Simpson fifth in freestyle as CISM World Military Championships end Sunday in Split, Croatia

Monday, September 08, 2008 0 comments

The 26th World Military Wrestling Championships came to a close Sunday in Split, Croatia with seven military world champions crowned in Freestyle wrestling. Belarus won the team title in Freestyle to go along with its third place finish in Greco-Roman.

CPT Phillip Simpson of the Army's World Class Athlete Progam and Fort Carson, Colorado, was the highest place finisher for the USA. Simpson lost the Bronze Medal Match at 74 Kg. to Celal Dal of Turkey, 4-3, 2-5, 0-3 to finish fifth. After winning the first period with an early takedown and a turn off of a counter, he initiated two front headlocks, only to be countered himself. In the third period, all of the scoring came within the last 30 seconds, as Simpson was taken down before being turned for the final two points.

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Ben Askren Qualifies for the 2008 Olympics

Monday, June 16, 2008 0 comments

Competing at 74 kg, Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) became the first Missouri graduate to qualify for the Olympics in the sport of wrestling, doing so with a back-to-back wins by decision over former Oklahoma State grappler Tyrone Lewis at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada campus. Askren is only the second Missouri wrestler to qualify for the Olympics and first since 1991 All-American Sam Henson captured a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in the 54 kg weight class.

The 2008 Olympics will begin August 8, 2008. Freestyle wrestling will begin Saturday, August 16.

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Video series follows Tommy Rowlands on his quest for the Olympics

Thursday, June 05, 2008 0 comments

Tommy Rowlands, a former two-time NCAA champion wrestler for Ohio State and current Buckeye volunteer assistant coach, captured the U.S. national freestyle heavyweight championship for the second year in a row last month in Las Vegas.

That title grants Rowlands, NCAA champion in 2002 and ’04, a bye into the 2008 Olympic Trials heavyweight finals, which is an 8-minute, best-of-three rounds match that will determine who will represent the U.S. at the Games in Beijing.

Rowlands currently is training for the trials finals, held June 16 back in Las Vegas. He will spend several weeks in Columbus, working with various sparring partners at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility near the Ohio State campus.

In this series, OhioStateBuckeyes.com will follow Rowlands during his intense, two-a-day training sessions leading up to the trials.

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