Bono will represent the United States in the 145.5 pound freestyle class (66 kg) and is set to face one of Cuba's top wrestlers in his opening match. A four-time U.S. National champion, Bono competed in the 2002 Pan Am Games, bringing home a bronze medal. He placed third at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials and served as a team alternate. “It is truly an honor to represent and compete for your country,” Bono says. “But I will not be satisfied unless I win an Olympic Gold Medal. That is my goal. Making the team would be great, but I am going through this process with the Gold Medal as my goal.” Bono has already qualified for the Olympic Trails. He will compete again in April at the U.S. Open, and with a title there, he would need two wins at the Trials to become a U.S. Olympian. Former Mocs head coach Terry Brands was an Olympic Gold Medalist, and is now a coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. In just his second year as a head coach, Bono has had nearly as much success, relatively speaking, with the Chattanooga program. Just last week, his Mocs won the Southern Conference regular-season title for the second time under Bono. His team will be heavily favored to win the SoCon Championships on March 8, held on the UTC campus. Last year, Bono qualified nine Mocs wrestlers to compete at the NCAA Championships, tying Minnesota with the most of any school in the nation. He coached one All-America, Matt Keller, who also earned the honor in 2006. The Iowa State graduate is adamant when he says that his competition will never get in the way of his coaching. The Pan Am Games just happened to fall on the weekend between Chattanooga's final regular-season dual and the SoCon Championships. He also says this his active wrestling training regimen stimulates his recruiting efforts and opens doors for the program to some of the nation's top prep wrestlers. “A lot of these kids want to wrestle for their country and wrestling internationally,” he says. “They see that I can do it, and they see that my assistant (Nate Gallick) is doing it. And we are successful. It is certainly a positive that we take advantage of in our recruiting efforts.” The wrestling portion of the Pan Am Games began Friday and concludes Sunday. The Games also include Greco-Roman and Women's Freestyle. ©2008, GoMocs.com
Bono Could Bring Home Olympic Gold by Mark Wiedmer Each time she brings home another sports trophy, seven-year-old Josie Bono tells her father, “Daddy, I’m catching up to you.” And there may well come a day when either Josie or her four-year-old sister Ellie surpass the dozens of wrestling trophies and medals that Chris Bono has claimed as one of the nation’s finest freestyle wrestlers. But if Bono — who has been similarly successful as a coach in his second winter running the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga program — has his way this weekend in the Pan American Championships, Josie could temporarily lose ground in the Bono family hardware race. “Anytime you’re asked to represent your country it’s special,” said the 34-year-old Bono, who will wrestle in the 145.5-pound weight class in the freestyle division. “This is a one-day tournament. You wrestle every 20 minutes. It’s a good test.” Bono has made the Mat Mocs a better-than-good story. They’re currently ranked 18th nationally. Should they qualify enough wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament during next week’s Southern Conference Championship, they could finish much higher than that in the final national rankings. But Bono’s coaching could easily take a back seat to his wrestling before the summer ends. His goal is to win an Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Games this August. “The gold medal is the goal,” he said on Wednesday. “I’m not doing this just to make the (Olympic) team.” The Pan Am event serves as an Olympic qualifier, but not for Bono. He’s already qualified for the Olympic Trials and the United States has already qualified at the 145.5 weight class. In many ways, this is just for pride and practice. His biggest challenge until the Trials will come at the U.S. Open in April. A win there would leave him needing just two wins against a single opponent at the Trials to make the Olympic team. “If I lose at the Open, I would need to win three to five matches at the Trials to make the team.” Bono has won at every level of his sport. An NCAA title during his time at Iowa State. An Olympic alternate in 2004. A gold medal at the 2003 World Cup Wrestling Championships. A title in the 2005 World Team Trials. “I’ve probably wrestled more matches than anybody in the country the last 12 years,” said Bono, who has been in training for the Pan Am championship since the first day of January. “When this is all over, I’m going to miss competing. I’ll miss traveling overseas with the guys. I’ll miss the process. I’ve learned and grown so much through wrestling.” The process is an arduous one. He sets a treadmill on its fastest speed then runs six sets of two-minute runs. He lifts weights. He wrestles his UTC wrestlers. When he’s not in training, Bono weighs roughly 168 pounds. Three days from Saturday’s weigh-in, he was still 10 pounds over his wrestling weight. “Water weight,” shrugged Bono. “The hard work’s done. Now you just break a sweat, sit in the sauna for awhile. We do it all the time.” But most college wrestling greats are driving their kids to soccer practice when they’re 34. The best Russian wrestlers are in their early 20s. Even the U.S.’s best are in their late 20s. So how does Bono do it? “Coach is physical,” said UTC freshman Ben Johnson, the 141-pounder who won three state championships at the Baylor School. “He’s always in position. He’s real slick, real strong. He’s just very hard to wrestle.” Rival coaches have tried to make it very hard on recruiting by using his wrestling against the program. “But I’ve always said the team will never suffer,” he said. “If we hadn’t been off this weekend I would never have wrestled in the Pan Am Championships.” He says he intends to never wrestle competitively again after the Olympics. “I think my wife (Niki) is ready for me to give it up if I accomplish my goals,” he said. “I think she’s ready for me to be a normal person. I’m ready to try and become the best coach in the country.” But just in case Josie and Ellie dramatically close the gap on their dad’s medals and trophies, Bono is reserving his right to wrestle on. “I always have the option,” he grinned, “of not retiring.” ©2008, Chattanooga Times Free Press
U.S. lineups set in all three styles for Pan American Championships by Craig Sesker, USA Wrestling COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Pan American Championships are held every year, but this year’s wrestling event takes on much more significance as it serves as a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. This year’s Pan American Championships are set for Feb. 29-March 2 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The Pan American Championships is sponsored by the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. The U.S. qualified 12 of 18 overall weight classes for the Olympics at the 2007 World Championships by virtue of finishing in the top eight in 12 weight classes in Baku, Azerbaijan. Only Russia, with 13 qualifiers, has more weight classes qualified for the Olympics at this time. In all three styles at the Pan American Championships, the top athlete in each weight class from a nation which has not already qualified for the Olympics will qualify that nation to compete in the Beijing Games. Only nations that competed at the 2007 World Championships in each weight class are eligible to qualify through the Pan American Championships. The U.S. still needs to qualify three weights in Greco-Roman (60 kg/132 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs. and 96 kg/211.5 lbs.), two in freestyle (55 kg/121 lbs. and 60 kg/132 lbs.) and one in women’s freestyle (55 kg/121 lbs.). The Greco-Roman competition is set for Feb. 29, followed by women’s freestyle on March 1 and freestyle on March 2. The Pan American Championships include athletes from North, South and Central America. The U.S. will enter 2007 World Team members Joe Betterman (60 kg/132 lbs.), T.C. Dantzler (74 kg/163 lbs.) and Justin Ruiz (96 kg/211.5 lbs.) in the Greco-Roman weights it needs to qualify. Dantzler placed fifth in the World in 2006 and Ruiz won a World bronze medal in 2005. “The Pan American Championships play a huge role in our quest for Olympic excellence,” U.S. National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser said. “Our 60 kg, 74 kg and 96 kg weight classes obviously will be our main focus in this tournament, with the goal to win the championship and qualify our entire Greco squad for Beijing. We are very confident that we can accomplish this goal and feel very good about our chances in shocking the world again by winning a record number of medals in Beijing this August.” In freestyle, the U.S. will enter 2007 World Team member Henry Cejudo (55 kg/121 lbs.) and 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick (60 kg/132 lbs.) in hopes of qualifying the final two weights in freestyle for the Olympics. Cejudo won the Pan American Championships and Pan American Games in 2007. Zadick placed second in the 2007 Pan American Games. “This is our most important event of the new year so far for 55 kg and 60 kg,” U.S. National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson said. “This is the best scenario to get those weights qualified for the Olympics. With berths to the Olympics at stake, the matches will be intense. We must win at 55 kg and 60 kg. “All of our athletes will compete for gold medals. Cuba will challenge us in all the weight classes and Canada will field one of their best teams.” 2007 World Team member Marcie Van Dusen will try to qualify the fourth and final Olympic weight class for the women at 55 kg/121 lbs. Van Dusen is coming off a win over five-time World champion and Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida of Japan at the World Cup. The Pan American Championships are the first of three remaining qualifiers in each style for the U.S. to qualify its remaining weight classes for the Olympics. Nations expected to compete in the Pan American Championships include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.
U.S. ROSTERS FOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, GRECO-ROMAN
55 kg/121 lbs. – Josh Habeck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) Coaches – Steve Fraser (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Momir Petkovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Ike Anderson (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Dan Chandler (Minneapolis, Minn.); Rob Hermann (Pensacola, Fla.), Jay Antonelli (Chesapeake, Va.), Rich Estrella (Colorado Springs, Colo.) WOMEN’S FREESTYLE
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Mary Kelly, Gaffney, S.C. (New York AC) Coaches – Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Vladislav Izboinikov (Colorado Springs, Colo.) FREESTYLE
55 kg/121 lbs. – Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) Coaches – Kevin Jackson (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Terry Brands (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Lee Kemp (Alpharetta, Ga.) ©2008, The Mat.com
Chris Bono is in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone by Joel Jacobi My friend and Olympic Gold Medal swimmer, John Naber, often says, “Olympians are ordinary people who do extraordinary things.” On the road to the Olympics in Beijing this summer, “extraordinary” – as in “extra” and “ordinary” – could not be better defined than by Chattanooga’s Chris Bono. On the “ordinary” side of the word, Chris is a family man – husband, father of two of young children, and a proud son who admires his parents. He understands the value of a job in his life – he shares knowledge, experience, and his passion for teaching collegiate athletes as the Head Coach of the wrestling program at University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC.) He’s a “regular” at his kids’ activities – soccer and softball games on most weekends. On the “ordinary” side, Chris Bono is like most of us. On the “extra” side of the word, Chris begins to separate himself from an ordinary Chattanoogan. Chris’ wrestling program represents a school that lives in the sports shadow of Knoxville but is arguably the shining beacon of Chattanooga’s collegiate sports scene. Chris has built a perennial powerhouse consistently ranked in the Top 20 and attracts top wrestling recruits from around the country. And then there’s that “Gold Medal thing…” Olympic wrestling is a unique sport in that it’s possible to coach collegiate athletes while pursuing your own Olympic dreams. And Chris carries a big dream. I meet many Olympic hopefuls in my travels and work – most want to qualify for the Olympic Games. For Chris, the goal is a bit higher – to win Olympic Gold. Of course, as an athlete, he wants to win for himself. But in our conversations, he glows when he speaks about how reaching this goal would honor his family and their support of his pursuit as well as Chattanooga and the opportunities a Gold Medal would mean of our city such as hosting world class wrestling events and attracting the “best of the best” student athletes to UTC. As I have come to know Chris in recent weeks, I’m buying what he’s selling – a big dream mixed in with a “normal” family and professional life. It just fits. In an extraordinary way. ©2008, WRCB TV-3
Esposito, Hrovat win silver medals in Medved International in Belarus by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling Two U.S. freestyle wrestlers won silver medals on the second day of competition at the Alexander Medved International in Minsk, Belarus, October 20. Placing second in their weight classes were Zack Esposito (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Esposito was defeated in the championship finals by Albert Batirov of Belarus, 0-3, 1-0, 0-3. Batirov hit a chest lock for three points from the clinch in the first period. Esposito won the second period on a takedown with 15 seconds left. In the deciding third period, Batirov scored another counter chestlock to win the period. Esposito opened the tournament with three straight wins. He stopped Z. Kambarov of Azerbaijan, 6-0, 6-0. His next two wins went the full three period, stopping A. Anhmatomedov of Russia, 1-1, 5-3, 4-0, then Z. Usuhov of Russia, 1-1, 3-0, 5-0. “Zack has great potential,” said National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson. “He can consistently win at this level.” Hrovat was beaten in the gold-medal match by R. Koulov of Russia, 1-3, 1-0, 0-2. Hrovat dropped the first period when he went out of bounds attempting a chest lock throw. In the second period, he won the clinch for the win. Hrovat lost the final period when he attempted a double-overhook throw with 15 seconds left and landed on his back. He won two matches to qualify for the finals, defeating Chibko of Belarus, 2-0, 2-0, then pinning H. Magomed of Russia in 1:30 in the semifinals. Hrovat was a member of the 2006 U.S. World Team and currently holds a No. 2 national ranking in the United States. Placing fifth at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. was Jared Frayer (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) with a 3-2 record. Frayer opened the tournament with a three-period win over three-time U.S. World Team member Chris Bono of the United States, 1-1, 3-2, 7-0. He followed with a second period pin of A. Studvmajok of Belarus. He was defeated in the third round by eventual champion Albert Batirov of Belarus, 0-1, 0-2. After a win over O. Rossoh of Ukraine in the wrestleback rounds, Frayer lost in the bronze-medal match to R. Adhmov of Russia, 0-2, 0-1. Adhmov scored two takedowns in the first period, then won the second period on the clinch from the defensive position. The competition concludes on Sunday, with action at 96 kg/211.5 pounds and 120 kg/264.5 lbs. The United States has won four medals during the first two days of competition.
ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL Freestyle medalists
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
74 kg/163 lbs.
84 kg/185 lbs. U.S. performances
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jared Frayer, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 5th
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Zach Esposito, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 2nd
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Eric Larkin, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
74 kg/163 lbs. - Casey Cunningham, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
74 kg/163 lbs. - Donny Pritzlaff, Madison, Wis. (New York AC), dnp
84 kg/185 lbs. - Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 2nd
84 kg/185 lbs. - Clint Wattenberg, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC), dnp
84 kg/185 lbs. - Lee Fullhart, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), dnp ©2007, TheMat.com
US Freestyle Team to Compete in Medved International, Minsk, Belarus, October 19-21 by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling A team of talented U.S. freestyle wrestlers will compete in a very competitive early season international competition, the Alexander Medved International in Minsk, Belarus, Oct. 19-21. The U.S. team will be loaded with athletes who are expected to be challengers in their weight classes for the upcoming 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials process. Although none of the athletes are currently top ranked in their division on Team USA, all of competitors have high national rankings and are considered Olympic hopefuls. USA Wrestling’s National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson will be coaching the team. Among the top athletes on the roster is 2006 World bronze medalist Donny Pritzlaff (Madison, Wis./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. Three other team members have competed on past U.S. World Teams, Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Bono has made three U.S. World Teams. Lawal competed at the 2005 World Championships and Hrovat competed in the 2006 World meet. Six of the team members are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at their division. They include Bono, Hrovat and Lawal, plus Matt Azevedo (Pismo Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Casey Cunningham (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Steve Mocco (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
U.S TEAM FOR ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL ©2007, TheMat.com
UTC's Bono takes aim at U.S. wrestling team by Ward Gossett, Chattanooga Times Free Press He won state championships in high school and an NCAA title in college, and Chris Bono quickly added a Southern Conference championship this past March as a first-year head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He's still a wrestler, though, and he will compete Sunday in Las Vegas in a one-match shot for his fourth U.S. World team berth. Also wrestling this weekend will be former UTC wrestlers Israel Silva, who served last year as the team's assistant coach, and Josh Keefe. Bono, who earned a bye to the finals by winning in Las Vegas earlier this year, will wrestle at 66 kilograms (145.5 pounds), while Silva will be at 96 kilograms (211 pounds) and Keefe will be at 60 (132 pounds). Silva and Keefe have to win qualifying rounds Saturday to reach Sunday's championships. At 34, Bono can become the oldest member of the U.S. world team with a win. "I quit looking at records -- wins and losses -- after high school," he said. "Records are just numbers. All I count these days are titles, and I know I have no world titles." Bono has been on three U.S. teams that won world titles, but he came up short in his individual quests. Being a head coach has helped his perspective but hasn't changed his philosophy. "I'm the same and my approach has stayed the same. I outwork everybody, but I'm working smarter," he said. "I no longer butt heads for two hours straight each day. I have stayed rested and my body hasn't broken down. I've made weight once instead of 10 or 12 times. My mind is fresh." Being at UTC has relieved some turmoil, even though Bono endured some heat in his year as an assistant to Joe Seay before taking over as head coach. He had left behind a mental pressure-cooker as assistant head coach at Iowa State. "For the first time in three or four years there is no turmoil, no worries or concerns in my life. I'm happy," Bono said. "This last year has been a whole lot of fun for me. I'm relaxed, focused and ready to go." The job has helped. He had a reputation for being well-organized before he came to Chattanooga, and his wrestling skills were well-documented. His personality enhanced his coaching skills, and he was able to convert Mocs wrestlers to his style and philosophy in time for them to storm through the Southern Conference tournament and gain nine NCAA tournament qualifiers. "I don't know that I am any more mature, but I think I have taken my organizational skills to a new level, and not just in my job but in my life," he said. "My day is planned out to the minute. If I let myself, I'd work or work out 24 hours a day, but I have made sure I don't sacrifice family time by doing what I'm doing. If my little girl has a softball game, I'm going to be there." UTC officials and boosters view his competition as a plus. "We're very proud of Chris," athletic director Rick Hart said. "We're glad to have him representing us. He did everything we hoped he would and could do for our athletes and the program, and right now it's time for him to shine personally. "It's another opportunity for UTC to be mentioned in national circles. As long as it isn't interfering with his job here, and it isn't, we're supportive and glad to do it." Bono hasn't been resting on his championship laurels. He works daily with the Chattanooga Wrestling Club, and he just completed a four-DVD instructional video for Championship Productions that should be on the market by mid-July. That is in addition to planning the Bono-fide wrestling camp, which is scheduled June 24-July 23. Former Mocs coach Terry Brands, now director of the U.S. wrestling facility at Colorado Springs, will be among the guest clinicians. Bono hopes more travel will be on his agenda. If he wins Sunday, he'll compete in the Pan American Games in July and then at the world championships in September in Baku, Azerbaijan. "It is one of the goals I'm out to attain," he said. ©2007, Times Free Press
Veterans Bono, Vering, Miranda use new methods to seek World Team Trials victory by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling All three of the 2007 U.S. Nationals champion wrestlers who participated on a USOC media teleconference are veterans. All have competed on past World Teams. All have learned a thing or two about what it takes to win. Training smart and managing the challenges of age and life was a consistent theme in the press conference, which featured 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda of the Sunkist Kids in women’s wrestling, 2004 Olympic Brad Vering of the New York AC in Greco-Roman and three-time World Team member Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids in men’s freestyle. All three are top-seeded in their weight classes heading into the U.S. World Team Trials at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., June 9-10. Bono, 33, has an additional challenge in his quest to be a world class wrestler. He serves as the head wrestling coach at the Univ. of Tennessee-Chattanooga. “It is extremely challenging,” said Bono. “I really had to sit back and map a schedule for myself. It’s almost every second of every day, and that also includes family time. If I don’t set the schedule and abide by it, it is my family that winds up suffering, because I am either working or working out. So I’ve had to set a schedule and I stick to it. As long as I stick to it, I am good to go.” Bono looks back to 2003, a year he won the U.S. Nationals but did not make the World Team, and sees a difference in his approach. “In 2003, I was No. 1 man coming out of the nationals and lost two straight matches at the Trials and did not make the team. When I look at that I can say I was afraid to lose. Now with a career and a family, I’m the most carefree guy in the world with my wrestling. I am not afraid to lose now. I have a career. I am ready to win this time. I am not sure I was ready to win back then. I am excited. I am a 33 year old man now. You never know when it’s my last time, my last day, when my body will give out. I enjoy this process so much more. It feels like I have been reborn because my energies and priorities have been refocused.” Vering, 29, made four straight U.S. team, starting in 2002 and running through 2005, but fell to No. 3 at his weight class during the 2006 season. He made a number of changes in his training and his philosophies, and it has paid off big time with success this year. “As you grow older, as you mature as a wrestler, you have to make some changes. I kind of got into a little bit of a rut in my training. I have been doing the same thing for four years. With the rule changes for Greco-Roman, it has been extremely challenging to convert over. Now I feel like I am starting to come into my own. I feel more confident with my wrestling. I changed the way I am training. I am training smarter, rather than harder all the time. I am still training very hard, just trying to do it so it works out better for how I compete. I am staying stronger and I am trying to stay healthy now.” Vering was well known for out-training and outworking everybody and anybody in the sport. He still trains hard, but the recovery time has become more important. “I am approaching my 30’s now. I going to turn 30 in August,” continued Vering. “I can’t train like I did in college. You are doing school. Your body can take so much. What has been happening with me is I’ve been still been training at the same level. Your body can’t respond as fast as it could, or recover as fast as it could when you are younger. It’s wearing on you mentally sometimes. What I am doing is recovering harder, and taking a day off every now and then and focusing on staying healthy mentally. When I do that, it has been great for me. I feel much more confident in my style. I’ve had a great spring.” Miranda, 27, just finished the challenge of earning a degree from Yale Law School. She is also doing different things from earlier in her career, some methods she has learned by trying to juggle college and training. “I do believe it has helped in the ways that wrestling transfers over to the greater fields of work and life,” said Miranda. “You get out what you put in. Outcome is not always the most effectual thing to focus on. The process, pushing yourself to learn something or to understand something harder than you thought you could. The principles are less physically tiring, but have helped on the mat as well. Miranda can compare her preparation for this Olympic Games to when she was preparing to earn a spot on the 2004 Olympic Team. She sees a different attitude and approach, something she thinks will help her to excel. “I chose to do what I am doing a little bit more than I did the last time. The retirement year I took after ‘04 during my first year of law school was very important. I am getting more out of my competition, my experience, my training. That break made me think and really realize why I am doing what I am doing. It has really helped me deemphasized the outcome. I’m trying to push my wrestling to this next level, and wrestle completely without fear. By focusing on that, it will give me a much more outcome-friendly outcome this time around. I feel the experience in Athens will help me.” ©2007, The Mat
Former World Team members training for Trials, eyeing Beijing by Jason Bryant As you might expect, Chris Bono, Brad Vering and Patricia Miranda all come from completely different backgrounds. Of course, the three former U.S. World Team members wrestle three different styles, but all those backgrounds come into play as the trio prepares for this weekend’s U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas. “It’s extremely challenging,” said Florida native Bono, trying to balance his goals of winning a world-level medal and coaching at the Division I level. “I really had to sit back and map out a schedule for myself. If I don’t set my schedule and abide by it, it’s my family that suffers.” Bono led the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga to a Southern Conference title in his first season as the head coach and had six wrestlers in the Round of 12 at the NCAA championships, but now Bono has a different mindset heading into a chance at representing the U.S. in the final world championship year before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. “In 2003, I was the #1 man coming out and I lost two straight matches,” said Bono. “When I look back on that, I think I was afraid to lose. Now I’ve got a career and a family, I’m the most care free guy wrestling right now.” “I’ve got a career, I’m ready to win this time, I don’t know if I was ready to win last time,” said Bono. Stability has also entered Bono’s life, after a long coaching tenure under Bobby Douglas at Iowa State, Bono uprooted and headed to Tennessee for one season as an assistant under Joe Seay and then assumed the role of head coach shortly after Seay resigned from the UTC post after one season. “I feel better than I have in the last three years, just because my mind is free,” Bono said. “I’m not in a transition of moving jobs, moving houses, paying two mortgages. It was a tough 2-3 years there.” “I’m in a great situation here,” said Bono. Vering, a former Olympian and three-time World Team member says things have also changed from when he was a younger man, and it’s a simple reason. He’s training smarter, not harder. “I’m approaching my 30’s now, so I can’t train like I did when I was in college,” said the former Nebraska standout. “What’s been happening with me is I was still training at that same level and your body can’t recover as fast as you could when you were younger. I’ve been recovering harder and taking a day off every now and then and staying healthy.” “When I do that, it’s been great for me. I’m having a great spring, I’m still working very very hard, it’s just helped me mentally and it such a big part of the sport.” Vering explained that while he’s still got the thinking that he can go as hard as he could as a newly-anointed post-collegian. With age, comes wisdom, right? “When you give yourself more time to recover, you can train even harder on those days,” he said. “If you have more recovery time, your body has more time to recover and get stronger. I’m more technically sound and better in those situations.” Miranda, a 2004 bronze medalist on the U.S. inaugural women’s Olympic freestyle team in Athens, had other reasons to change up her training – a very well-documented tenure as a law student at Yale after getting her undergraduate degree at Stanford. “The biggest difference heading into the Olympic year is that I sort of chose to do what I’m doing a little bit more than what I was doing last time,” explained Miranda, who stepped away from competition after her bronze to concentrate on school. “The retirement year was important in the way that I feel I’m getting so much more out of my competitions and training,” she said. “I’m trying to push my wrestling to the next level and without fear. By focusing on that, it’s going to give me much more an outcome-friendly outcome. The experience in Athens is going to help.” If the trio doesn’t represent the U.S. on this year’s World Team, it doesn’t make it any easier for those that compete at the respective weights, as the World Championships in Azerbaijan in September are crucial for qualifying the weight class for the 2008 Olympics. It’s a process Vering knows well from his experience in 2003 when France hosted the 2003 Greco-Roman World Championships. The Olympic Games competitions are restrictive in the fact there’s a limit of approximately 20 wrestlers per weight and the first qualifier is the previous year’s World Championships. If a country places in the Top 10 at 2007 Worlds, the weight is qualified for the Olympics and would prevent heavy world travel and extraneous training for the athletes representing the non-qualified weight just to get the U.S. into the 2008 games. “This is such a humungous year for the U.S,” said Vering. “I had 45 guys in my weight, after the tournament was over, the most one team had was four qualifiers of weights, there was only two full teams – Russia and Greece.” “Right now, the competition is tougher than ever. It’s going to be a heavy year with a lot of pressure and we have to get those weight classes qualified.” While Miranda’s eyeing redemption with a hopeful match with nemesis Hitomi Sakamoto of Japan up at 51 kilos, Bono could see one of his long-time rivals this weekend in Vegas – 2006 World Champion Bill Zadick. Zadick, who hasn’t competed since winning world gold last year, will have to navigate through the one-day challenge tournament to get a shot at Bono in a two-out-of-three finals series. “I know I’m going to be there,” said Bono. “Whether he gets there or not, it’s up to him. I don’t have a preference.” “I like wrestling him, plus he’s the world champion. I’d love to beat the world champion to go to the worlds. He’s the champ, that’s something I’m going after.” And then there’s the history. “We’re old school Iowa-Iowa State. That tradition, that rivalry runs deep,” said Bono. “Even though I’m not at Iowa State anymore, if it comes down to it, it’s in the back of our minds. Just getting on the team and winning a gold medal is all I’m thinking about.” “I’m a 33-year old man right now and I never know when it’s going to be my last time, my last day,” said Bono. “I’ve enjoyed this process so much more, I haven’t retired, but I feel reborn. I feel re-energized and re-focused.” The 2007 U.S. World Team Trials will be hosted by the Las Vegas Convention Center. ©2007, InterMat
Strong field expected for Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open by Craig Sesker, USA Wrestling Reigning U.S. Nationals champions Henry Cejudo, Zach Roberson, Chris Bono and Clarissa Chun are among the wrestlers expected to take part in next weekend’s Sunkist Kids/Arizona State University International Open The first major international meet of the season is scheduled for Oct. 12-14 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. The Sunkist Open is the longest standing International Open Wrestling Tournament in the United States and is the premier event that kicks off each USA Wrestling season. Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will compete in freestyle at 55 kg/121 pounds as will Roberson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 pounds and Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 pounds. Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./ will compete in women’s freestyle at 48 kg/105.5 pounds. Cejudo was a Junior World Silver Medalist this year while Bono is now the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Close to 50 athletes from Canada are expected to take part in the event, along with a handful of wrestlers from both India and Mexico. 2003 World Bronze Medalist Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is on the list of entrants at 51 kg/112.25 pounds. The Greco-Roman competition will be held Oct. 13 with the men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle competitions set for Oct. 14. Registration and weigh-in for Greco-Roman will be Oct. 12 with men’s and women’s freestyle registration and weigh-in the next day. This tournament serves as a selection tool for choosing winter touring teams. This is the 22nd year for this annual event. Elite wrestlers from around the world have competed in this tournament. Tickets for fans are $10 per person for each day of the event. An all-session pass for both days of the event is $20. Contact event director Tim Gressley at 480-205-3015 or executive director Kimberly Martori Wickey at 480-596-1936 for more information. 2006 SUNKIST KIDS/ASU INTERNATIONAL OPEN SCHEDULE
Thursday, Oct. 12
Friday, Oct. 13
Saturday, Oct. 14 ©2006, The Mat
Q&A: Catching Up With Chris Bono by Matt Krumrie – TWM Freelance Writer New University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Head Coach Brings An Impressive Coaching and Competitive Resume to Division I Program Ready to Move Up The Ranks Chris Bono is a household name to collegiate and international wrestling fans. The Gilbert, Iowa native was the 1996 150-pound NCAA champion for Iowa State University and finished his career ranked fifth on the Cyclones’ all-time win list with 130. Since then Bono has been one of the most successful wrestlers in the United States, becoming a U.S. Nationals champion and earning spots on U.S. World Teams and competing and succeeding in numerous elite international events (see link below for full list of accomplishments). He also spent nine years (including five years as the head assistant coach) under Bobby Douglas at Iowa State. Last year he worked as an assistant at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Bono was named head coach of the Mocs this summer, and takes over a Division I program for the first time. Bono replaces Joe Seay, who coached the Mocs for one season. Bono holds many coaching and competitive honors. He was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002 for his role in ISU’s success that season. The Cyclones compiled a 17-5 dual meet record and were NCAA runner-ups with five wrestlers earning All-America status. UTC won its 21st Southern Conference title last season and finished 30th at the NCAA championships. The Mocs had two All-Americans, and finished 16-8-1 in dual meets and 5-0 in the Southern Conference. The Wrestling Mall caught up with Bono, and talked about what lies ahead for him in his new position, what to expect out of UTC wrestling, and what it’s been like to represent the United States during his wrestling career – which he hinted just might not be over yet. Here’s what Bono had to say: Congratulations on the new job. You have been hoping to become a head coach for a few years now. What does this mean to be the leader of a Division I wrestling team? Bono: Thank you. It means an awful lot to be the new leader at UTC. I want to bring stability to the program, lead the team with integrity, graduate all my student athletes and win! You spent nine years under Bobby Douglas at Iowa State. You have an outstanding collegiate and international wrestling resume. Put all of that together, and what type of wrestling coach will be leading UTC this year? When you envisioned yourself as a head coach, what did you see? Bono: I will be the type of coach that has been taught to do things the right way. Hard work, treat people right, and do it all by following rules. I believe in the fundamentals and by outworking all of our opponents. When I envisioned myself as a head coach I saw a guy who studied many coaches and wrestlers in the past and has developed his own system based on the best coaches and wrestlers in the world. I have been taking notes on the sport for a long time now and I finally get to put them together my own way and lead them. Does this mean your competitive wrestling career is over? If not, please explain the future intentions. If so, describe what it’s like to be done competing at the highest level of a sport that has been such a big part of your life. Bono: My competitive career, who knows, I might just show up in 2008 trials and try to make the team. But right now I am focused on recruiting the best student-athletes to UTC, stabilizing my program and being the best father and husband I can be. Competing internationally has been awesome. I have seen the world, met some great people, and represented The United States of America. When I look back, representing the country was an honor. When I put on the red, white, and blue, it always meant something to me, especially with what has been going on in the world. When you analyze the wrestling program and state of wrestling in the Chattanooga area, what stands out to you as the biggest plus or highlights? Bono: Right now the biggest plus at Chattanooga is I feel like we are getting a fresh start. We have a great new AD in here who just started, we have a bunch of guys who are really excited about wrestling, a great support base within the department, a great support base within the community and a program that is real stable and ready to explode. I am real fired up to get this team on the mat! When you analyze the wrestling program and state of wrestling in the Chattanooga area, what stands out to you as the biggest challenge? Bono: The biggest challenge right now is, like any new coach has coming in, building relationships with kids, making them believe in me and my system, trusting me in every aspect. You’ve been an assistant with this program, so you have a good idea of what to expect from the returning wrestlers, what the fan base is like, and what the travel schedule is for a Southern Conference team. How much does that help – being familiar with the team and many opponents? Bono: Our fan base is awesome here. This area is really crazy for wrestling. There are kid clubs all around here, and the high school wrestling is very big. I am in the process of getting the kids evolved more into freestyle and Greco Roman, but overall people are crazy for wrestling. Our travel schedule looks good. I cannot really comment on it, because it has to be approved first. Last year was my first year in the Southern Conference. The conference really opened my eyes; there are some great wrestlers and teams in this conference. We only get 13 qualifiers and had two All-Americans, and I think three or four guys lost in the all American round. Hopefully we will get more qualifiers. When you look at last year’s results, you see a team that won its 21st Southern Conference title – yet finished 30th at the NCAA tournament. What is the good and bad of both of those statistics, if there is such a thing? Bono: Well it was good we won the conference and had seven NCAA qualifiers, but we were better than 30th in the country. It was all a mindset. I think we only thought winning the conference was enough. That is not going to cut it. I want NCAA titles, individuals and team titles. It will be preached everyday, always working for the title. Can you explain what a typical day is like for a head coach at the DI level, and what it’s like for you at UTC? Bono: My typical day is anything but typical, which is great. Right now I have been spending much of my time in the office or on the road recruiting. We cannot do anything wrestling related right now, but the kids are always coming in my office, which is something I really enjoy. You come from a Big 12 powerhouse, you’ve wrestled in the best arenas and biggest matches in the sport of DI wrestling. You come from Iowa, where wrestling is everything. Now you are in Tennessee, where the state is not known for its wrestling. How can you raise interest levels in the community and region? Bono: The kids have to start wrestling year round. It would be nice to see Tennessee sending a big contingent to Fargo every year. We had five guys this year. I am hoping to change that. The kids are really good here, it just has to be preached to them how important it is to wrestle year round and develop the fundamental skills. That being said, UTC has some tradition – what can you tell us about the team that most fans outside the program do not know that they should know? Bono: UTC does have some tradition. We have won 21 Southern Conference titles, including last year. We have some outstanding wrestlers from the past including a list of All-Americans, and we have a very supportive booster group consisting of former UTC wrestlers. We are actually in the process of lining up a weekend where we can honor all of our All-Americans here. I know we have had eight All-Americans in DI, but we have a bunch more at the DII level. It will be nice to honor those guys and bring them back to Chattanooga, and let the team see what we have accomplished here in the past. We also have plans to bring back the Southern Open in 2007-2008. From what I understand, that tournament used to be awesome. I think we will just run a junior high/high school Southern Open until I can get some college teams to come in and run it side by side. What’s been the biggest adjustment going from assistant coach to head coach? Bono: The biggest adjustment from being an assistant coach to head coach is that I make the final decisions. I am grateful to Bobby Douglas because he put me in a bunch of situations throughout my days at Iowa State where he would make me make the tough decisions and report back to him. He eventually made the decisions, but helped throughout the process. Now it is up to me. Coach Douglas has really prepared me for this job, and I feel I am ready. You recruited at Iowa State, and at UTC. What’s the difference in recruiting at these schools? What do you have to sell differently to recruits about coming to UTC that you didn’t have to at ISU? Bono: There is not much difference in recruiting at Iowa State and Chattanooga. I still go see kids, call them and do all things it takes to get them. I think the major difference is location. I will still recruit Iowa, but I have to make sure I get every good kid in the South. I do not want to let anyone leave this area. I will also recruit the best possible kids in the whole country to fit my needs. Chattanooga is a beautiful city and the weather is great here year round. We have a lot to offer at UTC. Last year we became a regional training site as well. I am hoping we can secure some major USA wrestling events here in the future. Real Pro Wrestling will have a second season this fall – will you be a part of that? Bono: I would love to be a part of RPW in any way. Those guys have been great to us in the past and are doing good things for wrestling. I will do whatever it takes to support them because of what they are doing for our athletes and coaches. Talk about key wrestlers or recruits at UTC…who should we expect big things from next year or in the future? Bono: Some of the key guys for UTC right now are my two All-Americans, Matt Keller (133), and Michael Keefe (141). They are two different kids who work hard and are examples to everyone in the room. Matt Koz, a transfer from Minnesota, is someone I am expecting big things from, as well as Seth Garvin, a native of Alabama. 125 should be very interesting as well. Javier Maldonado, SoCon Champ at 125 last year, and Shawn Cordell, will battle there. Both guys are NCAA qualifiers. I expect big things from both of them. ©2006, The Wrestling Mall
UTC Tabs Bono as Head Wrestling Coach by Dick Kelly That "interim" tag next to Chris Bono's name can be removed. The former Iowa State national champion and three-time All-American Saturday was named head wrestling coach at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. "It just a release and an awesome feeling," said Bono, who had been serving as the Mocs' interim head coach since May. "This has been my goal since I entered the coaching profession." Bono, who won a national title for the Cyclones in 1996, served as an assistant to Bobby Douglas at ISU for nine seasons before joining Joe Seay's staff at UTC last fall. He had been serving as the school's interim head coach since May, when Seay was asked to resign by then interim athletic director Matt Pope. Bono had applied for the UTC head coaching position when it became vacant, but the position was given to Seay, who then added Bono to the staff. "We are excited to have Chris Bono as our head coach on a permanent basis," UTC Athletic Director Rick Hart told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "We are appreciative of his leadership during the transition between coaches and between athletics directors." Bono, who was invited to go through the selection process after Seay's resignation, said his first order of business is to establish some continuity to the program. "I've been doing everything since May and have a schedule in order," Bono said. "Really, (the top priority) is recruiting. I've got to get the kids in and make sure we get recruiting in order and sign some kids in November." UTC won its 21st Southern Conference championship last season and finished 30th at the NCAA Division I national championships. Bono said the Mocs return a good nucleus from last season. Another priority is putting together a staff. Bono has discussed assistant coaching positions with several former ISU wrestlers, but said he has no firm commitments at this time. Bono said he wants to visit with Hart and Pope and make some determinations about what direction to take with regard to compiling a staff. "We'll meet in the next couple of weeks and find out where we're going to go with that," Bono said. Bono said he would like to establish a yearly meet with ISU, preferably on a home-and-home basis. "We're coming to UNI this year and have a home-and-home going with UNI," Bono said. "I'd absolutely love to get back there and wrestling Iowa State every year." The Mocs will wrestling UNI and Oregon State Jan. 7 in Cedar Falls. Former Iowa head coach Jim Zalesky is now the head coach at Oregon State. ©2006, Ames Tribune, Mid-Iowa Newspapers
Interim No More" Bono is UTC's Wrestling Coach by Ward Gossett, Chattanooga Times Free Press Chris Bono has been hired as wrestling coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The only holdover from Joe Seay's one-year stint in the position, Bono has been serving as the school's interim coach. "I have been preparing for this day," Bono said from Fargo, N.D., where he is scouting 2007 prospects at the U.S. Wrestling Federation senior nationals. "I have the schedule in order and I'm on top of recruiting. Right now everything is in preparation for the season." A former associate head coach at Iowa State, Bono applied for the job last year but it was given to Seay, who kept Steve Hamilton and added Sammie Henson and Bono to his staff. In May, however, Seay was asked to resign in May by then interim athletic director Matt Pope. "I had intended to finish my career in Chattanooga," said Seay, who was named Southern Conference coach of the year after the Mocs won the tournament and qualified seven for the NCAA tournament. "All I was ever told was that I had lost the confidence of the administration and some of the program's supporters." Bono didn't want to comment on the departure of Seay, Hamilton and Henson. "Last year is over," he said. "I have erased it from my mind. We're starting a new era, one in which we will graduate our student athletes and compete as hard as we can -- with integrity and honesty -- on the mat." He is the first hire by new UTC athletic director Rick Hart. "I'm happy to finally offer some stability to our wrestling program," Hart said. "Chris has certainly earned the right to be the head coach. I'm excited about him leading our program." Hart initiated the search process before he arrived to take over his official duties. "I wanted to provide that stability and continuity (to the program) as quickly as possible," he said. Hart comes from the University of Oklahoma, which has a rich wrestling history. "Wrestling is important," he said of UTC's program. "We have a great deal of tradition and success in the sport of wrestling and we hope that that can continue and be one of the factors that catapults us into the national spotlight." In order to make that happen, Bono will have to hire some assistant coaches. He has candidates in mind, but who and how many will join him is undecided. "I will have to sit down with Mr. Hart and Matt Pope and make that determination," Bono said. There will be at least two newcomers to the team. Josh Edmonson, a 184-pounder from Northern Idaho Community College, will compete for the spot vacated by the graduated John Davis. Bono didn't know if all the paperwork had been completed, so he wouldn't comment on the other new face, but Intermatwrestling.com has reported that Wisconsin's Seth Garvin, a four-time Alabama state champion, is transferring to UTC and will enter the mix at 165 pounds. ©2006, Times Free Press
Bono Named Head Wrestling Coach by Jeff Romero CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Former NCAA Wrestling Champion Chris Bono has been named Head Wrestling Coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Athletics Director Rick Hart announced Saturday. Bono, an assistant for the Mocs last season, held the title of interim head coach after the May 8 departure of former Head Coach Joe Seay. “This means the world to me,” Bono said. “It has been a goal of mine to become a head coach since I got into the coaching profession. I plan on leading the team and representing UTC with integrity. We will work hard and work toward a national championship. “I am extremely grateful to Rick Hart, the search committee and the University for this opportunity, and I will not let them down.” A member of the 2005-06 staff, Bono helped lead UTC to its 21st Southern Conference title and a 30th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Although new to his position as Athletics Director, Hart was heavily involved in the national search for the head coach, and said that Bono was a perfect fit to direct the tradition-rich program. “We are excited to have Chris Bono as our head coach on a permanent basis,” Hart said. “We are appreciative of his leadership during the transition between coaches and between athletics directors. We look forward to Chris continuing the outstanding tradition of UTC wrestling, and we are confident that he and his program will represent the University and the City of Chattanooga with the utmost class and competitive spirit.” Bono joined the UTC staff in 2005 after serving nine years as a wrestling assistant coach at national-power Iowa State. He worked for Head Coach Bobby Douglas and was the Cyclones’ head assistant coach for the last five years. During Bono’s final year on the ISU staff, he helped direct the Cyclones to a 16-4 dual match record in 2004-05, a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference and a sixth-place showing at the 2005 NCAA Championships. A native of Gilbert, Iowa, Bono holds many coaching and competitive honors. He was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002 for his role in ISU’s success that season. The Cyclones compiled a 17-5 dual match record and were NCAA runner-ups with five wrestlers earning All-America status. Bono, who lettered at Iowa State from 1994-97, ranks fifth on the program’s all-time wins list with 130 victories. He won the NCAA 150-pound title as a junior. A four-time NCAA participant, he placed fifth at the Nationals as a sophomore and second as a senior. As a freshman, he placed eighth at the Big Eight Conference Championships. He wrestled to a Big Eight Conference runner-up finish his sophomore year, won the Big Eight title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997. He registered a 41-11 record as a sophomore, went 37-4 as a junior and was 37-2 his senior season. Bono’s wrestling success did not come to a halt upon his graduation from Iowa State. During the summer of 2004 as a freestyle competitor, Bono defeated Doug Schwab, 5-4, to take third place at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2003, Bono won the 145.5-pound title at the U.S. Senior Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, qualifying for the World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., where he was runner-up at that same weight. He was a U.S. World Cup team member, earning the gold medal at the 2003 World Cup Wrestling Championships in Boise, Idaho, and was a member of the national team at the 2003 Titan Games in San Jose, Calif. Bono's freestyle accomplishments in 2002 led to a U.S. Senior Freestyle No. 1 national ranking at 145.5 pounds and a spot on the U.S. World Team. He began the year with a first-place showing at the Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colo., followed by a fourth-place finish at the Kiev Grand Prix in Kiev, Ukraine. He won a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in Caracara, Venezuela, and placed third at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, earning a berth to the World Team Trials. At the 2002 World Team Trials, Bono swept through the mini-tournament beating Reggie Wright (Gator WC) of Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-1 and Schwab (Hawkeye WC) of Iowa City, Iowa, 3-2 to advance to the finals. In the 145.5-pound championship, Bono defeated Jamill Kelly (Gator WC) of Stillwater, Okla., 3-1 and 3-0, earning his second consecutive World Team Trials title. In a special wrestle-off for the 145.5-pound spot on the 2002 U.S. World Team, Bono defeated Bill Zadick (Hawkeye WC) of Iowa City, Iowa, two matches to one, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2 OT, to earn his second consecutive trip to the World Championships. The U.S. World Team, however, did not compete at the World Championships in Tehran, Iran. Bono also captured top honors at the 2004 NYAC Invitational with a victory in the finals over 2004 NCAA champion Jesse Jantzen, formerly of Harvard, and also earned a 66 kilogram title at the 20th annual Sunkist International Open with a win in the finals over former 2003 NCAA 149-pound champion and current Arizona State assistant coach Eric Larkin. Bono competed at the 2005 World Championships in September in Budapest, Hungary. At the 2005 World Team Trials, Bono, the number one seed, captured the title at 66 kilograms by defeating Jared Lawrence two matches to none. In May of 2006, Bono beat Japan’s Kohei Fujimoto (1-0, 2-0), Uzbekistan’s Muradollo Ablokulov (2-4, 1-0, 2-0) and Russia’s Jirair Oganesyan (1-1, 5-4) at the Independence Cup Grand Prix in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He finished with the silver medal after losing 0-1, 2-1, 1-1 to Russia’s Andrey Sementsov on a takedown with 14 seconds left in the final period. Sementsov is the reigning Junior European champion. Bono earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Iowa State in 1997. He and his wife, Niki, have two daughters, Josie and Ellie. ©2006, The University of Tennesee at Chattanooga
Quotes from the champions at the U.S. Nationals by Erin Phillips, USA Wrestling MAT ONE
WM 48 kg Clarissa Chun
(I’ve been wrestling for six years)
GR 55 kg Lindsey Durlacher “They may say that that last point was cheap. I’m going hard the last 15 seconds. That’s hard wrestling. I don’t quit, I’m always trying to score a point.”
FS 66 kg—Chris Bono “I train hard. I want to win every time I step on the mat to show my training.” “This is what I train for. I didn’t panic. In the past I’d go crazy if I was losing I believe in my skills, I keep my focus, that’s the key.” “A one point lead is not safe. I’ve lost too many matches overseas with these new rules in the last few seconds. Against Zadick on the edge of the mat. I felt him relax and I scored.”
WM 51 kg Patricia Miranda “I feel I made definite steps to improvement . My goal is to just to dominate the national scene. There is a lot left undone on the international scene.”
GR 60 kg Joe Warren “I had a bad day. I started off a little rough my competition has made huge gains. They come hard at me. I own this weight class that’s the bottom line.” “I did a good job keeping my head and staying calm. I wanted a match in the finals I could be proud of.”
FS 74 kg Donny Pritzlaff
(On his wrestling and commitment to the freestyle team)
(On his strategy)
(On the importance of this win)
GR 74 kg T.C. Dantzler
(On his battles with Keith Sieracki)
(On the importance of the win)
(On his first win at Nationals)
(On his strategy) “Thank you to FILA for changing these rules. Without FILA none of this would be possible.”
FS 84 kg Mo Lawal
(On if he needs the gold at the Olympics to truly be Mo)
(On strategy coming in)
(On what the win means)
WM 72 kg Kristie Marano “I bumped up for Nationals so I can figure out where I fit and don’t fit. It was for Nationals, but also for experience outside of the U.S.”
(Why is she still wrestling)
(On women’s wrestling) “It’s good. It gave me some confidence to compete at this weight. I’m going to the World Cup and we’ll see from there.”
GR 96 kg Justin Ruiz
(On the new rules)
(On wrestling international)
(Strategy)
(On the win)
FS 120 kg Tolly Thompson
(On if the competition in this country is good enough to get him ready for the Worlds)
(On his Strategy)
(On what the win means) MAT TWO
WM 55 kg Sharon Jacobsen
(On winning)
GR 66 kg Marcel Cooper “I’m dedicating this tournament to my Mom. She passed away last year.”
(On his age in the sport) “Wrestling is my life. I’ve been doing it since I was five. And I’m a sore loser I guess. I’ve wanted to win as much as anyone else. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and it paid off.”
FS 55 kg Henry Cejudo
(Strategy)
(On winning)
WM 59 kg Sally Roberts
(On the importance of the win)
GR 84 kg Jacob Clark “To win the National tournament—it proves you can’t just sit there. I’ve been wrestling with out heavyweights and heavier guys. “I worked on my conditioning a lot. I’ve made it pretty far on poor conditioning.”
FS 60 kg Zach Roberson
(Importance of this win)
(Next step after this)
WM 67 kg Katie Downing
(On her strategy for the match)
(On the importance of her win)
GR 120 kg Dremiel Byers
(On his strategy)
(After his win)
(On the importance of this win)
FS 96 kg Daniel Cormier
(On his commitment to freestyle)
(On winning today) ©2006, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
13 wrestlers hope to repeat after reaching finals of U.S. Nationals by Craig Sesker and Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling Las VEGAS – Thirteen returning champions will have an opportunity to hit the jackpot again as they will try to successfully defend their titles Saturday night in the finals of the U.S. National Championships. Zach Roberson of the Sunkist Kids is going to do everything in his power to prevent one wrestler from repeating. The fourth-seeded Roberson will try to knock off defending champion Michael Lightner of the Sunkist Kids in the freestyle finals at 132 pounds after upsetting top seed Mike Zadick of the Hawkeye Training Club 0-1, 1-0, 2-0 in Saturday morning’s semifinal round. “This is a very big win for me,” Roberson said. “He works real hard and I tried to wear him down a little bit. I just kept attacking the legs and was able to pull it out. He beat me last year in a close match at the World Team Trials. This is my first time in the finals in this tournament and I hope to keep it going in the finals.” The finals in men’s and women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman are set for 6 o’clock Saturday night at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Six of the seven returning champions in freestyle – Lightner, Chris Bono (145.5), Joe Williams (163), Mo Lawal (185), Daniel Cormier (211.5) and Tolly Thompson (264.5) – can repeat Saturday night. Returning champions who are back in the finals in Greco-Roman include Joe Warren (132.25), Brad Vering (184), Justin Ruiz (211.5) and Dremiel Byers (264.5). Byers is a 2002 World champion and Ruiz won a World bronze medal in 2005. Returning champs who advanced to the women’s freestyle finals include Stephanie Murata (105.5), Sally Roberts (130) and Kristie Marano (158.5). Murata has dropped a class after winning this event at 112.25 last year. Marano has bumped up a division after winning at 147.5 last year in Las Vegas. Roberson, an NCAA champion for Iowa State, nearly squared off against his good buddy and fellow Cyclone national champion Nate Gallick in the finals. But the second-seeded Lightner came from behind to score on a late step out in the closing seconds to edge Gallick in a thrilling semifinal bout. Gallick won the first period, but Lightner stormed back to prevail. Unseeded veteran Mike Ellsworth of the New York Athletic Club upset No. 1 seed Glenn Garrison of the U.S. Army in the Greco-Roman semis at 145.5. High school phenom Henry Cejudo of the Sunkist Kids reached the freestyle finals at 121 pounds. The third-seeded Cejudo continues his rapid ascent up the ladder in the U.S. after downing No. 2 Luke Eustice of the Hawkeye Training Club. Lawal, who wrestles for the Gator Wrestling Club, halted the impressive run of upsets by unseeded Travis Pascoe of the Sunkist Kids. Lawal beat Pascoe 4-0, 4-0 in the freestyle semifinals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Pascoe knocked off two-time NCAA champion Chris Pendleton of the Gator Wrestling club 5-3, 4-4 in the first round before following with a 1-0, 1-0 quarterfinal win over No. 5 seed Aaron Simpson of the Sunkist Kids. The fourth-seeded Pendleton placed third at the World Team Trials last year. Top seed Tina George of the U.S. Army suffered a stunning upset loss in the first round at 121 lbs. when she was caught and pinned one minute into her match against Leigh Jaynes of the Gator Wrestling Club. George is a two-time World silver medalist. Another major upset came when defending U.S. Nationals champion Sam Hazewinkel of the Gator Wrestling Club suffered a 7-1, 1-2, 6-4 loss to Josh Habeck of the U.S. Army. Hazewinkel was the No. 2 seed in Greco-Roman at 121 lbs. Another first-round shocker came in freestyle at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. when unseeded J.D. Bergman of Ohio International upset No. 2 seed Sean Stender of the Sunkist Kids 1-0, 4-2. SEMIFINAL MATCH SUMMARIES MEN’S FREESTYLE At 121 pounds, top seed Matt Azevedo of the Sunkist Kids was never in danger in controlling Collin Cudd of the Badger Wrestling Club 1-0, 3-0. Azevedo moved up to the top seed after 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson chose not to compete. Henson had been the No. 1 seed before pulling out of the event. In the other semifinal at 121, high school phenom and No. 3 seed Henry Cejudo of the Sunkist Kids used his aggressive, hard-charging style to pull out a gritty 2-2, 3-2 win over former NCAA runner-up and No. 2 seed Luke Eustice of the Hawkeye Training Club. Cejudo continues his rapid climb up the ladder in this class. At 132 pounds, No. 4 seed Zach Roberson of the Sunkist Kids shot in on a single in the third period and drove No. 1 Mike Zadick of the Hawkeye Training Club out of bounds for the decisive points in an upset win. The scrappy Zadick won the first period 1-0 before Roberson came back to win 1-0, 2-0. Defending champion Michael Lightner, the No. 2 seed, scored the winning point in the other semifinal at 132 after a step-out in the final seconds of the third period over No. 3 Nick Gallick of the Sunkist Kids. Lightner opened up and attacked the legs to win the second period 4-1 after dropping the first period 3-0 to Gallick, who won an NCAA title last month. At 145.5 pounds, defending champion and top seed Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids regrouped after dropping the first period in a 2-2, 2-0, 2-0 win over No. 5 Doug Schwab of the Gator Wrestling Club. Schwab was unable to generate any offense in the final two periods against the stocky Bono, who is on a mission to win his first World medal this year. Former World Team member and No. 6 seed Bill Zadick followed his upset of No. 3 Eric Larkin by pulling out a tight 0-2, 1-1, 1-0 win over No. 2 seed Jared Lawrence in the other semifinal at 145.5. Zadick held off a late charge by Lawrence in the third period. At 163 pounds, World bronze medalist Joe Williams of the Sunkist Kids received an early wake-up call when he was turned repeatedly in dropping the first period 7-0 to long-time rival Joe Heskett of the Gator Wrestling Club. Williams came back with an assortment of strong leg attacks to win the final two periods 2-0 and 2-1. In the other semifinal at 163, No. 2 seed Donny Pritzlaff of the New York Athletic Club neutralized No. 3 Tyrone Lewis of the Gator Wrestling Club in a tight 0-1, 2-0, 2-0 win. Pritzlaff overcame a slow start to seize control in the final two periods. At 185 pounds, No. 1 Mo Lawal’s explosive abilities were on full display in a convincing 4-0, 4-0 victory over unseeded Travis Pascoe of the Sunkist Kids. Lawal, who competes for the Gator Wrestling Club, fired in on a textbook double-leg takedown and was the aggressor throughout the match. Pascoe had knocked off No. 4 seed Chris Pendleton and No. 5 seed Aaron Simpson to reach the semis. Also at 185, No. 2 Lee Fullhart of the Gator Wrestling Club won a bruising, physical battle with No. 3 Andy Hrovat of the New York Athletic Club by a 3-0, 2-0 score. Hrvoat was unable to generate much offense against the burly Fullhart, who traditionally is very hard to score on. At 211.5 pounds, No. 1 Daniel Cormier of the Gator Wrestling Club showed little rust from not competing much this season by scoring a 3-0, 2-0 win over No. 4 seed Damion Hahn. Cormier took control early with his superior athleticism and power, getting to Hahn’s legs with his attacking style. Also at 211.5, No. 3 seed Nik Fekete of the New York Athletic Club continues to climb the ladder by outlasting unseeded J.D. Bergman of the Ohio International Wrestling Club 4-1, 2-2, 2-0 in three periods. Bergman earlier knocked off No. 2 seed Sean Stender of the Sunkist Kids in the first round. At 264.5 pounds, top seed and World bronze medalist Tolly Thompson of the Sunkist Kids shot in for a takedown in the first 15 seconds en route to a win over No. 4 Mike Irving of the Gator Wrestling Club. Thompson barreled in on a single-leg shot late in the first period to build a 3-0 edge. Thompson powered in again on a leg attack early in the second period to go up 1-0. Thompson then countered a shot attempt and threw Irving to his back to gain a pin. No. 2 seed Steve Mocco of the New York Athletic Club defeated No. 3 Tommy Rowlands of the Sunkist Kids in the other 264.5 semifinal. It was a rematch of the 2002 NCAA finals, won by Rowlands. The first two minutes were scoreless before Rowlands wins the coin flip and the period after driving Mocco out of bounds with the single he received in the leg clinch. Mocco countered a shot by Rowlands, turned and launches him for a four-point throw to win the second period 4-0. Mocco was called for stepping out of bounds with 30 seconds left, but after reviewing the tape, it was determined Rowlands stepped out. The only point of the third period decided the outcome. ©2006, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
U.S. Nationals preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling by Craig Sesker, USA Wrestling Chris Bono is tired of making World teams and then returning home from the big dance without a medal. So the 32-year-old Bono is planning to do something about it this year. The veteran remains the No. 1 American wrestler in the 66 kg/145.5 lbs. freestyle division entering the U.S. Nationals. And he is focused on becoming a medalist in a World or Olympic meet for the first time. The gritty, scrappy former NCAA champion from Iowa State has made World teams in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Bono, who competes for the Sunkist Kids, won the U.S. Nationals in 2003 and 2005. He won the 2003 World Cup, and he has beaten World champions and medalists, but continues to fall short at the World Championships. Bono was a long-time assistant coach at Iowa State and had trained in Ames, Iowa, before he joined former Olympic coach Joe Seay this year on the staff at Tennessee-Chattanooga. Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson also is on that coaching staff. Henson also continues to compete internationally at 55 kg/121 pounds. Bono earned the World team spot last year by sweeping Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Storm in the best-of-three final round at the Trials. Bono won the Dave Schultz Memorial in February and followed that performance by placing second at the Uzbekistan Independence Cup Golden Grand Prix on March 11-12. Lawrence continues to be ranked second by TheMat.com, followed by Eric Larkin of the Sunkist Kids, Jared Frayer of the Gator Wrestling Club and Jesse Jantzen of the New York Athletic Club. With a wealth of talent and experience at this weight class, the 145-pound division continues to be one of the deepest on the U.S. scene. Lawrence won a pair of tournaments in November – the Clansman International in Canada and the New York Athletic Club Holiday Championships – before placing third in the Uzbekistan Independence Cup. The former NCAA champion from Minnesota was second at the 2004 Olympic Trials. Larkin won the Sunkist Kids Open and was second at the Dave Schultz Memorial, falling to Bono in the finals. Frayer was third at the Schultz, dropping a close bout to Larkin in that event. Larkin has placed third at the last two Olympic Trials, an indication that his freestyle skills are at a high level. Jantzen won the University World title to gain momentum for this season. He is one of only five Americans to ever win that event. He has been injured this year, but may be back in time for the U.S. Nationals. A trio of former Iowa Hawkeye NCAA champs – Cliff Moore, Doug Schwab and Bill Zadick - hold down the 6-8 spots in this class. Moore competes for the Hawkeye Training Club while Schwab and Zadick are with the Gator Wrestling Club. Zadick placed seventh at the 2001 World Championships. He won the 2001 and 2002 U.S. Nationals. He now trains at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Schwab was named outstanding wrestler in the inaugural season of Real Pro Wrestling after winning a championship. Moore was second at the Sunkist Kids Open, falling to Larkin in the finals. He also was third at the NYAC meet. Phillip Simpson of the U.S. Army is ranked ninth and JaMarr Billman of the New York Athletic Club is 10th. Simpson was a college star at Army and is now training in Colorado Springs as he makes the transition to freestyle. A number of other wrestlers who excelled in recent years in college may be back after competing in this class last year. They include Dylan Long, Cory Cooperman, Dwight Hinson, Ryan Lang, Jeff Ratliff, Joe Johnston and Dustin Hinschberger. Long (Northern Iowa) and Johnston (Iowa) have placed second at the NCAAs during their college careers. Hinschberger was a Division III national champion for Wartburg College. Lehigh’s Cooperman beat Northwestern’s Lang in the third-place match at 141 at this year’s NCAA meet. Long recently won the Rocky Mountain regional title, beating Garrett Desmond by technical fall in the finals. Ratliff placed third. Another possibility in this class could be Minnesota true freshman Dustin Schlatter, who just captured his first NCAA title at 149. Schlatter, however, also is still eligible to compete for a spot on the Junior World team, and may test that level instead. Jerrod Sanders is another guy who could be a factor after placing eighth in Vegas last year. There is very little separation between the top competitors in this loaded and very deep division. Most of the matches in this class are relatively low scoring. A mistake here or an early takedown there could be the difference in a wide-open bracket where any number of guys can contend for a title. There likely will be a bit of urgency for a veteran like Bono since he’s now the elder statesmen at 145.5 pounds.
2005 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS
THEMAT.COM RANKINGS FOR MARCH 2006 ©2006, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Henson, Lawal win Uzbekistan Golden Grand Prix titles, as five U.S. freestyle wrestlers win medals
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling The U.S. men’s freestyle team had a strong effort on the first day of the Uzbekistan Independence Cup Grand Prix in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 11, winning five medals in the four weight classes contested. This is one of the FILA Golden Grand Prix events, where prize money is awarded based upon placement. Winning gold medals for the United States were Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Both defeated the reigning World champions in their weight classes in the gold-medal finals. “Lawal beat three past medalists. Henson beat a two-time World champion. We won five medals. I am looking forward to the next day,” said National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson. Henson opened the tournament by beating a fierce rival, 2000 Olympic champion Namik Abduallaev of Uzbekistan, 1-2, 2-1, 5-1. Abduallaev beat Henson in the gold-medal match at the 2000 Olympic Games. Henson won his next two matches to qualify for the finals, stopping Alymbaev Altynbek of Kazakhstan, then beating 1999 World silver medalist Adham Achilov of Uzbekistan, 6-0, 1-0. In the gold-medal finals, Henson beat 2003 and 2005 World champion Dilshod Mansurov of Uzbekistan, 0-1, 1-0, 6-0. Henson was a 1998 World champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist. He was a member of the 2005 U.S. World team. Lawal won three matches, all against high-quality opponents. In the first match, Lawal beat 2003 World silver medalist Mourad Gaidarov of Belarus, 1-0, 2-0. His semifinal victory was against 2005 World bronze medalist Taras Danko of Ukraine, 1-1, 1-0, 1-0. In the gold-medal finals, he defeated 2005 World champion Revas Mindorishvili of Georgia, 1-0, 1-0. Winning a silver medal for the United States was three-time U.S. World team member Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids). Bono won his first three matches of the day, stopping Kohei Fujimoto of Japan, 1-0, 2-0, Muradollo Ablokulov of Uzbekistan, 2-4, 1-0, 2-0 and Jirair Oganesyan of Russia, 1-1, 5-4. In the championship finals, Bono lost to 2005 Junior European champion Andrey Sementsov of Russia, 0-1, 2-1, 1-1. Sementsov took down Bono with 14 seconds left in the final period, to win the match. Claiming bronze medals were Jared Lawrence (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and 2005 World bronze medalist Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Lawrence opened up with a loss to eventual champion Andrey Sementsov of Russia, 1-1, 0-1. When Sementsov made the finals, Lawrence was drawn back into the wrestlebacks, where he won three straight matches to capture the bronze. He opened with a victory over Elman Asgarov of Azerbaijan, 6-0, 2-0 then beat Ruslan Kuliev of Kazakhstan, 2-0, 6-0. In the bronze medal match, Lawrence stopped Arslan Khutaliev of Uzbekistan, 0-1, 1-0, 2-0. Thompson also lost his first match, falling to Alex Modebadze of Georgia, 6-0, 1-1, 0-1. When Modebadze made the finals, Thompson was brought back into the wrestlebacks. He pinned Magomed Bugunov of Kyrgyzstan in 3:05 to reach the bronze-medal bout, where he beat Marid Mutalimov of Kazakhstan, 3-0, 2-1. Mutalimov was fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games. Three U.S. wrestlers will see action on Sunday: 2005 U.S. World team member Michael Lightner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Mike Zadick, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye TC) both at 60 kg/132 lbs., plus two-time World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs One U.S. wrestler missed weight and will not compete on Sunday, 2004 Olympian Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
UZBEKISTAN INDEPENDENCE CUP GOLDEN GRAND PRIX U.S. performances
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sammie Henson, Flintstone, Ga. (Sunkist Kids), 1st
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Jared Lawrence, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 3rd
84 kg/185 lbs. - Mo Lawal, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 1st
84 kg/185 lbs. – Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), dnp
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tommy Rowlands, Colunbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), dnp U.S. athletes on Sunday, March 12
60 kg/132 lbs. - Michael Lightner, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Mike Zadick, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye TC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Joe Williams, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) ©2006, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Catching Up with The Groove's Chris Bono
by a Staff Writer, RealPro Wrestling Chris Bono has always been one to do what is best for him and his family. So last fall when he packed up his wife, two kids and all of his belongings to move from Iowa to Tennessee, it shouldn't have come to much of a shock to many in the wrestling world. Yet, it did. Bono had resided in Ames, Iowa since 1992, when he began his illustrious career with the Cyclones. He then took over as an assistant coach when he graduated in 1997, and had helped to continue to build Iowa State as a national powerhouse. To add to it, his wife Niki, grew up just about one hour away from Ames. "Professionally, (the decision to move) was an easy one after I looked at all my options that were given to me by Iowa State and UTC," Bono said of accepting his job at Tennessee-Chattanooga. "Personally, it was extremely hard. I had given 13 total years to Iowa State, I had to move my wife and two little kids away from family and come to a place they had never seen and all this was happening during the World Championships." Undoubtedly, the move was weighing heavily on Bono's mind during those World Championships, when he was upset by Canada's Evan MacDonald early in the tournament. But that loss may have made Bono's decision easier in the end, ultimately. Coaching at Tennessee-Chattanooga would allow him to continue to train as an elite freestyle wrestler. While he was leaving a technical genius in Bobby Douglas, he was going to another in Joe Seay, who is wrestling's version of the NBA's shot doctor. While Bono joked that now he can do some outdoor training in the winter in Tennessee, as opposed to running in the bitter cold and harsh winds of an Iowa winter, he feels that his training has improved since his move. "I have some real quality partners and I have (2000 Olympic silver medalist) Sammie Henson here who is training and has the same goals. That helps," Bono said. For now, Bono the coach will set his focus on the upcoming NCAA postseason, hoping to lead the Mocs into the Top 20. While he left a historic wrestling program to make history at another, Bono does not see much of a difference between coaching at the two schools. "There really is no difference. I still deal with the daily struggles down here as I did at Iowa State." But following the third weekend in March, Bono will be seen back on the mats once again, looking to solidify his spot as the top U.S. freestyler at 145 lbs. And when Real Pro Wrestling announced plans for a Season 2, wrestling fans can bet on seeing Bono there as well. "I would like to see a tournament again," Bono said about how he would like to compete again for RPW. "It would only take a weekend out of our schedule and it was awesome last year. But whatever they do will be awesome." Wrestling fans have come to expect the same awesomeness out of Bono as well.
What's on your iPod?:
Favorite athlete?:
What one thing must you do in every workout? ©2006, RealPro Wrestling.com
Six U.S. athletes win gold medals on the first day of the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, Colo.
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling The U.S. had six individual champions out of eight weight classes contested at the 8th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International held at Sports Center I at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 3. Top international wrestlers from across the world are competing in this annual tournament named in honor of the late Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz. It was 10 years ago last week since Schultz died and left a lasting legacy within the sport. All four men’s freestyle divisions contested today were won by U.S. athletes, while two of the four men’s Greco-Roman weight classes went to American wrestlers. Of the six U.S. champions, five were members of the 2005 U.S. World Team and hold No. 1 rankings in the nation. Winning gold medals in men’s freestyle were: • Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. • Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. • Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. • Nick Preston (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Of these champions, Bono, Williams and Lawal were members of the 2005 U.S. World team. In a very competitive match with high skills, Bono defeated Eric Larkin (Tucson, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), 3-0, 5-6, 4-0. Bono was able to score his leg attacks to win the third and final period to take the victory. In the semifinals, Bono avenged a loss to Canada’s Evan McDonald, who had beaten Bono at the 2005 World Championships. Bono won the match 2-0, 1-0. In a battle of both 2005 World bronze medalists in this division, Williams defeated Nikolay Paslar of Bulgaria, 1-0, 0-1, 2-0 in the finals. Williams was able to score takedowns in the deciding third period for the victory. Paslar was a 2001 World champion, while Williams is a two-time World bronze medalist. Lawal defeated Eveney Kolomets of Russia, 2-0, 5-3 for the gold medal. Lawal was seventh at the 2005 World Championships for the United States. Preston needed three periods to edge Sean Stender (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 0-2, 1-1 in the gold medal round. In Greco-Roman, the two 2005 U.S. World Team members who captured titles were Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio/USOEC/Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5. lbs. and T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. Both were on the 2005 U.S. World Team and hold No. 1 rankings in the USA. Lester won his finals match by injury default over Tae Kyung-Jun of Korea in the second period. Lester won the first period, 6-0, then Tae could not finish when injured defending a move in the second period. Dantzler won both of his periods by technical falls in the finals, stopping Cheney Haight (Orem, Utah/USOEC/New York AC), 6-0, 6-0. Two of the six U.S. champions were also winners of the Dave Schultz Memorial International last year, Williams in freestyle and Lester in Greco-Roman. The two international wrestlers to win Greco-Roman gold medals were Denis Zdorikov of Uzbekistan at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Jimmy Lidberg of Sweden at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. The competition concludes on Saturday, with all seven women’s freestyle weight classes contested, as well as three more divisions in both men’s freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman. QUOTES FROM THE U.S. CHAMPIONS ON FRIDAY Men’s freestyle
66 kg - Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) (about beating McDonald in the semis) “I didn’t give it everything I had at the World Championships. I thought I did, but I didn’t. I was going through some changes then. Today, I was wrestling with a free mind, a clear conscious. I knew I would win when I went out there.” “This tournament is part of Coach Jackson’s plan for the World Team. If you want to be World champion. If you want to be a World Champion, this is part of the plan. This is a stepping stone for me.”
74 kg - Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids
84 kg - Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC)
96 kg - Nick Preston (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) Men’s Greco-Roman
66 kg - Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio/USOEC/Gator WC)
74 kg - T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) “I have three major tournaments in the next three weeks. I feel I am on target to do what I need to do to represent my abilities. At the World Championships last year, I opened against the Olympic champion and it was hard to get on a roll. I want to be prepared for whatever I face this year. Everything I do now is to prepare for the World Championships. I want to eat Chinese food in China at the World Championships this year.” Dave Schultz Memorial International medal matches Men’s Freestyle
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
74 kg/163 lbs.
84 kg/185 lbs.
96 kg/211.5 lbs. Men’s Greco-Roman
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
74 kg/163 lbs.
84 kg/185 lbs.
96 kg/211.5 lbs. ©2006, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Six 2005 U.S. World Team Members advance to semi-finals in Dave Schultz Memorial International on Friday morning
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling Semifinal pairings were determined after the morning session at the 8th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International held at Sports Center I at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 3. Top international wrestlers from across the world are competing in this annual tournament named in honor of the late Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz. It was 10 years ago last week since Schultz died and left a lasting legacy within the sport. Eight weight classes are being held on Friday, four in men’s freestyle and four in men’s Greco-Roman. A total of 16 different countries were represented in the weight classes contested today. In seven of the eight weight classes, the No. 1 ranked U.S. wrestlers who competed at the 2005 World Championships were in competition. Six of the seven who were 2005 U.S. World Team members qualified for the semifinal rounds, three in Greco-Roman and three in freestyle. In Greco-Roman, Harry Lester (Akron, Ohio/USOEC/Gator WC) won three matches at 66 kg/145.5. lbs. to advance to the semifinals. He defeated Fabio Cabral Nieves of Brazil, 6-0, 7-0, then John Dabala (Marquette, Mich./USOEC), 6-0, 7-1. In the quarterfinals, he pinned Christian Nova Roca of Bolivia in 1:30 Lester will face 2001 U.S. World Team member Marcel Cooper (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the semifinals. T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) also advanced to the semifinals at 74 kg/163 lbs. in Greco-Roman. His first match was a victory over Yavor Yankiev of Bulgaria, 6-0, 7-0, then he scored a second period pin over Phillip Padilla (Team Arizona), 6-0, 1:15. Dantzler will battle Brandon McNab (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) in the semifinals. Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) advanced at 84 kg/185 lbs. in Greco-Roman with two wins. He defeated Ruiji Yamaguchi of Japan, 6-0, 5-0, then stopped Robert Smith (Marquette, Mich./USOEC) in the quarterfinals, 5-0, 6-0. Ruiz will face Jimmy Lidberg of Sweden in the semifinals, a 2005 European silver medalist. In freestyle, 2005 World Team member Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) won his two bouts at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. He defeated Ron Groves (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOTC), 1-0, 7-0, then stopped Dimitar Georgiev (Bulgaria), 1-1, 8-0 Bono will face Evan McDonald of Canada in the semifinals. McDonald defeated Bono in the 2005 World Championships in Budapest, Canada, which knocked Bono out of the tournament. Two-time World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) advanced at 74 kg/163 lbs. He opened with an injury default win over Oscar Corolony of Colombia, then beat Giorgi Gobejishvili of Georgia, 4-1, 5-0. Williams will face Denis Targush of Russia in the semifinals. Top ranked Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won his only bout at 84 kg/185 lbs. to make the semifinals. He defeated Bryce Hasseman (Bloomsburg, Pa./New York AC), 6-0, 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Lawal will wrestle Greg Parker (New York, N.Y./New York AC) in the semfinal round. The only 2005 U.S. World Team member to lose during the morning session was Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. in Greco-Roman. Vering opened with a victory over Hristo Marinov of Bulgaria, 3-0, 3-0. However, in the quarterfinals, Vering was hit with a third caution and was disqualified, losing to Denis Zdorikov of Uzbekistan. An upset occurred in the first round at the 66 kg/145.5 lbs. division in Greco-Roman, when James Shillow (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines) stopped 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Akaki Chachua of Georgia, when Chachua was disqualified with a third caution. Shillow advanced to the semifinal round. Another early first round upset occurred in the 96 kg/211.5 lbs division in Greco-Roman, when Phil Johnston (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) upset Mukhran Vakhtangadaze of Georgia, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, 4-4, 5-0, 1-1. Johnston was defeated in the next round, losing to Sweden’s Jimmy Lidberg. Also in the first round, 2004 Olympic champion Alexandr Dokturishivili, competing at 84 kg/185 lbs., stopped 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up Jacob Clark (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marines), 0-3, 5-0, 1-1. Dokturishvili moved on to qualify for the semifinals. At 74 kg/163 lbs., 2001 World champion Nikolay Paslar of Bulgaria won his first two matches, beating Jim Stanec (Charlottesville, Va./Charlottesville WC), 4-0 4-0 and Tyrone Lewis (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), 1-1, 5-2. He will also compete in the semifinal round. 2002 World bronze medalist Mohammed Abdel Fattah of Egypt won two matches to advance to the semifinals at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman.
Dave Schultz Memorial International Semifinal pairings
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
74 kg/163 lbs.
84 kg/185 lbs.
96 kg/211.5 lbs. Men’s Greco-Roman
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
74 kg/163 lbs.
84 kg/185 lbs.
96 kg/211.5 lbs. Semifinals are set for 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, followed by the completion of the tournament later in the session. ©2006, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
U.S. Freestyle World Team to compete in Super Cup in the Daghestan Republic of Russia
by John Fuller Colorado Springs, Colo. - All seven members of the 2005 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team will compete in the Super Cup, Nov. 12-14 in the Daghestan Republic of Russia. This tournament will be a similar format to the World Cup, with nations wrestling dual meets for numerous awards. The first-place team will be awarded $40,000 to split among the participants. The second-place team will be awarded $30,000 and the third-place team will earn $20,000. There are also other individual awards given out for “Best Technique,” “The Will To Victory” and “Best Judge.” Overall, 13 teams from 12 countries will compete in this competition. The 13th team is a team solely from the Daghestan Republic. Of the other 12 teams, the top four teams in the 2005 World Champions, Russia, Cuba, Georgia and Ukraine will send squads to this event. Seven of the other eight teams, including the United States which placed eighth, also placed in the top 20 overall at the World Championships this year – Azerbaijan (20th), Armenia (16th), Belarus (17th), Iran (6th), Turkey (13th) and Uzbekistan (12th). The other team competing is Romania. “This is a great event for our team to be able to compete in so soon after the World Championships,” USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson stated. “Our team was pretty disappointed with our performance after the World Championships this year, and this will give us an opportunity to show that we are better than an eighth-place finish.” Jackson also stated that with the amount of money being awarded and the countries competing, that he expects most of the top wrestlers to be in their respective nation’s lineup. If all nations competing bring their top wrestlers, 19 of this year’s 28 medalists from the World Championships would be present. The U.S. team will include 2005 World bronze medalists Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Williams, who also won a World bronze medal in 2001, has won four gold medals at a similar event, the World Cup. Thompson won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Cup. Former World champion Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. Henson won a World title in 1998 and followed that with an Olympic silver medal in 2000. He also won silver medals in the 1998 and 1999 World Cup. Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), who placed fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games, will wrestle for the U.S. team at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Cormier also placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships. In 2003, he placed third in another high-profile event in Russia, the Ivan Yarygin Cup, which billed the winners of the 96 kg and 120 kg weight classes against each other in a best of the big men competition. Representing the U.S. at 84 kg/185 lbs. will be Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), who placed seventh at this year’s World Championships after losing a controversial match to former World champion Sazhid Sazhidov of Russia. Rounding out the U.S. roster will be Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., both of whom competed in this year’s World Championships. Lightner was a newcomer to this year’s World Team after winning a U.S. Nationals title earlier in the season. Bono is a veteran of international competitions, winning a gold medal at the 2003 World Cup and also competing in the 2001 World Championships. The team will be coached by Kevin Jackson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and USA Wrestling Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands (Woodland Park, Colo.). The exact format of the Super Cup has not yet been determined and the final lineups of the other countries have not yet been released. TheMat.com will provide more information as it becomes available.
U.S. Roster for Freestyle Super Cup at Daghestan Republic, Russia ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Bono defeated in first match at 2005 World Championships
All three U.S. freestyle wrestlers who competed on the opening day of the World Wrestling Championships were defeated in the morning session at the Laszlo Papp Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 26. 1998 World Champion Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) won his first match of the day, but was defeated in his second round match at 55 kg/121 lbs. Losing in their opening matches of the day were Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Bono was defeated by Evan MacDonald of Canada, 1-1, 1-1. In both periods, Bono scored the first point of the match on a takedown. In the first period, MacDonald scored a point when Bono went out of bounds with four seconds left. In the second period, Bono stepped out with just one second remaining, giving the point to MacDonald. In the new rules, the athlete who scored the final point wins a 1-1 tie. Bono was competing in the World Championships for the second time in his career. MacDonald was eighth at the 2003 World Championships, and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games. Bono beat MacDonald at the Sunkist Kids International Open earlier this season. As of the end of the morning session, Henson and Bono still have the opportunity to wrestle back for third place, because the athletes they lost to are still alive in the competition. However, both of their opponents must advance to the gold-medal finals for Henson and Bono to qualify for the wrestle-back rounds. Lightner was eliminated from the competition when Odabasi was defeated in the second round by 2004 Olympic champion Yandro Quintana of Cuba. QUOTES:
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) "I still feel like I can win this tournament. To do that, you have to wrestle mistake free. I didn't do that. I was ready. I blew it, everything I worked for."
Mike Duroe, U.S. World Team Coach "With Chris Bono, it happened with 15 seconds left in the first period and just four seconds left in the second period. You have to keep wrestling. That is how we coached them." ©2005, CSTV.com
Quotes for Henson, Lightner & Bono After AM Losses
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) “It was nothing. I just woke up this morning and didn’t feel it. I was tired. I was strong; I am always strong. That guy is a good wrestler, but he’s not in my league. He is done. He won’t beat the other guys. He beat me. I got beat. Sammie Henson wasn’t there today. What are you going to say? I am mad. I am pissed off. I have three kids and a family…” 60 kg/132 lbs. - Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) “For myself, I felt good. I don’t feel like he did anything. I was in on his leg. I got beat with my own technique. I didn’t react on my finish quite enough. At the end, the rest of the points were scored on me forcing attacks. It is going to be hard to swallow. I beat myself, hesitating on a shot.” “I was ready to go physically and mentally. I felt I went out there and was in control. Coach Jackson preaches it all the time. Don’t let him score on your technique. I let him score on my technique. The chances are against me getting back in with (Olympic champion) Quintana there.” “It has been a good experience. I have gotten better. I have grown as a wrestler. I am disappointed it ended this way. I had higher expectations and my family had higher expectations. I’ve been knocked down before. I will be back.” 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) “I made two of the biggest mistakes in my life. Those were things I worked in camp. I let my coaches down. They had me ready. I felt great. I didn’t do the things we practiced. I played defense instead of building my lead and wrestling. I didn’t stay aggressive. I should have gone for another point. I played defense and it cost me.” “He has a tough draw ahead of him, the Kazakhstan wrestler who was fourth in the Olympics and the Bulgarian.” “I still feel like I can win this tournament. To do that, you have to wrestle mistake free. I didn’t do that. I was ready. I blew it, everything I worked for.” Joe Seay, U.S. World Team Coach “I don’t know the reason Sammie lost. I can’t say it was mental. But today, I looked at Sammie and I didn’t see what I should see. He is in excellent shape. But it seemed like he was tired. It was a combination of things. I wish I had the answer.” “You don’t sit on a lead. You don’t wrestle on the edge. You control the middle of the mat and you stay there. We worked on that all summer.” Mike Duroe, U.S. World Team Coach “The bottom line is we were in scoring position and didn’t finish the holds. That happened in Michael’s match, and in Bono’s match. Bono was ahead in both periods. A one-point lead is never enough. If you try to hold a lead, you are taking a chance. When you are in a position to win, you have to finish it clean. We are capable of doing that.” “With Chris Bono, it happened with 15 seconds left in the first period and just four seconds left in the second period. You have to keep wrestling. That is how we coached them.” ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Quotes from U.S. Freestyle World Team wrestlers Henson, Lightner, Bono
All three U.S. freestyle wrestlers who competed on the opening day of the World Wrestling Championships were defeated in the morning session at the Laszlo Papp Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 26. 1998 World Champion Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) won his first match of the day, but was defeated in his second round match at 55 kg/121 lbs. Losing in their opening matches of the day were Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Henson opened the first match with a 2-3, 2-0, 4-0 victory over Vytas Cumakov of Lithuania. Henson was ahead 2-0 in the first period, but lost that period when Cumakov scored a takedown and a leg lace turn for three points. Henson dominated the next two periods, shutting out Cumakov 2-0 and 4-0 to win the match. In the next round, Henson was defeated by a young talent, Zalimkhan Kutseev of Russia, 1-1, 0-7. Henson scored the first point in the opening period on a takedown, but Kutseev scored a takedown with 12 seconds remaining to tie the match. The Russian won the period by scoring the last point in the period which is in the tiebreaking rules. In the second period, Kutseev scored a takedown and then turned Henson three times to his back to score seven points, winning the period by technical superiority. Under the new rules, if an athlete is six or more points ahead in any period, it ends the period by technical superiority. Lightner was defeated in a tight three-period match to 2004 Olympian Tevfik Odabasi of Turkey, 2-0, 0-1, 0-4. It was Lightner’s first appearance in a World Championships. Lightner won the first period 2-0, with a takedown and a step out point. In the second period, Odabasi scored the only point when Lightner stepped out of bounds. The final period went to Odabasi, who scored a two-point crotch lift on a counter to a Lightner shot, then scored two more takedowns when Lightner tried to press his offense. Bono was defeated by Evan MacDonald of Canada, 1-1, 1-1. In both periods, Bono scored the first point of the match on a takedown. In the first period, MacDonald scored a point when Bono went out of bounds with four seconds left. In the second period, Bono stepped out with just one second remaining, giving the point to MacDonald. In the new rules, the athlete who scored the final point wins a 1-1 tie. Bono was competing in the World Championships for the second time in his career. MacDonald was eighth at the 2003 World Championships, and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games. Bono beat MacDonald at the Sunkist Kids International Open earlier this season. As of the end of the morning session, Henson and Bono still have the opportunity to wrestle back for third place, because the athletes they lost to are still alive in the competition. However, both of their opponents must advance to the gold-medal finals for Henson and Bono to qualify for the wrestle-back rounds. Lightner was eliminated from the competition when Odabasi was defeated in the second round by 2004 Olympic champion Yandro Quintana of Cuba. “The bottom line is we were in scoring position and didn’t finish the holds,” said U.S. coach Mike Duroe. “That happened in Michael’s match, and in Bono’s match. Bono was ahead in both periods. A one-point lead is never enough. If you try to hold a lead, you are taking a chance. When you are in a position to win, you have to finish it clean. We are capable of doing that.” ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Quotes from U.S. Freestyle World Team wrestlers Henson, Lightner, Bono
55 kg – Sammie Henson, Flintstone, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) “I feel great now that I made weight. I am ready. I can’t be any more ready than I am now. I feel strong. One day at a time, one match at a time, one gold at a time.” 60 kg – Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) “I love to compete. I am here to win. The preparation was good. I’m more prepared than I have ever been. This is the best training I have ever had. I am optimistic. I will go out and pour my heart out on the mat.” 66 kg – Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) “I am excited to get started. It has been a long time. I am real prepared, as prepared as I will be. I just have to wrestle, do everything we practiced all summer. If I do that, I’ll be OK. I am excited. I am just ready to go. We are well prepared.” Joe Seay, Chattanooga, Tenn., U.S. Freestyle World Team Coach “The first three guys are ready. Everybody is doing well. We’ve had great practices. Everybody is training well. We have divided them up into sections. We are ready; we have staged everything. Now we are just getting ready to go. The kids are feeling good for the most part.” “We have a good combination the first day. This style of wrestling is perfect for Bono. The rules couldn’t be better for him. He is confident. Sammie Henson is on a mission. He came here to win. He hasn’t won in awhile. He is capable and he had a great training camp. His preparation is excellent. Everything we asked him to do he has stepped up for. Lightner also has a good shot. His quickness is great. His confidence is up because he beat Olympic silver medalist Abas on the way to make the team. He believes he can win and he trained well.” “For us, the positive things are the style, and the one-day tournament. The further we go in the tournament, the tougher we are. However, we have to be ready to go hard right from the start. We have prepared properly. Every guy on this team is going for the gold medal.” Kevin Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach “I feel good about where our guys are. It is always nice to have an easy draw. To be the best, you have to beat everybody. We are ready to win. It’s a blind draw, so we will wrestle it accordingly.” ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
U.S. freestyle wrestlers Henson, Lightner, Bono receive draws for World Championships
The first three U.S. wrestlers who will compete at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary weighed in on Sunday, Sept. 25 and received their first-round draws. The competition will begin with men’s freestyle wrestling at 55 kg/121 lbs., 60 kg/132 lbs. and 66 kg/145.5 lbs. These weight classes will begin and be completed on one day, Monday, Sept. 26. 1998 World Champion Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) will open his competition against Vytas Cumakov of Lithuania at 55 kg/121 lbs. Henson was also a 2000 Olympic silver medalist. Cumakov was 10th in the 2005 European Championships. “I feel great now that I made weight. I am ready. I can’t be any more ready than I am now. I feel strong. One day at a time, one match at a time, one gold at a time,” said Henson. Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids), competing at his first World Championships, will wrestle 2000 Olympian Tevfik Odabasi of Turkey in the opening round at 60 kg/132 lbs. Odabasi was sixth in the 2003 World Championships. Odabasi was second at the 2005 World University Games, losing to American Nate Gallick (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) in the gold-medal finals. Lightner defeated Gallick in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials to earn the spot on the U.S. World Team. “I love to compete. I am here to win. The preparation was good. I’m more prepared than I have ever been. This is the best training I have ever had. I am optimistic. I will go out and pour my heart out on the mat,” said Lightner. Chris Bono (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), who competed at the 2001 World Championships, will open against one of Canada’s top wrestlers, Evan MacDonald, in the opening match at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. MacDonald placed eighth at the 2003 World Championships, and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games. “I am excited to get started. It has been a long time. I am real prepared, as prepared as I will be. I just have to wrestle, do everything we practiced all summer. If I do that, I’ll be OK. I am excited. I am just ready to go. We are well prepared,” said Bono. “The first three guys are ready,” said U.S. World Team Coach Joe Seay. “Everybody is doing well. We’ve had great practices. Everybody is training well. We are ready; we have staged everything. Now we are just getting ready to go. The kids are feeling good for the most part.” The U.S. is expected to be among the top teams in the men’s freestyle competition. The U.S. has won two World Team titles, in 1993 and 1995, on teams which included Seay as a head coach. The competition in all three weight divisions will be completed in its entirety on Monday, Sept. 26, with a gold medal, a silver medal and two bronze medals awarded. Weigh-ins for the second set of weight classes in men’s freestyle wrestling will be held Monday, with competition on Tuesday, Sept. 27 (74 kg, 84 kg, 96 kg).
©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
Chat Room: U.S. wrestling champion Chris Bono
Florida native Chris Bono has long been one of the country’s top wrestlers. He was a 1996 NCAA champion for Iowa State University and has won two U.S. national freestyle titles, including the 2005 crown at 145.5 pounds. He will represent the U.S. in the 2005 World Championships, which start Monday in Budapest, Hungary. The 31-year-old Bono has been an assistant wrestling coach at Iowa State University since 1997. Fans can follow his career through his website, www.chrisbono.com. He talked with the Star-Telegram two days before his departure for Hungary. The last time you made a world championship squad, in 2002, the U.S. later pulled out of the meet (which was held in Iran) because of threats made to the U.S. team. How did you feel about missing out on that chance? "It was crushing. We were ready to go, and we pulled out only two days before we were supposed to leave for it. As a competitor, I would have rather gone and taken my chances. But as an organization, USA Wrestling absolutely made the right decision. They have to look out for our best interests." You won the 2003 U.S. title, but last year finished fourth in the 145.5-pound class at the Olympic Trials after you lost to only one opponent. It later came out that you’d broken your elbow in practice two weeks before the Trials. Did you consider not even competing at the meet? "That never crossed my mind. I was going to do it, regardless. I still thought I’d win. I’m getting older, and what I was thinking is, 'a gold medal or nothing.' I’m a college coach, and I also didn't want to send my college wrestlers the wrong message by withdrawing from the tournament." You did go to Athens, as a workout partner for U.S. team member Joe Williams. Jamill Kelly, the wrestler who had won the U.S.’s 145.5 slot, went on to earn a silver medal. Was it hard to watch Kelly, knowing it might have been you with an Olympic medal? "No, it was good, because he deserved it. We’re all friends at this level, and I’m an American, so it was good to see him do well. It also showed me that I’m right there with all those guys too. That was really what made me decide to keep going." Have you changed your training habits at all as you’ve gotten older? "Yes. I used to be a guy who thought I had to do these long, grueling workouts, but I’ve realized I have to work smarter. So sometimes my workouts aren’ t as long as other guys’. I’ve also changed my practices a bit because the rules have changed, and the matches have changed." Do you think the rules changes that have been implemented by FILA (the sport’ s international governing body) will work to your advantage? "They’ve helped me out a bunch. Just the change with the clinch position alone - every international match I lost last year was because we went to the clinch position. The upper body aspect was really to my disadvantage because I’m so short." You competed in the 2001 World Championships but did not medal. Did you learn anything from that experience that you’ll apply to this Worlds? "Yes - I need to be ready to go from the first whistle. In 2001 I went out in my first match and got bounced, 4-0. I need to be ready to wrestle my toughest match right off the bat." ©2005, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Iowa State Assistant Chris Bono Joins UTC Wrestling Staff
U.S. World Team member has been assistant coach at ISU for eight years. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Iowa State assistant head wrestling coach Chris Bono has accepted an assistant coaching position at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, UTC Head Coach Joey Seay announced Thursday. Iowa State head coach Bobby Douglas says Bono, who has been an assistant coach at Iowa State the last eight years, will be missed. "Chris has been such a huge part of what we have done here," Douglas said. "He has been a Cyclone all the way and I have enjoyed coaching him and coaching with him. The guy is on the U.S. freestyle team. You just don't replace people of that quality. Chris has already had a great wrestling career and there are more accomplishments out there for him in the sport as a competitor and as a coach." Bono is expected to coach the Mocs' middleweight wrestlers. "It will be hard to leave Iowa State," Bono said. "The Cyclone wrestling team and the University in general have meant so much to our family. Iowa State will always be a part of me. This is a opportunity for me to further spread my wings." A member of Douglas' coaching staff since 1997, Bono has held the title of the Cyclones' assistant head coach for five years. He helped ISU to a 16-4 dual match record in 2004-05, a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference and a sixth-place showing at the 2005 NCAA Championship. Bono is currently preparing to compete at the 2005 World Championships, which will take place Sept. 26 in Budapest, Hungary. At the 2005 World Team Trials, seeded No. 1, Bono captured the title at 66 kilograms by defeating Jared Lawrence two matches to none. Seay is the head coach of the United States team. "I am thrilled that he has decided to take this position," Seay said. "He is another quality individual for our program and gives us, in my opinion, the best staff in the country. You have to have the right people in the right places. These guys will make this thing happen and will certainly help in our nationwide recruiting efforts." Bono joins former Cyclone Steve Hamilton, Sammie Henson and Leonce Crump as members of Seay's first staff at UTC. A Florida native, Bono holds many coaching and competitive honors. He was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002. The Cyclones compiled a 17-5 dual match record and were NCAA runners-up with five wrestlers earning All-America status. Bono, who lettered at Iowa State from 1994-97, ranks fifth on the program's all-time wins list with 130 victories. He won the NCAA 150-pound title as a junior. A four-time NCAA participant, he placed fifth at the national collegiate tournament as a sophomore and second as a senior. He wrestled to a Big Eight Conference runner-up finish his sophomore year, won the Big Eight title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997. He registered a 41-11 record as a sophomore, went 37-4 as a junior and was 37-2 his senior season. Bono's wrestling success did not come to a halt upon his graduation from Iowa State. During the summer of 2004 as a freestyle competitor, Bono decisioned Doug Schwab, 5-4, to take third place at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2003, Bono won the 145.5-pound title at the U.S. Senior Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, qualifying for the World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., where he was runner-up at that same weight. He was a U.S. World Cup team member, earning the gold medal at the 2003 World Cup Wrestling Championships in Boise, Idaho, and was a member of the national team at the 2003 Titan Games in San Jose, Calif. Bono's freestyle accomplishments in 2002 led to a No.1 U.S. Senior Freestyle national ranking at 145.5 pounds and a spot on the U.S. World Team. He began the year with a first-place showing at the Dave Schultz Memorial tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo., followed by a fourth-place finish at the Kiev Grand Prix in Kiev, Ukraine. He won a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in Caracara, Venezuela, and placed third at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, earning a berth to the World Team Trials. At the 2002 World Team Trials, Bono swept through the mini-tournament beating Reggie Wright 3-1 and Schwab (Hawkeye WC) of Iowa City, Iowa, 3-2 to advance to the finals. In the 145.5-pound championship, Bono defeated Jamill Kelly 3-1 and 3-0, earning his second consecutive World Team Trials title. In a special wrestle-off for the 145.5-pound spot on the 2002 U.S. World Team, Bono defeated Bill Zadick two matches to one, (2-3, 3-1, 3-2 OT), to earn his second consecutive trip to the World Championships. The U.S. World Team, however, did not compete at the World Championships in Tehran, Iran. Bono also captured top honors at the 2004 NYAC Invitational with a victory in the finals over 2004 NCAA champion Jesse Jantzen and also earned a 66 kg. title at the 20th annual Sunkist International Open with a win in the finals over former 2003 NCAA 149-pound champion and current Arizona State assistant coach Eric Larkin. Bono earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State in 1997. He and his wife, Niki, have two daughters, Josie and Ellie. ©2005, CSTV Networks, Inc. and Iowa State University
Iowa State Assistant Joins Wrestling Staff
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Chris Bono, a nine-year assistant wrestling coach at national-power Iowa State, has accepted an assistant coaching position at UTC, Head Coach Joey Seay announced Thursday. Bono is expected to coach the Mocs’ middleweight wrestlers. A member of Head Coach Bobby Douglas’ coaching staff since 1997, Bono has held the title of the Cyclones’ head assistant coach for five years. He helped ISU to a 16-4 dual match record in 2004-05, a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference and a sixth-place showing at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Bono is currently preparing to compete at the 2005 World Championships which will take place Sept. 26 in Budapest, Hungary. At the 2005 World Team Trials, Bono, the number one seed, captured the title at 66 kilograms by defeating Jared Lawrence two matches to none. Seay is the head coach of the United States team. “I am thrilled that he has decided to take this position,” Seay said. “He is another quality individual for our program and gives us, in my opinion, the best staff in the country. You have to have the right people in the right places. These guys will make this thing happen and will certainly help in our nationwide recruiting efforts.” Bono joins Steve Hamilton, Sammie Henson and Leonce Crump as members of Seay’s first staff at UTC. A native of Gilbert, Iowa, Bono holds many coaching and competitive honors. He was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002 for his role in ISU’s success that season. The Cyclones compiled a 17-5 dual match record and were NCAA runner-ups with five wrestlers earning All-America status. Bono, who lettered at Iowa State from 1994-97, ranks fifth on the program’s all-time wins list with 130 victories. He won the NCAA 150-pound title as a junior. A four-time NCAA participant, he placed fifth at the Nationals as a sophomore and second as a senior. As a freshman, he placed eighth at the Big Eight Conference Championships. He wrestled to a Big Eight Conference runner-up finish his sophomore year, won the Big Eight title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997. He registered a 41-11 record as a sophomore, went 37-4 as a junior and was 37-2 his senior season. Bono’s wrestling success did not come to a halt upon his graduation from Iowa State. During the summer of 2004 as a freestyle competitor, Bono decisioned Doug Schwab, 5-4, to take third place at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2003, Bono won the 145.5-pound title at the U.S. Senior Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, qualifying for the World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., where he was runner-up at that same weight. He was a U.S. World Cup team member, earning the gold medal at the 2003 World Cup Wrestling Championships in Boise, Idaho, and was a member of the national team at the 2003 Titan Games in San Jose, Calif. Bono's freestyle accomplishments in 2002 led to a No.1 U.S. Senior Freestyle national ranking at 145.5 pounds and a spot on the U.S. World Team. He began the year with a first-place showing at the Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colo., followed by a fourth-place finish at the Kiev Grand Prix in Kiev, Ukraine. He won a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in Caracara, Venezuela, and placed third at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, earning a berth to the World Team Trials. At the 2002 World Team Trials, Bono swept through the mini-tournament beating Reggie Wright (Gator WC) of Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-1 and Schwab (Hawkeye WC) of Iowa City, Iowa, 3-2 to advance to the finals. In the 145.5-pound championship, Bono defeated Jamill Kelly (Gator WC) of Stillwater, Okla., 3-1 and 3-0, earning his second consecutive World Team Trials title. In a special wrestle-off for the 145.5-pound spot on the 2002 U.S. World Team, Bono defeated Bill Zadick (Hawkeye WC) of Iowa City, Iowa, two matches to one, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2 OT, to earn his second consecutive trip to the World Championships. The U.S. World Team, however, did not compete at the World Championships in Tehran, Iran. Bono also captured top honors at the 2004 NYAC Invitational with a victory in the finals over 2004 NCAA champion Jesse Jantzen, formerly of Harvard, and also earned a 66 kg. title at the 20th annual Sunkist International Open with a win in the finals over former 2003 NCAA 149-pound champion and current Arizona State assistant coach Eric Larkin. Bono earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Iowa State in 1997. He and his wife, Niki, have two daughters, Josie and Ellie. ©2005, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Bono takes job at Tennessee-Chattanooga
by John Fuller Chris Bono has confirmed that he has accepted the position of co-head assistant wrestling coach at the Univ. of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Bono declined comment until after the 2005 World Championships, which will take place later this month. Bono has spent the last eight years as a member of the Iowa State Univ. wrestling staff and the last four years as the head assistant coach. 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 1998 World champion Sammie Henson will serve as the other co-head assistant wrestling coach. 2005 U.S. World Team coach Joe Seay is currently the head wrestling coach at UTC. On Sunday, Bono will depart for Budapest, Hungary, where he will compete at the 2005 World Championships of freestyle wrestling. Bono will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. on Monday, September 26. In 2002, Chris Bono was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. Bono was highly instrumental in leading the Cyclones to a 17-5 dual meet record and a second-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships with five All-Americans. Overall, seven wrestlers have won NCAA titles at Iowa State during Bono’s tenure. The Cyclones took runner-up honors as a team at the NCAA Tournament twice during that time as well. Internationally, Bono has been one of the best freestyle wrestlers in the world. He competed in the 2001 World Championships and was a member of the 2002 U.S. World Team that did not compete at the championships in Tehran, Iran due to a credible threat of violence placed against the team. Bono won a gold medal at the 2003 World Cup. He captured U.S. Freestyle Nationals titles in 2003 and 2005 and was a runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. As a collegiate competitor at Iowa State from 1994-97, Bono amassed 130 wins, ranking fifth on Iowa State’s all-time victory chart. Bono advanced to the NCAA Championships his freshman season after placing third at the Big Eight Conference meet. In his sophomore campaign, Bono compiled a 41-11 record, placed fifth at the 1996 NCAA Championships and was the Big Eight Conference runner-up at 150 lbs. Bono capped a superlative junior year by winning the NCAA 150-pound title. He tallied a 37-4 record and won another Big Eight championship. As a senior, Bono placed second at the NCAA Tournament. He totaled 37 wins against three losses and was named the outstanding wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship. Bono earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Iowa State in 1997. He and wife, Niki, were married July 3, 1999. They have two daughters, Josie and Ellie Dru. ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
FEATURE: U.S. World Teams complete domestic training camps, as athletes and coaches are ready for World meet in Budapest, Hungary
by Gary Abbott The U.S. World Wrestling Teams have now completed their domestic training camps, in preparation for the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. The men ‘s freestyle and women’s freestyle teams held their final workouts at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 13. The men’s Greco-Roman team had already finished its U.S. training camps over the past weekend in Colorado Springs. The last scheduled workouts for both the men’s freestyle team and the women’s freestyle team were at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The focus in both practice sessions was on the seven individual World Team members on each team who will represent the U.S. at the World Championships. The men’s freestyle practice was in the wrestling room in Sports Center II, where daily wrestling practices are conducted year round. National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson and U.S. World Team coach Mike Duroe gave some final instructions to the athletes prior to the workout. Duroe handed each of the World Team members a workout schedule for their time back at their homes, prior to the team’s departure for Hungary on September 19. The practice concentrated on warming up, getting in a strong drill, and each World Team member having one live match. Coach Jackson told the athletes to work with intensity so the practice could be short. “I feel real good and ready,” said Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), who competes at 84 kg. “The rush for me will be right after weighins. I am satisfied with my conditioning and my technique. I am good to go.” “I am excited,” said Lawal, who will be competing in his first World meet. “I will go out and give it 100 percent and wrestle smart. If I do that, I get my gold medal. That is what it takes. We learn new stuff at every camp, game plans, par terre wrestling, setups.” “Camp has been awesome,” said Chris Bono (Gilbert, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), the 66 kg wrestler who will be on his third U.S. World team. “I have been pushed to the limit. I am in the best shape in my life. I have improved in all areas of my concentration. I am ready. I am excited to get home now to see my wife and kids for a few days.” “I am ready to go,” said 2004 Olympian Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), who wrestles at 96 kg. “We trained hard, harder and smarter than ever before. I think I have done everything right. I have prepared myself mentally and physically to be the best. I am focused on being the World champion. It is the first time I have not had distractions off the mat prior to competing.” The women’s freestyle team was having its final U.S. practice at the same exact time, in a different gym in Sports Center I. National Freestyle Coach Terry Steiner and National Resident Coach Izzy Izboinikov were holding individual workouts with the World Team members, which included some drilling and live wrestling, including short matches. The women’s team travels over the weekend to Prague, Czech Republic, where they will have their final training camp with the Czech athletes, leading up to their arrival in Budapest just prior to the competition. Two of the World Team members, Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg and Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg started their workouts 30 minutes prior to the rest of the team. Both received personalized instruction from Steiner, Izboinikov and other coaches. “I am excited about this trip,” said Murata, a past World silver medalist who has competed on a number of U.S. teams. “We have a lot of support. Women’s wrestling has come a long way. It is amazing where we are now, in terms of workout partners, coaches and support staff. It is nice to see, and it is very helpful to the athletes.” “My weight class will be very challenging, but I never shy away from a challenge,” said Murata. “It means more if you beat everyone to win. I am not planning on an easy draw. I am ready for everyone. We have had a lot of preparation. I am hoping it will pay off over there.” “I feel great,” said Downing, who will compete in her first World Championships. “This is fun. This is icing on the cake, all of this. Even the conditioning doesn’t hurt as much when you are training for the Worlds. I was ready yesterday. We could go tonight and get started, I am that ready.” This workout was very relaxed, with each World Team member pairing off with training partners and working directly with the coaches. Each athlete has different needs, and have had different challenges during the training period. “I didn’t wrestle much during July and August because of my back,” said Jenny Wong, a 2003 World bronze medalist who will compete at 48 kg in Budapest. “I think things will be fine for me, as I got lots of wrestling in this month. When I was healing, I did lots of conditioning, video training and mental training. I think it will work out for the best for me. My workout partners and coaches have been tremendous.” “It has been one adverse blow after another for me during training,” said 2003 World bronze medalist Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), who competes at 59 kg. “I overcame this. I can take it to the opponents. I feel really good. My conditioning will not be a problem, it is really good. I am going to wrestle to the best of my ability. I’m only going there to win.” “I feel I am ready. Camp has been great,” said 72 kg wrestler Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), who is competing in her second World meet. “We had a bunch of new bodies at camp. I had a number of new looks in training. It was the largest and strongest training camp I can remember. I totally feel ready. I can’t wait to go over there and handle business.” The excitement about the task at hand is not just from the athletes, but is a feeling that is also shared with the coaching staff and team leaders. “We’ve had some good training this summer,” said men’s freestyle World Team Coach Mike Duroe. “I have been around a long time, and this is the best series of training camps we’ve had.” Duroe explained how the first training camp, which was held in Fargo, N.D. during the week of the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals, set the tone for the entire summer of workouts. “Fargo was a different environment, and it was well received by the guys,” said Duroe. “We put them up on the stage, and they got a little nervous, and it gave them some variety. Here in Colorado Springs, Coach Terry Brands has put them running on the cog trail in the mountains. Kevin Jackson has done a good job of giving me, Joe Seay and Terry Brands the chance to run a variety of workouts. It has all been positive.” “We have concentrated a lot on new rules, tactics and strategies,” said Duroe. “We have areas of concentration for each guy. If you improve on your areas of concentration, you will be successful. We have an unbelievably talented group. If they come to compete, they will have a great deal of success.” The women’s freestyle team coaches are equally upbeat about the team’s prospects going into the World Championships. “I think our training camps went well,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner. “Our first camp was extremely successful. We pushed them hard and got in great condition. The second camp concentrated on individual preparation. We had some good times and some bad times. We are coming together at the right time. I am hoping our best is yet to come.” “We are not going there to take second place,” continued Steiner. “We know the competition is strong. If you make a U.S. team, you should be ready to step on the podium and medal. Every one of these athletes are capable of a great performance.” ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
2005 World Championships preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men’s freestyle wrestling
by John Fuller Usually, most feel that 66 kg/145.5 lbs. is the deepest weight internationally in men’s freestyle wrestling. This year may offer no exception to that, as numerous Olympic and World medalists are expected to return this year. Olympic champion Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine has not wrestled since he won gold in Athens. He has also won three World gold medals. Tedeev for years has been among the best. However, 23 year-old Andrey Stadnik wrestled at the European Championships, winning a bronze medal. Stadnik won a gold medal at this year’s World Cup, and his youth may be enough to at least let Tedeev sit out a year. Stadnik’s only loss at the European Championships was to veteran Elman Asgarov of Azerbaijan in the semifinals. Asgarov has competed in five World Championships and last year’s Olympic Games. Over the last three years, Russia has won three medals at this weight class – all by different competitors. Last year, Makhach Murtazaliev won an Olympic bronze medal. In 2003, Irbek Farniev won gold and in 2002, Zaur Botaev won a bronze medal. All three are under 26 years old, with Murtazaliev being the youngest at 21. Farniev placed ninth at the European Championships, and in the Russian Nationals this year, Murtazaliev defeated Farniev in the finals, which means that barring something unusual, Murtazaliev will be on the mats for Russia this year as well. Olympic silver medalist Jamill Kelly of the United States has not competed since Athens. Veteran Chris Bono, who competed in the 2001 World Championships and won a gold medal at the 2003 World Cup, earned the U.S. spot this year. Bono has defeated many past World medalists and has proven he can win a medal at this level. Two-time World champion Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria (1998, 2001 gold) won another European title this year. Over the past eight years, Barzakov has been one of the most consistent wrestlers in the world, winning four World-level medals and placing fifth three other times. He was eighth in the 2004 Olympic Games, losing only to Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan in an overtime match. Spiridonov placed fourth in the Olympics last year, his highest finish ever in a World-level competition. He has not competed since the Olympics, but he is only 24 years old. Ali Reza Dabir of Iran also has not competed since the Olympic Games, when he was ousted in his pool. Dabir won Olympic gold in 2000 and a World gold medal in 1998. He also won silver medals at the 1999, 2001 and 2002 World Championships. Dabir will turn 28 years old on Sept. 16, but his last two World-level finishes may have left him frustrated. At the Asian Championships, Iran placed Mohammad Nejad into the lineup. Nejad won a silver medal at that event. One wrestler missing from the European Championships was Otar Tushishvili of Georgia, who has consistently placed in the top 10 at World-level events over the last few years, including a fifth-place finish in 2003. His replacement, Shalva Muziashvili, placed seventh at this year’s European Championships, leading to speculation that Tushishvili will step on the mats in Budapest. Kazuhiko Ikematsu of Japan placed fifth at the Olympic Games last year and a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships. The 26 year-old has continued to improve with every year, though he was defeated by up-and-coming star Jin-Kuk Baek of Korea in the semifinals of the Asian Championships this year. Serguey Rondon of Cuba placed ninth in the Olympic Games last year and fourth in the 2003 World Championships. His only loss last year in the Olympics was to eventual gold-medalist Tedeev in pool competition. Under this year’s rules, Rondon would have had the opportunity to wrestle back for a bronze medal. He is a young star that is vital to this Cuban lineup, which many are predicting is the best team in the freestyle World Championships this year. The continental championships this year had a lot of veterans facing off against one another in the medal rounds. At the European Championships, Barzakov defeated Asgarov for the gold medal. 23 year-old Albert Batyrov of Belarus and Stadnik won bronze medals. In the Asian Championships, Baek won a gold medal over Nejad. Polao Vrazimbetov of Uzbekistan and Ikematsu won bronze medals. RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2004 Olympic Games results
2003 World Championships results
2002 World Championships
2001 World Championships results ©2005, USA Wrestling & TheMat.com
ISU lands #1 Recruiting Class in Wrestling
by Seth Nailor, The Reporter Contest An under-reporter positive ISU sports story is the incoming recruiting class for wrestling that will soon enroll for the fall. It's considered the top-ranked class in the country, and adds to an already solid core of returnees for next season. Head coach Bobby Douglas’s 2005 Iowa State wrestling recruiting class has been tabbed as the number one class in the country by intermat.com, and it definitely has a familiar feel to it. Cyler Sanderson of Wasatch, Utah, and Nick Gallick of Tucson, Arizona are the headliners in the nations best recruiting class. Pairing the top recruiting class in the nation with an experienced lineup, including four top-ten finishers, on a team that finished third a year ago in the final USA Today coaches poll makes the outlook promising for the Cyclones. When asked if the pressure has mounted on the upcoming season with the addition of the 2005 recruiting class, assistant coach Chris Bono merely replied, “No, not really,” before adding, “It definitely puts the pressure on for the next four years, though.” If you think the names Sanderson and Gallick sound familiar, you probably aren’t alone. Sanderson is the younger brother of Cael Sanderson, the former Iowa State great that went 159-0 in four years at ISU and recently won a gold medal for the United States in the 2004 Olympics. The younger Sanderson enters Iowa State with four Utah state championships to his credit and a 115-8 record. He is expected to wrestle at the 149 lbs. weight division for the Cyclones. Gallick is the younger brother of Nathan Gallick, a senior to be on this year’s Iowa State squad and last year’s NCAA runner up at 141 lbs. He has captured three Arizona state titles and is expected to wrestle at the 133 lbs. weight division. With Sanderson and Gallick being so familiar with the Iowa State program you have to wonder if the Cyclones were holding a trump card throughout the whole recruiting process. “Absolutely we had those two wrapped up when we had their brothers four years ago, or six in the case of Cael. But we still treated them like we wanted them,” Bono said. Sanderson and Gallick both looked at other schools before ultimately making the choice to become Cyclones. Sanderson visited Big XII rivals Oklahoma and Nebraska, while Gallick looked at nearby Arizona State. With such successful siblings blazing the trail ahead of them on the mats at Iowa State you can’t help but think of the pressure that also comes with making such a decision. “The media will be the ones to put the pressure on them, and they can handle that,” said Bono. “They will be well schooled by the time any media gets to talk to them.” What Bono is referring to is that both of these recruits as well as the rest of the number one ranked recruiting class in the nation will likely red-shirt this upcoming year. “Even if we did have a few injuries we would try and keep them red-shirted,” said Bono. “I think that they need a year to develop, unless they are spectacular and they can contend for a national title right away. But I don’t think they are there yet.” Bono also cited the fact that each of these incoming freshmen are different from their older siblings and will have the benefit of advice given from family that has already been where they are going. “They are a different breed from their brothers,” said Bono. “Their brothers will tell them not to expect too much too soon, Cael especially with what he has been through.” With such a considerable amount of attention given to Sanderson and Gallick it is easy to overlook the rest of the class. The Cyclones will welcome 11 more wrestlers to campus this fall, four of those being on scholarship. The remaining seven will be walk-ons. Other standouts in the class include Iowa City West High School standout Mitch Mueller, who was taken out of the Iowa Hawkeye’s backyard, and Jake Varner of Bakersfield California High School. Neither Mueller nor Varner carry the Iowa State pedigree of Sanderson or Gallick, but both come to Iowa State with impressive resumes. Varner had a record of 157-10 and was a two-time state champion in California. Mueller has an Iowa state championship, and was also a three-time third place finisher. Other notables in the class include Cyclone recruit Laramie Shaffer of Winterset, IA, a three-time state champion, as well as Joe Curran from Sioux City, IA, who capped off a perfect 50-0 season in 2004-05 with a state championship. Both of these former preps will be in Ames this fall. ©2005, CycloneNation.com
Bono-fied: Bono Finds Success at World Team Trials
by Brandon Scott, Iowa State Daily On Sunday afternoon, assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono found himself in a familiar position from his collegiate past -- he stood in the middle of the mat in Hilton Coliseum with his hand raised in victory. With seven spots on the line, Bono and Nate Gallick both competed in the championship round of the USA World Team Trials this weekend with the hopes of earning a spot and representing the United States in the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Although Bono left the trials with a position on the team at 145.5 pounds, Gallick was unable to earn a position of his own. "It's amazing, you can't really describe the feeling," Bono said. "These fans are unbelievable. They've been behind my whole program since I got here. It just means the world to be able to go out there and do this in front of them." The bout between Bono and Jared Lawrence, a former NCAA national champion at the University of Minnesota, was a rematch of of Bono's victory in the finals of the U.S. National Championships in April. His win placed him at the No. 1 spot in his weight class for the trials, guaranteeing his only match would be against the champion of the challenge tournament in that class from Saturday. "Bono wrestled a very smart match with a lot of intensity," said ISU head wrestling coach Bobby Douglas. "I didn't see any mistakes. He had to wrestle that type of match to beat Lawrence." Although Bono only had to wrestle one opponent this weekend to earn his spot on the World Team, Gallick didn't have it quite so easy. Gallick lost to Michael Lightner, a former NCAA national champion at the University of Oklahoma, in the final match of the U.S. National Championships, and in order to get the opportunity to have a rematch on Sunday, he had to win three matches Saturday while possibly facing former teammate Zach Roberson. Gallick wrestled his way through two opponents to make the finals where he met Mike Zadick, a former Hawkeye wrestler. After three hard-fought periods, Gallick emerged as the challenge tournament champion. "I had lost two close [matches] to Zadick in the past and I didn't want to lose another," Gallick said. Once crowned champion, Gallick had his opportunity for a rematch against Lightner. "I get another shot at wrestling Lightner," Gallick said before wrestling Lightner. "Just getting a chance to wrestle for a spot on the World Team -- it's awesome. "He's just a really tough opponent. If I go out there and wrestle hard, hopefully things will work out." Things didn't work out for Gallick. After dropping the first match to Lightner, a call made in the second match with eight seconds remaining in the first period gave Lightner a point. The call sent ISU assistant coach Cael Sanderson leaping onto the platform to approach the bench for a video review -- cameras are posted on each mat throughout the tournament for such instances. The appeal was denied and Lightner won the first period. After Lightner took an early two point lead in the second period, Gallick tied the score at the end of the period. But because of a technicality in the rules -- Lightner's points were scored on one move, Gallick's by two moves -- Lightner was declared the winner of the period, thus winning the match and the 132-pound spot on the World Team. Douglas was disappointed in the match's outcome. "We had an excellent match planned," he said. "Lightner did an outstanding job of shutting us down and controlling the tie-ups. We didn't score any points -- that's why we lost the match." Even though the match didn't go in his favor, Gallick looks to the future. "Overall, things didn't work out the way I would've liked them to," Gallick said. "But, it's not the end of the world; it's one tournament. I'm still young, 22, and I've got a lot of these tournaments left in me." Several other Cyclones of the past and present also competed in the Trials, but none made it past Saturday's challenge tournament. "I'm a little disappointed, but I came back and did as well as I could have with that loss," Roberson said. "I'm disappointed, but I'm glad I didn't give up." Assistant coach Zach Thompson said he was pleased with his own performance. "I definitely think this is like a microcosm NCAA tournament," Thompson said. "Hopefully the guys that are returning to the team will see this and that will make them hungry." Overall, Douglas enjoyed the tournament and said that it demonstrates the ability of Ames and Iowa State to hold competitions of a large magnitude. "Our goal is to bring the Olympic Trials here in '08," Douglas said. "I think we've shown the people at USA Wrestling and in the freestyle wrestling-world that we can put on and host a quality tournament and that this is a wrestling friendly town." ©2005, Iowa State Daily
Bono Wrestles Hiw Way to Worlds; Sends Hilton Fans Home Happy
by Dan McCool, Des Moines Register Staff Writer Ames, Ia. - Chris Bono won wrestling matches in Hilton Coliseum competing for Iowa State, but nothing quite as big as Sunday's bout. With family and fans wearing "Chris Bono Wrestling" T-shirts and cheering his every move, Bono beat Jared Lawrence of Minneapolis in two matches to win the 1451/2-pound spot on the U.S. freestyle team for the World Championships. Bono, an assistant coach at Iowa State, earned his third berth on the world team by winning his first significant championship at home. "Man, it just doesn't get any better than this for me," said the 31-year-old Bono, a father of two. "This school, this university has given so much to me. To do it here in front of these guys, my fans, my boosters . . . to do this on Father's Day for my old man (Ernie Bono), it's just indescribable." The seven team members in each of the three styles - freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's - will compete in the World Championships Sept. 26-Oct. 2 in Budapest, Hungary. Among those joining Bono in Budapest are former Iowa State wrestler Harry Lester in Greco-Roman at 1451/2, Joe Williams of Ames in freestyle at 163 pounds, former Northern Iowa assistant coach Brad Vering at 185 pounds in Greco-Roman and Northern Iowa assistant coach Tolly Thompson at heavyweight in freestyle. Lester and Thompson qualified for the world team for the first time. Lee Fullhart, a state champion at Decorah and NCAA champion at Iowa, was denied a spot on a world or Olympic team for the fourth consecutive year Sunday. Mo Lawal of Stillwater, Okla., beat Fullhart twice for the 185-pound freestyle spot. Bono had two reasons to succeed - daughters Josie, 4, and Ellie, 2. "Dad's not home a lot when he's training," Bono said. "I want my girls to be proud of me." Williams, a three-time NCAA champion at Iowa, earned his fifth spot on a freestyle world team with successive 163-pound victories over former Boise State wrestler Kirk White of Tacoma, Wash., Sunday. Williams, who is facing a charge of indecent exposure in Johnson County, did not surrender a point in any of the four 2-minute periods. After the tournament, Williams said he will not talk to reporters for the remainder of his career. "Joe Williams declines to speak to any media," USA Wrestling spokesman John Fuller said. Vering said the recent change in Greco-Roman rules that reinstated mat wrestling gave him two challenges. "The challenge can be from the other guy, he might be throwing something different at me," he said. "You're building game plans, trying to find advantages in the rules and that's hard to do." Vering said he heard the current rules should be in place for the world tournament. "We've got four months to get used to these," Vering said. "Hopefully that's enough time to bring home a medal from Budapest." Thompson said his matches with Steve Mocco, the former NCAA champion at Iowa, came down to a matter of toughness. Many of the points were earned by pushing each other off the mat. "I had to overcome some odds to win that dang match," said Thompson, who gave up a three-point move in losing the first 2-minute period of the second contest with Mocco. "My body has changed over the last 3-4 years. I've gotten a little leaner, a little bit stronger over time. I think that really plays into the part." Thompson won the National Open championship in 1998, but a knee injury spoiled his chance at making the world team that year. The only weight where the world team member was not determined was in the women's division at 121 pounds, where national champion Tina George was injured and extended her best-of-three series against Sunday's winner, Marcie Van Dusen, until a later date. The four-session, two-day tournament drew a total of 7,081 fans. USA Wrestling's John Fuller said the total attendance was the smallest for the World Team Trials and the Olympic Trials since the 2002 World Team Trials drew a total crowd of 4,583 in St. Paul, Minn. ©2005, Des Moines Register
Bono earns berth on U.S. World wrestling team
by Dick Kelly, Staff Writer Sunkist Kids' Joe Williams, top, takes down Bronco Wrestling Club's Kirk White during 74 kg. World Team Trials freestyle wrestling final second round match at Hilton Coliseum Sunday. Photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar Jared Lawrence, Hilton Coliseum, family and friends were all the motivation Chris Bono needed Sunday afternoon. The assistant head coach for the Iowa State wrestling team used that motivation to defeat Lawrence in back-to-back matches and clinch a berth on the U.S. World Team that will compete in the World Team Trials Sept. 23 to Oct. 2 in Budapest, Hungary. "It doesn't get any better than this for me," said Bono, a U.S. World Team member in 2001 and '02. "I put a lot of work into this, and to do it (at Hilton Coliseum), it's just amazing. "This school, this university have given so much to me and to do it here in front of these guys, my fans and my boosters, it's undescribable." Lawrence had been something of a thorn in Bono's side since winning a semifinal match in the Olympic Trials last year. Bono avenged that loss with a victory in the U.S. Senior Nationals in April and solidified his grip on the 145.5-pound freestyle class Sunday. "I just wanted to have one more point than him," Bono said. "I wanted to go out there and win convincingly, but as long as I had one more point than him, I got my hand raised, and I'm on that plane to Budapest ready to win a world title. That's all I wanted to do." Bono admitted he had an advantage not having to wrestle in Saturday's challenge tournament. His victory in the Senior Nationals earned him that right. "I wrestled a tough, tough kid," Bono said. "He's real banged up, sore and bruised, but I look forward to competing against him. He motivates me." Family helped, too. Bono's wife and daughters and his brother and family were among those witnessing Sunday's win. "There's nothing like wrestling in Hilton Coliseum in front of my fans and my family," Bono said. "I've got a bunch of family here, and for the last 26 years all they've done is support me, win lose or draw. To do this on Father's Day, it's really special. "Waking up and seeing my (daughters) in the morning, that motivates me. I wanted to win for them. Dad's not home a lot when he's training, and I want my girls to be proud of me." "I'm excited for Chris," said ISU coach Bobby Douglas. "He's put himself in a position to realize his dreams. He wants to be a world champion, and he's got his chance." Bono was the most successful of past and present ISU wrestlers in the U.S. World Team Trials. Former Cyclone Eric Akin and current Cyclone Nate Gallick reached the finals in their respective weight classes, but both lost. Former Cyclones Zach Roberson and Nick Passolano placed third in their respective weight classes; current Cyclone David Bertolino did not place in the competition, and neither did former Cyclone Mark Knauer. "I think the alumni did an outstanding job of coming back home and representing themselves and the university and their clubs," Douglas said. "It was a good weekend for wrestling, it's been a great weekend for the state of Iowa and it's been a super weekend for Iowa State and the city of Ames." Gallick beat Ben VomBauer (2-0, 0-2, 4-0) and Mike Zadick (1-0, 0-2, 2-1) in winning Saturday's challenge tournament at 132, but Sunday Michael Lightner beat the ISU senior to be, 1-0, 1-0 in the first match and 1-0, 2-2, 2-2 in the second match. "I don't feel excellent, but it could be worse," Gallick said. "It's not what I came here to do, but I'm 22 years old and I'm slowly working my way up." Douglas said he's certain Gallick learned from the experience and will use what he learned the next time he wrestles a freestyle event. "He didn't have a great performance, but he had a good performance," Douglas said. Akin, a No. 5 seed at 121, upset Luke Eustice (7-0, 4-0) and top-seeded Matt Azevedo (7-3, 2-0) to win the challenge tournament, then was beaten by Sammy Henson, 1-0, 6-0 and 4-0, 4-1, in Sunday's finals. Azevedo, who also competed for ISU, beat Jesse Zobeck and Jason Powell to finish third at 121. The projected matchup between Gallick and Roberson at 132 never materialized because Roberson lost to Zadick (1-0, 1-0) in the semifinals, but rebounded with victories over Danny Felix (3-1, 1-0) and Celso DeAnda (1-0, 1-3, 1-0) to finish third. "I feel like I could have been in the finals, but this is my first times wrestling Zadik," Roberson said. "I'm not happy with (finishing third), but I'm happy with how I ended up wrestling after I lost." Bertolino, competing at 163, lost to Nate Patrick (2-1, 8-0) in his first match Saturday, then dropped a 2-0, 2-0 decision to Tyler Nixt and was eliminated from the competition. Knauer competed in the Greco-Roman 211.5-pound class and was eliminated after a loss, a win and another loss. J.D. Bergman pinned Knauer in 47 seconds in Saturday's opening round, but Knauer answered with a 1-5, 9-5, 2-1 win over David Walker in a consolation match. R.C. Johnson then sent Knauer to the sidelines with a 3-3, 7-1, 5-2 win in the consolation semifinals. ©2005, Mid-Iowa Newspapers
Bono Makes U.S. Team in Return to Hilton by the AP AMES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa State assistant coach Chris Bono earned a spot on the U.S. freestyle team, beating Jared Lawrence in the 145.5-pound final Sunday. Bono competed at Hilton Coliseum for the first time since he wrestled for Iowa State nearly a decade ago. "It doesn't get any better than this for me,'' Bono said. "I've put a lot of work into this and to do it here, it's just amazing.'' Bono, the U.S. champion at 145.5 pounds, beat Lawrence two matches to none to make the national team for the first time since 2002 and for the third time overall. As the national champ, Bono received a bye to the final round. Lawrence, who was an NCAA champion at Minnesota, had to win a challenge tournament on Saturday to advance. Bono beat Lawrence 2-0, 0-2, 2-0 in the first match of the best-of-three set, then secured his berth on the team with a 3-0, 3-2 victory. Under new freestyle rules, each period is scored separately and a wrestler must win two of the three periods to get the victory. Lawrence defeated Bono in the semifinals of the Olympic Trials last year, but Bono beat the former Minnesota star for the national title in April. "I just wanted to have one more point than him,'' Bono said. "I wanted to dominate, I wanted to go out there and win, but as long as I had one more point than him, I got my hand raised and I'm on that plane to Budapest ready to win a world title." Former Nebraska heavyweight Tolly Thompson, an assistant coach at Northern Iowa, made the U.S. team for the first time by beating NCAA champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State. Thompson won the first match 2-0, 1-0, then had to battle back after Mocco's 3-0 victory in the first period of the second match. Thompson pushed Mocco out of bounds to win the second period 1-0, then got a takedown late in the third period for the victory. "It was a tough match. He wanted to win that one,'' said Thompson, who also defeated Mocco at the nationals. "I had to overcome some odds to win that dang match. He's a great competitor and a great athlete.'' National champions also won the five other weights Sunday - Sammie Henson (121), Michael Lightner (132), Joe Williams (163), Mo Lawal (185) and Daniel Cormier (211.5). None had to go to a third match to win. A quick pin sparked Katie Downing in the women's freestyle competition. Downing needed just 30 seconds to pin Kristie Marano in their first match at 147.5, then beat her 4-0, 1-0 in the second match to make the U.S. team. Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann (138.75) also earned a spot on the team, along with Jenny Wong (105.5), Stephanie Murata (112), Marci Van Dusen (121), Sally Roberts (130) and Iris Smith (158.5). McMann, who had to go through the challenge tournament, wrestled her way to a spot on the team after a trying period last fall. Shortly after winning her Olympic medal, she was charged with careless driving causing a death after a car crash that killed her boyfriend, former Arizona State wrestler Steven Blackford. In October, McMann and her family sat through a trial in which a former college football player was convicted of killing her brother in 1999. Making the Greco-Roman team were Lindsey Durlacher (121), Joe Warren (132), Harry Lester (145.5), T.C. Dantzler (163), Brad Vering (185), Justin Ruiz (221.5) and Dremiel Byers (264.5). Durlacher and Lester both had to go three matches after losing their opening bouts early Sunday. Durlacher came back to beat Sam Hazewinkel, while Lester defeated Glenn Garrison. ©2005, AP/Si.com
Incentive Aplenty for Bono at World Wrestling Team Trials by the AP DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Look for Chris Bono to wrestle with a little extra edge this weekend. Between competing at his home arena and going after something that was taken from him three years ago, Bono will have all the incentive any wrestler would need in the world team trials at Hilton Coliseum. The competition on Saturday and Sunday determines the U.S. team that will compete in the world championships in Hungary this fall. Bono, an assistant coach at Iowa State and the current national champion at 145 1/2 pounds, made the U.S. freestyle team that was to have competed in Iran in 2002, but the Americans stayed home after receiving word of possible threats against the team. The next year, when the United States did compete, Bono lost in the trials and didn't make the team. "I didn't get to go and haven't been back since," Bono said. "I always think about what could have been, what should have been. So I'm a little bit motivated to get to the world championships, to beat some of those guys that took away my dream of competing there." Actually, as the national champion, Bono has to beat only one other guy. He has a bye into the best-of-three final round on Sunday. The other wrestlers in his weight class compete in a mini-tournament for the right to face him. "I just have to worry about winning two matches," said Bono, who also made the world team in 2001. "That's my goal when I'm training every day - to be a world champion, knowing that I'm only two matches away from making that team." The trials also will pick world championship teams in Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. Iowa State coach Bobby Douglas said fans will have a chance to see the nation's best wrestlers and is hoping for good crowds. "If we can attract a good fan base here, I think we have a chance to get the Olympic Trials," said Douglas, who was one of the U.S. coaches at last year's Olympics. "That's my goal, to bring the Olympic Trials back to Ames. "I think if we do the job in these trials, we'll be right in the thick of things for the Olympic Trials." Ames had the Olympic Trials in 1968, when they were held at the Armory on the ISU campus. "With this being in Ames, it should generate a lot of interest," said Kevin Jackson, a former ISU wrestler and now the national freestyle coach. The tournament will feature numerous wrestlers with Iowa ties, including national champions Joe Williams and Tolly Thompson. Williams (163) was a three-time NCAA champion at Iowa. Thompson (264 1/2) grew up in Janesville and is an assistant coach at Northern Iowa. The other reigning freestyle champs who have a bye to the finals are Sammie Henson at 121, Michael Lightner at 132, Mo Lawal at 185 and Daniel Cormier at 211 1/2. Lightner's challengers include former Iowa State standouts Nate Gallick and Zach Roberson. Gallick was the runner-up at the U.S. nationals this year and Roberson finished third. "Hilton Coliseum is my wrestling home," Gallick said. "I'm really looking forward to competing in Ames. There is a comfort level there." One big name is missing: Cael Sanderson, the only U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Sanderson hasn't trained since Athens and isn't sure if he'll resume his wrestling career. "With Cael, we've got a guaranteed medal at that weight (185)," Jackson said. "We miss that. But we're definitely going to be in the hunt for a world title there, even without him." Sanderson, an assistant coach at Iowa State, will spend his time at the tournament as the event's best-known go-fer. "I'll be there, running around carrying Gatorade bottles, doing whatever I can to help out," he said. "We have a lot of guys there. There's going to be plenty of Cyclones." ©2005, Mid-Iowa Newspapers
Bono Sees Golden Chance at Wrestling U.S. Trials by Dick Kelly, Staff Writer Chris Bono admitted Thursday he couldn't have it any better than what he's got in front of him this weekend. Bono, Iowa State's assistant head wrestling coach and the U.S. Senior Nationals champion at 66 kg (145.5 pounds) will put his quest for a berth on the U.S. World Team Sunday on the line when he wrestles for the 66 kg championship. Bono, because he won a senior nationals title in April, has the luxury of sitting out Saturday's mini tournament. He'll meet the winner of the mini tournament in a best two-of-three match on Sunday. And he'll do it at Hilton Coliseum, the scene of many of his victories during his career at ISU. "I'm excited; it's been a decade," said Bono, a 2002 U.S. World Team member and a national champion for ISU. "I'm hoping there's a lot of people who turn out. "I can't ask for anything more than to make the World team, to sit out the mini tournament and have it in my home arena. This is really a dream come true for me, and I'm going to try to take full advantage of having the tournament here in Ames." Bono's comments came during a USA Wrestling press conference at Hilton Coliseum. Joining Bono at the press conference were Sara Fulp-Allen, the youngest 2005 U.S. nationals champion; Tolly Thompson, 2005 U.S. Nationals champion; and Brad Vering, 2005 U.S. Nationals champion and 2004 Olympian. Also attending were ISU wrestling coach Bobby Douglas; Steve Fraser, USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman coach; and Kevin Jackson, USA Wrestling freestyle coach. Douglas said ISU is excited to be hosting the World Team trials and predicts some outstanding matches. Fans will see competition in men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. "This is a great example of how we can showcase the history of wrestling, not only in America, but in the town of Ames and in the state of Iowa," Douglas said. "It gives our youth an opportunity to see world-class wrestlers and gives these kids a chance to see what world champions and Olympic champions look like." Vering, like Bono, will sit out Saturday's mini tournament after winning the 84 kg (185 pounds) Greco-Roman championship at the U.S. Senior Nationals. "I know I definitely have the advantage now," Vering said. "My weight class over the past few years has been pretty tough, and I want to set out and watch the other guys beat each other up. It's definitely an advantage to be sitting out." Mid-Iowa wrestling fans may not be familiar with women's freestyle wrestling, but will get to see one of the best in Fulp-Allen, the 19-year-old daughter of two-time Olympian Lee Allen. Fulp-Allen won the 48 kg (105.5 pounds) title at the U.S. Senior Nationals. "I'm really excited about this weekend," Fulp-Allen said, adding that her weight class will include a couple of new entries. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how the mini tournament turns out and seeing who I get to wrestle," Fulp-Allen said. "I think the intensity is going to be really high for my weight class." Bono echoed Fulp-Allen's comments. "The intensity level at this tournament is at the highest," Bono said. "It's the highest form of wrestling right now, the highest level, so everybody you're going to wrestle is going to be a tough match. "There will be a lot of real close matches and whoever comes out on top will probably be the guy is the most intense and who has put the time and energy into it." Competition begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with the consolation semifinals set for 5 p.m. Saturday, followed by place matches at 6:30 p.m. Sunday's finals matches begin at 10 a.m. ©2005, Mid-Iowa Newspapers
National Champions Q&A: Chris Bono
by John Fuller, The Mat.com In 2002, it appeared that Chris Bono would finally get his chance to represent the United States at the World Championships. Then, just days before his team was set to fly to Tehran, Iran, the team received a credible threat against it, and it was decided that it was not safe to compete. Ever since then, Bono has had to watch Jamill Kelly compete at the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Now, Bono is back on top, and most feel that the new rules cater perfectly to his style. TheMat.com sat down with Bono and discussed his comfort with the new rules and his training over the past few years.
TheMat.com: How did it feel to get back on top of the U.S. and win a national title?
TheMat.com: Have you changed your training regimen at all from last year, or stuck
mainly to the same gameplan?
TheMat.com: Last year, you had to sit and watch Jamill Kelly win an Olympic silver
medal. How tough was that for you to watch?
TheMat.com: How do you feel that you can benefit from the new rules in freestyle?
TheMat.com: Do you feel that your weight class is the deepest one in the U.S. in
freestyle currently? Why or why not?
TheMat.com: Is it tough for you to juggle being an assistant coach at a major college
program with training to make an Olympic Team?
TheMat.com: You’ve made serious runs at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Teams. How much longer
does your body have left in it? ©2005, The Mat.com
World Team Trials preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men’s freestyle wrestling
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling The deepest and most talented weight class in American wrestling may be the 66 kg/145.5 lbs. division in men’s freestyle wrestling. This weight class has it all, talented veterans and young stars, a variety of wrestlers who can win matches against quality opponents. Every time this group of athletes get together to compete, the outcome is uncertain. It is anybody’s competition to win. Setting a high standard at this weight was 2004 Olympic silver medalist Jamill Kelly of the Gator WC, who surprised the world with his tremendous performance at the Athens Games. Kelly owned this division for two years in the USA, but has not wrestled since he won his Olympic medal. He has left the division for the tough competitors that helped make him a better athlete, a group that pushed Kelly to become a winner. Claiming the gold medal at the 2005 U.S. Nationals is perhaps the most experienced veteran of the bunch, Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids. Bono has made two U.S. World Teams and is in the thick of things every single year. His big disappointment came in 2004, when he fell short of his goals at the Olympic Team Trials and did not make it out of the Challenge Tournament. Bono has seemed to wrestle very well under the new rules, winning a few gold medals in international meets and taking the entire field at the U.S. Nationals. Bono needed three periods to beat 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Storm. Lawrence blasted onto the scene last year at the Olympic Trials, beating some talented athletes to win the Challenge Tournament. Kelly needed three matches to get past Lawrence. This year, Lawrence has wrestled well on international tours, and had a win over Bono in an overseas event. However, Bono was able to edge Lawrence in the gold-medal finals in Las Vegas, and it will be Bono who has the advantage of sitting out of the Challenge Tournament at the World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa. The rest of this weight division is talented, and any one of a number of the athletes could take the title in the Challenge Tournament. Over the last two seasons, these athletes have swapped positions at different competitions, with many of the battles being very close and exciting to watch. Placing third at the U.S. Nationals was Jared Frayer, who has been nibbling near the top of this division in recent seasons. Frayer wrestled a few times up at 74 kg this winter, but when he was down at weight for the U.S. Nationals, he was very effective. Frayer has always been strong in freestyle, and competes with confidence against all opponents. Placing fourth this year was veteran Bill Zadick of the Gator WC, who is having a nice recovery from a few down seasons. Zadick competed on the 2001 U.S. World Team, but when FILA dropped from eight to seven weight division, Zadick has not been able to claim a top spot ever since. He had a disappointing showing at the Olympic Team Trials, and many thought he had past his prime. However, this year, as a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, Zadick has seemed to get the edge back in his wrestling, and is showing the kind of ability that made him a star a few years ago. Veteran Doug Schwab of the Gator WC remains an effective athlete in this division, capable of winning any time he competes. Schwab’s fifth place at the U.S. Nationals puts him in a position to make a move at the World Team Trials. It seems that Schwab has yet to put together a complete tournament at this level, although his performance in the RealProWrestling show against many of these competitors showed his capability if he gets hot. One of the bright new stars in the division is Jesse Jantzen of the New York AC, who has made some great strides in freestyle after an impressive college career at Harvard. Jantzen won a silver medal at the New York AC Christmas International and a bronze at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, then placed a solid sixth at the U.S. Nationals. Getting the last spot in the field from the U.S. Nationals was Jerrod Sanders, who is starting to make his name in this division with a few promising placements so far this year. A number of wrestlers who did not place at the U.S. Nationals still remain title hopefuls, showing that the depth here goes at least about 10 athletes deep, much more impressive than any other freestyle weight class. Eric Larkin of the Sunkist Kids, who was third in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Team Trials, didn’t make the top seven in Las Vegas, but qualifies by winning a international medal in recent seasons. Larkin has the skill to do very well in this field, and boasts wins over almost everybody in the weight class. Another talent who needed a Regional tournament to earn a spot in the field was former NCAA champion Cliff Moore of the Hawkeye WC, who captured a gold medal against some strong talents at the “Last Chance Qualifier,” the Northern Plains Regional. The other Regional winner was Carlos DeAnda of the New York AC, who won the Rocky Mountain Regionals. A veteran who in eligible to compete at this year’s World Team Trials base upon an international medal performance, but has not been competing so far this season, is Reggie Wright of the Gator WC. There are NCAA finalists who could compete at this division and may be able to make an impact already in their careers. The NCAA champion at 149 pounds is Oklahoma State’s Zack Esposito, who was a talented freestyle in the age-group levels and would be a difficult draw for anybody. He defeated Army’s Phillip Simpson in the NCAA finals, but Simpson has limited freestyle experience at this level. At 141 pounds, the NCAA champion was Teyon Ware of Oklahoma, also a talent on the freestyle mats as a youth. Ware defeated Nate Gallick in the NCAA finals, but Gallick has dropped to 132 pounds for freestyle and has been very effective there. This weight class will be closely watched during the World Team Trials, right from the opening matches of the Challenge Tournament. There will be some tremendous battles all day at this division, with only one athlete earning the right to make the Championship Series against the wily veteran Chris Bono. Certainly, recent results would make Jared Lawrence the favorite to reach the finals against Bono, but he will truly have to earn it. With athletes such as Jared Frayer, Eric Larkin, Bill Zadick, Doug Schwab, Jesse Jantzen and Cliff Moore all in the bracket, there are no clear favorites at this division. It is like the saying they have about the NFL, that “on any given Sunday” any team can beat another. At 66 kg/145.5 lbs., the saying would change to “at any given tournament.” Don’t miss a single match at this division in Ames.
2005 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS AT 66 KG/145.5 LBS.
QUALIFIERS FOR 2005 WORLD TEAM TRIALS AT 66 KG/145.5 LBS. ©2005, The Mat.com
ISU Assistant Coach Chris Bono Wins U.S. Freestyle Championship
AMES, Iowa - Iowa State assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) defeated top seeded Jared Lawrence (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm), 1-0, 1-1, 1-0 Saturday in the men's freestyle finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs of the U.S. Senior Freestyle Wrestling Championships. It was Bono's second career U.S. Nationals title, to go along with a 2003 title. Bono has competed on two U.S. World Teams. Lawrence was second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The 66 kg/145.5 lbs. division was considered one of the deepest in the field this year. Bono used a clinch move to win the title. "I just knew I had to win it then and there," Bono said. "I should have been more aggressive in that last period, but I didn't really see my opening, so that's what it had to come down to. It's better than the other one for me. I don't think I won too many in the other one. It's pretty ridiculous to tell you the truth. To me, it should be wrestle till there's a point scored. I think that would be a little more exciting for everyone else." Iowa State two-time All-American Nate Gallick placed second at 132 pounds. Former Cyclone Matt Azevedo was second at 55kg. U.S. National Championships 4/28/2005 Las Vegas, NV 66 Kgs: Chris Bono (Iowa State assistant coach/Sunkist Kids) dec. Jared Lawrence (MN Storm), 1-0,1-1,1-0
1st Period
2nd Period
3rd Period ©2005, College Sports.com
Report from Episode 3
by Staff Writer, Real Pro Wrestling Before the tournament started, the 145-pound weight class was looked forward to with great anticipation and excitement. Not only is it comprised of the top six freestyle wrestlers in the United States, but also some of the most electrifying, young stars in the sport. True to form, Sunday’s episode three of Real Pro Wrestling didn’t disappoint. Doug Schwab of the Iowa Stalkers and Eric Larkin of the Texas Shooters both advanced to the Real Pro Wrestling finals of the 145-pound weight class, which will be shown on PAX TV on May 15th. Schwab, the fourth seed, reached the finals by first toppling fifth-seeded Jared Frayer of the Oklahoma Slam in the quarterfinals, then defeating top-seeded Chris Bono of the Chicago Groove to reach the finals. In the quarterfinals, Schwab gave up the opening takedown of the match to Frayer, but dominated the action the rest of the way. Schwab’s relentless, Iowa style proved to be too much for Frayer to handle, as he cruised to an easy 16-3 victory. “Frayer is a big-move guy,” said Schwab. “I had to stay out of those positions, stay on his legs, and finish real clean. That’s what I did.” In the semifinals, it was a classic battle of Iowa versus Iowa State, as Schwab, a former Hawkeye national champion, met Bono, a former Cyclone national champion. The match was tied 2-2 after the first period, as Bono scored with two push-outs and Schwab a takedown. But after a scoreless but action-packed second period, the match was sent in overtime. In overtime, Bono was the aggressor and earned a bonus opportunity, but was unable to convert it into points. After nine long, grueling minutes, Bono shot a single-leg, but Schwab countered nicely and initiated a tilt. Bono was initially awarded the winning takedown, but Stalkers coach Tom Brands requested a TV challenge. Upon further review it was determined that Schwab did in fact initiate a tilt, exposing Bono’s back, before the takedown occurred. The result was a 4-2 overtime victory for Schwab. The two were training partners in 2001 as Bono prepared for the World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. This time, however, their past relationship took a backseat and tempers flared, as the two wrestlers swung at each other in the first period then exchanged words after the match. Larkin, a four-time NCAA All-American and national champion from Arizona State, had a challenging road getting to the finals, as he had to battle through two former NCAA Champions, Jesse Jantzen of the New York Outrage and Tony Davis of the California Claw. In the quarterfinals, Larkin and Jantzen squared off in one of the most exciting matches seen in RPW. At the start of the match, Larkin suffered an incidental headbutt, which caused a cut on his eye. When action resumed, Jantzen scored a pair of takedowns and appeared to be in control of the match. Larkin, however, battled back, reversing Jantzen, then earning a bonus. In the bonus, Larkin was able to secure body lift and throw Jantzen for four points. Larkin stayed on the offensive, taking Jantzen down at the beginning of the second period then turning him twice with an ankle lace. Jantzen mounted a late rally, but it was too little too late as Larkin held on for the 19-14 victory. “I wanted to go out there and push the pace, but unfortunately I got a little stinger on my eye,” said Larkin. “I didn’t know what to do when I walked out there. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go upper body or down. But at the last minute, I said ‘I’ll try to throw him.’ It felt good.” In the semifinals, Larkin battled back from an early 4-0 deficit to defeat the quick, athletic Davis by a score of 10-7. Throughout the match, Larkin showcased a wide array of impressive techniques on his feet, in the par terre position, and in scramble situations.
Sunday’s Results (145 Pounds):
Quarterfinals:
Semifinals:
Finals (May 15th): Teams California Claw; Chicago Groove; Iowa Stalkers; Oklahoma Slam; Minnesota Freeze; New York Outrage; Pennsylvania Hammer; Texas Shooters. ©2005, Real Pro Wrestling
US Nationals Preview: 66kg/145.5 lbs Men's Freestyle
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling Jamill Kelly of the Gator WC is an inspiring athlete with a great personal story. Kelly never won a state high school tournament, nor a Junior College national title, and he was never an All-American in Div. I when he attended Oklahoma State. So all Kelly did was work hard, believe in himself, and continue freestyle wrestling. Last summer, his second year as the No. 1 wrestler in the nation, Kelly reached a level few will ever achieve – he won an Olympic silver medal at the Athens Games. Kelly took over his weight class in 2003, with a tremendous performance at the World Team Trials and never let go. He has not competed since his amazing run in Athens, and is not expected to be competing this year in Las Vegas. That means that Olympic Trials runner-up Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Storm enters the year as the top athlete in a very talented field. Lawrence was a bit of a surprise last year, getting into the Olympic Trials championship series after placing just fifth at the U.S. Nationals. Lawrence is proving that his run in Indianapolis last year was just the beginning. He won a gold medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial and three other international medals this winter, beating some top foreign competitors. Lawrence finds himself atop of a very deep and talented field of challengers, one of the most exciting divisions in all of American wrestling. The veteran of this group is Chris Bono of the Sunkist Kids, who has made two U.S. World Teams and a number of national titles. Bono lost to Lawrence at the Olympic Team Trials, after taking second at the U.S. Nationals last year to Kelly. Bono has the experience and talent to take this weight class over again, but the younger talents all have faith that they can beat him now. His wins at the Sunkist Kids International and the New York AC Christmas Tournament indicate that the new rules might enhance his style. Placing third at the Olympic Trials is the talented Eric Larkin of the Sunkist Kids, an athlete with tremendous freestyle skills, especially on the mat. Larkin lost to Bono in the finals at the Sunkist Kids International and will look for another shot at Bono this season. Larkin was a tremendous freestyler all through his college career at Arizona State, and has continued to improve since concentrating completely on Olympic wrestling. The other two athletes who placed at the Olympic Trials last year were Doug Schwab of the Minnesota Storm and Jared Frayer of the Dave Schultz WC. These are talented and experienced freestylers, who have the ability to beat other top wrestlers in the division. Frayer has been competing at times this season up at 74 kg, but his best chance to take a title is at this weight division. The hot young talent on the scene this year is Jesse Jantzen of the New York AC, who lost to Bono in the New York AC Christmas Open finals and captured a bronze medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial. Jantzen has made a good transition from college wrestling, where he was known for his strong mat wrestling skills, to a winning freestyler, which relies more on takedown skills. Jantzen’s win over Larkin at the Dave Schultz Memorial shows that he is ready to continue his rise in the standings. Bill Zadick, a 2001 World Team member, had a disappointing season last year, but is working to re-establish himself in this crowded field. For a few years, Zadick and Bono had a rivalry on the freestyle circuit, but now the veterans are having tough challenges early in every tournament from the younger stars. There are two young athletes named Moore who have begun to make a move in this division, There is no relation between Scott Moore (who was a college star at VA) and Cliff Moore (a NCAA champion for Iowa), but both are now active on the freestyle circuit. Scott Owen of the New York AC is also making a run at this division, and beat both Moores at the New York AC Christmas Tournament this year. Among the other young wrestlers who are showing up at freestyle events and are making their mark on the national level are Dylan Long of the Panther WC, Jerrod Sanders of the Wolfpack WC and Jeff Ratliff of Ohio International. There were athletes who make an impact in recent seasons and could be a factor if they continue to compete nationally. They include Tony Davis of the Sunkist Kids, Reggie Wright of the Gator WC, T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC, Jeremy Ensrud of the Dave Schultz WC and Jamarr Billman of the New York AC. They provide tremendous depth in this division, making even the early rounds at the U.S. Nationals something to watch closely. With Jamill Kelly on the sidelines, this weight class is truly wide open this season. Jared Lawrence holds an edge here, and has shown that he will be tough to knock off the top of the heap. Chris Bono has proven the ability to take it all when he is wrestling well. Athletes like Eric Larkin, Jesse Jantzen, Jared Frayer and Doug Schwab are already proven talents in this field. The key for success for the USA in this division is to get an athlete to emerge from the pack, then to start winning internationally under pressure. It will be a fun journey for fans to follow this group of talents in their quest for international success.
2004 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS
THEMAT.COM RANKINGS FOR APRIL 1, 2005 ©2005, The Mat.com
Real Pro Wrestling 145 Pound Class
by Staff Writer, Real Pro Wrestling Preview of this week's episode This Sunday's episode of Real Pro Wrestling, which will air on PAX TV at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), will feature competition in the 145-pound weight class. Action from the quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be shown, with the finals set to air in episode eight. This is arguably the deepest and most competitive weight class in RPW. It is comprised of the top six wrestlers ranked according to the latest U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings, with the other two competitors being U.S. Nationals place winners. In the first quarterfinal match, top-seeded Chris Bono of the Chicago Groove will take on eighth-seeded Mike Ellsworth of the Pennsylvania Hammer. Bono, who has spent eight years as an assistant coach at Iowa State University, is a two-time U.S. World Team member and a 2003 World Cup champion. Most recently, he captured the championship at the 2004 NYAC Christmas International. Bono also won the title at the 20th annual Sunkist International Open in October with a win in the finals over Eric Larkin, who is seeded second in this weight class. Ellsworth has the distinction of being the only Greco-Roman wrestler competing in this weight class. He is a five-time U.S. Nationals place winner and claimed a silver medal at the 2002 Pan-American Championships. Ellsworth is a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and recently finished runner-up at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. What to expect: Bono will be looking to keep it basic on his feet with leg attacks. He has a low center of gravity, which makes him very tough to score on. Bono is an extremely accomplished freestyle wrestler, so if he is able to wrestle his style, he should win. Ellsworth will have to be effective with his Greco skills if he wants to be competitive in this match. He has some powerful reverse lifts from the par terre position, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can get on top to be able to use them. The second quarterfinal match will pit fourth-seeded Doug Schwab of the Iowa Stalkers against fifth-seeded Jared Frayer of the Oklahoma Slam. Schwab was a three-time NCAA All-American for the University of Iowa, claiming the national title in 1999. He won the 2003 Sunkist Kids International Open (earning Outstanding Wrestler honors in the process) and has placed twice at the U.S. Nationals. He is currently an assistant coach at Virginia Tech University. Frayer was a two-time NCAA All-American for the University of Oklahoma, finishing runner-up in 2001. In 2003, Frayer won three international tournaments: the Manitoba Open, the Dave Schultz Memorial International and the NYAC Christmas International. He placed third at the 2004 U.S. Nationals and has wins in his career over the top two seeds at this weight class. What to expect: This should be a great match, as both wrestlers have exchanged wins over each other during the past few years. Frayer beat Schwab in a close 8-7 match in the finals of the 2003 Dave Schultz Memorial International. Schwab, however, avenged that loss by beating Frayer at the 2004 Olympic Trials. Both wrestlers are tough on their feet, which is likely where this match will be decided. Frayer likes inside trips and high-crotches, while Schwab prefers on high-crotches, double-legs and front headlocks. In the bottom bracket, third-seeded Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Freeze will take on sixth-seeded Tony Davis of the California Claw. Lawrence was a four-time All-American and NCAA Champion for the University of Minnesota. However, his most impressive performance to date is a runner-up finish at the 2004 Olympic Trials. In February, Lawrence won the Dave Schultz Memorial International. He is currently working as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Davis was a three-time national champion in college, claiming two NJCAA titles for Iowa Central and a Division I title (and a runner-up finish) for Northern Iowa. He has also placed twice at the U.S. Nationals. As a youth wrestler, Davis competed for the Harvey Twisters, a renowned wrestling club in the Chicago area. What to expect: Expect to see a lot of action and excitement in this match, as both wrestlers are extremely active and posses a variety of different attacks. Lawrence might have the slight edge in the technique department, but Davis gets the nod in the quickness and athleticism department. Lawrence has made a career of out-conditioning his opponents with his aggressive, in-your-face style, so he’ll likely try to push the action in this match. These two wrestlers met in the quarterfinals of the 2004 U.S. Nationals, with Davis coming away with a 7-3 victory. Ironically, Lawrence wound up finishing higher than Davis at that tournament. The final quarterfinal match will be a battle between second-seeded Eric Larkin of the Texas Shooters and seventh-seeded Jesse Jantzen of the New York Outrage. Larkin is only 25 years old, but is a seasoned freestyle veteran. He placed third at the 2000 Olympic Trials at the ripe old age of 20 and has continued to make steady progress ever since. He is a two-time Dave Schultz Memorial International champion (2001 and 2004) and placed third at the 2004 Olympic Trials. Larkin was a four-time NCAA All-American at Arizona State, capping off his career with an NCAA title in 2003 and the Hodge Trophy. Jantzen, like Larkin, is one of the young, rising stars in the sport. In 2004, he became Harvard’s first NCAA Champion in 66 years. Jantzen, who turned 23 in February, is still looking to make his mark on the senior level. He finished second at the 2004 NYAC Christmas International and won the Henri Deglane Tournament in France. Jantzen also finished third at the 2005 Dave Schultz Memorial International. What to expect: This is an intriguing match-up, as these two wrestlers split matches in college. Larkin has more freestyle experience, which should give him a slight advantage in the RPW style. Larkin might be the most complete wrestler in this division because of his ability to score points on his feet, in the par terre position, and in scramble situations. Jantzen, although solid on his feet, is known for his mat wrestling. So if he is able to take Larkin down (which still remains to be seen), it could get interesting. Sunday's Pairings (145 Pounds):
Quarterfinals:
Semifinals: Finals match will air in episode eight. ©2005, Real Pro Wrestling
Cyclones Push Winning Streak to 12
by Dick Kelly, Courier Correspondent AMES -- Bonus points made the difference again as Iowa State extended its winning streak to 12 matches with a 26-15 win over Northern Iowa in front of 2,881 fans Saturday night. Scott Coleman won by a fall, Kurt Backes won by a technical fall and Nate Gallick and Travis Paulson earned major decisions for the Cyclones. "They wrestled well, they did a real good job," said Iowa State assistant coach Chris Bono, speaking for head coach Bobby Douglas, who was ill and went home midway through the meet. "Ever since the (Tennessee-Chattanooga) meet I think they realized the potential they had and the possibility of a let-down. Every guy from top to bottom fought 110 percent tonight." Douglas wasn't ISU's only casualty on the night. Sophomore Travis Paulson, competing at 165 pounds, suffered a rib injury while trying to throw Nick Baima with one minute, 12 seconds left in the third period and was unable to continue. The match was tied 1-1 at the time. Paulson used all of his injury time and then tried to go, but said he knew his night was over. "When I twisted for that throw it popped and I was in a lot of pain," Paulson said. "When I went to get up I had the worst pain ever, I almost collapsed. If I'd could have gone, I don't think I'd have wrestled very well." Bono said he was particularly pleased with the performances of 197-pound Trevor Smith and 133-pound Jesse Sundell. Smith, who had lost Sean Stender twice this season, lost again, 6-4, but kept the match close all the way. Smith overcame a 3-1 deficit and tied the match at 4 with a stalling call against Stender, but the UNI senior got a takedown with 25 seconds left to get his 23rd win of the season against four losses. Sundell dropped an 8-4 decision to Jeremy Meyer at the Midlands Tournament, but rebounded with a 13-7 win Saturday. Sundell (7-8) never trailed after a reversal and two near-fall points late in the second period gave him a 6-5 lead. "I knew if I could get out there and get a win it would be a step in the right track," Sundell said. "The main thing was just trying to keep pressure on (Meyer) and not let him get to me and get takedowns." The meet began at 165 pounds and UNI grabbed a 6-0 lead on Paulson's default. The Panthers went ahead 9-0 after Eric Hauan took Nick Passolano down with 16 seconds left in overtime and then added three back points for a 7-2 win. Iowa State came back on Kurt Backes' 20-5 technical fall win over Alex Dolly, but Stender's win put the Panthers on top 12-5. Scott Coleman made it a 1-point meet after pinning Michael Shedek in 2:16. Iowa State took the lead for good on Grant Nakamura,s 11-4 win against Chris Helgeson at 125 pounds and padded its advantage after Sundell's win. Gallick, ranked first nationally at 141 pounds, stayed unbeaten at 17-0 with a 13-2 win against C.J. Ettelson. UNI (3-4), notched its win in the 149-pound match where Jeff Harrison used six takedowns, an escape, a stalling point, two back points and 1:57 in riding time to beat Jason Knipp, 17-5. Iowa State closed out the meet with Trent Paulson's 14-4 win against Chris Bitetto at 157 pounds. "They all did a good job," Bono said. "Up and down the lineup they all did what we asked of them. I can't really single anyone out because they all fought. Whether they won or lost, they did what we asked of them. That's all we can ask for." UNI coach Brad Penrith said Iowa State's experience was the difference. "Some of their guys just have a little more experience on us," Penrith said. "We wrestled very well the first half, then we came out a little flat. It was like we weren't eager enough. It's like we weren't hungry. We didn't have that fire in our belly." Penrith said Helgeson wasn't wrestling with a sense or urgency and that Meyer made too many mistakes. "There was a lot of rolling around and getting caught," Penrith said. "That was a match we were favored it. We got out-experienced tonight. (Iowa State) is a darn good team." Iowa State hosts Lock Haven and Stanford on Friday. Northern Iowa will travel to Cleveland, Ohio, for the National Duals next Saturday and Sunday.
125 — Grant Nakamura, ISU, dec. Chris Helgeson, 11-4 ©2005, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Wrestle-Off Results Announced
Cyclones stake their claims on starting positions for the upcoming season Oct. 23, 2004 AMES, Iowa - The fifth-ranked Iowa State wrestling team held its annual wrestle-offs Saturday morning at the Lied Recreation Center to establish a starting lineup for the opening dual on Nov. 7 against Upper Iowa in Council Bluffs, Iowa. "Our kids wrestled extremely well," assistant coach Chris Bono commented. "They did everything they could to contribute in order to elevate Iowa State wrestling to the next level." Two-time NCAA qualifier Grant Nakamura will continue to be the starter at 125 pounds and Jesse Sundell will start the season at 133 pounds. Oskaloosa, Iowa, native Aron Scott won a spot at 149 pounds with a 4-2 decision over Jason Knipp. NCAA qualifier Trent Paulson pinned Jonathan Gapinski in 2:04 to complete his transition from 149 to 157 pounds. All-American Scott Coleman pinned Richard Schopf in 6:18 for the battle of the heavyweights and Grant Turner beat Reed Kuper and David Bertolino to capture 174 pounds. In the 174 pound final, Bertolino scored a reversal at the 1:08 mark in the third period to take an 8-7 lead. Turner countered with an escape at 0:34 to tie the match at 8. Turner then finished with a takedown with ten seconds remaining to win 10-8. Nick Passolano and Travis Paulson did not wrestle-off at 165 pounds due to illness. Brandon Palmer also did not compete at 133 pounds because of illness. All-Americans Nate Gallick and Kurt Backes are the starters at 141 and 184 pounds.
2004 Cyclone Wrestle-Off Results
Finals
2004-2005 Projected Starting Lineup ©2004, College Sports Online, Inc. and Iowa State University
Olympic Wrestling Notes for Aug. 19 – Training Partners are key to victory
These training parters are vital to the success of the 17 Olympians. In addition to serving as workout partners during training, they are asked to do everything and anything to help the Olympians in their preparation for the Games. In some cases, they are also world-class athletes in their own right, in some cases even former Olympians. And in some weight classes, these training partners are the No. 2 athlete in the division, the wrestler who was beaten in the Olympic Team Trials finals. The national media is making a big deal about this. The biggest example cited in numerous articles is the fact that Dremiel Byers is the training partner for Rulon Gardner, the man who beat him in the Olympic Trials. To make the story even better, Gardner has announced that he will be giving Byers a chunk of his bonus money if he wins a medal. The gold is worth $40,000 in bonuses, so Byers will benefit for his hard work if Gardner reaches his goals. Other media are talking about how Brandon Paulson is working out daily with Dennis Hall, who stopped Paulson’s Olympic dream in that dramatic 16-plus minute marathon classic in Indianapolis. Paulson and Hall have been friends and were both silver medalists at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Hall dropped down in weight and took the Olympic spot from Paulson. This is a great story. Another good story going a bit under the radar screen is Toccara Montgomery’s workout partner on the women’s team, two-time World Champion Kristie Marano, who Montgomery beat in the Olympic Trials finals. Every Olympian has a selected training partner, as well as access to other training partners. Some of them are prominent names. Others are guys or gals who are training every day with the athletes back in their home training sites. The athletes and their Olympic coaches worked together to select these athletes. USA Wrestling brought the athletes to Athens with the Olympians. The training partners do not have access to the Athlete Village and stay in a hotel. They are not accredited to get into the venue as an athlete, and must enter with a ticket. They are not Olympians, but they are part of the “wrestling” Olympic support team, as red-white-and-blue as those who will be on the mats. People need to also understand this isn’t just a few-week commitment in Athens, a vacation in trade for a a little training. These partners have been doing this all summer long, working out with the Olympians in June and July as well as here in Greece in August. They have also had a long tough summer. Here are some thoughts from a training partner from each of the three wrestling teams. Chris Bono is a two-time World Team member and was one of the top freestyle hopefuls for the Athens team. He was defeated in the Challenge Tournament at 66 kg, a spot eventually earned by Jamill Kelly. He is in Athens as a workout partner for Joe Williams, who made the U.S. team at 74 kg. “It isn’t hard in the fact that I am here for Joe,” said Bono. “It is hard being here and knowing I can’t compete. I still really haven’t gotten over losing in the Trials. It will be with me forever. First and foremost, I came here to work with Joe and take care of his needs. When he is done, I can work on what is good for me.” Bono still plans on competing, so being at the Olympic Training camp will assist him with his own goals. “I will take them one year at a time,” said Bono. “It’s hard to look ahead. I look at the goal right now and will decide what is best from year to year. Bono has been writing a journal, which is posted on his web page and sent across the internet through an e-mail chain at Iowa State. “The journal has been well received at home,” said Bono. “I want our recruits to see what this is all about. Young kids who have dreams of being Olympic champions can see what it takes. It also lets the community of Ames, Iowa know what is happening with Cael (Sanderson), Joe (Williams) and Bobby (Douglas).” Marcie Van Dusen is a talented young athlete, a University World champion earlier this summer. Van Dusen competed at 55 kg in the Olympic Trials and was defeated in the Challenge Tournament. The Olympic spot went to Tela O’Donnell, who like Van Dusen is a USOTC resident athlete. Marcie is here in Athens helping train O’Donnell, who is in her own weight class. “This is the second step. If you don’t win the Trials, you do everything you can to help the USA be the best. That is my job,” said Van Dusen. “Someday I want to be in their shoes, so I want my training partner to be as good for me as I am for them. It is not hard for me now. I know it is part of the process.” “We are around for them. We hang out, tease them and try to keep the environment the same as at the Olympic Training Center. They don’t have to deal with all the pressures on them when they are with us,” said Van Dusen. Van Dusen is learning everything she can at the Olympics, and taking advantage of this opportunity. “It is a good experience all around,” said Van Dusen. “I have never been to the Olympics before. I am glad to support all of the Americans in all of the events. It is educational, too. It is nice to see the process they go through.” Justin Ruiz was very close to being an Olympian. He won the U.S. Nationals at 96 kg, beating 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney in the finals. However, at the Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Lowney beat Ruiz twice to make his second team. Ruiz is here to train with 85 kg Olympian Brad Vering, a regular workout partner at the Olympic Training Center, and a fellow Univ. of Nebraska Cornhusker. Ruiz is also glad to be part of the support team in Athens. “After I got beat in the Trials, I was disappointed. But Brad wanted me to be his training partner. You never know what will happen in the future. It is important to have good partners. I knew I could help in that respect,” said Ruiz. “The coaches ask you to do things,” said Ruiz. “I lugged the computer on the plane and set it up here. We do whatever we are asked. We sit in the sauna or check in on somebody. Pretty much it is just training. Things are going smoothly, so it has mostly been doing training.” Ruiz has done a few things outside of the wrestling room, getting a taste of the Olympic experience. “I have been to the beach a couple of times. I have been to the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon. I did some shopping. I have seen some events, like volleyball,” said Ruiz. He has also worked out with Lowney, the guy who beat him, when Garrett requests him. That has also gone well. “We get along,” said Ruiz about Lowney. “There is no animosity. We are just competitors. He is a great guy. I respect him and hope he gets the gold.” Training Partners. Part of every medal won by a U.S. wrestler in Athens will have their hard work and effort included in it. USA Wrestling needs these training partners, and those who are part of the team understand their value and appreciate their efforts. ©2004, The Mat
Bill Zadick Kicked Out Of Olympic Trials Zadick was tossed out of the Olympic Trials on Saturday after the former Iowa wrestler and his ex-Iowa State counterpart were engaged in an altercation at the conclusion of their 145 1/2-pound consolation match. The incident brought U.S. Olympic coaches Tom Brands and Bobby Douglas onto the mat at the RCA Dome in an attempt to stop the quarrel. "The wrestlers just lost control," said Douglas, who coached Bono in college. "They lost control and reacted to the moment. Both of them were trying to win and they had rough tie-ups and the rough tie-ups turned into punches." Douglas tried getting in the middle, but Zadick pushed him aside. "Somebody needed to get up there in a hurry," Douglas said. "I don't really recall what happened." Bono was credited with a 6-3 victory and advanced to the third-place match in the challenge tournament, while Zadick was disqualified for misconduct. In the final seconds of the match, Zadick and Bono began butting heads and slapping each other before the action was momentarily stopped. Bono said the bruise above his right eye was a product of a head butt from the match. "Some things happen that you don't like," said Zadick, 31. "A guy clubs me in the head and I'm certainly not going to back down and most athletes aren't." After he and Bono were separated, Zadick and Douglas shook hands and the Cyclone coach considered the incident over. Zadick, 31, and Bono, 30, have been adversaries since International weight classes were restructured in 2001. Zadick was a member of the U.S. World team in 2001 before Bono took his spot in 2002. "I apologized for the situation," Bono said. "I know USA Wrestling is trying to put on a good show and there's no room for that. It's both of us older guys that both lost our dream at this tournament, and we were fighting for respect and pride and things happened." ©2004, Iowa City Press-Citizen
Relaxed Bono bids for berth in Athens For Chris Bono, this road to an Olympic berth in freestyle wrestling revolves around rattles - not a rival. Bono, the Iowa State assistant coach and former Cyclone national champion, will compete at 145.5 pounds this weekend during the U.S. Olympic Trials at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Champions in each of the seven freestyle weights qualify for the Olympics, in August, in Athens. In 2000, Bono fell to three-time Iowa national champ Lincoln McIlravy during the finals in Dallas. Now, McIlravy is gone - he stepped away from the sport since winning a bronze medal in Sydney - and Bono's competitive fires are tempered in two ways: one is 3 1/2-year-old Josie, the other 11-month-old Ellie. "It's been real healthy for me," said Bono, 30, of Gilbert. "I come home from practice and it's not all about wrestling. I have two little girls and a wife. "I can't worry about whether I got whooped in practice, or whatever." And Bono doesn't worry about McIlravy now, either. The former three-time national champ at rival Iowa beat Bono for the 16th and 17th times in a row during a best-of-three final to seal the 2000 Olympic berth at 152 pounds. McIlravy always was the brick wall on the way to the top of the medal stand for Bono. When McIlravy took a season off from college wrestling in an effort to make the Olympic team, Bono won the 150-pound national title. A year later - in their final college seasons - McIlravy returned and beat Bono for the 1997 championship. "Now, I don't worry about anyone," Bono said. "Back then, I really trained for him." The college rivalry extended to freestyle - and 2000. "I'm more confident," Bono said. "In 2000, I had someone I couldn't beat," Bono said. There's no brick wall for Bono now. Jamill Kelly, formerly of Oklahoma State, held off Bono at the National Open, 4-3. But Bono has beaten Iranian star Ali Reza Dabir - a 2000 Olympic gold medalist - in Slovakia to help the U.S. qualify his weight for the Olympics. He also has a victory against reigning World champ Irbek Farniev of Russia. And Bono's new formula for success involves, well, more formula. Two young daughters and his wife, Niki, have grounded him more than he ever imagined, as he added perspective to the pressure. "My family is my No. 1 responsibility and No. 1 priority," Bono said. "In 2000, Josie was 10 days old at the Trials. That was a stressful time worrying about her, worrying about my wife and trying to wrestle. "But now, It's unbelievable how relaxed I am," Bono said. Relaxed enough, perhaps, to earn a trip to Athens. "I can win my weight. I can win the gold," Bono said. ©2004, Des Moines Register
Hopes pinned on Olympics Chris Bono would be an ideal candidate for Survivor. For the past seven years, he has been faithfully committed to his own grueling reality series. The only difference is that Bono's triumphs and heartbreaks aren't broadcast on national television. That may soon change, providing The Bolles School graduate can win the 145.5-pound weight class at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials, which will take place Friday through Sunday in Indianapolis. A victory would qualify Bono to go to Athens, Greece, in August and compete for a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Games, which has been his life quest since earning a college degree and winning an NCAA championship at Iowa State. Wresting has been Bono's passion since he and his brothers began competing as young kids in their native Philadelphia. But few Americans have labored as long as Bono, 30, in a such a demanding sport, where money is next to non-existent and the only real limelight shines every four years. "If you take wrestling out of my life, I don't know what I would do," said Bono, who also serves as a assistant head wrestling coach at Iowa State. "I do look forward to the day where I can relax with my family and not have my wife [Niki] work around my competition schedule. But I have to do this while I can. This is my time." Many freestyle wrestlers at Bono's age are either retired or winding down their careers, but he shows little sign of slowing down. With a wife and two daughters (4-year-old Josie, 11-month-old Ellie Dru), Bono is clearly leaving the door open to competing through the 2008 Olympics -- even if he wins the Trials and achieves the ultimate in Athens. "I still love to train and compete," Bono said. "I don't know if I could give it up right now, even if I do win a gold medal. I feel young. I don't feel any older than when I left college. Plus, I feel like I'm just learning the game. I finally understand all aspects of the sport, so I don't want to get out when I think I'm finally getting good." Unlike four years ago, when Bono was the Trials runner-up at 152 pounds to top-seeded Lincoln McIlravey, he's considered almost a co-favorite this year with No.1 seed Jamill Kelly, who gets a bye into the finals. Starting Friday night, Bono must win three matches to reach the finals and a best-of-three showdown with Kelly, who beat him 4-3 in overtime last month at the U.S. nationals to earn the top seed. Bono, the No.1 or 2-ranked American in his weight class for the past four years, still has a difficult road to get to the Olympics. But his division lacks the intimidating presence at the top that McIlravey provided in 2000. Bono went 0-15 in his career against McIlravey (now retired), including decisions of 3-0 and 4-0 at the Olympic Trials. "Looking back, I wasn't ready to beat McIlravey," said Bono. "He was a better wrestler than me. I probably wouldn't have been able to beat people at the Olympics four years ago. I know I can beat anybody in the world in my [weight] class now." The 145.5-pound division is considered one of the toughest in freestyle wrestling. But when he's on his game, Bono may give the United States its best shot at a gold medal, something that hasn't happened in his weight class since longtime Iowa coaching legend Dan Gable pulled it off at Munich in 1972. While Bono has yet to reach the Olympics, he has beaten some impressive foreign competition. He defeated Iran's Alireza Dabir, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist at 127.5 pounds, who took second at the World Championships at 145.5 pounds two years ago. He also owns wins over two former world champions in his weight class, Russia's Irbek Farniev and Bulgaria's Serafim Barzakov. "I can beat those foreigners," said Bono. "It's the guys in the U.S. that give me problems. The hardest part of this whole process is making the Olympic team. Once I do that, I'm going to be ready to win a medal." There'll be no shortage of hurdles this weekend in Indianapolis. Bono is 2-4 against Kelly, beating him twice at the U.S. World Team Trials in 2002. Kelly avenged those two losses a year later at the same meet with decisions of 7-3 and 4-2 in overtime. Bono has wins over five other wrestlers competing in his division at the Olympic Trials, but also lost in the past eight months to Jared Fryer at a New York Athletic Club tournament and to Doug Schwab at the Sunkist tournament in Phoenix. Bono attributed those defeats to a lack of total preparation. He feels much better about his chances this week with so much at stake. "I'm in way better shape and concentrating much better than I was at the end of last year," Bono said. ... "I'll be ready. It's just a matter of getting through these matches and then letting it fly [against Kelly] in the finals." Kelly, 26, who has a 4-inch height advantage on the 5-foot-3 Bono, is making no predictions about who his eventual opponent will be on Sunday. Besides Schwab and Fryer, another tough obstacle for Bono could be 31-year-old Bill Zadick, ranked No.3 in the 145.5-pound division. Zadick won an NCAA title at Iowa in 1996, the same year as Bono. No matter what happens this week in Indianapolis or this summer in Athens, it's doubtful Bono will make the move from competitor to full-time coach just yet. His dream job is to take over the Iowa State program whenever his boss, 62-year-old Bobby Douglas, decides to retire. Two years ago, Bono was one of two finalists for the head coaching job at Utah Valley State, but took himself out of contention because he couldn't bring himself to leave his alma mater or give up pursuit of wrestling in the Olympics. "Wrestling will be Chris' life forever," said Niki. "He wants to be a head coach, but that can't happen until he's done competing. Chris is not one to give that up easily. He doesn't talk about [retiring] much because he's focused on winning the Trials. But if he needs to go on, then we'll all be behind him." Douglas, who has been Bono's coach and close friend for more than a decade, understands the conflict of trying to walk this career tightrope. Douglas, one of the U.S. Olympic wrestling coaches, competed in two Olympics (1964 and '68) before embarking on a coaching career that has included an 18-year stop at Arizona State and the last 12 years at Iowa State. "Chris is thinking the right way. You can't be a slave to two masters [competing as a wrestler and being a head coach]," said Douglas. "He wants to win the Olympic gold medal and the World Championships. If he makes the Olympic team and does well, I don't think you'll see the last of Chris Bono as a competitive wrestler. I don't think he's ready to get it out of his system." ©2004, Florida Times-Union
U.S. Olympic Team Trials preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men's freestyle wrestling Although he won this division at last year’s World Team Trials, and continued his torrid wrestling by capturing the 2004 U.S. Nationals, Jamill Kelly is still working for respect within American wrestling. Perhaps the reason for this is that Kelly was unable to win in his pool at the World Championships in New York this summer. Perhaps it is because there are so many other strong wrestlers in the division, all who have fans and friends in the wrestling community. Jamill Kelly has no control over what others think. What he can control is his training and his competitions, something that he has done an excellent job with in recent seasons. The emergence of Jamill Kelly should be no surprise. For two seasons, he made Freestyle Team USA with a No. 3 finish at the World Team Trials. Then, in 2003, he tore through the deep field at the World Team Trials to make the U.S. World Team. He has a style that works very well in freestyle, with explosive scoring capabilities and the kind of defense that wins tournaments. He also is well coached by the legendary John Smith, who has never doubted his abilities. Just because a wrestler was not a star on the NCAA level does not mean he can’t be an Olympic champion. Kelly is the latest example of an American wrestler who is reaching his peak at the highest level, the Olympic level. The athlete many expect to face Kelly in the Championships Series, and some expect to win it all, is Chris Bono, a two-time World Team member and experienced international veteran. Bono won the U.S. Nationals in 2003 and drew Kelly in the World Team Trials finals, losing an exciting series. It was also Bono who emerged at the U.S. Nationals finals to face Kelly again this year, dropping a hard-fought 4-3 match. When the U.S. needed to qualify this weight class for the Olympics, it was Bono who went to the first Qualifying event and got the job done. He defeated Iran’s star Ali Reza Dabir in the quarterfinals in Slovakia to clinch the qualification spot. He also has a win over reigning World champion Irbek Farniev of Russia. The man is a talented freestyle wrestler. What can’t be overlooked is that Bono has lost a few matches to other young Americans in recent seasons. These are the athletes he must beat in the Challenge Tournament to get another crack at Kelly. Among those with wins over Bono are Jared Frayer and Doug Schwab. Bono beat Schwab 3-2 in the semifinals in Las Vegas, and did not face Frayer. Bono will have some Olympic Trials memories to drive him in Indianapolis. In 2000, he fell in the Olympic Trials finals to his nemesis Lincoln McIlravy, who is no longer competing. Bono has trained for four more years for another chance at going to the Olympics, and everybody should expect him to be completely prepared. Jared Frayer emerged from the U.S. Nationals with the bronze medal, losing only one match, a 5-3 semifinal match with Kelly. Frayer beat talented Eric Larkin twice in Las Vegas. The first time was an 8-7 extravaganza in the quarterfinals. Then in the third-place match, Frayer scored a surprising pin over Larkin. Both Frayer and Larkin represent the youthful talent in this division. Both expect to be ready right now to take over the division right now. However, both might also find great success on the international circuit if they pursue the next two Olympic team cycles. The Olympic Trials is not a new experience for Larkin, who placed third in the 2000 Olympic Team Trials in Dallas while he was still a young college wrestler. Both Frayer and Larkin have won some international events in recent seasons. Both have some tremendous freestyle instincts and skills, and have been able to score points in bunches when they open up their offense. And both will still be underdogs when or if they draw Bono in the Challenge Tournament. The fastest rising star in the weight class is probably Jared Lawrence, who is quickly developing on the Senior level after a strong college career. Lawrence was a talent on the age-group levels, and has now made his mark by placing fifth at the U.S. Nationals. He lost to Tony Davis in the U.S. Nationals quarterfinals, then came back strong in the wrestlebacks. A key win for Lawrence was over past World Team member Bill Zadick. Lawrence also qualified for the Olympic Trials by capturing the North Regional Olympic Trials. Doug Schwab can never be overlooked in this mix. He has shown a knack of giving Bono many tough tussles, including a win over Bono at the Sunkist Kids International this past fall. Schwab is in every match he wrestles, competing with great conditioning, tremendous heart and some well crafted skills. After losing to Bono in Las Vegas, he defaulted back to sixth place. Like the other talents in the division, Schwab is not here to place second but is driven to be the champion. If he puts together an entire tournament at the level he is capable, he has a chance to achieve that goal. Taking the last two spots in the Olympic Trials by placing seventh and eighth at the U.S. Nationals respectively were Tony Davis and Celso DeAnda. Davis has established his place in this division the last two seasons. He has beaten some very good wrestlers but not yet reached the high medal rounds at the national level. DeAnda also qualified for the Olympic Trials by winning the Central Regionals. He is one of those tough athletes who have become veteran freestylers, using experience and specialized skills to beat athletes who might have earned bigger “names” through the college circuit. The biggest name coming out of the Regional events is Bill Zadick, who won the South Regionals, the “last chance qualifier.” Zadick was on the 2001 U.S. World Team, and has remained a member of Freestyle Team USA, entering the season as the No. 3 athlete at this division. He has tremendous international experience. This year has been a challenge, as he has lost some matches on foreign tours and did not place at the U.S. Nationals. His losses in Las Vegas were to Schwab and Lawrence. Anybody who chooses to overlook Zadick in Indianapolis is doing so at their own peril. Zadick is fully capable of avenging his losses and working through the Challenge Tournament. He will need to score the clutch points in close matches, often the difference in a loaded weight class. Also earning spots in the field are veteran Jeremy Ensrud and college wrestler Jeff Ratliff, both Regional champions. Ensrud was a high placewinner on the national level a few seasons ago, but has not been a major factor since the weight classes were reshuffled this quadrennium. Ratliff is coming off an All-American performance at the NCAA Tournament this year, but has limited freestyle achievements on the Senior level. Both should have difficult matches right off the bat in the Challenge Tournament. What more can be said? Kelly is the man at this division, and awaits for one challenger to emerge for the Championship Series. It could end up being another rematch with veteran Bono, but there are many others in the field who expect that they will be Kelly’s opponent. The talent is deep with Frayer, Larkin, Lawrence, Schwab, Zadick, Davis and others. Every round of the Challenge Tournament will be competitive and fun for the fans to watch. And whoever wins that showdown still has the daunting task of a two-out-of-three with the explosive and confident Kelly. Buy your ticket for the RCA Dome and enjoy!!! 2004 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS IN FREESTYLE AT 66 KG/145.5 POUNDS
U.S. Nationals Champion - Jamill Kelly, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) ©2004, The Mat
Steinbrenner, wrestling great Bono headline Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s 2004 induction class
GAINESVILLE – New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and wrestling great Christopher Bono head the list of eight individuals selected for induction this year into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Joining Steinbrenner and Bono in the Class of 2004 are former FHSAA Associate Commissioner for Athletic Operations Ron Allen; former Titusville High School girls volleyball coach Laura Dixon; former Port St. Joe basketball coach Vernon Eppinette; Bradenton area contest official Mike Knowles; Gulliver Preparatory School founder Marian Krutulis; and former FHSAA Director of Field Services Charles Smith. This is the 13th group to be inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame, formerly the FHSAA Hall of Fame. Founded during the 1990-91 school year, the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame keeps alive the tradition and spirit of high school athletics, and honors each year those persons who through distinguished achievement have excelled in one or more high school programs sponsored by the Association and its member schools. This year’s eight inductees bring to 83 the number of deserving individuals who have been enshrined in the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame. They include student-athletes, coaches, administrators, contest officials and other contributors, such as sports writers, who have raised the level of awareness of high school activities through their efforts, achievements and dedication. The 2004 Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Banquet will be held June 10 at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa. Steinbrenner, 73, a resident of Tampa, is best known as the principal owner of the 26-time world champion New York Yankees. Over his 30-year residence in Florida, Steinbrenner has been a major contributor to Florida interscholastic athletics. His contributions include bringing the FHSAA Baseball Finals to Legends Field in Tampa, donating $200,000 to Hillsborough County to reestablish the middle school athletic program, and donating funds to help underprivileged youth with the cost of participation in high school athletics. Steinbrenner has served as the vice president of the U.S. Olympic Committee and is a member of the NCAA Foundation Board of Directors. He is the recipient of the 2002 USOC General Douglas MacArthur Award, the New Yorker of the Year Award, and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s Gold Medal. Bono, 30, was a three-time FHSAA wrestling champion for The Bolles School in Jacksonville. He is the third individual to be selected for induction in the student-athlete category, joining football legends Emmitt Smith and Danny Wuerffel. Bono posted an overall record of 181-12 throughout his varsity wrestling career and was the captain of the 1992 Class 2A state championship team. He also played football and baseball for Bolles. His success continued in college at Iowa State University, where he won the 1996 NCAA 150-pound title and was a three-time All-American. Now an assistant head coach at Iowa State, Bono is still active as a competitor, finishing as the runner-up in his weight class at the 2004 U.S. Senior Nationals to clinch a qualifying spot for the 2004 Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis in May. He is a two-time World Team Trials champion and was a 2002 U.S. World Team member. Ron Allen. Allen, 65, retired in 2003 as the FHSAA Associate Commissioner for Athletic Operations, a position he held for 10 years. Allen, a cross country and track & field athlete at the University of Florida from 1958 to 1961, served as head track & field coach at both Chamberlain and Robinson high schools in Tampa, and was the principal of Chamberlain from 1978 to 1983 and Gaither High School in Tampa from 1984 to 1993. Allen received the 2003 Honor, Courage and Commitment Award from the US Marines, a corporate partner of the FHSAA. Laura Dixon. Dixon, 58, was the head girls volleyball coach at Titusville High School for 25 years until her retirement in 1999. Under her tenure, the Terriers won state championships in 1981 and 1983, and were the runners-up in 1985. Dixon amassed eight district, five regional and three sectional championships, a 359-152 record, and a .700 winning percentage. She also won four district titles and one regional title as the head softball coach. Dixon is a member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and Titusville High School’s female athlete of the year award is named for her. Vernon Eppinette. Eppinette, 55, coached Port St. Joe High School to five state championships in boys basketball and one state title in boys track & field from 1990 to 2001. He was also the head track & field, basketball and cross country coach and athletic director at Clermont High School in the 1980s. Eppinette is a five-time Florida Basketball Coach of the Year, and has been a National High School Coaches Association National Coach of the Year finalist twice. He is a member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Mike Knowles. Knowles, 55, has served as a high school contest official for 31 years. He has officiated 16 basketball and five baseball state finals since 1988. He also officiated college basketball from 1977-1996 and college baseball from 1979 to 2002. Knowles has been the State Active Official of the Year in both sports, and was the Section 3 (Southeastern United States) Active Official of the Year in 2001. He also has experience as a head football coach at Satellite and Middleburg high schools, and now serves as the head girls golf coach at Manatee High School in Bradenton. Marian Krutulis. Krutulis, 80, is the director of Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, which she founded in 1952. One of the first women to serve on the FHSAA Board of Directors, she was a major advocate for keeping public and private schools united under the organization’s umbrella. Krutulis is an active supporter of athletics, working with the Junior Orange Bowl, YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami. She also sponsored the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholarship Dinner with Bob Griese for eight years. Krutulis has been honored with distinguished service awards by the FHSAA, the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, the Kiwanis, and the YMCA. Charles Smith. Smith, 61, is a former FHSAA Director of Field Services (now known as Director of Athletics). A three-sport athlete at Cocoa High School from 1958 to 1961, he played for the 1960 Class A state championship basketball team. He went on to coach football, basketball and track & field, and was the assistant chair of the Brevard County Gender Equity/Title IX Committee. In his position at the FHSAA, Smith served as the supervisor of officials and was a member of the National Federation of High School Associations football rules committee. A longtime official, he received the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Associations’ Distinguished Service Award in 1992. Two separate committees comprised of active and retired administrators, coaches, officials and news media representatives evaluated the nominations of the eight individuals selected for induction to the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame this year. A seven-member screening committee first reviewed all nominations received and determined which nominees were viable candidates for induction into the Hall of Fame. The nominations of those candidates then were forwarded to a 16-member selection committee, which rated the nomination of each candidate to determine the candidates who would be inducted. The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle and senior high schools. ©2004, iHigh
Iowans perform to form in Vegas Iowans performed according to form in the first four rounds of the National Open wrestling tournament in Las Vegas on Friday. All but two wrestlers with Iowa ties who were projected into the semifinals advanced. The exceptions were Tolly Thompson of Waterloo, a No. 3 seed who was pinned by Justin Moody in just 1 min- ute 6 seconds in the second round, and Bill Zadick of Iowa, who was ousted by another ex-Hawkeye, No. 6 seed Doug Schwab, 5-2, in the quarterfinals. Defending national champions Chris Bono (145.5 pounds), Joe Williams (163) and Cael Sanderson (185) all will compete in today's semifinals. Former Iowa State wrestler Bono, a second seed, will face Schwab. The top-seeded Williams remained on course to meet No. 2 Joe Heskett of Iowa State in the 163-pound final. Each posted 3-1 wins in their quarterfinal. Former Cyclone Sanderson went 4-0 by a combined 40-0 score to move into today's semifinals. No. 2 seed Lee Fullhart of Iowa is in the other 185 semifinal. Other Iowans in semifinals today are Mike Mena of Iowa (121 pounds), Mike Zadick of Iowa (132) and Steve Mocco of Iowa (heavyweight). Molly Keith of Aurelia, who beat Ashley Sword of New York, 9-8, in overtime of her first 138.75-pound match, was eliminated by Sally Roberts, 9-2, in the women's quarterfinals. The top eight wrestlers at each weight will advance to next month's U.S. Olympic trials. ©2004, The Des Moines Register
Bono, Sanderson will compete at Freestyle Nationals After impressive collegiate careers as Cyclone wrestlers, Chris Bono and Cael Sanderson just keep on winning. This weekend at the Freestyle Nationals tournament in Las Vegas, the two nationally ranked wrestlers will have the opportunity to showcase and improve their skills as they face some of the nation's best freestylers. Having previously been on the U.S. Wrestling Team, neither Bono nor Sanderson will have to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis May 21. "I'm already qualified," Bono said. "Being a past [U.S.] team member automatically qualifies me." Bono said this tournament will be a preview of the Olympic Team Trials, and he's wrestling to win it. "I'm going to win the tournament," he said. "[My chances] better be good. I won it last year and have been there millions of times. It's time to win it again." Three-time defending World Trials champion Sanderson said he is mentally prepared for the weekend. "I'm really excited about this tournament," Sanderson said. "This is our first step in making the Olympic team. It's something I've been thinking of since I was a little kid." Already the most prolific and most dominant wrestler in NCAA history, Sanderson said his recent training has made him a better wrestler. "I think I'm getting better and better," he said. "Every time I'm on the mat I'm trying to do something better. I think I'm on my way." Seven years removed from competing in college, Bono said his age has had no effect on his conditioning. "My shape is fine," he said. "I'm in the best possible shape in my career." He is currently ranked second nationally behind Jamill Kelly at 66 Kg (145.5 pounds). Having wrestled on the national stage for nearly a decade, Bono said he is unsure whether he'll retire from competition if he does not reclaim a spot on the national team. "We'll have to sit back and see what's going on," he said. "I still love to compete, and [retiring] hasn't even entered my mind." Sanderson, ranked first nationally at 84 kg (185 pounds), has many accolades to his name already and said now is the time to build a legacy. "Now it's just time to get on the team," he said. "I'm trying to get better and that's basically it. I'm trying to get a little stronger physically. Just all the little things associated with freestyle." Bono and Sanderson both train in Ames under the guidance of ISU wrestling head coach Bobby Douglas. Both wrestlers said they greatly benefit from training at Iowa State. "I learn things everyday from the [college] guys in the room," Bono said. "If I can take some advice from a 7-year-old kid and learn something, I will." "It's been great," Sanderson said. "Ames is my home, and it's been great to have the partners and atmosphere while I'm training." Sanderson also said these are the tournaments wrestlers train for -- these are the tournaments that mean the most. "We've been training for a long time and now it's time [to prove ourselves]," he said. ©2004, Iowa State Daily
Leaving for Las Vegas: Wrestlers to compete at Nationals
Defending national freestyle champions Chris Bono and Cael Sanderson and several current and former members of the Iowa State wrestling team left Ames Wednesday for this weekend's U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas. Preliminary competition begins at 9 a.m. Friday. Medal matches are Saturday. The top eight finishers in each weight class qualify for the May 21-23 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, with the goal to represent the U.S. in the Summer Games in Athens, Greece. Bono, an assistant coach at ISU, said current members of the team making the trip include Grant Nakamura, Nate Gallick, Trent Paulson, Travis Paulson and David Bertolino. Other former Cyclones competing in addition to Bono and Sanderson include Zach Roberson, last year's national champion at 133 pounds, and assistant coach Zach Thompson. Dwight Hinson, a four-time All-American from 1995-98, also will be in the competition, along with Eric Akin and Matt Azevedo among the former Cyclones expected. Nakamura, Roberson, Gallick and Hinson participated in the tournament a year ago. Nakamura and Roberson did not place. Gallick came away with a seventh-place finish at 132 pounds while Hinson placed fifth in the same weight class. Bono and Sanderson already have qualified for the Olympic Trials, but are going to defending their national freestyle championships. Bono beat former Iowa standout Bill Zadick in the 145.5-pound championship a year ago and Sanderson beat former Hawkeye Lee Fullhart at 185 pounds. "(The U.S. National Championships) are about going to win," Bono said. "It's going to win the tournament and let everybody in the rest of the tournament know that I'm going to be on the Olympic team. In my book I really need to go, I need to beat all these guys, and I need to just let them know I want to make the Olympic team." Bono said that while Roberson and current Cyclones won't be high seeds, being in the competition will give them valuable experience. (Roberson) needs to go and learn and see where he is, see what he needs to do for the next couple of years," Bono said. "For the other guys, they're in the room everyday and are getting extra workouts. It's like spring football practice. "They're going to beat some good people. These guys have great heads on their shoulders. They're veterans and have wrestled thousands of matches. I have no problem with these guys." Roberson said reality is finally setting in that he won a national title a few weeks ago. "I'm just ready to move on and wrestle some freestyle," he said. "I want to make the (Olympic) trials." Gallick, who has a lot of freestyle experience, said his goals are the same as Roberson's. "Right now, my goal is to qualify for the trials," Gallick said. "That's what I'm going out there to accomplish. The most important thing is qualifying for the trials and getting some experience ... All season long I've been waiting for the season to end so I can start wrestling freestyle again. This is my favorite part of the year." Nakamura, who struggled in St. Louis, faces an uphill battle to qualify. "I want to go and do good because I had a poor performance at nationals," Nakamura said. "It would be nice if I could qualify for the Olympic Trials. Winning is going to be hard to do, but I really want to qualify for the Trials so I can get more experience. I'm excited and I'm hungry." Staff writer Dick Kelly can be reached at 232-2161, Ext. 355, or by email at dkelly@amestrib.com ©2004, GoCyclones
Bono is wrestling for himself
There's plenty on the line for Iowa State University assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono during the coming months. And if, by chance, he doesn't achieve his goal, he's already done his part to help the United States Olympic Wrestling Team. Bono, a national champion and 3-time All-American when he wrestled for Iowa State in the mid-1990s, was in Slovakia earlier this month for an Olympic qualifying tournament that required one of the best efforts of his career. The Olympic team needed Bono and former University of Iowa standout Joe Williams to finish fifth or better in their respective weight classes in order for the U.S. to qualify those weight classes for the Olympic Games. Bono did his part by placing third at 145.5 pounds and Williams won all five of his matches at 163 pounds to qualify both weight classes for the Olympics. Williams brought back a gold medal and Bono, who finished third, received a bronze medal. Bono's victory against 2000 Olympic champion Ali Reza Dabir of Iran in the quarterfinals assured him of no worse than a fifth-place finish. He lost his semifinal match, but won his consolation match to place third. Bono advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win against Sergei Demtchenko of Belarus and a 5-3 win against Ahto Raska of Estonia. After beating Dabir, Bono went against Leonid Spiridonov of Kazekhstan and lost, 6-3. He came back with a default win against Jin-Kuk Baek of Korea. Bono said his experience against foreign opponents was part of the reason he was selected to represent his country in the Slovakia tournament. "I have a good track record against the foreigners so I think that's why they selected me to go," Bono said. "That tournament was for the country and these next couple are for me." "These next couple" are the national freestyle championships in Las Vegas, Nev., in April and the Olympic trials May 21-23 in Indianapolis, Ind. Bono said the top eight finishes in each weight class at the Las Vegas tournament qualify for the Olympic trials, adding that he has already qualified for the Olympic trials. The incentive at Las Vegas is that the first-place finisher in each weight classes gets to sit out the round-robin competition at the Olympic trials. "I'm going (to Las Vegas) to win the open so I can sit out the mini tournament (at the Olympic trials)," Bono said. The Olympic trials are, of course, the big event for Bono. He, like all the other competitors, must win or go home. Bono said he expects Jamal Kelly, who beat Bono in the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials, to be the No. 1 seed at Las Vegas. Bono, of course, wants to wrestle Kelly. "If I do, that means I'm doing my job," Bono said. Bono will prepare for the upcoming events with twice-daily workouts at the Iowa State University wrestling room. "Nothing is going to change for me. I'm in (the wrestling room) in the morning and in the afternoon five or six times a week," Bono said. "I usually take one day off, but the closer the competition; the harder it is to take a day off. I want to do everything possible. I'll watch a lot of film on my opponents over the next two months and I'll train for specific guys when it gets closer. It's a lot of work, but it's going to be worth it come August." Bono said he works out with members of the ISU wrestling team. He used to make frequent trips to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., but said he can accomplish the same thing by working out with the team. "These guys need me as much as I need them," Bono said. "I'm going to get them ready for the conference and national tournament which is huge for us right now. By getting them ready, it's also getting me ready for the nationals and Olympic trials." Bono said he has no intention of giving up his job as assistant wrestling coach to concentrate on the Olympics, something Williams did at the University of Iowa after returning from Slovakia. "No way," Bono said. "I enjoy coaching as much as I do competing. I don't know what Willams' situation was, but I'm lucky to have a boss who allows me to get in here and train as much as I want as long as I get my office work done and stuff like that." What that means is that Bono is putting the team ahead of his own desires and goals. "This is their time of year," Bono said. "What I do is go through the workouts with the team, just like I'm still on the team. I even let coach (Bobby Douglas) yell at me a little bit and not fuss at him. I work out with the guys so it's like I'm on the team." Douglas said Bono's goals have not interfered with his assistant coaching duties. "He's a motivator and, obviously, he's a mentor, a role model and he's an outstanding coach and works real well with the kids," Douglas said. ©2004, GoCyclones.com
Iowa Wrestler Not Worried About Olympic Security
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Chris Bono has been in some dicey places during his wrestling career. He has competed twice in Iran. He's been in the middle of Russia and other former Soviet-bloc nations. Bono agreed he's been to places that are not too safe. Some American athletes aren't sure they'll be safe at this summer's Olympics in Athens. Bono, an assistant coach at Iowa State, feels otherwise. If he makes the U.S. Olympic team, he'll focus on his wrestling and let others worry about security. Bono said he has all the faith in the world in USA Wrestling, all the faith in the world in the security team in Athens. Bono will try to make the U.S. team at 145.5 pounds. He has been one of America's top wrestlers at that weight and made the world championship team in 2002, but has never been on the Olympic team. His confidence in the security measures is shared by Iowa assistant Tom Brands, who'll be one of the U.S. wrestling coaches for the Olympics, which start Aug. 13. ©2004, TheIowaChannel.com
Mission Accomplished: Bono and Williams qualify the U.S. for the 2004 Olympic Games at their weight classes
Williams was first in the 163-pound class of the qualifying tournament. Bono was third in the 146-pound division. Olympic gold medalist Alireza Dabir of Iran qualified by placing fifth in the 146-pound category. Dabir won the gold at the Sydney Games at 128 pounds. Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan, Artur Tavkazakhov of Uzbekistan and Baek Jin-kuk Baek of South Korea also qualified at 146. Daniel Igali, who won the gold in 2000 at 152 pounds, qualified for the 163-pound class, as did Ivan Fundora of Cuba, Arayik Gevorgya of Armenia and Krystian Brzozowski of Poland. At 121 pounds, Rene Montero of Cuba led the way with Kerman Kantoyeu of Belarus, Martin Berberyan of Armenia, Namig Abdullayev of Azerbaijan and Zhengyu Li of China. Kamal Ustarkhanov of Russia qualified in the 132-pound category with Anatolie Guidea of Bulgaria, Vasyl Fedoryshyn of Ukraine, Guivi Sissaouri of Canada and Gokar Mostafa of Iran. Eldar Asanov of Ukraine topped the list at 185 pounds, followed by Yokohama Hidekazu of Japan, Chanbaripirsari Feridoun of Iran, Moon Eui-jae of South Korea and Arkadiy Tzopa of Bulgaria. Magomed Ibragimov of Uzbekistan led the 212-pound, followed by Cakiroglu of Turkey, Rustam Aghayev of Azerbaijan, Yuanyuan Wang of China and Rolf Scherrer of Switzerland. Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba, who won the bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics at 287 pounds, will compete at 265 in Athens. Kuramagomed Kuramagomedov of Russia, Petta Francesco Miano of Italy, Marek Garmulewicz of Poland and V. Kara of Turkey will also contend. ©2004, The Associated Press
Mission Accomplished: Bono and Williams qualify the U.S. for the 2004 Olympic Games at their weight classes
"We are pleased with this performance," stated USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson. "We came here to get a job done - qualify our final two weight classes for the Olympics. We did that. Now we can go home and begin preparations for Nationals, Trials and the Olympics." "We had a lot of help from your support staff, Dr. Robert Heinz, Jamill Kelly and Ramico Blackmon. We want to thank them for their help," Jackson added. Bono went on to place third and Williams won a gold medal at the event, which wrapped up on Sunday morning. Bono defeated 2000 Olympic gold medalist and four-time World medalist Ali Reza Dabir of Iran, 2-2 in overtime in a 66 kg/145.5 lbs quarterfinal match. Dabir shot out to a 2-0 lead after scoring a point in the clinch to start the second period and then another point on a takedown. In overtime, Bono battled back, scoring a point in the clinch after Dabir refused to lock. Jackson argued for a caution and two points for Bono, but only one point was awarded. Bono then scored a takedown to tie the score at 2-2. Bono was awarded the win based on having the least amount of cautions in the match. "He got the last takedown with 10 seconds left in regulation. I knew I had to win the clinch going into the overtime," Bono said. Bono then lost to Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan in the semifinals, 6-2. Spiridonov won a University World gold medal in 2000. Bono won by injury default over Jin-Kuk Baek of Korea in the bronze-medal match. "I wrestled awful for two minutes in the semifinal match and it cost me," Bono said. "It was the second match up after the Dabir match, and it was one of those things where I wasn't mentally prepared going in. That was my fault. I feel like I could have won this tournament." At 74 kg/163 lbs., Williams won the gold medal with a 3-0 win over 2003 Pan American Championships gold medalist Ivan Fundora of Cuba. Williams, a 2001 World bronze medalist, posted a thrilling 4-3 quarterfinal win over Krystian Brzozowski of Poland before defeating Armenia's Arayik Gevorgyan 9-4 in the semifinals. Against Brzozowski, Williams fell behind 3-0 on points scored off of Williams' throw attempt. Williams fired back with four second-period points to earn the win and qualify the United States for the 2004 Olympic Games at his weight class. "I am glad I qualified the weight class. Now I can focus on making the Olympic team and realizing my lifelong dream," Williams said. In order to qualify the weight class for the 2004 Olympic Games, wrestlers must place in the top five at their respective weight class. Wrestlers qualifying for the Olympic Games only qualify their weight class for their nation. Olympic Team athlete selection varies by country. Positions on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams will be determined at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Wrestling in Indianapolis, Ind., May 21-23. The Slovakian Wrestling Federation has set up a web page that has information on these championships. To follow the action, visit: http://www.zapasenie.sk/olympic/main.htm
Men's Freestyle Olympic Qualification Tournament
U.S. Results
74 kg/163 lbs. - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) ©2004, The Mat
Three Cyclones in finals, Sanderson wins national championship
Those three Cyclones competed in championship matches at wrestling's 2003 World Team Trials Sunday in Indianapolis. In a rematch of last year's final, four-time undefeated NCAA champion Cael Sanderson beat Lee Fullhart 7-2 and 3-0 to claim his third straight U.S. title and qualify for the 2003 World Championship and Pan American Games. Fullhart, a former University of Iowa wrestler, won two preliminary matches by technical fall and a third 3-1 on his way to meet Sanderson in the 185-pound final. Chris Bono, previously ranked first in the country, was unable to continue his dominance at 145.5 pounds. The two-time defending U.S. Team Trials champion was upset by Jamill Kelly of Stillwater, Okla., 4-2 (OT) and 7-3. Kelly entered the tournament ranked third nationally. His win over Bono was the biggest of the tournament. Kelly qualified for the championship by beating second-ranked Bill Zadick and unranked Lincoln McIlravy, both former Iowa wrestlers. Third-ranked Joe Heskett won twice on Saturday to earn a birth in the 163-pound championship match Sunday. He beat Donny Pritzlaff 3-2 in his first match and followed that with a 4-1 win over Kirk White. Heskett, the only Cyclone to make it to the championship match by wrestling through the preliminary tournament, lost his best-of-three finals match 3-0 and 6-1 to Joe Williams. Williams, a former Hawkeye wrestler, was ranked first entering the tournament and was the defending champion at 163 pounds. Former Cyclone Ken Cook finished the weekend with two wins and two losses on his way to a fourth place finish in the Greco-Roman tournament. Cook, the ninth-ranked Greco-Roman wrestler at 163 pounds, won his first two matches 6-2 and 3-0 but then lost 6-0 to eventual champion T.C. Dantzler of South Holland, Ill. In the third place match, Cook wrestled into an overtime match where he lost 5-1 to third-ranked former Oregon wrestler Darryl Christian. Eric Akin, ranked sixth at 132 pounds, wrestled down at 121 pounds and finished 1-1 for the weekend. He defeated Eric Albarracin 8-0 before losing to Jeremy Hunter 4-3 in the second round. Current Cyclone wrestler Nate Gallick wrestled at 132 and had a strong first round, beating Juan Venturi 8-2. Gallick then lost by fourth place finisher Yero Washington 6-2 and Danny Felix 4-2 in the consolation bracket. Former ISU wrestler Dwight Hinson, also wrestling at 132 pounds, lost his first round match 7-1 to second-place finisher Jason Kutz. Hinson bounced back in the consolation tournament where he pinned Venturi in 4:57 and beat fifth-ranked Michael Lightner 5-0. Hinson's run was stopped abruptly when he was pinned by Washington in 2:18, keeping him from finishing in the top four. Matt Azevedo was the only Cyclone not to record a victory. Azevedo, ranked fourth, was beaten by third-ranked Mike Mena 8-0. There was no consolation round at 121 pounds. Mena, a former Hawkeye, finished second after losing to champion Stephen Abas 6-1 and 3-0. Sanderson will compete next at the Pan American games Aug. 1-17 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. ©2003, Iowa State Daily
2003 World Team Trials Set to Feature Cyclones of the Past and Present
AMES, Iowa - Current and former Iowa State student-athletes Chris Bono, Cael Sanderson, Eric Akin, Matt Azevedo, Ken Cook, Nate Gallick, Joe Heskett and Dwight Hinson have qualified to compete in the 2003 World Team Wrestling Trials at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., June 20-22. The champions in each weight class will qualify to represent the United States at the 2003 World Championships and Pan American Games under U.S. freestyle and ISU head coach Bobby Douglas. The 2003 Freestyle World Championships are in New York's Madison Square Garden Sept. 11-14. The 2003 Greco-Roman World Championships are in Creteil, France, Oct 2-5. The 2003 Pan American Games in August will be hosted by Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. Bono (freestyle-145.5 pounds), a 2001 and 2002 World Team Trials champion, decisioned Bill Zadick of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in overtime 3-1 to claim his first U.S. National Championship title on May 13, and to qualify top-ranked for his third-straight World Team Trials. This year, Bono earned a gold medal in the Cup of Independence in Uzbekistan and a silver medal in the World Cup. During his tenure at Iowa State, Bono was a three-time All-American and claimed the 150-pound title at the 1996 NCAA Championships. He is in his seventh year as the Cyclones' assistant head wrestling coach. "I am looking forward to competing this weekend in the hopes of making the World Team for the championships in New York," Bono said. Sanderson (freestyle-185 pounds) looks to compete in his first world-level competition after claiming his third-straight crown at the 2003 U.S. Freestyle National Championship with a 5-0 decision over Gator Wrestling Club's Lee Fullhart. Sanderson, the top qualifier in his weight class, reigns as the only collegiate wrestler in history to end his career undefeated (159-0), while winning four-straight NCAA titles. Sanderson earned a silver medal at the 2003 World Cup. "I'm ready for competition," Sanderson said. "Obviously, this is a major meet. My goal is to get on the World Team and you can't do that without winning this meet." Akin (freestyle-121 pounds) was a four-time All-American, three-time conference champion and was named the 118-pound runner-up at the 1994 NCAA Championship during his Iowa State career. Azevedo (freestyle-121 pounds) recorded a 49-26 record at Iowa State after a transfer from Arizona State in 1999. The 133-pounder was a 2000 and 2001 NCAA Championships qualifier, and placed third at the 2001 Big 12 Championships. Azevedo is currently an assistant wrestling coach at Cal-Poly. Cook (Greco-Roman-163 pounds), a native of Freemont, Calif., competed at 174 pounds last season for ISU while recording a 5-12 overall record. At the 2003 National Duals, Cook notched a 6-4 decision over Minnesota's Josh McLay to help Iowa State to a 22-18 win over the Gophers. Gallick (freestyle-132 pounds) notched a 16-16 record competing at 141 and 149 pounds in the 2002-03 season after redshirting his initial collegiate season. Last year, Gallick claimed fourth place at 149 pounds at the Big 12 Championships, took third place at 141 pounds at the Keystone Classic and earned second-place honors at 141 pounds at the Cyclone Open. Gallick is a native of Tucson, Ariz. Heskett (freestyle-163 pounds) claimed the crown at 165 pounds at the 2002 NCAA Championships and was a four-time All-American as a Cyclone from 1999-2002. He earned Big 12 Conference titles in 2001 and 2002. Heskett is currently an assistant wrestling coach at Cal-Poly. Hinson (freestyle-132 pounds), a four-time All-American and three-time conference champion, wrestled for ISU from 1994-98 and is currently a volunteer coach for the Cyclones. During his Iowa State collegiate career, Hinson amassed 141 victories and was named Amateur Wrestling News' Freshman of the Year. ©2003, Student Advantage and Iowa State University
10 Questions for U.S. Nationals champion Chris Bono 1. Obviously with Lincoln McIlravy making his comeback, nobody gave you much of a chance to win U.S. Nationals. Was that more of a motivational factor for you going into this tournament? Bono: My motivation is to be the best in the World and to get Chris Bono to that level. I do use a lot of things to motivate me on daily basis. 2. You beat Bill Zadick in the finals on the clinch, with a caution and two.. Were you fine with the way that match ended? Bono: At this a level, a win is a win. I will do whatever it takes to win. I just have to keep improving and score points. That has been my goal in practice: to score as many points as I can. 3. Was Bill Zadick a wrestler you didn't expect to see in the finals? Were you more excited about another chance against McIlravy? Bono: I did not care who I wrestled. Whomever was in the finals deserved to be there and was going to be a tough opponent. I think too many people are making a big deal out of Lincoln and myself. If that match happens, it happens. I still have to win no matter who is in front of me. 4. You went into the clinch against both Tony Davis and Zadick. It is not a position that many freestyle wrestlers on the Senior level are familiar with still. Is this something that needs major work during the training camps this summer? Bono: The clinch is like any other position. You have to practice it like you practice you turns, takedowns etc. 5. In your mind, is the clinch something that has a place in freestyle wrestling, or should it be confined to only Greco-Roman? Bono: It is in freestyle, so we have to learn it. I don't make the rules so i try not to analyze them to much. Just tell me the rules and lets wrestle. 6. Preparing for the Trials is going to be much different for you this time around. With sitting out two days before wrestling, what do you have to do to stay focused on the task at hand? Bono: There is no doubt that this is different for me, but I am a student of the sport and I watched over the years and watched how others have done it. I have asked questions because I knew when it was my time not be in the Challenge Tournament, I wanted to be ready. I am training real hard right now and doing the things I need to do. I am concentrating on Chris Bono. At the Trials, I will keep to my routine. I am taking a partner and I will train and be ready when it is my time to wrestle. 7. Will you doing a lot of observation during the Challenge Tournament? Bono: I don't know. I will do my thing workout wise and keep to myself. All my observation is being done right now. My motto this year is take care of Chris Bono and make sure he is ready to go. Sometimes people worry about this guy and this move. I will make sure Chris is ready. 8. What have you improved on in the past year that has begun to set you apart from other wrestlers in your weight class? Bono: Like I said, I think that has been huge. To not worry about anything but myself. Also I have been able to train the way I like to for a long time. 9. Right now, is this the best Chris Bono has ever been wrestling? Bono: I don't know. I don't think I wrestled very well at the U.S. Nationals. I missed so many chances to score. I just need to wrestle my best on June 22nd. 10. Even though you have never beaten him, is there a part of you that hopes McIlravy makes it out of the Challenge Tournament? If so, why? Bono: I really don't care who comes out. Like I said, I plan to take care of Chris Bono and beat whomever is in front of him. I have trained long and hard for this moment and I will be ready to do whatever it takes to win. ©2003, The Mat
2003 Freestyle World Team Trials Preview 66kg/145.5 Bono captured the U.S. Nationals with a tight 3-1 win over 2001 World Team member Bill Zadick of the Hawkeye WC, a bout that was decided in the clinch position. Bono had defeated Zadick in a Special Wrestle-off for the 2002 U.S. World Team as well. Zadick was a 2002 U.S. Nationals champion, but did not wrestle in last year’s World Team Trials due to injury. A veteran who knows what it takes to win, Zadick will have confidence that he can win against Bono, or anybody else in this division. In the U.S. Nationals semifinals, Zadick defeated former teammate Lincoln McIlravy of the McIlravy WC, 3-1. McIlravy is a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, who gave up his job as USA Wrestling's Resident Freestyle Coach to return to the mat. McIlravy also boasts World silver and bronze medals. He is competing at a lighter weight level than he ever did during his international freestyle career. After losing to Zadick, McIlravy rebounded by dominating the rest of his opponents to capture third place. Placing fourth was Reggie Wright of the Gator WC, the former Oklahoma State star who has seemed to improve tremendously in freestyle. Wright beat three very talented opponents in consolation rounds, first T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC, then Jared Frayer of the Sunkist Kids, then Tony Davis of the Sunkist Kids, before losing to McIlravy in the bronze-medal bout. His ability to survive that kind of test shows that Wright has the character to succeed at this division. Taking fifth at the U.S. Nationals was Jamill Kelly of the Gator WC. Kelly was second behind Zadick at last year’s U.S. Nationals and earned a No. 3 Team USA ranking at last year’s World Team Trials. Another Oklahoma State product, Kelly has blossomed in freestyle. His losses in Las Vegas were to Davis and to McIlravy. Kelly avenged his 4-2 loss to Davis with a 4-3 win over Davis in the fifth-place match. Davis was perhaps the biggest surprise at the U.S. Nationals, truly giving his first serious try at international freestyle. Davis lost a 2-2 overtime match to Bono in the semifinals in Vegas, a match many felt that Davis could have won. That kind of ability is the reason that this weight class is so interesting, and potentially unstable. The final qualifier from the U.S. Nationals was Doug Schwab of the Minnesota Storm, who placed seventh in the division. Schwab made his mark in college as a star at the Univ. of Iowa, and is now training with the Minnesota program.. His losses in Las Vegas were to Frayer and Kelly, but he avenged the Frayer loss by beating him 4-0 in the seventh place match. Confused yet? It gets better. Frayer did not qualify with his eighth place finish at U.S. Nationals, but gets into the Challenge Tournament by winning a gold medal at the Dave Schultz International this winter. Frayer was a NCAA runner-up at Oklahoma, but appears very comfortable competing in freestyle. Also joining the field by placing in a major international event is Celso DeAnda of Team Excel, who has given fits to many of the wrestlers at this division. We would be remiss if we did not mention Cary Kolat of the Dave Schultz WC, a 2000 Olympian and two-time World medalist. Kolat was reportedly attempting to drop to 60 kg, but did not enter the U.S. Nationals at all. He may choose to test this weight class, which is higher than the 138.75 pounds he competed at the Olympics. Kolat was ahead of Zadick and many of the others at this division prior to 2001. He has no history against McIlravy or Bono on the Senior level. Frayer beat Kolat at the Dave Schultz International, Kolat’s only test at this division this season. Many feel that Kolat would be a force here, if he committed to building up his strength and competing here for a full season. Since NCAA Div. I finalists are eligible for the World Team Trials, these young stars could make an impact in Indianapolis. Perhaps the most talented of the college finalists in freestyle is Arizona State’s Eric Larkin of the Sunkist Kids, who was third in the 2000 Olympic Trials and has won the Sunkist Kids International. Already proven in this style, many expect Larkin to get even better just concentrating on freestyle all year. Minnesota’s Jared Lawrence, who competes for the Minnesota Storm, has competed for the United States on a Junior World Team. Oklahoma’s Teyon Ware was a talented freestyle wrestler in high school, and the athlete he beat at the NCAA meet, Dylan Long, also has strong skills. T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC gets into the Challenge Tournament after winning a Regional tournament this spring. An NCAA champion at Iowa, and brother of freestyle superstar Joe Williams, T.J. is also the kind of athlete who can win matches against quality opponents. Two others qualified for the World Team Trials through the Regional events, Juan Venturi of Team Excel and Dewitt Driscoll of the Nittany Lion WC. The strength of this division is shown by the quality of the athletes who DID NOT qualify to compete. How about Harvard’s Jesse Jantzen of the Dave Schultz WC, who was a U.S. Nationals All-American last year. What about John Fisher of the Sunkist Kids, a 1996 U.S. Nationals champion and two-time Olympic Trials alternate? How about Adam Tirapelle of the New York AC, Jeremy Ensrud of the Dave Schultz WC, Mike Eierman of Missouri Elite, Mike Mendoza of the Dave Schultz WC or Jamarr Billman of the New York AC? All of these athletes are extremely talented freestyle wrestlers who could not work through the battle royale at the U.S. Nationals. If you love wrestling, you will not want to miss a single session of the World Team Trials. Right from the opening round of the Challenge Tournament, the stars at 66 kg in freestyle will put on a show worth the price of admission.. Whoever comes out of the Challenge Tournament here will have achieved something outstanding. Because of the skill of the field, there is no guarantee that Lincoln McIlravy and Bill Zadick will get the chance for a rematch. Then the question becomes whether the Challenge Tournament survivor will have the energy to battle Chris Bono in a three-match series. By winning the U.S. Nationals, Bono may truly have an advantage in the finals series. But then again, anything seems possible in this weight division.
2003 U.S. Freestyle Nationals results at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
2003 Freestyle World Team Trials qaulifiers at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Past World or Olympic team member -
NCAA Div. I finalists -
Regional champions
Medalist at Group A Tournament - ©2003, The Mat
U.S. squads will be deep if the U.S. Nationals can be used as an indicator Depth at weight classes no longer seems to be much of an issue. Of course, that may have been shoved along with the loss of one men's weight class in 2001. One only has to make one point about the tournament to state the depth in the U.S.: three 2000 Olympic medalists did not win. Two of those, Lincoln McIlravy and Rulon Gardner, did not even make the finals. The other, Matt Lindland, ran into a series of difficulties. He was using this even more as a training regimen for the World Submission Championships this weekend while also running into his longtime student Brad Vering, an up-and-coming star on the international level, in the finals. While Lindland may not compete at the U.S. World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind. June 20-22, McIlravy and Gardner will definitely be there. There were numerous stories that came out of the U.S. Nationals, which in my opinion is a much more exciting event than the Trials. Where else can you see college national champions getting dumped out of a tournament in two or three matches? No story sticks out more than that of Jim Gruenwald, who had been a national runner-up seven years in-a-row! For seven years, Gruenwald had to continue to run through the Greco-Roman Challenge Tournament at the Trials. He has won it the past three years and has improved dramatically on the international level since. When Gruenwald was first a runner-up at the nationals, in 1996, I was a runner-up in a swilling contest. Okay, so I never lost one of those, but that just tells you the determination, fire and passion that this guy continues to compete with. Chris Bono was another top-level competitor who captured his first national title. While Bono does not have the extensive history of Gruenwald at this tournament, but his three runner-up finishes rank right up there with it. The most impressive thing about Bono, a 2001 and 2002 U.S. World Team member, is that nobody gave him a chance to win this tournament. Well, nobody except for Chris, his wife and his agent. Though he did not have to face McIlravy in the tournament, a competitor he has never beaten in over 30 matches, Bono seems to have more confidence right now than at any point in his career. And remember one thing: a lot can change in three years, which is the last time Bono and McIlravy wrestled. The women's freestyle competition saw the emergence of young Tela O'Donnell. The woman who nobody knew before she became a U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete downed Stephanie Murata in the semifinals and Tina George in the finals. Murata had won the last seven U.S. National titles and George is the reigning World silver medalist at her weight. It was not only a shocking display by O'Donnell, but a tribute to the importance of a Women's Resident Program in Colorado Springs. Those three stories were just from the finals. The point is that the depth in the U.S. has greatly improved, which has also made our top wrestlers that much better. Even with a young team without much World competition under its belt, expectations will be high for the men's freestyle team in New York City this year. And they should be. No matter who is on the team, it will be as talented of a group as there is. With the improvements that the Greco-Roman and women's teams have made, expectations will be high again for those two squads as well. Thanks to the U.S. Nationals a couple of weeks ago, wrestling fans had a chance to see first-hand how deep the pools will be when 2004 rolls in. It was a great beginning to what looks like an incredible second half of the Olympic cycle. ©2003, The Mat
Building rivalries adds excitement to U.S. international wrestling It is very rare for an athlete to come out of the pack during an Olympic year and make an Olympic team. A few real-life examples of this uncommon occurance are Brandon Slay (who was No. 6 on the national team ladder going into the 2000 Olympic year) and Michial Foy (who had wrestled Greco-Roman for only a year before making the 1988 Olympic team). The Slays and Foys of the world are few and far between. In most cases, the top challengers for Athens in all three styles have already stepped forward. And in many cases, there are a few interesting and intense budding rivalries that make the quest for the Olympic Games very exciting. In order to promote this sport to the general public, we must identify and publicize these rivalries. As an individual sport, these rivalries can help fill the stands and receive coverage in the media. What are examples of great rivalries? In most cases, there are two great athletes in the same weight division, with a number of meetings between them, and an uncertain outcome when they meet. Often, these rivalries later lead to one of both of the athletes making history on the world level. I’d like to point out a few of my favorite rivalries during the last two decades (in no particular order): 1. Kenny Monday vs. Dave Schultz – Both became World and Olympic champions at 163 pounds and now are in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Early on, Schultz had the edge, as Monday made the change from college to freestyle. From 1988 on, it was Monday who won these intense wars. When Monday retired from 1993-95, Schultz reclaimed the weight class. Their final expected showdown, after Monday made a comeback in 1996, was taken away when Schultz was murdered. 2. Steve Fraser vs. Mike Houck – In Greco-Roman circles, these two stars were trail-blazers. In 1984, Fraser beat out Houck for the U.S. Olympic team at 198 pounds, and went on to win the first Olympic gold medal by a U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler. A year later, when Houck got his chance to be on the 1995 U.S. World team, he won the first gold medal by an American at a Greco-Roman World Championships. It may have been a short rivalry, but it was very meaningful in our wrestling history. 3. Dennis Hall vs. Jim Gruenwald – This rivalry would not have been on the list because for many years it was one-sided. Their meetings began in high school in Wisconsin, and went through the Olympic level in Greco-Roman. Hall won them all early on, and he became a three-time World-level medalist and a true international star. In 2000, Gruenwald upset Hall to make the U.S. Olympic team. Gruenwald also made the 2001 and 2002 World Team Trials (even though Hall was able to win their bout at the 2001 U.S. Nationals). These athletes always compete with intensity against each other. 4. Ike Anderson vs. Buddy Lee – Anderson made the 1988 Olympic team and Lee made the 1992 Olympic team at 136.5 pounds in Greco-Roman. Both were World placewinners and among the best U.S. wrestlers of their era. Both made the other better athletes and competitors, exactly what a rivalry should do. 5. Kevin Jackson vs. Les Gutches – Like the Schultz/Monday wars, the older veteran won the early bouts, with World and Olympic champion Jackson stopping college star Gutches in their first battles at 180.5 pounds. With Jackson as a reigning World Champion, Gutches upset him to make the 1996 Olympic team. A year later, Gutches had to beat out Jackson again for a World team spot, and then won his World gold medal. They were rivals until Jackson’s retirement. There are many other good matchups that come to mind, but some were not long enough in the the making to become true rivalries. The battles between Kendall Cross and Terry Brands surrounding the 1996 Olympic quest were unmatched in intensity. Both were to become gold medalists, Cross at the Olympics and Brands at the Worlds twice, Sometimes, there are more than two wrestlers in a rivalry, a very deep weight class with multiple stars. In freestyle, the 180.5-pound class from 1989-92 comes to mind. Included in this mix were World medalists Melvin Douglas, Royce Alger, Kevin Jackson and Dave Schultz, plus 1997 national champion Rico Chiapparelli. In Greco-Roman, the 198-pound wars during the early 1990’s included two-time Olympian Michial Foy, Olympian Derrick Waldroup and World Team member Randy Couture. So, how do our current wrestlers stack up in terms of rivalries? In men’s freestyle, the field is kind of murky in regards to rivalries. Perhaps the best emerging rivalry is at 132 pounds, with World team member Eric Guerrero and former Cuban World placewinner Jesus Wilson. Guerrero won the 2002 World Team Trials and 2003 U.S. Nationals showdowns, but Wilson is skilled and talented and will be a strong test. Others could also emerge at that weight, however. The jumbled situation at 145.5 pounds, featuring past World Team members Chris Bono and Bill Zadick, plus the recently returned Olympic medalist Lincoln McIlravy is catching attention. McIlravy has never lost to Bono, while Bono and Zadick have had a nice battle since this new weight class was formed. Zadick’s win over McIlravy in Las Vegas further muddies the waters, especially since they were college teammates. At 121 pounds, the battle at this time includes No. 1 Stephen Abas and veteran star Eric Akin, plus 2002 national champion Teague Moore. If former World champion Sammie Henson reenters the picture, this becomes one of those big, wide-open battles. Very interesting, but is this a rivalry yet? Right now, Joe Williams (163), Cael Sanderson (185) and Kerry McCoy (264.5) have controlled their divisions, but do face strong domestic opponents who seek to create a rivalry. The 211.5-pound class remains wide open, with no clear match-ups. In men’s Greco-Roman, the battle of 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers and 2000 Olympic and 2001 World Champion Rulon Gardner at 264.5 pounds captures the imagination. They do have a history going back to the late 1990’s and both have been winners. Gardner’s recovery from frostbite in 2002 has been splashed across the news. However, they did not meet in Las Vegas when Corey Farkas beat Gardner in the semifinals, and Byers won the gold over Farkas. The Gruenwald-Hall rivalry at 132 pounds now has a new player, Glenn Nieradka, who won the 2002 U.S. Nationals and was second in the 2003 Nationals. At 163 pounds, Keith Sieracki and T.C. Danztler have battled many years, with Sieracki winning all the battles except at the 2002 World Team Trials (Dantzler’s breakthrough event). Sieracki faced a new rival in the national finals, young Ken Cook. The 185-pound class has potential to be very interesting, with young star Brad Vering and his friend and former training partner Olympic medalist Matt Lindland meeting in the national finals. Throw in veteran Ethan Bosch and a few other talented contenders and this weight offers many options. At 121 pounds, veteran Brandon Paulson has been on top, as his regular rival Lindsay Durlacher still seeks a victory in the series. Kevin Bracken (145.5) and Garrett Lowney (211.5) have been on top of their divisions since 2000, with no clear top rival yet determined. The women’s field is interesting, with some dominant athletes and some young new stars. Perhaps the best rivalry in the making is at 158.5 pounds between 2001 World silver medalist Toccara Montgomery and young star Samantha Lang. They have met four times within five months, with Lang winning twice, but Montgomery’s technical fall win in Las Vegas adds a new twist to this matchup. The 121-pound battle featuring World medalists Tina George and Stephanie Murata was disrupted by young star Tela O’Donnell, who beat them both on the way to the U.S. Nationals title this year. Two of America’s best women wrestlers compete at 138.75 pounds, with three-time World team member Sara McMann and six-time World medalist Kristie Marano, but McMann has won all of their showdowns since Marano dropped to this weight class. At the other Olympic weight class, Patricia Miranda has held a firm grip on 105.5 pounds, with Clarissa Chun as her top challenger. The three non-Olympic weight classes have some talented young athletes, such as Malinda Ripley, Jenny Wong, Sally Roberts, Katie Downing and Kaci Lyle, but the rivalries here are in the development stages. Will the quest for the 2004 Olympic team have some great rivalries? I truly believe so. Part of that story will be determined at the 2003 World Team Trials in Indianapolis, June 20-22. If a few of the battles have a change in the winner, there will be even more fuel to the fire. Will any of these rivalries go down as classics? Only time will tell. The current set of wrestlers are talented athletes and interesting individuals, which means that there is a strong possibility for great drama in the next year. ©2003, The Mat
Chris Bono and Cael Sanderson Claim Crowns at 2003 U.S. National Championships
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Iowa State assistant wrestling coach Chris Bono and former Cyclone standout Cael Sanderson earned titles at the 2003 U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas. Top-seeded Bono, a 2002 U.S. World team member and former national champion for ISU, claimed his first national title after beating Bill Zadick of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club at 145 1/2 pounds. The match went into overtime, tied 1-1, when Bono was awarded two caution points to take the victory 3-1. "You take a win any way you can get them at this level," Bono said. "I didn't score the points, but I'll take them. If the officials want to give me two points in any match, I'm not going to complain." On the way to the championship round, Bono notched wins over Tony Davis (2-2, TB), Paul Gross (10-0), Jose DeAnda (7-2), Doug Maxwell (11-0) and Jesse Jantzen (13-1). No. 1-seed Sanderson, a four-time, undefeated NCAA champion, defeated Lee Fullhart, 5-0, in the championship match for the 185-pound crown. Sanderson recorded a 6-0 record at the tournament with wins over Pat Popolizio (10-0), Ben Askren (11-0), ISU redshirt freshman Kurt Backes (9-0), Tony Ganson (fall in 12 seconds) and Aaron Simpson (9-0). Iowa State volunteer coach and former Cyclone wrestler Dwight Hinson took fifth place, while ISU wrestler Nate Gallick claimed seventh place both at 132 pounds. Iowa State wrestlers Grant Nakamura (121), Zach Roberson (132), Nels Matson (163), Backes (185) and current assistant coach Zach Thompson (211 1/2) also competed. ©2003, Student Advantage and Iowa State University
Bono and Gruenwald finally stand atop the podium at the 2003 U.S. National Championships None of those finalists from last year was more notable than Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who won his first national title after seven previous trips to the national finals with a dominating 6-0 win over defending champion Glenn Nieradka (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 60 kg/132 lbs. in Greco-Roman action. “This is my eighth trip to the finals. I have seven seconds. I just put everything into the hands of God and let Him take care of everything,” Gruenwald said after his win. Gruenwald felt that injuries may have set Nieradka back somewhat in the match. “(Nieradka) has had some injuries and hasn’t been able to get the training he needed for this tournament. He definitely did not seem like the same wrestler as he has in the past. I am sure he will be back at the World Team Trials.” Also winning his first title was 2002 U.S. World Team member Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men’s freestyle competition. But Bono’s win did not come without controversy. Bono took a 1-0 lead in the second period when defending champion Bill Zadick (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) broke his lock in the clinch. Zadick tied the match at 1-1 with a single-leg midway through the second period. The score remained the same at the end of regulation. In the overtime, Zadick did not correctly lock in the clinch, resulting in a caution and two points being awarded to Bono, giving him the 3-1 win. “You take a win any way you can get them at this level. I didn’t score the points, but I’ll take them. If the officials want to give me two points in any match, I’m not going to complain,” Bono said after the win. Four champions were repeat champions in men’s freestyle action. Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) defeated Jesus Wilson (Fayette, Iowa/Minnesota Storm) by a 4-2 score in a hotly-contested 60 kg/132 lbs. final. The scoring began in the first period when Wilson rolled Guerrero off his shot to take a 2-0 lead, but Guerrero quickly scored a reversal and an exposure point to tie the match at 2-2. In the second period, Guerrero scored two more exposure points on a tilt for the final points of the match. 2002 U.S. World Team member Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) won his first national title with a 3-1 win over Eric Akin (Lincoln, Neb./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. At 74 kg/163 lbs., 2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Coralville, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) won his third consecutive national title with a 5-2 win over Joe Heskett (Grover Beach, Calif./Gator WC). Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) excited the full crowd at the Las Vegas Convention Center with a three-point lift and throw to defeat Dean Morrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) 3-0 at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. It is the first national title for Cormier. Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC) won his fourth national title with a 5-0 win over Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Winners of the U.S. National Championships receive an automatic bid into the best-of-three finals at the 2003 U.S. World Team Trials, which will be held June 20-22 in Indianapolis, Ind. (balance of article may be seen on The Mat's web site ©2003, The Mat
Bono works for Vegas jackpot
Ames, Ia. - Chris Bono wants to make things easier on his body at the National Open freestyle wrestling tournament this week. All he has to do is survive the challenges of a loaded 1451/2-pound weight class. Bono, 29, will attempt to win his first National Open championship beginning Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Bono has fought his way onto the world championships team in 2001 and 2002, taking the grueling path of going through the mini-tournament in order to get a best-of-three series in the World Team trials. Last year, Bono - an assistant wrestling coach at Iowa State - won the trials and then beat then-No. 1 Bill Zadick of Coralville in a series at Fargo, N.D., to gain the 145 1/2-pound spot. "I'm just a hard-working guy who will score any way he can," Bono said. "If I have to run them off the mat, run them off the mat. If I get a takedown, I get a takedown. Whatever it's going to take to win a match, I'm going to be right there for it." Winners in the National Open have a bye until the best-of-three finals of the World Team trials in June in Indianapolis. "I want to see what it's like to sit on top of the ladder at the World Team trials for once," Bono said. "The most important one is in June, but I want to win (Las Vegas). You don't want to be wrestling everybody that's tough throughout and then have to wrestle someone two out of three. "I still have that mentality to work, work, work, but I'm a little smarter now." Bono has another piece of motivation this week - winning in Las Vegas. Bono has earned gold medals in Uzbekistan and Cuba, but has not in the National Open. The National Open is the first step on the way to forming the seven-member freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's freestyle teams for the World Championships in New York City Sept. 12-14. After Las Vegas is the World Team trials June 20-22. Reigning world team members Joe Williams of Coralville, Cael Sanderson of Ames and Bono are vying for positions. Among the entrants expected at 1451/2 pounds are Zadick, Cary Kolat, T.J. Williams and Lincoln McIlravy, who will be in his first major competition in three years. Bono tied Kolat in the 1992 National High School championships, the only scuff on Kolat's prep record. Bono has never beaten McIlravy. "I want to win the tournament," Bono said, "but if I don't, I'll fix my mistakes and get ready for June." Bono said he's not wrestling against a deadline such as the 2004 Olympics. Nor is he sure when he'll hang up his wrestling boots. "It won't be a decision that I've planned on," Bono said. "It's going to be a decision when I wake up in the morning and don't want to do it anymore or when my body won't allow me to train the way I want to train. I'm in (practice) twice a day most every day getting after it. "I wake up every day and the first thing I think about is winning." ©2003, The Des Moines Register
U.S. National Wrestling Championships Set for May 9-10 in Las Vegas...
It is just about crunch time for the top American wrestlers, as the U.S. National Wrestling Championships are set to take place May 9-10 in Las Vegas. This is the first step for the top men's and women's freestyle and top Greco-Roman wrestlers to make the U.S. World Team and compete in the 2003 World Championships. The winners go on to the World Team Trials, June 20-22 in Indianapolis, where they face the winner of the two-day, single elimination Challenge Tournament, comprised of the top finishers at the Nationals. All this becomes even more crucial, as the 2003 World Championships serve as a qualifier for the 2004 Olympic games. There are numerous rivalries and stories that will come out of this year's Nationals. In Greco, the heavyweight division will include 2000 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 World Champion Rulon Gardner, along with the 2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers. World Champion vs. World Champion, in a U.S. qualifying event! You couldn't ask for anything more. Gardner seeks to regain the top spot after sitting out most of last year following his snowmobile accident in Feb. 2002 that required one of his toes be amputated. But he has returned to action on the mat. When he was laid up, Sgt. Byers of the U.S. Army took his place on the World Team, and gave the U.S. its third gold medal in a row at heavyweight in Greco. Now both men are healthy and active -- but only one will be able to advance to this year's World Championships. In freestyle, the 145.5 lbs./66 kg weight class is loaded with talent. Last year's U.S. World Team member was Chris Bono. But returning from a layoff which included coaching and training at the U.S. Olympic Center is Bono's long-time nemesis, Lincoln McIlravy. These two have wrestled numerous times, dating back to their college rivalry in the 1990s when McIlravy wrestled for Iowa under Dan Gable and Bono for Iowa State under Bobby Douglas. Bono never beat McIlravy then, but this year Bono has been undefeated in both national and international competition, while McIlravy has had to drop a lot of weight to make 145.5, lower than what he wrestled at in college, and also has had to shake off the rust of not having been in active competition for a couple of years. Will Bono finally upend his rival McIlravy, or will McIlravy return to form and regain his spot on the World Team? In women's wrestling, Toccara Montgomery has ruled the roost at several different weight classes the past few years. But she was upset this year by a high school student, Samantha Lang. These two have since traded victories, but who will dominate at the Nationals? And just how good is Cael Sanderson at freestyle? He has won the Nationals the past two years, but also is still adjusting to freestyle after his unprecedented undefeated four years as a college wrestler. He will also be facing other former NCAA college wrestling champions here, as everyone seeks to upset him. Then there is Joe Williams, who has just won the John Smith Award for the second year in a row as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year, as chosen by USA Wrestling. Everyone says he has the tools to become a World Champion. But first he has to win at the Nationals. These and numerous other questions will begin to be answered at this year's Nationals. ©2003, ADCC News
Chris Bono looking for his time to shine at the 2003 U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev. May 9-10
As an assistant coach at Iowa State University and the father of one daughter and another child on the way, Bono has managed to make time to prepare himself for the competition he has never won. “Coach Bobby Douglas has given me a lot of freedom to do what I need to do to realize my dreams. Now that most of the college recruiting is over, I have more time to focus on my big competitions,” he said. And Bono is dreaming big. His dreams of World and Olympic championships consume his thoughts as he prepares for every step along the way. “I haven’t achieved my dreams of being World and Olympic champion. That’s what motivates me. I get up every day and tell myself I’m not there yet, so I keep fighting. I have to take it one step at a time and the first step is to win [U.S. Nationals],” he said. In order to conquer this first step, Bono is all about wrestling right now. “I’ve been training hard and working to perfect the things I do well while fixing my mistakes. I have one more hard three-day cycle coming up and then I’ll back off and start focusing on cutting weight,” Bono said. Bono is in the 145.5 pound weight class division, which will be one of the toughest divisions in the competition. “Everybody and their sister is in my weight class. And that’s good. It motivates me to work harder and train harder because I know it’s going to be tough. Everyone is trying to knock me off and I know that.” Included in this tough field of competition are two-time National Champion Bill Zadick, plus Lincoln McIlravy, a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist returning to the sport from a stint as USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Resident Coach. Bono has beaten Zadick, but has never been able to defeat McIlravy after years of losses to him. The rest of the division is talented and deep, a tremendous test for Bono. Rather than worrying about specific competitors, however, Chris Bono is worrying about Chris Bono. “I’m going to go in and wrestle the way I can wrestle and hopefully that will be what it takes,” he said. “You can’t just watch one, two or three guys. There are 20 or 30 wrestlers in my weight class who are completely capable. I’m watching a lot of film and keeping an eye on everyone,” he added. “One thing about me is that I’ll be ready for anyone and everyone. If I get the opportunity to wrestle Lincoln [McIlravy], that’ll just be another chapter in the story,” said Bono. Bono is coming off a trememdous winter season. He won the World Cup, allowing no points to be scored. He also captured the Independence Cup in Uzbekistan and won both of his bouts at the Titan Games. All eyes will be on Bono and his 145.5-pound division at the 2003 U.S. Nationals, set for May 9-10 in Las Vegas, Nev. ©2003, USA Wrestling & The Mat.com
2003 U.S. Freestyle Nationals preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Zadick won the U.S. Nationals title in 2002, his second straight nationals title. He beat developing talent Jamill Kelly of the Gator WC in the finals in Las Vegas. At the World Team Trials in Minnesota, Zadick did not enter due to an injury prior to weigh-ins. Bono beat Zadick in the wrestle-off for the team in Fargo, N.D., held during the Junior/Cadet Nationals. Zadick looked good in capturing a silver at this year’s World Cup competing for the World Select Team (he and Bono did not wrestle). Intensity is one of his trademarks. Kelly defeated Bono in the U.S. Nationals semifinals last year. Although he wrestled for Oklahoma State as a collegian, Kelly has blossomed in freestyle, quickly climbing the ladder in the international styles. He is now gaining the international experience needed to become a true threat on the World level. The new challenger at this weight is 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Lincoln McIlravy, who gave up his job as USA Wrestling's Resident Freestyle Coach to return to the mat. McIlravy will need to drop weight from earlier in his international career, when he won World silver and bronze medals. He has wrestled once this spring, an exhibition dual meet win, so there is no way to know if McIlravy will display some mat rust, or will continue where he left off at the Sydney Olympics. His loss in the Olympics still burns in his soul, and McIlravy says he would not have returned unless he was certain he could return for another shot at Olympic gold. Cary Kolat of the Dave Schultz WC, an Olympic teammate of McIlravy's, has competed at this division recently, but is reportedly looking to drop to 60 kg. Like McIlravy, both would have to reach weights they have not seen in many years. Veteran John Fisher of the Sunkist Kids, a past U.S. Nationals champion, can be counted on to be in the race every year. He is approaching legendary status, one of those special athletes who seem to keep his skills in spite of climbing in age. This division has at least a dozen talented athletes, including some tremendous stars from the college scene. Among those who have graduated and are now climbing the freestyle ladder are Doug Schwab of the Minnesota Storm, Jared Frayer of the Sunkist Kids, Reggie Wright of the Gator WC, T.J. Williams of the Hawkeye WC, Celso DeAnda of Team Excel and Adam Tirapelle of the Dave Schultz WC. There may be more NCAA champions and finalists in this weight class than any other in recent U.S. history. Some of the athletes are carving off pounds, while others are bulking up. meeting somewhere in the middle. Frayer has been on a roll, beating Kolat and winning the gold at the Dave Schultz Memorial. This logjam will also include 2002 NCAA champion Eric Larkin of the Sunkist Kids, as well as talented All-American Jesse Jantzen of the Dave Schultz WC, both who have considerable success in freestyle on the national level. Larkin was third in the 2000 Olympic Trials, as a college sophomore. Wright, Schwab and Jantzen are currently ranked in the top six on Team USA. Tirapelle and DeAnda were national placewinners last season. Williams, who took a little time off after college, has shown good progress in recent competitions. Other possible threats include Jared Lawrence of the Minnesota Storm, Mike Eierman of Team Excel, Dustin DeNunzio of the Dave Schultz WC, Jeremy Ensrud of the Dave Schultz WC, Mike Mendoza of the Dave Schultz WC and many others. Lawrence, a NCAA champion and runner-up the last two seasons, was a Junior World team member and has shown strong freestyle skills. The University Nationals champion this season was Jason Mester of Central Michigan. Some other talents could also come out of the woodwork, making seeding of this division a true chore. This weight will have some unbelievable early matchups, and could have some really interesting upsets. Fans will want to pay attention in the early rounds, and the consolation wrestle-backs should feature a few classic barnburners.
2002 U.S. Freestyle Nationals results at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. ©2003, USA Wrestling & The Mat.com
Chris Bono and Cael Sanderson Help United States to Team Title at 2003 World Cup
"Winning the gold was the goal," Bono said. "If you don't give up any points, you won't lose. I tried to wrestle hard and prepare for the nationals." Bono's gold-medal performance at 145.5 pounds was his first World Cup title and was one of five individual titles for the United States. Bono, outscored his three opponents 22-0, while defeating Ukraine's Sergiy Latyshev 9-0 in his last match. In the championship match, Russia did not have an athlete in the 145.5-pound weight class giving Bono the win by forfeit and a 4-0 record for the championships. Sanderson claimed the silver medal at 185 pounds after a close match with Russia's Khadsimurad Gatsalov. Sanderson and Gatsalov both entered the match without a loss. After an official review of the scoring, the match was called into a 7-7 overtime. Gatsalov scored on a takedown within 14 seconds of overtime to take the win and the gold medal at 8-7. ©2003, Student Advantage and Iowa State University
Iowa State Coach Bobby Douglas Speaks About BIG 12 Championships And A Lot More
When you can talk with him about anything related to wrestling, from the latest dual meet to the history of the sport to training and technique, you will get an analysis that blends pure knowledge, the wisdom of the ages, shrewd observations, philosophy and history, and good old common sense. Coach Douglas participated in a conference call with the media last Thursday about the Big 12 Championships, to be held this coming Saturday, March 8, at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Each of the coaches of the five wrestling teams of the Big 12 (that's all that's left, thank you title IX) also had their say. Coach Douglas happened to go first, but as usual, the discussion went in an unusual, and fascinating, direction. This has been a disappointing season for the Iowa State Cyclones. They finished with an overall record of 8-10, and 1-4 in Big 12 competition. Nationally Iowa State is ranked number 20. 'We're in the cellar right now with Nebraska,' acknowledged Coach Douglas. 'Our goal is to get out of the cellar and get as many people to the national tournament as possible. We've got a very young team, and we're in a very, very competitive conference, probably the most competitive that the Big 12 has ever been.' He was asked which wrestlers he would use at which weights, since some have been moved around this season. 'Nakamura will come at '25, and Holker will come at '41, Gallick at '49,' he replied. Both redshirt freshmen Grant Nakamura and Jesse Sundell have seen action at 125 of late. Overall Nakamura had a record of 15-11, 7-7 in dual meets, but 0-4 in the Big 12. Sundell was 9-6 overall, 2-1 in duals, and 0-1 in the Big 12. The top Big 12 wrestlers at 125 are Oklahoma's Bo Maynes (29-6 overall, 17-4 in duals, 6-1 in the Big 12), Nebraska's Jason Powell (27-4, 20-2, 3-1), and Oklahoma State's Skyler Holman (17-7, 8-6, 3-2). At 141, Holker, the defending NCAA champion, has had a good season. His overall record was 21-4 in 2003, but that included losses to fellow Big 12 wrestlers Teyon Ware of Oklahoma and Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State. Since Holker had wrestled four times up at 149 this season, the Coach was asked thought had been given to moving him up and out of the talent jam at 141. 'There was some thought given to that, but in the final analysis we let the athlete make the decision,' said Coach Douglas. 'He had his option to go up or go down, and he decided he wanted to go down, and that's where he's at.' That issue settled, now Coach Douglas elaborated on some of the problems facing his team, and college wrestling in general. 'I'd just like to say that we're suffering from a lack of team depth,' he went on. 'That's the reason you see us moving people around so much. If we get an injury, we don't have enough depth to fill in at certain weight classes, especially at the '25 pound weight class and at heavyweight. So this is a problem that we're confronted with.' At heavyweight, two Iowa State wrestlers had to leave the team due to academic problems, and former Brigham Young wrestler Scott Coleman only joined the team mid-season. 'We're just not getting enough people out for the sport to make up for the loss due to injuries and things of that nature. Too many forfeits,' he lamented. Iowa State, however, is known as a team that does far better in the NCAA tournament than in the regular season. Last year, Iowa State finished third in the Big 12, but second in the NCAA's, getting three individual national championships. Asked why this is, the Coach explained, 'We always prepare for the end of the season. And the way we start is with our pre-season conditioning. We have a certain standard that we try to reach in the pre-season. Then we have three plateaus that we try to reach. One is in December. The other is the end of January. And the last one is two weeks prior to the national tournament, which would be the end of the conference tournament. And to do that, we use sort of a rhythm-type cycle where we're working hard X number of days. Then we rest X number of days. And within that, we divide our training up into sections where we're working on takedowns or maybe mat wrestling or whatever. And we do a lot of work on the video. And actually I think where we get our greatest benefit is in the practice room doing the combat sessions. That's where we work out the problems. We focus on X amount of time on conditioning on the mat, and then certain positions. We do weight training. Basically that's it. We don't do anything different than any of your other good schools. We may do it at a little different times. But we're all trying to get the same end result.' As far as the lack of depth, the Coach stressed that the issue was not simply lack of numbers of wrestlers. 'We have plenty of wrestlers,' he stated, beginning to list a number of obstacles facing the team. 'The problem is finding the wrestler that fits a particular environment, for example Iowa State, which is a rural community. You got to find that person. He has to be very good student, because our academic standards are very high. He has to also be able to go through the training cycle. And that sometimes, balancing that with the social part, there aren't that many kids out there for me to choose. 'Once we get them here, we have too many weight classes. So I think what's happening now is that a lot of schools lack the depth. If you look at all these upsets, a lot of it has to do with injuries. There was a time when you could wrestle a guy up a weight class and bring him down, and I think that helped prevent a lot of the injury. 'The other thing is, academic standards have gone up so high that our pool to draw from has been limited. The other thing is, Oklahoma State has a unique situation where they can get more depth because of their scholarship situation. They can give in-state tuition to a B student. We can't do that. We can never give in-state tuition. So Oklahoma State's always going to be a little stronger, because they're going to have more money. The fact that our pool to draw from is becoming so small, if we make a mistake on a kid, or if a kid comes in and doesn't make it academically, we got to forfeit, because we don't have any depth.' Just which schools' wrestling programs he did think are benefiting from this scholarship system was surprising. 'The Ivy League schools have an advantage,' he argued. 'They don't have scholarships. They have financial aid, which is a lot better than scholarships, and probably will be in the future. So you can expect those schools in the East to rise. Schools like Iowa State, we are going to be competitive, but we are going to have a devil of a time recruiting the Big Ten student because of academic standards. We're going to be after the same kids that the Big Ten is after. And their standards are very high. So our pool of talent is shrinking down. So we need to shrink down the number of weight classes to accommodate our limited pool. The academic standards are beginning to rise so high that the pool of athletes that are out there that can meet the academic standards is going down. So we got to change that.' And to add to all that, he stuck in a favorite pet peeve, in which he is far from alone. 'And we got to get rid of riding time, make wrestling a lot more exciting,' he said. That was the end of this particular discussion, but not exactly the end of Coach Bobby Douglas's quest to improve college wrestling. This Monday it was announced that he had been appointed to be a member of the NCAA Wrestling Committee by the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet. His term of service will run from Sept. 1, 2003, to Sept. 1, 2007. Iowa State has not rebounded that well from the loss of last year's superstar Cael Sanderson, and NCAA champion Joe Heskett. Even if senior Aaron Holker can repeat this year, this young team is still in a rebuilding mode. You couldn't find a better coach to carry out that process than Bobby Douglas. ©2003, ADCC News
Bono wins gold medal at the Cup of Independence in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; four Americans win medals overall
Bono defeated Shamil Umalatov of Russia, who placed second in the 2002 World Cup, by a score of 8-3 in the gold medal finals. U.S. World Team members Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) and Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC) both captured silver medals after losing their respective finals matches. Abas lost a 4-2 decision at 55 kg/121 lbs. to Dilshod Mansurov of Uzbekistan, who placed seventh at the 2001 World Championships. McCoy lost to Artur Taimazov of Uzbekistan at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. by a 12-0 technical fall. McCoy and Taimazov had not faced each other since Taimazov posted a quarterfinal win over McCoy in the 2000 Olympic Games. 2001 World bronze medalist Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) won the bronze medal at 74 kg/163 lbs. after pinning his opponent.
U.S. Results - Cup of Independence
55 kg/121 lbs. - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) - 2nd
60 kg/132 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) - 8th
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) - 1st
74 kg/163 lbs. - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) - 3rd
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Tim Hartung, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) - 9th
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Kerry McCoy, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC) - 2nd ©2003, The Mat
Sanderson heads back to the mat
It starts today as he and Cyclone assistant coach Chris Bono wrestle for the United States at the Titan Games in San Jose, Calif. Both are the nation's top-ranked freestyle wrestlers in their weight classes and will face former world and Olympic champions from Cuba and Russia. This showcase of potential Olympic contenders is Sanderson's first time representing the United States in a major international meet, and he finds himself in a position he hasn't been in for years. "I'm pretty much the underdog," Sanderson said. "I'm wrestling the guys who have been world champions since I got to college." Sanderson, the only four-time undefeated NCAA champion, has been training with the Cyclones and the U.S. National Freestyle team, but hasn't competed often since college. The Titan Games are more a time for him to learn than to win. "I love wrestling, so I'm looking forward to getting out on the mat and getting the chance to see where I'm at," he said. "Winning and losing is not the main concern right now." Sanderson qualified for the last two world championships, but larger events came before wrestling. The 2001 tournament was rescheduled to the middle of the college season because of Sept. 11, and in 2002, the U.S. team withdrew from competition due to a terrorist threat against it. Bono, who was also on the 2002 team, remembers his frustration with the political turmoil. "It was a real big disappointment," he said. "You train your whole life to be a world champion, and then they take it away from you." Today's meet will be another notch in Bono's six years on the international circuit. His college career isn't as illustrious as Sanderson's, despite being a four-time All-American and winning the NCAA title in 1996. But he has the upper hand over Sanderson when it comes to world experience -- last November he won 4-2 over Bulgaria's Serafin Barzakov, a two-time world champion and silver medalist in the 2000 Olympics. For Sanderson, the Olympic run is just beginning, but he admitted that it's difficult to not feel the pressure. "Being an Olympic champion has been a goal for as long as I've known there were Olympics," he said. "It's crazy to think it's only a year and a half away-- it'll be here and over before I know it. So I've got to be prepared." ©2003, Iowa State Daily
Three Former Cyclones to Compete in 2003 Titan Games-
Former track and field stand out Jamie Beyer has also been slated to compete in the Games as a member of a three-person squad that will represent the United States in a shot put competition versus the World. The Titan Games is an international sports festival that includes about 180 athletes competing in boxing, fencing, judo, karate, shot put, tae kwan do, weightlifting and wrestling. The U.S. wrestling team will face Cuba in Session II on Friday, Feb. 14, and will take on Russia in Session IV on Saturday, Feb. 15. Both duals will be during the 9 p.m. CST session on platform B. The shot put competition will take place Feb. 14 beginning at 1:30 p.m. PST. "I am really excited to be competing," Bono said. "I haven't competed in about a month, so it will feel good to get on the mat with some of the best guys in the world." Bono, competing at 145.5 pounds, reigns as the 2001 and 2002 World Team Trial champion. He earned a bronze medal at the 2002 Pan American Championships. Bono is in his sixth year on the Iowa State wrestling coaching staff and was voted as the 2002 NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Competing at ISU from 1994-97, Bono amassed 130 wins to rank fifth in the Cyclone recordbooks, and won the 1996 NCAA Championship 150-pound title. Sanderson, who now works as an assistant to Iowa State athletics director Bruce Van De Velde, ranks as the only collegiate wrestler to win four NCAA Championship titles and go undefeated (159-0). He is the only three-time recipient of the Dan Hodge Trophy, and earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award at nationals four-straight years. Sanderson is a two-time national freestyle champion (2001 and 2002) and a two-time World Team Trial champion (2001 and 2002). "It will be a great competition, especially in my weight class," Sanderson said. "It is all about preparation for the World Championships. I will try to get a feel for things and an understanding of what I need to work on." Beyer, a Monroe, Iowa, native, was ranked fifth in the U.S. and placed fourth at the U.S. Outdoor Championships during 2002 to qualify for this event. His résumé boasts five all-America accolades in the shot put as well as honors in the weight throw and discus as a Cyclone. While at Iowa State, Beyer claimed the inaugural Big 12 Conference indoor shot put title and followed it up with two more titles in the shot put and one in the discus. In 1999 as a redshirt junior, Beyer represented Iowa State at the Pan American Games to place second in the shot put. "I feel prepared for the competition this week," Beyer said. "Right now a short-term goal of mine are the Olympics in 2004 and I believe that this competition is great place to start." The Titan Games were developed by the U. S. Olympic Committee in partnership with the affiliated National Governing Bodies and hosted by the San Jose Sports Authority and the City of San Jose. The event is a competition that will feature "USA versus the World." The Titan Games will be set to air on ESPN2 March 29 at 2 p.m. and on March 30 at 3:30 p.m. CST. ©2003, Student Advantage and Iowa State University
2003 U.S. Men's Freestyle Winter Tour gets underway on Jan. 31 with the Ivan Yarygin Memorial
The Ivan Yarygin Memorial will take place Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. At last year's event, Lee Fullhart (Chattanooga, Tenn./Gator WC) placed fifth at 84 kg/185 lbs. This year, five U.S. Freestyle National Team members will compete at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial, including 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials runner-up Jamill Kelly (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., 2000 Olympian Charles Burton (Lincoln, Neb./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. This team will be coached by John Peterson of Comstock, Wis. and Royce Alger of Iowa City, Iowa. The Cerro Pelado International will be held in Matanzas, Cuba, Feb. 26-28, 2003. The U.S. did not send a team to this event last year. 2000 Olympian Sammie Henson (State College, Pa./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. He will be joined on the team by U.S. Freestyle National Team members Teague Moore (Norman, Okla./Gator WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Bill Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Casey Cunningham (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Lee Fullhart at 84 kg/185 lbs. The team will be coached by Joe Seay of Norman, Okla. and Ed Giese of Wooddale, Ill. Moore, Cunningham and Fullhart all finished second at the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials in June. Cunningham will also compete at the Titan Games in San Jose, Calif., Feb. 14-15 against top wrestlers from Cuba and Russia. The 2003 Men's Freestyle Winter Tour will wrap up with the Yasar Dogu International in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 28 through March 2. Six of the seven 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team members will compete at the Yasar Dogu International, including Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Eric Guerrero (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs., Tim Hartung (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 2001 World silver medalist Brandon Eggum (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) will compete at 84 kg/185 lbs. to round out the roster. The team will be coached by Kenny Monday of Garland, Texas and Lou Rosselli of Edinboro, Pa. Last year, the U.S. placed second to Turkey with 44 points at the Yasar Dogu International. Teague Moore won a gold medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Joe Williams captured a bronze medal at 74 kg/163 lbs. Tim Hartung and Orville Palmer (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) both placed fifth in the tournament. Additional events on the winter tour that are club sponsored include the Kiev Grand Prix in Kiev, Ukraine, Feb. 21-22 and the Alexander Medved International Championships in Minsk, Belarus, March 29-30. Top U.S. stars that have committed to competing at these events are 2002 U.S. World Team member Cael Sanderson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) and 2002 Sunkist Kids International Open champion and 2002 New York AC Christmas Championships champion Joe Heskett (San Luis Obispo, Calif./Sunkist Kids). Some athletes attending the 2003 U.S. Men's Freestyle Winter Tour are financially supported by the sponsoring club team.
Ivan Yarygin Memorial
Cerro Pelado International
Yasar Dogu International ©2003, The Mat
Despite Post-Cael Problems, Bono Says Iowa State 'Will Be Ready'
Harry Lester, the highly-touted redshirt freshmen who was a four-time Ohio state high school champion with a record of 165-2, was expected to try to start this season. But Lester decided to leave Iowa State and enroll in Northern Michigan University to participate in its U.S. Olympic Education Center, which includes a resident athlete program in Greco-Roman wrestling, along with other Olympic sports. Lester hopes to concentrate on Greco and make the 2004 Olympic team at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Currently, however, he is only ranked tenth in TheMat.com's national Greco rankings, way below 2000 Olympian and defending national champion Kevin Bracken. One bright spot this season was the return of Iowa State's third NCAA champion from last year, senior 141-pounder Aaron Holker. He had been top-ranked and undefeated going into the Midlands tournament last week, but suffered his first loss there, being decisioned by Derek Phillips of Central Michigan, 10-6. Holker did win the rest of his consolation matches in the wrestle-backs, finishing in third place. But he will likely lose his number one spot when the new rankings are released. Now comes word of another setback for Iowa State, which has a record of 2-3 and is currently ranked 13th by W.I.N. Magazine. Two of Iowa State's up-and-coming heavyweights, sophomore Wade McLeod and freshman Joe Brewer, have been ruled academically ineligible and cannot wrestle again this year. Iowa State has recently signed another heavyweight, Scott Coleman, who had been on the Brigham Young University wrestling team until that school dropped wrestling in 2000. Coleman, according to Cyclone assistant coach Chris Bono, has three years of eligibility left, and is eligible to wrestle 'right away.' But don't expect to see Coleman in the lineup at Iowa State's next duals, three road meets this Saturday, January 4. 'He's not ready, shape, conditioning-wise, or anything like that,' said Bono. Thus, when asked who will wrestle at heavyweight this Saturday, Bono responded, 'Probably nobody.' Still, Bono remains very optimistic about his team's prospects. 'We'll be ready,' he said. Bono was also not overly concerned about Holker's loss at the Midlands. 'He just got beat. You know how that goes,' he said. 'He'll be ready' for the national championships in March, he emphasized. Last season, when Holker won his first NCAA title, he had lost seven times during the season. Iowa State has a grueling schedule this Saturday. First at noon EST, they wrestle ninth-ranked West Virginia University at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. WVU is led by returning NCAA champion, top-ranked sophomore Greg Jones, who wrestles at 174. West Virginia also has several other wrestlers ranked in the Top 20: Brandon Lauer, number 15 at 133; Shane Cunanan, number 16 at 141; Billy Smith, number 10 at 149; Matt Lebe, number 17 at 157; Ryan Wilman, number 16 at 184; and heavyweight Brent Miller, ranked number 18. Besides Holker at 141, Iowa State features Zach Roberson, number six at 133; Nick Passolano, number 11 at 165; and Austen Palmer, number 18 at 184. Thus, the matchups to watch closely may end up being Roberson vs. Lauer at 133, Holker vs. Cunanan at 141, and Palmer vs. Wilman at 184. Another match to watch is at 149. where Iowa State's redshirt up-and-coming freshman Nate Gallick takes on Billy Smith. At the Midlands last week, West Virginia's Shane Cunanan, wrestling at 149, beat Gallick in a 1-1 double-overtime tiebreaker. After battling this tough West Virginia team Saturday afternoon, Iowa State heads that same day to Pittsburgh, PA, for two more meets. They face Pittsburgh at 5:00 PM EST and then Slippery Rock at 7:00 PM EST. After this marathon wrestling weekend, Iowa State will begin its second semester this Monday. The team gets a little respite, not having to compete again until the two-day National Duals team tournament on Sat. Jan. 18, and Sun., Jan. 19, at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. 'We'll be ready,' repeated Bono. It just might be unwise to doubt him. ©2003, ADCC News
TheMat.com US Senior Freestyle Rankings
55 KG/121 LBS.
60 KG/132 LBS.
1. Eric Guerrero, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
66 KG/145.5 LBS.
1. Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) |