Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

If there is any athlete in the nation with a Greco-Roman wrestling pedigree, it is 2005 U.S. Nationals champion Sam Hazewinkel of the Gator WC. Both his father and his uncle, the famous Hazewinkel brothers, were members of the U.S. Olympic Team. Sam was able to be ranked high on the Senior level while he was still a high school athlete in Florida. Now in college at the Univ. of Oklahoma, he has been third at the NCAA Championships for two straight years.

Many were uncertain if he could get back in top Greco-Roman form in the few short weeks between the NCAA meet and the U.S. Nationals, but Hazewinkel handled that assignment without missing a step. He won his first three matches without allowing a point, then defeated veteran Lindsay Durlacher of the New York AC in the championship finals, again by a 3-0, 3-0 score. Nobody scored on Hazewinkel, and he showed he had the offense to win every period of every match. Now he enters the World Team Trials as the No. 1 athlete in the division for the first time.

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.

John Fuller/TheMat.com

Good things usually come to those who wait. And if that is true, then Joe Warren should have a platter full of good things coming his way over the course of the next four years.

Warren finally captured a national title, winning at 60 kg/132 lbs. in Greco-Roman this year. For the past four years, he has sat quietly behind two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald, and up until last year, Olympic medalist Dennis Hall.

Warren will lead a new breed of Greco-Roman wrestlers into this year’s Olympic Trials- most of them very young.

TheMat.com sat down with Warren to talk about his success and the future of Greco-Roman.

TheMat.com: What were your feelings when you finally knew you were about to win your first national title?
Warren: It was a relief. It’s just another step towards a final goal. This year, I’ve made a lot of steps to get closer to that goal of winning an Olympic championship. It was more relief than anything else.

Two arrested after fight injured Lehigh wrestler, police say
Men accused of hitting college senior with history of eye trouble.

By Manuel Gamiz Jr.
Of The Morning Call

Two 20-year-old men were arrested Friday for allegedly fighting with two Lehigh University wrestlers on May 11 in south Bethlehem, leaving one with nerve damage to his right eye, police said.

Bethlehem police said Joe Creazzo, of 1612 Mitman Road, Forks Township, and Jared Casciole, of 102 S. 22nd St., Wilson, were arrested Friday night for assaulting Jonathan Trenge, 23, a senior at Lehigh who was recently named to the 2005 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team.

Police said Creazzo, Casciole and Brad Piperata, 19, went to Trenge’s home at 526 Montclair Ave. about midnight May 11 and forced open the front door.

They were asked several times by Trenge and his roommate Matt Ciasulli, 21, who also wrestles at Lehigh, to leave, and they eventually did, police said. Witnesses told police that Creazzo was upset with Ciasulli about a woman they both had dated, police said.

About 30 minutes later the three men returned, and Creazzo and Casciole went upstairs where Trenge and Ciasulli were, police said.

Kolat to offer free wrestling clinics at Ironman World Wrestling Championships and collect autographs from youth wrestlers, coaches and parents

Cary Kolat has signed his share of autographs as one of the best amateur wrestlers ever to come out of Pennsylvania. Kolat is now visiting the Ironman World Wrestling Championships May 27 - 29 offering free wrestling clinics and collecting signatures in exchange for a a $1,000 donation in school supplies to Bloomsburg Public Schools. The effort supports the nationwide Sharpie Retractable “Autographs for Education” program.

Sharpie is asking for one million autographs from everyday people in exchange for $1 million in supplies and funds to schools through its Sharpie Retractable “Autographs for Education” program in 2005.

Well-known as the autograph pen of choice, Sharpie is enlisting the support of celebrities and athletes like Cary Kolat to appeal to communities across the country. As the Sharpie Retractable “Autographs for Education” tour stops in Bloomsburg, Kolat is inviting students, coaches, parents and the community in general to put their autograph on education. The Kolat Wrestling clinics will be held Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29 at the Nelson Field House on the campus of Bloomsburg University.

IN THEIR WORDS
Indeed, Wojo was great

In Their Words is a weekly feature appearing Sundays in The Blade’s sports section. Blade sports writer Steve Junga talked with Greg Wojciechowski. Among the names linked with the history of wrestling in Toledo, the most identifiable is a local legend best known by a nickname - “Wojo.”

Greg Wojciechowski (a k a “The Great Wojo,” from his pro wrestling days) is a product of Whitmer High School and the University of Toledo.

The body fit the name. Above the tree-trunk legs, thick biceps and barrel chest of this 6-0, 260-pounder were the trademark shaved head and Fu Manchu-style moustache.

Beginning when he was still a high school senior in 1968 and through the 1980 U.S. Olympic trials, Wojo, now 54, was either the best amateur heavyweight in the country - freestyle or Greco-Roman or both - or a notch from the top.

Three times - 1968, ‘72 and ‘76 - Wojo was a runner-up at the Olympic trials. When he finally won the freestyle heavyweight spot for the 1980 Summer games in Moscow, a U.S. boycott of the Russian games, ordered by President Jimmy Carter, prevented him from competing. But that did not devastate Toledo’s most accomplished wrestler.

NC State Wrestling Sign HS National Champion

Travis Hammons Joins Joe Caramanica In Stellar Recruiting Class

RALEIGH, N.C. - With one nationally ranked signee already aboard, Wolfpack wrestling coach Carter Jordan continued to build an impressive recruiting class this week when he signed high school national champion Travis Hammons of Hubbard High School in Chicago, Ill.

Hammons joins falls signees Joe Caramanica of Nazereth (Pa.) High School and Jake Smith of Britt High School in Fayetteville, N.C., as the cornerstones of a strong recruiting class for the Wolfpack, which expects to sign more recruits before wrapping up the recruiting season.

Caramanica, a two-time state champion in Pennsylvania, finished third at 145 pounds at the National High School Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Smith won the North Carolina state title at 145 pounds as a junior and senior.

Hammons swept through the 160-pound classification at the national tournament in Cleveland, after winning the Illinois state championship and posting a perfect 36–0 earlier this spring. At the national high school tournament, Hammons beat three-time Ohio state champion Mike Miller 8-4 in the quarterfinals, then controlled freestyle and Greco-Roman superstar Rocky Cozart, 8-2 to reach the finals. Miller and Cozart were ranked Nos. 3 and 2 in the nation, respectively, at the time. In the championship match, Hammons won a double-overtime match with then-top-ranked Alton Lucas of Long Island, N.Y., defeating Lucas 6-3. The loss was only the seventh in 167 career matches for Lucas.

Single mom and plenty of others steered him toward success

By SAM MELLINGER

The Kansas City Star

Almost everyone’s eyes follow as Louis Caputo walks the halls at Blue Springs High. A calculus teacher beams when he approaches, always pleased to see a straight-A student.

A skinny, younger boy in a Wildcats T-shirt perks up as Louis strolls by, perhaps admiring the strength and sweat that took Louis to two undefeated wrestling seasons and three state championships. A brunette in a halter top and short skirt gives a smile as she passes Louis, perhaps impressed by the total package.

This is Louis Caputo’s life. Senior class president, Harvard chemistry major this fall, and The Star’s 2005 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

“Every girl’s dream guy,” says Blue Springs senior Carrie Helfers. “He’s just a stud. He’s nice, smart, athletic…”

The story of how Louis came to this point is, in many ways, more remarkable than the young man he is today.

After all, Louis was born to an essentially single mother — though the divorce wouldn’t be finalized for five years — who spent the first half of Louis’ life struggling through medical school and residency. Besides his mother, Cindy, Louis was primarily raised by sisters who are 12 and 15 years older and two gay men.

Travis Hammons Joins Joe Caramanica In Stellar Recruiting Class

RALEIGH, N.C. - With one nationally ranked signee already aboard, Wolfpack wrestling coach Carter Jordan continued to build an impressive recruiting class this week when he signed high school national champion Travis Hammons of Hubbard High School in Chicago, Ill.

Hammons joins falls signees Joe Caramanica of Nazereth (Pa.) High School and Jake Smith of Britt High School in Fayetteville, N.C., as the cornerstones of a strong recruiting class for the Wolfpack, which expects to sign more recruits before wrapping up the recruiting season.

Caramanica, a two-time state champion in Pennsylvania, finished third at 145 pounds at the National High School Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Smith won the North Carolina state title at 145 pounds as a junior and senior.

Hammons swept through the 160-pound classification at the national tournament in Cleveland, after winning the Illinois state championship and posting a perfect 36–0 earlier this spring. At the national high school tournament, Hammons beat three-time Ohio state champion Mike Miller 8-4 in the quarterfinals, then controlled freestyle and Greco-Roman superstar Rocky Cozart, 8-2 to reach the finals. Miller and Cozart were ranked Nos. 3 and 2 in the nation, respectively, at the time. In the championship match, Hammons won a double-overtime match with then-top-ranked Alton Lucas of Long Island, N.Y., defeating Lucas 6-3. The loss was only the seventh in 167 career matches for Lucas.

By Joe Katz

When it was officially announced that fourth-year heavyweight wrestler Sean Barnes had won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Medal, Barnes himself was surprised. The Stagg Medal, presented to the fourth-year male athlete with the best all-around record for athletics, scholarship, and character, is highly coveted among Maroons. His coaches couldn’t think of anyone more fitting.

“The Stagg Medal is the highest honor that the department gives to senior athletes. He had a good year, and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy,” head coach Leo Kocher said.

“It was really unexpected. I figured there’d be someone out there with a higher GPA, better record, something,” Barnes said.

Barnes was a three-time All-Academic selection for the league, and finished his career with a 96–48 career mark, including a 31–10 record this year. He won two UAA individual titles at heavyweight for U of C, helping to lead the team to four conference championships and extending their run atop the league to five years.

“You know, winning that’s not necessarily the great thing, but you never want to lose it,” Barnes said. “It was nice helping to establish a tradition, and set things up for the young guys.”