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Minnesota wrestlers come up short at World Team Trials
June 20, 2005
Several Minnesota wrestlers competed at the 2005 World Team Trials held in Ames, Iowa on June 18-19.
Former Gopher Jared Lawrence lost to Chris Bono in the 145.5 lbs Freestyle best-of-three championship series. Bono defeated Lawrence 2-0, 0-2, 2-0 in the first match and 3-0, 3-0 in the second match.
Lawrence has been runner-up twice at U.S. Team Trials. Last year he was narrowly defeated by Jamill Kelly who went on to win a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.
Current Gopher Heavyweight Cole Konrad fell to Oklahoma State heavyweight Steve Mocco 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 in the 264.5 pounds Freestyle challenge tournament finals. Konrad has had several close matches with Mocco within the past year, including an overtime loss in the NCAA National Championships finals.
Other former Gopher wrestlers who competed include Jacob Volkmann (Greco-Roman, 163 lbs) and Luke Becker (Freestyle, 163 lbs.).
Minnesota native Jake Clark lost to Brad Vering in the 185 lbs.Greco-Roman championship series, Vering stopped Clark, who wrestles for the U.S. Marine Corps, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1 in the opening bout, and 3-0, 1-1 in the second match. Clark was also second to Vering at the 2004 Olympic Team Trials.
Other Minnesota natives who competed include Luke Eustice (freestyle, 121 lbs.) and Chas Betts (Greco-Roman, 185 lbs.).
In women's freestyle competition, Minnesota native Jenny Wong won the 105.5 lbs. bracket and will compete at the World Championships. Wong made her second World Team, with a 0-1, 1-0, 0-1 win in bout one, and a 1-0, 0-2, 3-0 win in bout two over 2005 U.S. Nationals champion Sara Fulp-Allen. Wong dropped down from 112.25 lbs., where she was a 2003 World bronze medalist.
Minnesota Storm wrestler Chelynne Pringle won the 121 lb. challenge tournament before losing to Marcie Van Dusen in the championship series. Van Dusen beat Pringle, 2-2, 1-0 in bout one and 5-0, 2-0 in bout two. (Van Dusen qualifies to face 2005 national champion Tina George in a special wrestle-off at a date and site to be determined. George took an extension on her championship series due to injury.)
New Ulm, MN native Ali Bernard lost to Iris Smith in the 158.5 lbs championship series two matches to none. Smith won 2-0, 2-3, 6-0 in the first bout and 2-0, 3-0 in the second bout making her third career World Team. Bernard currently competes for the Univ. of Regina, Canada.
Also competing for the Minnesota Storm was Rachel Holthaus at 105.5 lbs.
Coverage and complete results - TheMat.com