randy.cruz@me.com The Lehigh Valley Athletic Club made a successful return to Cleveland with our first-ever pair of finalists at the prestigious championship event and the first finalists since former LVAC head coach Kerry McCoy swept five straight from 2000-04. Last year, seven of eight LVAC entries placed 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 7th, led by a third place for Pat Cummins (211), who’s now trying his hand at Mixed Martial Arts competition. This year, Keith Gavin (185) and Steve Mocco (264) led the Club charge with silver medals. McCoy is now head coach at Maryland which has earned eight NCAA All-American medals since 2008, after a five-year rebuilding program led by LVAC overseer, Pat Santoro.
After just one warm-up event since a wrestling hiatus of 18 months (winning the Dave Schultz Memorial in January), 2008 Olympian Mocco settled for #5 seed and tackled all three of one of the toughest trios in tournament memory: Tommy Rowlands, 5th at the World Championships in 2007; 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev and 2010 U.S. World Team member Les Sigman (Photo below by Larry Slater).
World class hwts collide in final: Mocco (left)-Dlagnev
Mocco started out bear-like, using his patented foot sweep to pin eventual 7th place finisher, Dustin Porter (who eliminated the 2010 Open third, Dom Bradley). Steve then beat decade-long rival, Tommy Rowlands, by hooking up a wicked front headlock and launching the former Buckeye for a 3-point first period throw (from the feet to his back).
The spectacular toss complemented a second period spin move takedown for a solid 3-0,1-0 win vs. the eventual third-place finisher, who out-scored his other five opponents, 43-3.
In the semis, returning Open champion, Les Sigman (who beat both Rowlands and Dlagniev last April), caved in under the relentless Mocco pressure, as Steve tallied three takedowns and a push-out, vs. just one push-out for the 2010 World Team member. Les – a longtime nemesis of Dlagnev (beginning with the last two of four Sigman Division II NCAA titles) — sprained an ankle during period two and was unable to finish, forfeiting to sixth place.
Dlagnev, another terrific heavyweight, wanted nothing to do with the heavy duty Mocco pursuit plan and cagily maneuvered in Muhammed Ali-like fashion. He took his chances with the clinch rule and succeeded on the ball draw, scoring three points to break the 0-0 tie to win period one. He then nearly gave up a second period counter takedown at the edge, but Steve had stepped outside the circle beforehand. One point Dlagnev, game over, to be continued in Oklahoma City.
Mocco is now a 6-time U.S. National Open finalist since 2003 (third in ’07) who won his first Open title in 2009, a year after winning his first World level (Olympic) Team Trial.
Herbert holds off the LVAC’s Gavin in 2nd straight major tourney nail-biter
The LVAC’s Keith Gavin again delivered a supreme challenge to World medalist, Jake Herbert, with his second straight second place finish vs. Jake, after very nearly upsetting him at the U.S. World Team Trials. Keith had a three to two takedown edge in the two period battle. Leading 2-0 on a push-out and takedown, Keith went for back points, allowing the slightest self-exposure off the risk, which scored two for Herbert’s reversal rather than one. As the last score and the only 2-pt move, score it, 2-2, in favor of Jake.
The objective announcing team of Mitch Hull, Larry Nugent and Ken Chertow were highly complimentary about both wrestlers’ performances, including a frenzied finish resulting in a takedown at the ‘buzzer’ by Herbert to overcome his 2-1 deficit. By equaling out each other (two TDs each, identical 2-2 second period score) and Herbert due to win with the last score, Coaches Pat Santoro and Jason Kutz had no choice but to “throw the brick” to protest the call. The video didn’t over-rule, so Herbert received a third point for the opponent losing the protest – despite the fact that his foot appeared to step out first, which would have given Gavin a 3-1 win for period two. Bottom line: in mat action, the scoring was 2-2 and 2-2, yet Jake won both.
The Herbert-Gavin rivalry goes back more than a decade to age 14, working out together as Pennsylvania natives in youth tourneys — and also later when Keith became a Panther and Jake returned to his native Pittsburgh during breaks from Northwestern. One difference: Gavin jumped from 158 to 174 after red-shirting his 3rd year at Pitt, while Herbert out-grew 174 and dominated at 184. All four Gavin Open opponents competed in college at 184 or 197; it’s Keith’s highest-ever Open finish (3rd in ’09 at 163; 5th in ‘10).
Gavin’s shrewd approach to wrestling to level the playing field is available for view on the U.S. Open Finals video coverage at www.themat.com, as are several Mocco bouts.
2011 ASICS U.S. OPEN LVAC FREESTYLE RESULTS
120kg/264 lbs – STEVE MOCCO, 2nd Place, 7.0 pts. Iowa, NCAA 2,1 in ’02,’03; Okla St, 1,2 in ‘05,’06
WBF 0:48 Dustin Porter (Unattached)
W dec. 3-0,1-0 #4 seed Tommy Rowlands (Ohio RTC) – Ohio St, NCAA 2,1,6,1 in 2001-04 (inj. in ’03)
WBDefault #1 Les Sigman (Nittany Lion WC) (led, 2-1,2-0) – 4-time NCAA Div II 1st (Nebraska, Omaha), 2003-06
L dec. 0-3,0-1 #2 seed Tervel Dlagnev (Ohio RTC) – NCAA Div II 6,2,1,1 (Nebraska, Kearney), 2005-08
84kg/185 lbs – KEITH GAVIN, 2nd Place, 7.0 team pts. Pittsburgh NCAA 2,1 at 174 in 2007-08
W dec. 3-1,7-0 Ben Wissel (Boiler Elite) – Purdue, NCAA 8,7 at 184 in 2005-06
W dec. 2-0,0-3,2-1 Tyrel Todd (OTC) – Michigan, NCAA 5,3,4 at 184, 197 in 2007-09
W dec. 1-2,1-0,2-0 Max Askren (NYAC) – Missouri, NCAA 7,5 at 197, 1st at 184 in 2008-10
L dec. 2-2,2-3 Jake Herbert (NYAC) – Northwestern, NCAA 3,2 at 174; 1,1 at 184 in 2005-07, ‘09
74kg/163 lbs – MIKE POETA, 5th Place, 4.0 team pts.
W dec. 3-1,6-0 Jake Salazar (Michigan)
L dec. 0-1,1-0,0-7 Ryan Morningstar (Hawkeye WC) – Iowa, NCAA 3,7 at 165 in 2009-10
W dec. 3-0,2-4,3-1 Gregor Gillespie (ESWC), Edinboro, NCAA 7,1,5,4 at 149, 157
W dec. 2-0,3-0 Moza Fay – N.Iowa NCAA 5,6 at 165 in 2008-09
L dec. 0-1,1-2 Kirk White (Bronco WC) – Boise St, NCAA 1,5,6 at 165 in 1999-2001
W dec. 4-0,0-3,1-1 Lloyd Rogers (Hawkeye WC)
60kg/132 lbs – MATT VALENTI, 6th Place, 3.0 pts.
W dec. 2-0,3-0 Erik Spjut (NRV Mat Club)
L dec. 0-2,1-3 Coleman Scott (Cowboy WC) – Okla St, NCAA 8,5 at 125; 2,1 at 133 in 2005-08
WBF 7-0;0:16 Jeremiah Biddle (Husky WC)
W dec. 2-0,1-1,2-2 Derek Moore (OTC) – 1st A/A for Cal-Davis: NCAA 1st (OW) at 141 in 2007
LTF 0-7,0-7 Mike Zadick (Hawkeye WC) – Iowa, NCAA 7,3,7 at 149 in 2000-02
LBForfeit Drew Headlee (Sunkist Kids) – Pittsburgh, NCAA 8 at 133 in 2005
Just as Steve Mocco has been complimentary about the quality of his weekly workouts with Lehigh NCAA champion, Zach Rey, Gavin credited NCAA 2nd, Robert Hamlin’s quickness, aggressiveness and stamina as ideal for his freestyle training. These references are important factors for contributors to the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club, which seeks to raise the bar in wrestling from all ages from eight to, well …. even 37,
as shown (right) by former LVAC part-time clinician and intensive camp athlete, Cary Kolat (World 2,3,4 in 1997-99), who came out of retirement to finish second at this year’s Open.
Kolat (red) TD vs 2010 Open 2nd, J. Churella
(All three photos by Larry Slater)
TOP SEVEN REGIONAL CLUBS (with # of potential scorers):
1- Ohio Regional Training Center 30 (5)
2- Nittany Lion Wrestling Club 27 (6)
3- Lehigh Valley Athletic Club 21 (4)
4- Olympic Training Center 20 (13)
5- Hawkeye Wrestling Club 19 (6)
6- Cowboy WC (OklaSt) 17 (3)
7- Finger Lakes WC (Cornell) 11 (2)
Special note: please look for the year-end mailing from the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club due out by early May, as we bid to exceed our prior record high for an Annual Fund (fiscal year ending 6/30/11, with a goal of $315,000-$350,000, which is 50-60% higher than last year’s all-time record $215k). Even high school seniors have been highly complimentary of the importance of the LVAC to youth training habits in the region, as have other current wrestlers at Lehigh and elsewhere. If still unsure about our unique mission, please continue to scour the rest of our website here.