U.S. wins No-Gi team title at Grappling World Championships in Switzerland
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
12/21/2008

LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND - The United States dominated the competition to capture the team title in the No-Gi style at the Grappling World Championships on Saturday, December 20.

The United States swept the gold medals in the five men’s weight classes, and added an individual champion in the women’s division to take the No-Gi team title. The USA scored 135 team points, well ahead of runner-up France with 53 points. Canada, Great Britain and Poland rounded out the top five teams.

Claiming individual gold medals in the men’s competition were:
• Matt Sanchez (Sacramento, Calif./Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness) at 62 kg/136.5 lbs.
• Ricky Lundell (Ames, Iowa/Grappler’s Edge) at 70 kg/154 lbs.
• Jacob Volkmann (White Bear Lake, Minn./Minnesota Martial Arts Academy) at 80 kg/176 lbs.
• Raphael Davis (Lomita, Calif./Team Caique) at 92 kg/202.5 lbs.
• Jeff Monson (Olympia, Wash./American Top Team) at 125 kg/275 lbs.

Sanchez had a dominant performance, winning all four of his matches by submission. He stopped Tom Barlow of Great Britain in the finals by submission.

All five of the individual champions from the United States were winners at the Dollamur U.S. Grappling World Team Trials in Rocklin, Calif. in September, and hold the No. 1 ranking in the United States.

Both Lundell and Monson won World gold medals in Grappling at the 2007 World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey. Sanchez was second at the 2007 World Wrestling Games, as well.

Two of the men’s finals were all-American contests. At 96 kg/211.5 pounds, Davis defeated Ian Murphy (Fullerton, Calif./Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness) in the finals by submission. At 120 kg/275 lbs., Monson stopped Brandon Ruiz (West Jordan, Utah/Grappler’s Edge) in the finals, 6-1. Both were rematches from the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials.

Lundell defeated Nicolas Renier of France in the finals by submission. Volkmann stopped Marcello Salazar Mousinho of Brazil in the finals, 4-1.

The U.S. won a total of nine medals in men’s Grappling. Along with the five champions and two silver medalists, the U.S. also brought home bronze medals by Brian Peterson, (Valencia, Calif./Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Center) at 62 kg/136.5 lbs. and Tom LeCuyer (Plano, Ill./Atlas Xtreme Team, Torres Martial Arts) at 70 kg/154 lbs. The only losses by Peterson and LeCuyer were to their American teammates.

In the women’s division, the U.S. placed four athletes in the finals. Capturing a gold medal was Lisa Ward (Olympia, Wash./United Fight Team) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., who defeated Lisa Newton of Great Britain in the finals by submission.

Ward was also a World champion at the 1997 World Wrestling shoes Games in Antalya, Turkey.

Three U.S. women won silver medals: Felicia Oh (Valencia, Calif./Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Fitness Center) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Molly Helsel (San Diego, Calif./North County Fight Club) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Miesha Tate (Olympia, Wash./Victory Athletics) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. All three were defeated by submission in the finals.

Complete information on the women’s results from the World Grappling Championships is not currently available and will be posted when received.

Grappling, also known as submission wrestling, was recognized as an international style of wrestling in 2006. FILA held its first major international event in Grappling in 2007 at World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey. The United States swept all nine World titles in Antalya, with gold medals in the five men’s weight classes and four women’s weight classes.

This year, FILA will hold both a No-Gi and a Gi competition at the Grappling World Championships. The U.S. team qualified in No-Gi Grappling, and all of the team members competed in the No-Gi tournament on Saturday, December 20.

Many of the U.S. team members are also expected to enter the Gi tournament on Sunday, December 21.

For more information on the FILA Grappling World Championships, visit the official website at:
http://www.d4-world.com/

2008 USA GRAPPLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lucerne, Switzerland

62 kg/136.5 lbs.
Gold – Matt Sanchez (USA)
Silver – Tom Barlow (Great Britain)
Bronze – Brian Peterson (USA)
Bronze – John Louro (Canada)
5th – Jose Zapater (Spain)
5th – Fabian Brechetelle (France)

70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold – Ricky Lundell (USA)
Silver – Nicolas Renier (France)
Bronze – Tom LeCuyer (USA)
Bronze – Jose Fernando Ferreira (Spain)
5th – Joao Catisti (Brazil)
5th – Peter Mettler (Switzerland)

80 kg/176 lbs.
Gold – Jacob Volkmann (USA)
Silver – Marcello Salazar Mousinho (Brazil)
Bronze – Tomasz Michalowski (Poland)
Bronze – Davied Pierre-Louis (France)
5th – Ivalo Andreeve Kemnov (Bulgaria)
5th – Miguel Campos (Spain)

92 kg/202.5 lbs.
Gold – Raphael Davis (USA)
Silver – Ian Murphy (USA)
Bronze – Takanori Kuno (Japan)
Bronze – Nick Ring (Canada)
5th – Piotr Baginski (Poland)
5th – Stefan Osinski (Poland)

125 kg/275 lbs.
Gold – Jeff Monson (USA)
Silver – Brandon Ruiz (USA)
Bronze – Ioannis Arzoumanidis (Greece)
Bronze – Rodrigo Munduruca (Canada)
5th – Svetoslav Samoilov Zahariev (Bulgaria)
5th – Vlado Pilipovic (Croatia)

U.S. Men’s results

62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Matt Sanchez, Sacramento, Calif. (Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness), 1st
WIN Volkan Icki (Switzerland), submission
WIN John Louro (Canada), submission
WIN Jose Zapater (Spain), submission WIN Tom Barlow (Great Britain), submission

62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Brian Peterson, Valencia, Calif. (Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Center), 3rd
WIN Patrick Oppliger (Switzerland)
LOSS Tom Barlow (Great Britain)
WIN Herminio Garcia (Spain)
WIN Fabien Brechetelle (France)

70 kg/154 lbs. - Ricky Lundell, Ames, Iowa (Grappler’s Edge), 1st
WIN A. Panoussis (Canada)
WIN Tom LeCuyer (USA)
WIN Aleksandar Milicevic (Serbia)
WIN Joao Catisti (Brazil)
WIN Nicolas Renier (France), submission

70 kg/154 lbs. - Tom LeCuyer, Plano, Ill. (Atlas Xtreme Team, Torres Martial Arts), 3rd WIN Patrick Berisha (Kosovo)
LOSS Ricky Lundell (USA)
WIN A. Panoussis (Canada)
WIN Aleksandar Milicevic (Serbia)

80 kg/176 lbs. - Jacob Volkmann, White Bear Lake, Minn. (Minnesota Martial Arts Academy), 1st
Preliminary match results unavailable
WIN Marcello Salazar Mousinho (Brazil), 4-1

80 kg/176 lbs. - Mike Kelly, Hebron, Ill. (Gilbert Grappling), dnp/22nd
LOSS Hiroshi Tsuruya (Japan)

92 kg/202.5 lbs. - Raphael Davis, Lomita, Calif. (Team Caique), 1st
WIN Takanori Kuno (Japan)
WIN Kevin Webb (Great Britain)
WIN Piotr Baginski (Poland)
WIN Ian Murphy (USA), submission

92 kg/202.5 lbs. - Ian Murphy, Fullerton, Calif. (Alpha Male/Ultimate Fitness), 2nd
WIN Kemal Tajic (Bosnia and Herzoginiva)
WIN Stefan Osinski (Poland)
WIN Nick Ring (Canada)
LOSS Raphael Davis (USA), submission

125 kg/275 lbs. - Jeff Monson, Olympia, Wash. (American Top Team), 1st
WIN Hermann Binek (Germany)
WIN Vlado Pilipovic (Croatia)
WIN Ioannis Arzomanidis (Greece)
WIN Brandon Ruiz (USA), 6-1

125 kg/275 lbs. - Brandon Ruiz,West Jordan, Utah (Grappler’s Edge), 2nd
WIN Svetoslav Samoilov Zahariev (Bulgaria)
WIN Mohammed Cherif (France)
WIN Rodrigo Munduruca (Canada)
LOSS Jeff Monson (USA), 1-6

Women’s results (Incomplete at this time)

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Lisa Ward (USA)
Silver – Lisa Newton (Great Britain)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Laurence Fouillat (France)
Silver – Felicia Oh (USA)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Sheila Bird (Canada)
Silver – Molly Helsel (USA)
Bronze – Sara DeLuna (France)
Bronze – Caolimhe McGill (Great Britain)
5th – Sonia Raeber (Switzerland)
5th – Rosa Wellenzhon (Italy)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold – Romy Ruyssen (France)
Silver – Miesha Tate (USA)

U.S. women’s performances

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Lisa Ward, Olympia, Wash. (United Fight Team), 1st

55 kg/121 lbs. - Felicia Oh, Valencia, Calif. (Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Fitness Center), 2nd

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Molly Helsel, San Diego, Calif. (North County Fight Club), 2nd
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Miesha Tate, Olympia, Wash. (Victory Athletics), 2nd

55 kg/121 lbs. - Tara LaRosa, Philadelphia, Pa. (Philadelphia Fight Factory) results unavailable at this time

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Angela Poe, Craig, Colo. (Grappler’s Edge) results unavailable at this time

Team Standings
1 United States, 135
2 France, 53
3 Canada, 43
4 Great Britain, 36
5 Poland, 34
6 Spain, 23
7 Brazil, 15
8 Switzerland, 14
9 Bulgaria, 14
10 Germany, 13

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: Ed Eichelberger
Roger Moore National Wrestling Hall of Fame
12/16/2008

Even if Edward Eichelberger had never wrestled a match for Lehigh University he’d be remembered as one of the great individuals to ever set foot on the Pennsylvania campus.

“He was a real inspiration to me, a great teammate to have,” said Joe Gratto, a two-time All-American and 1957 NCAA champion. “There was never any question about his integrity and he was a 4.0 (GPA) or close in the toughest major at Lehigh.”

“He was Senior Resident in the dormitories and a very strong member of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). Just a class guy.”

After graduating from Lehigh in 1956 with a B.S. in electrical engineering, Eichelberger joined IBM where he would spend the next 38 years until his retirement in 1994. He received his Masters and Ph.D. from Princeton, and along the way received 25 patents in the fields of chip, circuit and test design.

In 1974 he received the “Outstanding Contributor Award” from IBM for technical publications and patents.

“I was never the best student, but it turned out that I was a pretty good engineer,” said Eichelberger, who will be one of four inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum next June as the Class of 2009’s Distinguished Members. “Someone once said that nothing succeeds like success. I had a good wrestling career and some of that work I put in translated into my career after Lehigh.”

His wrestling credentials mirrored his accomplishments from IBM.
He was coached by a legend in high school – Billy Martin at Granby High School in Norfolk, Va. – and by another legend in college – Gerald Leeman at Lehigh.

Eichelberger was undefeated his final three years of high school, winning three state titles in Virginia.

“I wrestled in Billy Martin’s first intramural tournament,” Eichelberger said. “I was actually going to go camping that weekend when I was in the Boy Scouts, but after a long talk with Coach Martin he talked me into wrestling in that tournament.

“He told me ‘I could go camping anytime, but that this tournament was only going to be one weekend.’ It was my first real exposure to wrestling. Nobody knew what wrestling was at that time in the state of Virginia.”

Martin had begun teaching some wrestling as a gym teacher at Granby. As a junior high student, Eichelberger’s first exposure came when a neighbor came home and started talking about something new that was going on in gym class.

A very quick learner, Eichelberger’s career at Lehigh included two NCAA championships and a 55-3-1 record with 37 pins. One of his losses came in the 1954 College finals to Myron Roderick of Oklahoma A&M.

He was named the EIWA Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler in 1955 and 1956 and the sports NCAA Tournament’s OW in 1955 when he pinned 4 of 5 opponents.

“There was this interest we had at Granby in winning by fall,” Eichelberger said. “If you didn’t pin it was almost like a loss. We always worked on pinning combinations. (Coach) Martin always let you experiment with things. If you came up with something, and you thought it might work, he’d work with you on it.

“It wasn’t really like that when I got to Lehigh. The pin just didn’t seem as important.”

Martin, a member of the NWHOF’s Class of 1980, was also about competition. His first Granby team had a dual meet against Frank “Sprig” Gardner’s powerful Mepham High School squad in New York.

“That’s where I learned the cross-faced cradle, from those workouts with Mepham,” Eichelberger said. “I wrestled in three National AAU tournaments while I was still in high school. My sophomore year (at Granby) I wrestled the NCAA champion from two or three weeks earlier. Coach (Martin) just told me he was some guy from out west.”

As a senior at Granby, Eichelberger caught the eye of Lehigh coach Billy Sheridan. Already wanting to be an engineer, the move from Norfolk to Bethlehem was an easy one.

However, Leeman, a silver medalist in freestyle at the 1948 Olympics, would be Sheridan’s hand-picked successor and took over in the fall of 1952.

“(Leeman) was about my size so I got to train with him,” Eichelberger said. “My weakness was takedowns and he was one of the best. He really worked with me.”

For dual meets, Leeman would often weigh-in both Eichelberger and Gratto at 147 pounds.

“There were a lot of coaches who tried to duck Eichelberger in duals,” Gratto said. “If they threw out a back-up, I’d generally take him apart and Ed would whip their starter up a weight.”

“I was always pleasured to participate in a dual meet because it meant a day away from Eichelberger in the practice room. He was mild-mannered … and there was nothing cocky about him … but you were generally on your back within about 45 seconds when you wrestled him.”

Added Eichelberger, “We had three 147-pounders and we’d kind of flip a coin to see who was going down to 137. The other guy would wear a coat and wrestle at 157.”

As a senior, Eichelberger wrestled most duals at 157 pounds.

His competitive days would soon come to an end after 1956, spending most of his time focused on his new job at IBM.

“It was a little of a lot of things,” he said. “A friend who wrestled at Harvard came to IBM the same time I did and we worked out some together, but it was hard to stay involved with so little competition around.”

“I went back to Princeton for graduate school and worked out briefly with their team, but oddly enough the coach didn’t really want me around.”

After returning from Princeton, Eichelberger helped coach a high school team in Endicott, N.Y., for a semester.

A devout Catholic, Eichelberger always added Galatians 6:14 to his signature.

It reads: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Bigger, stronger and better: Tervel Dlagnev making plenty of noise in heavyweight division
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
12/12/2008

Tervel Dlagnev's day usually starts with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast.

It ends with a small meal about an hour before bedtime.

In between, Dlagnev sits down for brunch, a big lunch, a snack and a big dinner. After his morning and afternoon workouts, he will consume a 300-calorie protein shake.

It's all part of his 6,000 calorie-a-day plan, coupled with strength work in the weight room, to become bigger, stronger and more competitive at his freestyle weight class of 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

The plan has worked to perfection so far for Dlagnev. Now about 25 pounds heavier than he was at June's U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the 260-pound Dlagnev's commitment to becoming bigger paid off late last month when he won the New York Althetic Club International (A Sports Club).

“My goal is to keep my weight right around 120 kilos and be as strong and as physical and as fast as I possibly can,” Dlagnev said. “I’m basically just trying to eat a lot, and keep it as healthy as I can. The added weight is going to really help me. I feel really good right now.”

Dlagnev, a 2008 World University champion who celebrated his 23rd birthday last month, upset 2008 U.S. Olympian Steve Mocco in the New York AC finals.

Since competing in the Olympics in August, Mocco had knocked off a past Olympic champion and Olympic bronze medalist to open the 2008-09 season.

"Mocco’s physical and intense, and I knew he was going to bring it,” Dlagnev said. “He’s very hard to score on. It was a big win for me. He placed seventh in the Olympics, and he’s a great wrestler. It’s a great confidence-builder. It’s early in the season, but it’s good to know I’m improving. I know I will obviously see him quite a bit more this season.”

For a guy who weighed in about 30 pounds under the maximum allowed for his weight class at the Olympic Trials, Dlagnev was facing numerous competitors who have to cut weight to make 120 kilos.

With international governing body FILA's one-point pushout rule, which was implemented in 2005, bigger wrestlers like Mocco have feasted on smaller heavyweights like Dlagnev.

“It is tough being 240 pounds, and getting pushed out of bounds by guys who are a lot bigger than me,” Dlagnev said. “I just wasn’t big enough in the past. I’m getting there now.”

At the New York AC International, Dlagnev did a better job holding his ground against Mocco. Dlagnev won the match, 1-1, 0-2, 2-1.

"My goal was to stay in there and not get pushed out, but I think Mocco still pushed me out of bounds four times in the match,” Dlagnev said. “Plus, he scored more points than I did overall. I can’t let that happen. He definitely exposed a lot of weaknesses. I still have a lot of work to do.”

The athletic Dlagnev thrives with an array of leg attacks, including a lethal low single that he took Mocco down with in New York.

“I’m 260 now, but I still feel like I have my speed and quickness and agility,” Dlagnev said. “I’m still looking to get stronger, but I need to be able to keep moving like I am now.”

Dlagnev, now helping as a club coach at the University of Northern Iowa, continues to raise his level of wrestling as he's now ranked No. 2 in the U.S. behind Mocco at 120 kilos. He is 1-1 in his career against Mocco.

The first time they wrestled, Mocco won 3-0, 3-0 at the 2007 U.S. Nationals.

“He got a couple of pushouts and a couple of go-behinds off my shots,” said Dlagnev, who competes for the Sunkist Kids. “He really put it on me.”

Dlagnev and Mocco trained together in Iowa just a few weeks before the New York AC meet. Mocco trains in Iowa City now, just down the road from where Dlagnev is in Cedar Falls.

The heavyweight class in the U.S. also may still include Tommy Rowlands, who placed fifth in the World in 2007 before falling to Mocco in the finals of the 2008 Olympic Trials. Rowlands is still weighing his options as far as continuing to compete.

Among the other top heavyweights competing are Les Sigman and Scott Steele. Sigman finished fifth at the Olympic Trials. Steele, who wrestles collegiately for Navy, was a surprising third-place finisher at the Olympic Trials.

Dlagnev was born in Bulgaria and moved to the U.S. when he was four years old. He did not start wrestling until his sophomore year of high school in Arlington, Texas. Third and fourth at the Texas state tournament, he drew virtually no interest from college recruiters.

One school that did notice was Nebraska-Kearney, an NCAA Division II school.

Dlagnev has been on a roll since winning his first Division II national title in March 2007. He followed the next month by placing fourth at the U.S. Nationals. In October 2007, he beat long-time college rival Sigman for the first time ever in the finals of the Sunkist Kids International Open.

Dlagnev followed by capping his college career with his second national title and led his team to its first NCAA crown in school history.

Dlagnev continued the momentum with a third-place finish at the 2008 U.S. Nationals, winning his last four matches after falling to Sigman in the quarterfinals. Dlagnev beat past World bronze medalist Tolly Thompson in the match for third place.

Dlagnev then failed to place at June's Olympic Trials. He went 1-2, falling to Steele and Pat Cummins after winning his first bout.

"For some reason, I wasn’t ready to wrestle hard at the Trials and my conditioning wasn’t where it needed to be,” he said. “There are no excuses. I didn’t wrestle in my strong positions. I just didn’t wrestle well.”

Dlagnev quickly regrouped to win the World University Championships in early July in Greece.

“It was great to have a chance to get back on the mat and rebound from the Trials,” he said. “I was fired up and ready to go for University Worlds. It was great to have some success against overseas competition.”

Dlagnev’s recent win over Mocco caught the attention of new U.S. National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones, who was in New York for the event.

“Tervel has really made nice progress,” Jones said. “His main strengths are his ability to wrestle in all positions. He’s multi-dimensional. He moves very well for a heavyweight. He moves as well as any heavyweight, which gives him an advantage. He is very good at attacking the legs.

“His potential is really high. He obviously has wrestling to learn. He needs to make progress in his mental preparation and he needs to continue to gain experience internationally.”

Dlagnev has competed just twice overseas. He wrestled at the World University Championships this past summer in Greece. This fall, he competed in an international event in Russia. He fell short of placing in that event.

He said his next event likely is the Dave Schultz Memorial International in early February in Colorado Springs.

Dlagnev said he didn’t get much sleep during the Olympic Games. Like many wrestling fans who were back home watching in the U.S., he stayed up late to watch many of the matches that were shown on television and on the Internet.

“I watched as many matches as I could,” he said. “I like watching everybody, from the little guys all the way up to the heavyweights. I was so excited and pumped up to watch the matches. It’s the first time I’ve really watched wrestling in the Olympics. In 2000, I hadn’t started to wrestle. In 2004, I didn’t really know a lot about international wrestling. Now, I pretty much know who all the guys are now so it was fun to watch. I studied a lot of the matches and I tried to learn things that might help me.”

Dlagnev’s favorite part of the Olympics wasn’t the wrestling.

“It was the Opening Ceremonies,” he said. “I loved the parade of countries and watching all the athletes walk into the stadium. When the U.S. team finally came in, I saw two of our wrestlers, Andy Hrovat and Spenser Mango, walking with all the athletes. That was really cool. It was so exciting. It would be so sweet to be part of that in 2012.”

For now, Dlagnev is shooting for a more immediate goal. Making the U.S. freestyle team for the 2009 World Championships, set for Sept. 21-27 in Herning, Denmark.

“My goal is to be on the 2009 World Team,” he said. “I want to be a World champ and win a gold medal, that’s the plan. I love wrestling, and I love the process of training and trying to continually get better. I still have so much to learn.”

UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The main event will feature UFC Light Heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin taking on #1 contender Rashad Evans.

The co-main event will feature UFC interim Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and the #1 heavyweight contender and former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir. The winner will face UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar for a unification bout in early 2009. The third main event will feature former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson against former PRIDE Champion Wanderlei Silva.

Nathan Diaz will be fighting Clay Guida on January 31st, 2009 at UFC 94 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2 were to have fought earlier this year but a foot injury sidelined Guida, pushing the bout to the new year.

The card will be headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between GSP and BJ Penn. It will be the most advertised show in UFC history and Diaz VS Guida could be one of the best fights of the night.

Coming Soon, UFC 92.