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CANADA CUP OF WRESTLING-FREESTYLE
IS ANYONE LOOKING FOR A GOOD FEMALE DIVISION TOURNAMENT? ONE THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM AND HAVE FUN WITH MINIMAL COSTS? MAYBE WATCH OLMPIAN MEN AND WOMEN IN ACTION, LIVE?
THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE ON JULY 7, 8 and 9th. EVENT IS LOCATED IN GUELPH, ONTARIO. (2 HOURS EAST OF DETROIT OR 1 HOUR NORTH OF BUFFALO)
INTERNATIONAL OPEN TOURNAMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND SENIOR DIVISIONS (MENS & WOMENS).
THIS TOURNAMENT IS A MUST FOR THE SERIOUS WRESTLER! COMP[ETE WITH THE CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM MEMBERS, LOCAL ATHLETES OR SIT AND ENJOY WATCHING THE SENIOR DIVISION. THE CUP HAS BEEN HOST TO 20 COUNTRIES OR MORE AT THIS EVENT IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
HIGH SCHOOL AGE CAMP FOLLOWS THE EVENT. COME TRAIN WITH THE CANADIANS AT THIS CAMP AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS! (APPLY THROUGH CAWA)
RUB SHOULDERS WITH OLYMPIANS AND WORLD LEVEL ATHLETES. SEVERAL OLYMPIC MEDALIST COMPETEED HERE LAST YEAR AS WELL AS MANY WORLD MEDALIST.
ENTRY FEES ARE MINIMAL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT LIKE THIS (LODGING IS ALSO AVAILABLE) MANY WRESTLERS ATTENDED LAST YEAR FROM THE STATES AND DID WELL.
2 Kilogram WEIGH-IN ALLOWANCE
CHECK OUT THIS WEB SITE AND CONTACT THE DIRECTOR TO REGISTER
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MEDIA RELEASE
Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association
6/16/05
Men and Women to be held in Cape Town, South Africa on June 30, July 1-2, 2005
London, Ontario, CANADA - The Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association confirmed today
that eleven international teams will be participating in the 2005 Commonwealth Championships
in Capetown, South Africa, they are : AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ENGLAND, INDIA, KENYA, NAMIBIA,
NEW ZEALAND, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, SCOTLAND and SOUTH AFRICA.
The city of Cape Town , South Africa is hosting the 2005 - COMMONWEALTH WRESTLING
CHAMPIONSHIPS, in both Olympic Styles of Wrestling. On June 30th and July 1st., the
Championships will be conducted in Olympic Freestyle Wrestling (men and women).
On July 2nd., the Olympic Greco-Roman style of Wrestling (men) shall be contested.
This is the first time in the Commonwealth wrestling history that Greco-Roman style of
Wrestling Championships will be held.
The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association,
Mr. Josip Mrkoci persuaded the organizers of the 2005 COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONSHIPS to
host the Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in order to promote this style of wrestling within the
Commonwealth.
" We are grateful to the organizers in Cape Town and the South African Wrestling Federation for the
opportunity to promote the Greco-Roman wrestling style in the Commonwealth. We would also like to
thank Rich Bender , Executive Director of USA Wrestling for their support by providing the services
of Momir Petkovic, a 1976 Olympic Champion and now USA - Assistant National Greco-Roman coach
will conduct a Greco-Roman wrestling camp for the participating Commonwealth nations" stated
Mr. Mrkoci.
Following the Commonwealth Championships a five day wrestling camp/symposium will be held from July
3-7 for the Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestlers of the Commonwealth. On July 8-9 a second
International competition called - South African Centenary Cup - will also be held in Cape Town . Most of
the Commonwealth nations will also compete at this International wrestling event.
" The Commonwealth wrestling Chamionships in Cape Town has been endorsed and sanctioned by FILA ,
the International sport governing body of Wrestling as well as the Commonwealth Games Federation"
said Mr. Mrkoci.
The President of FILA, Mr. Raphy Martinetti recently said " we support the efforts of the South African
Wrestling Federation in hosting the Commonwealth Championships and congratulate the Commonwealth
Amateur Wrestling Association for including the Greco-Roman style of wrestling at the Championships".
The South African team coach Mr. Willem Putter is optimistic of his team's chances by saying recently
" the Commonwealth Wrestling Challenge Cup competition which was held at the Muscat Festival in the
Sultanate of Oman (Februry 2-4), was an excellent tune-up for the South African wrestlers as they wrestled
teams from India, Canada and England to prepare themselves for the Commonwealth Championships.
We look forward to hosting the the Championships and to show our country and our hospitality to the
participants of the Commonwealth wrestling nations".
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For further information contact -
Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association
Telephone: ( 519) 668-9901
E-mail: - Commonwealth-Wrestling@sympatico.ca
Web site: - http://groups.msn.com/CommonwealthWrestling
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Sport
Wrestling Federation of India announces women's team
Hisar, INDIA, June 16, 2005
(PTI): The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has selected seven women wrestlers to represent India in the commonwealth wrestling championship to be held at Cape Town in South Africa from June 30 to July 2, a spokesman of WFI announced here today.
Team members are: 48 kg: Nirmal (Haryana), 51 kg: Meena (Haryana), 55 kg: Neha (Haryana), 59 kg: Alka Tomar (MTNL), 63 kg: Geetika Jakhar (Haryana), 67 kg: Anita (Haryana), 72 kg: Jyoti (National Capital region).
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Zeamer to serve as Team Leader for U.S. women’s freestyle team at the 2005 World Championships
6/16/2005
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Stan Zeamer of Manheim, Pa. has been named as the Team Leader for the United States women’s freestyle team at the 2005 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“We are fortunate to have a quality leader like Stan involved with our women’s team,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “He is excited to help our sport and our organization. I am confident he will be a key factor in the success of our team and athletes.”
Earlier this year USA Wrestling named Steve Silver of Forney, Texas and John Bardis of Alpharetta, Ga. as the other Team Leaders for the United States, with Silver serving with men’s freestyle and Bardis serving with men’s Greco-Roman.
WOMEN’S FREESTYLE TEAM LEADER
Stan Zeamer of Manheim, Pa. has been named Team Leader of the 2005 U.S. Women’s World Team, which will compete in the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 28-30.
Zeamer will lead the U.S. delegation at the World Championships. He will work with USA Wrestling National Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, World Team Coaches Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill. and Troy Steiner of Iowa City, Iowa and others on the U.S. staff to support the athletes and assist the team during the World Championships.
“I am excited to give back to wrestling, and help in any capacity that I can,” said Zeamer. “My expectations for helping the Women’s World Team is to give value to them and to keep them from being distracted from their goal of winning medals and performing to their best. My passion for wrestling can assist in reaching those goals. I am really looking forward to this. It will be fun, exciting and challenging.”
Zeamer has been involved in wrestling for many years, including serving as a leader at the highest levels, as well as having success as an athlete and coach.
This year, Zeamer received the Order of Merit from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. The Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame selected Zeamer for this major honor.
He served in a number of coaching positions on the junior high, high school and college levels, starting with his first assignment in 1970 as the head coach at Manheim Central High School, his alma mater. His coaching career has gone full circle, as he is presently the head coach at Manheim Central Middle School.
Among his college coaching positions has been as head coach and assistant coach at Franklin and Marshall College, as an assistant coach at Clarion University and as an assistant coach at Elizabethtown College. He also was an assistant coach at Wheatland Middle School.
He sits on the Board of Governors for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and served as its chairman for a number of years. His leadership helped the Hall of Fame grow and expand its activities.
Zeamer also served as the president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame from 1993-2003. In that capacity, Zeamer helped organize highly successful banquets for the honored inductees, setting a standard for how state chapters of the Hall of Fame should operate.
He generously leases office space from his business headquarters to two important wrestling organizations, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and the Wrestling Hall of Fame state chapters program. He has been a longtime supporter and leader within the NWCA.
Zeamer graduated from Manheim Central High School in Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time district champion, two-time regional champion and the Most Valuable Wrestler at the high school.
As an undergraduate, he attended Northwest Missouri State University, where he was a 1970 NCAA College Division national champion and a two-time All-American. He was the Outstanding Wrestler at Northwest Missouri State in 1969, set a number of school wrestling records and completed his career never having been pinned.
He has received numerous awards and honors for his wrestling activities. Among the Halls of Fame that he has been inducted into are the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (2003), Northwest Missouri State Univ. M Club Hall of Fame (1998), District III Wrestling Hall of Fame (1982), Manheim Central High School Hall of Fame (2005) and the Sports Hall of Fame of Columbia, Pa. (1975).
Zeamer received the Meritorious Service Award from the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 2003. He was also named Lancaster/Lebanon Middle School Coach of the Year in 2004. He has also founded “Building Leaders in Life,” a respected leadership development program.
After receiving his Master’s degree from Slippery Rock Univ., Zeamer went on to become a successful businessman. Since 1978, he has been the Owner/President of Utility/Keystone Trailer Sales, Inc. of Manheim, Pa. Since 2002, he has been Owner/President of Transport Auctions, LLC of Manheim, Pa. He was named National Trailer Dealer of the Year in 2000.
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World Team Trials preview at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle wrestling
6/16/2005
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Toccara Montgomery of the New York AC has been the dominant U.S. wrestler at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. for the last three seasons. In 2002, Montgomery, then a young World silver medalist who was down a weight division, moved up to this class in order to attempt to make the Olympic team. She has been No. 1 ever since, winning a World silver medal at this division in 2003, and placing seventh at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Montgomery was injured this fall, competing in her senior season at Cumberland College, and was unable to compete at the U.S. Nationals. According to her coaches, Montgomery is getting healthy and has been training to make a return to the mats at the World Team Trials. If Montgomery enters in Ames, she will have the highest expectations of everyone in the field. However, it will remain to be seen how the time away from the mat has affected her performance.
If Montgomery does not wrestle, it is possible that the top three athletes from the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials will not be in the World Team Trials, just one year later. Two-time World champion Kristie Marano of the New York AC was second in the Olympic Trials, but was only in the division because she missed weight at 63 kg. Marano won the U.S. Nationals at 67 kg in Las Vegas and is not expected to be at 72 kg. Stephany Lee of Missouri Valley was third in the Olympic Trials, but she was injured on a tour to Russia and will not be healthy enough to compete in Ames. This opens all kinds of opportunities for somebody else to step up.
It was a veteran who had the top performance in Las Vegas to win the national title, former World Team member and national champion Iris Smith of the U.S. Army, Smith was fourth at the Olympic Team Trials, seemingly falling behind the field at that time. However, she looked as if her career has been revived, winning all three of her matches at the U.S. Nationals by winning in just two periods. She outscored her opponents 31-2 during the tournament. Her experience, along with strength and size, makes her a legitimate international competitor at this division.
Placing second at the U.S. Nationals was young star Ali Bernard of the Univ. of Regina, who moved up in weight to compete at this division. She was the U.S. Nationals champion at 67 kg last year and is a former Junior World champion at the lower weight class.
Bernard, a Minnesota native, decided to attend college in Canada, and wrestled at the higher divisions (72 kg and 80 kg) for the Univ. of Regina. The top freshman in Canadian wrestling, she won the CIS Canadian college nationals at 80 kg. She remained up at 72 kg where she won the Body Bar FILA Junior Nationals to earn another trip to the Junior World meet. Bernard scored two pins before losing to Smith in the U.S. Nationals finals by a 4-2, 4-0 margin. Because of her skill and proven ability to perform under pressure, Bernard should be considered a serious threat to win this weight class in Ames.
Placing third and fourth, respectively, at the U.S. Nationals are teammates from the USOEC program at Northern Michigan, Randi Miller and Donnel Bradley. Miller edged Bradley, 1-0, 1-0 in their bronze-medal match. Both wrestled for many years on the U.S. women’s college circuit, where they received considerable experience. However, both are still looking for their first big win over a “name athlete” in the division, a breakthrough performance at this level.
High school stars Toni Copeland of Shamrock WC and Melissa Simmons of SW Washington qualified for the field in Ames, placing fifth and sixth in the standings in Las Vegas. Both young stars have won numerous USA Wrestling age-group honors, including some national titles at that level. This is the first year that they are testing themselves at the Senior level, and their performance in Las Vegas is encouraging for their futures.
The final qualifier from the U.S. Nationals to earn a spot in the field was college wrestler Tabitha Golt of Cumberland College, who placed seventh. Golt has just completed a successful freshman year in college, gaining experience and improving her performance. There were no additional athletes to qualify for the World Team Trials at this weight class, based upon current criteria.
If international star Toccara Montgomery enters in Ames, this weight class suddenly changes dramatically from the competition at the U.S. Nationals. She will have to go through the Challenge Tournament to reach the finals series, and may have a good battle with young star Ali Bernard along the way. If Montgomery is not yet ready, then Bernard becomes a strong favorite for a return battle with Iris Smith for the World Team spot. Although Smith seemed to control the match in Las Vegas, Bernard may have some new things to bring to the mat in the best-of-three series format. If one of the other entries is able to break through and win the Challenge Tournament, they would clearly be a longshot to beat Smith and make the U.S. team.
2005 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS AT 72 KG/158.5 LBS.
1st – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Univ of Regina), 4-2, 4-0
3rd – Randi Miller, Arlington, Texas (USOEC) dec. Donell Bradley, Aiea, Hawaii (USOEC), 1-0, 1-0
5th – Toni Copeland, McDonough, N.Y. (Shamrock) dec. Melissa Simmons , Ridgefield, Wash. (SW Washington), 5-3, 3-0
7th - Tabitha Golt, Chesapeake, Va. (Cumberland College) dec. Elizabeth Hernandez, Valerico, Fla. (Cumberland College), 8-4, 3-0
QUALIFIERS FOR 2005 WORLD TEAM TRIALS AT 72 KG/158.5 LBS.
U.S. Nationals Champion - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, second place – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Univ. of Regina)
U.S. Nationals, third place – Randi Miller, Arlington, Texas (USOEC)
U.S. Nationals, fourth place – Donell Bradley, Aiea, Hawaii (USOEC)
U.S. Nationals, fifth place – Toni Copeland, McDonough, N.Y. (Shamrock Wrestling)
U.S. Nationals, sixth place – Melissa Simmons, Ridgefield, Wash. (Southwest Washington)
U.S. Nationals, seventh place – Tabitha Golt, Chesapeake, Va. (Cumberland College)
Rocky Mountain Regional Champion – No entry at this weight class
Northern Plains Regional Champion – No entry at this weight class
Olympic Team member – Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (New York AC)
Past World Team member – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
’04 Sunkist Kids International champion – Heather Martin, Wellington, Ohio (New York AC)
’04 NYAC Christmas Open champion – None, foreign champion
’05 Dave Schultz Memorial champion – None, foreign champion
International Tour medalist (within 2 yrs) –
*’03 World Cup gold medalist – Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)