Oklahoma State University Athletics
Several Cowboy Wrestlers At World Team Trials This Weekend
May 29, 2009 | Cowboy Wrestling
May 29, 2009
STILLWATER, Okla. - Current and former members of the Oklahoma State wrestling team will be in action this Saturday and Sunday at the U.S. Senior World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Oklahoma State qualified nine wrestlers for the trials. However, only five will actually compete.
Those in action include Obenson Blanc at 55 kilograms, Coleman Scott at 60 kilograms, Chris Pendleton at 84 kilograms, Clayton Foster at 96 kilograms and 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco at 120 kilograms. Other Cowboys who earned a spot at the trials but will not compete are Jordan Oliver, Zack Esposito, Mo Lawal and Daniel Cormier.
Mocco and Blanc are both considered as strong candidates to earn a berth on the world team, as Mocco is the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class based off his win at U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas this past April and Blanc was the runner-up at his weight class at U.S. Nationals. Additionally, Mocco won the gold medal and Blanc took the silver at the Pan American Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela this past April. Mocco's chief competition figures to come from Tervel Dlagnev, who Mocco beat by a 1-0, 2-2, 1-0 score in the finals at this year's U.S. Nationals. Blanc will have to overcome the favorite in his weight class, Nick Simmons, who beat Blanc, 7-4, 7-1 in the finals at U.S. Nationals.
Though both wrestlers won NCAA titles with the Cowboys, Scott and Pendleton both have difficult challenges ahead of them at the World Team Trials. Scott will have to navigate through a weight class that includes 2008 Olympian and two-time World Team member Mike Zadick. Pendleton is considered as a long-shot in his weight class due to the fact that he has not wrestled competitively as much as some of his opponents have in the last year.
Foster rounds out the Cowboy contingent competing this weekend. The rising junior from Kamiah, Idaho earned his spot in the field by winning the University Nationals title this past April, but will have to get through a weight class that includes reigning NCAA 197-pound champion Jake Varner of Iowa State. Foster won the bronze medal at last year's FILA junior world championships in Istanbul, Turkey.
Oklahoma State at the 2009 World Team Trials
55 kg
Obenson Blanc
60 kg
Coleman Scott
84 kg
Chris Pendleton
96 kg
Clayton Foster
120 kg
Steve Mocco
