60 Springs residents earn bid to wrestling trials

Some are household names. Others are little-known newcomers.

Sixty Colorado Springs residents in all 18 weight classes have qualified for the U.S. Olympic wrestling trials, which will be held June 13-15 in Las Vegas.

Nine qualifiers - Brad Ahearn, Shawn Bunch, Dremiel Byers, T.C. Dantzler, Randi Miller, Patricia Miranda, Mark Rial, Justin Ruiz and Marcie Van Dusen - won titles last month at the U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas.

Other former world team members who have qualified include Henry Cejudo, Katie Downing, Lindsey Durlacher, Tina George, Leigh Jaynes, Kristie Marano, Stephanie Murata, Sally Roberts, Keith Sieracki, Iris Smith, Brad Vering and Bill Zadick.

Stephen Abas and Oscar Wood earned trials berths based on their previous Olympic appearances. At the 2004 Athens Games, Abas won a men's freestyle silver medal and Wood did not place in Greco-Roman.

The U.S. has secured 14 quota spots for the Beijing Games in August. Dantzler will attempt to qualify the 163-pound Greco-Roman division May 11 in Rome. Van Dusen will try to qualify the 121 women's freestyle division May 16-17 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Boxing update
The U.S. Olympic boxing team, based at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, was finalized last week when Shawn Estrada went 4-0 and Christopher Downs and Michael Hunter fell short in Guatemala City.

The team features Estrada, Sadam Ali, Demetrius Andrade, Javier Molina, Gary Russell Jr., Rau'shee Warren, Deontay Wilder, Raynell Williams and Luis Yanez.

Ali, Molina, Warren and Yanez won bouts last weekend against Puerto Rico in Philadelphia. Ali, Molina, Wilder and Yanez will fight Friday against Brazil and China in Bridgeport, Conn.

Judo happenings
OTC resident Myles Porter won his division of the Paralympic judo trials last weekend in Northglenn to qualify for the Paralympics in Beijing in October. Porter went uncontested.

Also last weekend, 14 Colorado Springs residents competed at the Northglenn Judo Championships. Winners were Porter, Erin Amos, Paola Genao-Butler, Alexa Liddie, Chris Metzgar, Akira Nervik, George and Summer Truong and Haley Vanaman. Sean Donnelly and Collin Metzgar finished second. Zane Hall, David Hooper and Jade Vanaman took third.

OTC residents Anna Palmer, Ryan Reser and Taylor Takata will begin competition Friday at the Pan American Judo Championships and Olympic Zone Cup in Miami - the final chances for the U.S. to earn quota spots for Beijing.

Kelsey makes Olympics
Air Force graduate Seth Kelsey was nominated to the U.S. Olympic fencing team after claiming the men's epee title last weekend at the Division I National Championships in Portland, Ore.

Kelsey suffered a first-round loss in Athens.

Bowlers cash
Colorado Springs residents Jennifer Cupples and Tish Johnson competed last week at the U.S. Bowling Congress Queens in Canton, Mich. Johnson lost in match play. Cupples placed 83rd.

NYC museum opening
Seven Colorado Springs national governing bodies of Olympic sports have partnered with the Sports Museum of America, scheduled to open Wednesday in New York.

The group consists of USA Basketball, U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey, USA Swimming, USA Table Tennis, USA Volleyball and USA Wrestling. The Colorado Springs-based U.S. Olympic Committee also is a museum partner.