2009 World Team Trials

Trent Paulson claims spot on freestyle World Team in home town
Another Iowa native, Mark Rial, falls short in G-R

BY MATT PFIFFNER

Publisher, The Predicament

A pair of wrestlers who competed in high school in the state of Iowa took their shot at glory Sunday night in Council Bluffs at the 2009 World Team Trials best-of-three finals. A third wrestler, who spent a few years in college at Iowa, also competed.

In Greco-Roman competition, Fort Dodge native Mark Rial took on Faruk Sahin for the World Team position at 66kg.

In freestyle action, Council Bluffs native Trent Paulson battled Jared Frayer at 66 kg. for the right to travel to Denmark and compete at the World Championships in September.

Also in freestyle, former Iowa and Oklahoma State NCAA champ Steve Mocco faced Tervel Dlagnev for the World Team bid.

Paulson was the first of the three to take to the mats, in an attempt to give the Paulson twins a split in the best-of-three series finals. Brother Travis had lost to Dustin Schlatter the night before.

Trent Paulson got off to a good start with a tense first-match win over Frayer.

The first two periods ended in a scoreless tie and the ball drawn was Paulson's color both times, unlike the night before when his brother went 0-4 in ball draws. Paulson finished a three-point takedown in the first period, but Frayer used Paulson's momentum for a three-point move of his own in the second to tie the match. In the third period, Frayer scored two points late off Pauslon's shot attempt, but Paulson was able to hole Frayer on his back long enough and came out on top for a two-point move of his own and the 2-2 win.

In the night's second match of the series, Paulson scored a two-point counter takedown late in the first period for a 2-0 win. The second period when to the clinch and Frayer won his choice and took Paulson's leg. Paulson was able to slip away and avoid a takedown attempt in the closing seconds to win the match, the series and a spot on the 2009 U.S. World Team.

In Rial's first Greco-Roman bout at 66kg., he lost the first period 2-0 when he was turned in the final seconds. Rial got to start the final 30 seconds of a scoreless second period on top, but his turn attempt was not far enough for exposure and he lost the second period, 1-0, and the first match of the series.

In the second match of the best-of-three series, it was more of the same, as Rial had trouble breaking through the defense of Sahin. Sahin won the first period, 1-0, and scored a big throw in the second for a 5-0 win to take the match and series.

Mocco won the first period of the first match against Dlagnev with a push out in the clinch, but Dlagnev took the next two with a takedown and exposure in the second period and step out by Mocco in the closing seconds of the third period.

The second bout of the series, Dlagnev won the first period with a takedown in the clinch. Mocco won the second after three points originally awarded to Dlagnev in the clinch were changed to three for Mocco. There was more video work in the third period, which resulted in a 2-2 tie with 1:22 left in the period. Mocco was able to hold off Dlagnev in the closing seconds to win the match and force a third match in the series.

That third match started with a Dlagnev takedown to Mocco's back for a quick 3-0 lead. Mocco could not get any offense going the rest of the period and lost, 3-1. In the second period, Mocco scored an early push out for 1-0 lead. Dlagnev scored a push out with three seconds left in the match for the stunning victory over the 2008 Olympian.