ISU Wrestlers of Past and Present Vie for Olympics

AMES, Iowa ? Nine Iowa State wrestlers of past and present will vie for a spot on the freestyle team that will represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Saturday through Sunday in Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack Center.

Two former ISU grapplers, Matt Azevedo and Grant Nakamura, will wrestle at 55 kg (121 pounds). Azevedo, who took top-honors at the ASICS U.S. National Championships in April, enters the trials as the top-seed. Nakamura is seeded seventh. Four-time Cyclone All-American Eric Akin is also slated to wrestle.

At 66 kg (145 pounds), a pair of former ISU grapplers will take to the mat with high expectations in one of the most-wide open classes of the tournament. Former ISU NCAA champion and assistant coach Chris Bono is seeded third heading into the trials. Trent Paulson, a 2007 157-pound titlist, is seeded sixth.

Travis Paulson, a three-time All-American for the Cyclones, and newly hired Iowa State assistant coach Casey Cunningham are seeded sixth and eighth, respectively, at 74 kg (163 pounds).

The only active grappler on the ISU roster that will compete in the trials is two-time All-American Jake Varner. Varner, who has twice finished as an NCAA runner-up, will wrestle as the seventh-seed at 84 kg (185 pounds).

An NCAA runner-up in 2007, former Cyclone Kurt Backes has received the third seed at 96 kg (211 pounds).

There are no wrestlers with ties to ISU competing in Greco-Roman.

Although the U.S. did not qualify for the Games at 60 kg (132 pounds), three with ties to Iowa State will look to make one of three spots on the U.S. National Team. Nate Gallick, a 2005 NCAA champion for ISU, is seeded fourth, current volunteer coach Dylan Long is seeded sixth and 2004 titlist Zach Roberson is seeded eighth.

Players Mentioned

Kurt Backes

Travis Paulson

Trent Paulson

Jake Varner

Jake Varner

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics