Olympic Trials Showcase Husker Talent

Lincoln-Several wrestlers with ties to the <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska wrestling program, including four former Huskers, will compete at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials at the Thomas & MackCenter in Las Vegas this Friday through Sunday.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

NU wrestling greats B.J. Padden, Justin Ruiz, Tolly Thompson and Brad Vering will battle for a chance to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while current Nebraska club coach Les Sigman will also compete. Former Husker great and Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner will provide color commentary for television, as MSNBC plans to air the trials on a tape-delay basis on June 22, starting at 11 a.m. CT.

 

With only the winner advancing to the Olympics, competition across the seven weight classes in the two divisions (freestyle and Greco-Roman) will be fierce. Huskers.com has provided a brief preview of each former Husker below, including a link to information on the wrestler’s Nebraska career. For additional information and a full schedule of events, fans can visit the official site of USA wrestling at www.themat.com.

 

Brad Vering ? Greco-Roman ? 84 kg/185 lbs

Vering had a standout season in 2007 as he won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan last September. Vering’s performance was the top mark by a U.S. wrestler at the competition as he led the U.S. team to its first world title. His accomplishment earned him numerous awards, including being chosen as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Wrestling Male Athlete of the Year in January.

 

Vering faces a tough road at this weekend’s Olympic Trials. He is seeded second after being upset by Brad Ahearn in the finals of the U.S. Nationals. A win would have guaranteed Vering a spot in the finals at the trials, but now he must work his way through the bracket. A member of the 2004 Olympic team, Vering is likely in his final season of competition at the age of 30.

 

A native of Howells, Neb., Vering became the seventh national champion in Husker history when he defeated IowaState’s Zack Thompson in a tiebreaker, 2-1, in the finals of the 197-pound bracket in 2000. He is fourth all-time on Nebraska’s career win chart with a 124-26 mark from 1997-2001. Vering was a three-time All-American and won the Big 12 Championships once in his career. For more information on his accomplishments at Nebraska, click here.

 

Tolly Thompson ? Freestyle ? 120 kg/264.5 lbs

One of the winningest wrestlers in Nebraska history, Thompson also carried his success to the international level. He was a member of the world team in 2005 and 2006, including earning a bronze medal in 2005. Injuries plagued him in 2007, but he has rebounded to place fourth at U.S. Nationals last month.

 

Thompson is seeded third at the trials in a weight class filled with Nebraska grapplers. Current Husker club coach Les Sigman is seeded fourth, while Nebraska-Kearney standout Tervel Dlagnev earned the second seed. Thompson defeated Sigman at nationals, but lost to Dlagnev. All three wrestlers from the CornhuskerState will be looking to knock off U.S. National champion Tommy Rowlands.

 

Thompson finished his career as a Husker with a 157-21 mark, putting him first on the all-time wins list. Wrestling at heavyweight, he claimed the 1995 national championship with an 8-0 major decision victory over Justin Greenlee of Northern Iowa. Thompson was a three-time Big Eight Champion and All-American. For more information on his accomplishments at Nebraska, click here.

 

Justin Ruiz ? Greco-Roman ? 96 kg/211.5 lbs

One of Mark Manning’s first wrestlers to capture All-America honors at Nebraska, Ruiz has continued his success after his time in Lincoln. Ruiz has been a standout wrestler for the U.S. in his weight class on the international level. He has been a member of the world team for the past four years, including winning a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Ruiz was an alternate on the 2004 Olympic team after finishing second at the trials.

 

Ruiz has won the past four U.S. Nationals and this year was no different as he topped R.C. Johnson last month for a fifth consecutive title. The win, and earning a world medal in the last three years, earned Ruiz a spot in the best-of-three finals at the trials this weekend. Ruiz will only have to win one match to claim a spot on the Olympic team.

 

Ruiz was a two-time All-American during his time in Lincoln, finishing fifth in 2002 and 2003 at 197 pounds. He put together one of the best seasons ever by a Nebraska freshman, going 27-11-0 in 2001-02. The mark puts him ninth on the top 10 season wins by a Husker freshman. For more information on his accomplishments at Nebraska, click here.

 

B.J. Padden ? Freestyle ? 84 kg/185 lbs

Padden is a relative newcomer on the international scene after finishing his career at Nebraska in 2006, but he is quickly making a name for himself. Padden placed fifth at U.S. Nationals after an upset of veteran world-team member Joe Williams.

 

Padden is seeded fourth at the trials in a weight class filled with former Big 12 stars. Padden will face IowaState’s Jake Varner, Missouri’s Matt Pell and OklahomaState’s Chris Pendleton after wrestling all three in college.

 

Padden was a two-time All-American for the Huskers during his career from 2003-06. He was named Nebraska’s Most Valuable Wrestler in 2005 and 2006, after finishing fifth and third at the NCAA Championships, respectively. He led NU to top 20 finishes at the NCAA Championships in both seasons. For more information on his accomplishments at Nebraska, click here.

 

Les Sigman ? Freestyle ? 120 kg/264.5 lbs

Sigman has been Nebraska’s club coach for the past two seasons after an impressive career at Nebraska-Omaha. Sigman became just the fourth wrestler in Division II history to win four national championships, as he led the Mavericks to three team championships. He finished his collegiate career with a 179-7 mark.

 

Sigman is seeded fourth in a very competitive weight class, after showing marked improvement over the last year. Sigman finished fourth at the 2007 World Team Trials, and claimed second at two prestigious open events this season. He placed fifth at U.S. Nationals, losing to third-seeded Tolly Thompson but defeating second-seeded Tervel Dlagnev.