Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
For many years, the 60 kg/132 lbs. division in men’s Greco-Roman was very difficult for any young wrestler to crack into the top echelon. This weight division featured stars including two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald of the Sunkist Kids, World champion and Olympic medalist Dennis Hall of the Sunkist Kids, and national Greco-Roman champion Glenn Nieradka of the U.S. Army. These three stars were head-and-shoulders ahead of the rest of the field, year in and year out.
Last year, Gruenwald remained the star in this division, winning a spot on his fifth straight U.S. team, which included two Olympic Games and three World Championships. Initially after returning from the Athens Olympics, where Gruenwald did not place, he indicated that he would continue to wrestle. He entered an international dual meet event in January, but has not competed since. The indication is that Gruenwald has decided to retire, and he did not compete at the U.S. Nationals. He is eligible to compete at the World Team Trials, but many expect that we may have seen the last of a great talent.
Hall dropped down to 55 kg for the Olympic Trials last year, and made his third Olympic team. He did not medal in Athens, either, and has not wrestled since. If Hall were to return to the mats, most expect him back at 60 kg if he re-lit the competitive fire . Like Gruenwald, he could enter if he chooses, but would have to go into the Challenge Tournament. Nobody knows if Hall would consider another comeback.
The new star in the division is Joe Warren of the New York AC, who won his first U.S. Nationals title in dominant fashion this year. Warren was second in the 2004 Olympic Team Trials, losing to Gruenwald in the championship series. Since then, he has been very successful on the international circuit, winning a number of medals and impressing everybody. He had a strong performance at the U.S. Nationals, to earn the No. 1 seed at the World Team Trials. All that Warren must do now is win a best-of-three series to earn a spot on his first World Team.
Warren defeated Nieradka in the Challenge Tournament at Olympic Team Trials, a big victory for him which gave him the confidence to take the next step in his career. Nieradka has not competed this year, serving the nation in his role as a soldier in the U.S. Army. He will apparently be back on the mats in time for the World Team Trials, and qualifies to enter because he won an international medal in recent seasons.
Placing second at the U.S. Nationals is veteran Jacob Hey of the U.S. Air Force, who, like Warren, paid his dues behind the big-time stars in this division and is ready to make his name at the highest level. Hey was the 2005 Armed Forces champion, and has placed in many national and international events in recent seasons. Warren was able to control the action against Hey in Las Vegas, but Hey is seeking to win the Challenge Tournament in Ames for another shot at Warren.
The exciting new star in this division is Jeremiah Davis of the Sunkist Kids, who competes with the USOEC program at Northern Michigan Univ. Davis placed a strong third at the U.S. Nationals, his best performance on the Senior level. Davis has been showing great progress on the age-group levels, and positions himself as one of the bright young prospects for future U.S. teams.
Veteran Duane Martin of the U.S. Army placed fourth at the U.S. Nationals. He recently moved into the Army program after many years as a star on the U.S. Marines team. Martin has dropped to 55 kg in the past, but is a serious threat at this weight class as well. He was fifth at the U.S. Nationals at 60 kg last year, and will be a tough draw for anybody in the Challenge Tournament.
The next three placewinners at the U.S. Nationals in this weight division come from the ever-improving USOEC program at Northern Michigan: Willie Madison of the Gator WC in fifth, Marco Lara of the New York AC in sixth, and Kerry Regner of the USOEC in seventh. The depth that has developed in the Northern Michigan program is impressive, and each of these athletes are expected to only get better over time. Of this group, Madison has been the most successful in the past, placing sixth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
The other athlete in the field is Josh Habeck of the U.S. Army, who captured a gold medal at the Northern Plains Regionals. Habeck competed in the Olympic Team Trials last year, as a past Div. III college wrestler who decided to pursue a Greco-Roman career. Habeck’s success led to an opportunity to wrestle for the Army, and his new training environment should fuel improvement.
The story at 60 kg in Greco-Roman concerns change. The old guard of this division, Gruenwald and Hall, may no longer be in the picture. The athletes who have stepped up and are aiming for the future include Warren and Hey. If Nieradka can get in competition shape, he could be a factor as in past years. For most of the rest of the field, many of whom are still climbing the ladder of success, winning this year may not be realistic. However, the new blood in this division makes this an exciting weight class as we move deeper into the Olympic cycle.
2005 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS AT 60 KG/132 LBS.
1st- Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force), 1-0, 5-0
3rd “Jeremiah Davis, El Cajon, Calif. (USOEC/Sunkist Kids) dec. Duaine Martin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 0-3, 3-1, 1-0
5th “Willie Madison, Metairie, La. (USOEC/Gator WC) dec. Marco Lara, Tanstaa, Fla. (New York AC), 1-0, 1-3, 1-0
7th ““Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (USOEC) dec. Justin Cannon, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines), 3-0, 5-0, 1-0
QUALIFIERS FOR 2005 WORLD TEAM TRIALS AT 60 KG/132 LBS.
U.S. Nationals Champion – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, second place – Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Nationals, third place “Jeremiah Davis, El Cajon, Calif. (USOEC/Sunkist Kids)
U.S. Nationals, fourth place “Duaine Martin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, fifth place “Willie Madison, Metairie, La. (USOEC/Gator WC)
U.S. Nationals, sixth place “Marco Lara, Tanstaa, Fla. (USOEC/New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, seventh place “Kerry Regner, Darlington, Pa. (USOEC)
Rocky Mountain Regional Champion “Jacob Hey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
Northern Plains Regional Champion “Josh Habeck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Olympic Team member “Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
’04 Sunkist Kids International champion “Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
’04 NYAC Christmas Open champion “Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
’05 Dave Schultz Memorial champion “Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
International Tour medalist (within 2 yrs) “
*’03 Henri Deglane Challenge silver medalist – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
*’04 Henri Deglane Challenge bronze medalist – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
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