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Iowa State University Athletics
Varner, Trent Paulson Make World Team
06.01.2009 | Wrestling
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa ? Current and former Iowa State wrestlers have notched spots on the U.S. freestyle wrestling team by having success at this past weekend's World Team Trials in the Mid-America Center.
 World Team Trials Coverage | ||
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For Iowa State's Jake Varner, 2009 has been a very good year. Varner won the NCAA 197-pound championship in March and a U.S. Senior Nationals 96-kg (211.5-pound) title in April. The Bakersfield, Calif. native received another accolade this weekend as he added a berth on the U.S. World team.
Varner turned away 2008 84-kg Olympian Andy Hrovat in consecutive rounds, winning by decision, 0-1, 3-0, 1-0 and then by decision 0-1, 2-0, 1-0 to clinch the victory. Hrovat was victorious in a previous meeting against ISU's Varner at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials.
Former Cyclone NCAA 157-pound champion Trent Paulson beat Jared Frayer (Gator WC) in two straight rounds of challenges to take championship honors at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). Paulson decisioned the former Oklahoma All-American 3-0, 0-3, 2-2 in the first round and won two straight periods (2-0, 1-0) in the second round to secure the victory.
Winners of the seven freestyle weights earned the honor of representing the United States in Herning, Denmark at the World Wrestling Championships Sept. 21-23, but the runner-up and third-place finisher of each weight are distinguished as U.S. team members.
Travis Paulson, a three-time All-American for ISU (2004, 06, 07), was stopped short of winning the World Team Trials in the 74-kg (163-pound) championship match by Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota Storm). Paulson was unable to mirror his twin brother Trent's performance after dropping both rounds to Schlatter by identical scores of 1-0, 1-0.
Varner and the Paulson brothers, champions at U.S. Senior Nationals, had automatically advanced to the finals of the World Team Trials as No. 1 seeds.
Iowa State's Jon Reader continued his successful summer of freestyle wrestling by taking third place in the challenge tournament and fourth overall at the World Team Trials. The two-time All-American opened the tournament with a decision over Mack Lewnes (NYAC), 3-2, 1-3, 2-1. Reader suffered a loss in the following round to Ryan Churella (NYAC), 5-2, 5-2. The Davison, Mich. native bounced back to notch two straight victories, beating Lloyd Rogers of the Chattanooga Takedown Club (2-5, 3-1, 2-1) and NYAC's Andrew Howe (4-2, 1-0).
ISU's Nick Gallick, a two-time NCAA All-American at 141 pounds, went 1-2 at 60 kg (132.5 pounds) in World Team Trials action. Gallick edged Drew Headlee (Sunkist Kids) by decision, 4-4, 0-3, 4-2. The eventual champion, Shawn Bunch, (Gator WC) bounced the Iowa Stater from the tournament with a 1-0, 6-0 victory. Gallick bowed out of action after being caught on his back against Reece Humphrey (NYAC) in 1:50.
Redshirt freshman ISU heavyweight Eric Thompson and former Cyclone All-American David Bertolino competed and suffered setbacks in the 120-kg (264.5-pound) and 84-kg (185-pound) challenge brackets to be knocked out of the World Team Trials.
Players Mentioned
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