Northern Colorado Wrestlers Qualify For Olympic Trials

May 19, 2008

May 19, 2008

Greeley, Colo.- Two time Western Wrestling All-Conference member Tony Mustari wrestled 60 kg in both the Greco-Roman and Freestyle competition at the Rocky Mountain Regional, an Olympic Trial Qualifier, last weekend in Pueblo, Colorado. Mustari achieved a first place finish in the Greco competition, winning three straight matches, to qualify for the Olympic Trials in June. Mustari defeated Ryan Hall of the USOEC (3-0, 5-0) and then battled past Andrew Perez of the U.S. Air Force in the semi-finals. In the championship, Mustari cruised by Keno Shepherd with a couple amazing reverse-lift throws to take the gold (6-0, 5-0).

Mustari recently finished his sophomore year at Northern Colorado, helping the Bears to a second place finish in the Western Wrestling Conference. Mustari finished the year with a record of 32-8, including a perfect 6-0 mark in conference. Mustari also qualified as an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships after finishing second in regionals.

Teammate Kenny Hashimoto is also making noise as an Olympic qualifier. Hashimoto took an Olympic redshirt year from wrestling for the Bears to focus on Judo and qualifing for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Hashimoto was the No. 1-ranked junior competitor in the nation at 60 kg, and is currently ranked No. 2 on the USA national ladder at 66 kg. In 2004, Hashimoto finished 9th at the 2004 Judo Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which was the highest finish for a United States competitor in the event.

The Trials will be held June 13-15, 2008 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and will feature contests in each of the 14 Olympic judo weight divisions as well as the 18 Olympic wrestling weight classes for the three Olympic styles (men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman, women's freestyle) to be contested at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Mustari's Greco-Roman weight class will compete on Friday June 13th along side teammate Hashimoto competing in the Judo Trials, June 13-14. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing China begin August 8th.

2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifiers (as of May 19, 2008)
60 kg/132 pounds
U.S. Nationals Champion - Jim Gruenwald, Marquette, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
U.S. Nationals, second place - Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC)
U.S. Nationals, third place - Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, fourth place - Marco Lara, Long Beach, Calif. (New York AC)
U.S. Nationals, fifth place - Jeremiah Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
U.S. Nationals, sixth place - Willie Madison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
U.S. Nationals, seventh place - Eric Stevenson, Newberg, Ore. (Newberg WC)
University Nationals Champion - Spenser Mango, Flourissant, Mo. (USOEC/Gator WC)
Armed Forces Champion - Donovan Depatto, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Northwest Regional Trials Champion - Eric Stevenson, Newberg, Ore. (Newberg WC)
Northeast Regional Trials Champion - Noah Blankenship, Bucyrus, Ohio (U.S. Marines)
Northern Plains Trials Champion - Chad Vandiver, Roscoe, Ill. (Unattached)
Rocky Mountain Trials Champion - Tony Mustari, Greeley, Colo. (Northern Colorado Wrestling)
Past U.S. World Team member - Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC)
Past U.S. Olympic Team member - Jim Gruenwald, Marquette, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)