3 Hawkeyes Among First 65 Trials Qualifiers

Oct. 6, 2011

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Qualifiers as of Oct. 5

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three former University of Iowa wrestlers are among the first 65 athletes who have qualified to compete at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, April 21-22. Mike Zadick (60kg, 132 lbs.), Brent Metcalf (66kg, 145.5 lbs.) and Steve Mocco (120kg, 264.5 lbs.) will compete for a spot on Team USA’s men’s freestyle team inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. USA Wrestling announced the list of men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman competitors today.

Metcalf and Mocco qualified by virtue of their second place finishes at the 2011 World Team Trials. Zadick’s status as a former U.S. Olympic Team member automatically qualifies him for the Olympic Team Trials.

All-session tickets to the Olympic Team Trials inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena can be purchased online at iowacitytolondon.com or over the phone at 1-800-424-2957.

The qualification process for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials is based upon the qualifying procedures approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee for wrestling. Each of the three Olympic styles of wrestling has a different qualification process, as proposed by their individual Sports Committees, presented by USA Wrestling and approved by the USOC.

Athletes who have already qualified include the following: ? Past U.S. World and Olympic Team members in all three styles ? The top three placewinners at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials in men’s freestyle wrestling.

The list of past U.S. World and Olympic Team members includes wrestlers who have indicated that they may try out for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

Based upon the approved qualification process, three athletes have already guaranteed themselves a spot in the Championship Finals Series at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, by virtue of winning a medal at an Olympic weight class at the 2011 World Wrestling Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

Those automatically in the Championship Finals Series are: ? 2011 World Champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. in men’s freestyle ? 2011 World bronze medalist Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle ? 2011 World bronze medalist Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in men’s freestyle

These three athletes will only have to win a best-of-three series in Iowa City to secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

The approved Olympic Team Selection Criteria for each style can be read at themat.com.

The next scheduled event which will provide the opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for wrestling is the Sunkist Kids International Open in Mesa, Ariz., October 29-30.

This year, there will not be a U.S. Open for men’s freestyle. Instead, there will be a Men’s Freestyle Olympic Trials Qualifier held in Las Vegas, Nev., alongside the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. Three athletes in each weight class will qualify for Iowa City.

The U.S. Open for Greco-Roman and Women’s Freestyle will be held in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 16-17, 2011. Seven athletes in each weight class will qualify for Iowa City from this event.

In addition to listing the athletes by weight class, USA Wrestling will also produce a list of qualifiers based upon their college affiliation, either as a current or past student-athlete, current coach or involvement with a Regional Training Center.

USA Wrestling will continue to update and publish the list of athletes who have qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling.

For more information on the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, visit iowacitytolondon.com .