LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Brad Pataky of Clearfield, already qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Trials in June, went into the Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Championships April 25-26 in the Las Vegas Convention Center hoping to eliminate one more possible competitor, but he lost his first two bouts after winning one in the qualifier.
He earned his trip to the trials by winning the Northeast Regional Trials and the University Nationals.
The New York Athletic Club matman defeated Ross Gitomer of the Cavalier Wrestling Club 5-0, 5-1, to move into the round of 16 at 55 kilograms/121 pounds.
Pataky, ranked No. 10 by USA Wrestling prior to the tourney, was leading in both of his matches when he was pinned by Sunkist Kids teammates.
Rollie Peterkin dropped him into the consolations with a 4-4, 2-3, :59 fall, and Javier Maldonado sidelined him with a 1-3, 1:01 fall.
Four other Sunkist Kids claimed the top four places.
In the gold-medal match, Matt Azevedo of Pismo Beach, Cal., pinned two-time U.S. Nationals champ and top seed Henry Cejudo of Colorado Springs, Col., 1-0, :18, to earn Outstanding Wrestler honors.
Danny Felix of Morgantown, W.Va., downed Nick Simmons of Williamstown, Mich., 2-1, 0-2, 3-0, for third place, Vic Moreno (Gator WC) bested Grant Nakamura (Sunkist Kids) of Ames, Iowa, 5-0, 6-2, for fifth place, and Adam Smith (New York AC) of State College, shut out Maldonado 6-0, 1-0, for seventh place.
Though wrestlers placing in the top seven qualified for the 1008 Olympic Team Trials, two already were assured berths, Cejudo as a past U.S. World Team member and Nakamura as Northwest Regional Trials champion.
They will be joined by past U.S. Olympic Team member Stephen Abas (Sunkist Kids) of Colorado Springs, Colo., past U.S. World Team member Eric Akin (Gator Wrestling Club) of Gardner, Kan., and champions of the upcoming Northern Plains Trials and Rocky Mountain Trials.
Former Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School and Penn State matman James Yonushonis had to win four of five matches in the Qualifier to get into the round of 16 at 84 kilograms/185 pounds.
After beating Dillon Blackmon (OCU Stars) 4-0, 7-0, he lost to David Bertolino (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 2-1, and then had to battle back through the consolations, coming from behind in two matches to survive.
Yonushonis defeated Raymond Jordan (Sunkist Kids) 0-1, 1-0, 2-1, pinned Chris Haines (Millbrook Madmen WC) in 1:30 and bested Tony Gansen (Sunkist Kids) 0-6, 3-3, 4-0.
On the second day, Yonushonis lost to Lee Fullhart (Gator WC) 4-1, 5-0, won by forfeit over Joe Williams (Sunkist Kids) and then was eliminated by Clint Wattenberg (New York AC) of Ithaca, N.Y., by fall in 1:05. Wattenberg finished fourth.
* * * * * * * * * *
In the 2008 FILA Junior Nationals on the same weekend, Army sophomore Matt Kyler of Clearfield got off to a great start at 66 kilograms/145.5 pounds with a 3-0, 6-0 victory over Nate Spangler of Lehigh before running into eventual champion Jordan Burroughs of the Sunkist Kids in the quarterfinals.
Burroughs won 4-0, 4-3.
Kyler received a concussion during the Burroughs match and had to injury default out of the consolation round.
Returning champion Bubba Jenkins of Penn State had hoped to compete at 145.5 but couldn\’t make weight, so he moved up to 70 kilograms/154.25 pounds and walked away with the gold medal, defeating high schooler Alex Mease of Kolat/Raw 0-1, 3-2, 3-1 in the finals.
Bald Eagle Area High School senior and Penn State recruit Quentin Wright almost was a doublewinner at 74 kilograms/163 pounds, claiming gold in freestyle with six wins and silver in Greco-Roman with three victories before losing his only bout of the weekend.
In freestyle, Wright pinned Dallas Bailey (Versus Wrestling Academy) 7-0, 3-6, 1:07, and then decisioned Stephen Dwyer (Sunkist Kids) 6-4, 6-0, Ryan Smith (Underdog WC) 4-0, 4-0, Luke Manuel (Boiler Elite) 3-1, 1-0, Jon Reader (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 1-0 and Nick Amuchastegui (Cardinal WC) 3-3, 2-0, 7-4.
Manuel finished third, Reader fifth and Smith eighth.
In Greco-Roman, Wright pinned George Bancroft Iv (SWAT) 6-0, 0-6, 1:41, and beat Travis Rutt (Minnesota Storm) 5-2, 4-1, and Talan Knox (NMU/USOEC) 0-3, 4-0, 6-1 to make the finals.
Ben Provisor (Dennis Hall/World Gold Wrestling) denied Wright the gold medal with a 5-0, 3-4, 3-2 win.
Provisor had posted 7-0, 5-0 and 6-0, 8-0 technical falls in his earlier matches.
Rutt pinned Knox 0-4, 1-1, 1:30 for the bronze medal, and Bancroft Iv finished sixth.
