Wrestling takes center stage with hopes to take advantage of spotlight

CORALVILLE - The eyes of the United States wrestling will be fixed on Iowa City this weekend.

More than 200 men and women wrestlers will step into one of the biggest spotlights they have ever experienced to earn a chance to take wrestling's biggest stage.

The country's best freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers will take the first step to achieving their dream of representing the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, when they compete in the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Competitors will contend for 18 spots in men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, beginning at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

"What you're going to witness this weekend is what I believe is the purest pursuit of all sports," USA Wrestling's Executive Director Rich Bender said. "The American athlete, the American wrestler, trying to win gold medal for his country. It makes the hair on the back of my neck sit straight up."

Wrestling is at home in Iowa, although the styles will be different than many of the prep and college fans have grown accustomed. Instead of cheering on the country's top folkstyle wrestlers in CHA, they will be treated to the best Freestyle and Greco-Roman has to offer.

"There is a combination of young blood and experienced warriors out there that are going to represent our country at the highest level, represent themselves and then definitely bring some gold medals back to their country," USA Wrestling's Assistant Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic said, "and bring Greco back on track."

Petkovic said he hopes that the Greco-Roman wrestlers put on a good show.

"I'm hoping we see a lot of nice attractive throws, five-point throws, and it's going to stay with the, for a long time," Petkovic said. "I hope they're really going to remember Greco can be an exciting style and be enjoyable."

Well-known competitors like former University of Iowa's two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf (145.5 pounds), 2008 Olympian and previous World medalist Mike Zadick (132), former Iowa State stars Jake Varner (211.5) and Travis Paulson (185), world medalist Jake Herbert (185) and reigning World Champion Jordan Burroughs (163) highlight a list of wrestlers trying to reach the apex of their sport.

"It's their dreams," USA Wrestling Men's Freestyle  Coach Zeke Jones said. "We're talking about the dreams of the American wrestlers. They grew up with a dream and that's to win that gold medal."

Not only will more than 12,000 fans be exposed to excitement and intensity, as dreams are realized for one wrestler and simultaneously transformed to nightmares for another, but they will also be exposed to the international styles of competition.

Ideally, a new segment of fans and generation of wrestlers will be gained from watching this weekend's action. Jones was a prime example as a five-year-old, watching his older brother, former Iowa State wrestler Johnny Jones, compete.

"I promise you you're going to have an Olympic Champion sitting in the stands that is five years old," Jones said. "Some kid is going to get excited about watching what he sees this weekend.

Jones understands that being in the Hawkeyes' backyard that many will be pulling for their hometown favorites, but he hopes they transfer that allegiance to whomever represents the team in London this summer.

"That's exactly what we're planning. It's going to happen," Jones said. "There's something tremendous about the Olympic Games. It's something about being on the U.S. Olympic Team and pride of your country and that'sd what is going to happen. All those things are going to intersect this weekend."

Greco-Roman is the least known discipline of international wrestling in the U.S. Many of the Greco-Roman wrestlers are excited about the prospects of competing in front of a packed house, displaying their favorite form of the sport. The idea of a big audience gets the adrenaline pumping instead of producing a sense of being overwhelmed.

"I've wrestled in front of capacity crowds of five," 211.5-pounder R.C. Johnson said with a laugh. "Then I've wrestled in front of 10,000. In the heat of the moment it's you, the ref and your opponent."

The pressure of reaching the Olympics will produce the rawest of emotions, but there is excitement being able to highlight Greco-Roman, which consists of only upper-body moves. Johnson, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, said he approaches this big tournament like any other, but knows there is something bigger at stake since London looms in the future for the champion.

Greco-Roman wrestlers, without Olympic Champion and reality TV-show celebrity Rulon Gardner who did not weigh in for the Trials, also have the responsibility to promote their sport. It works better when actions speak louder than words.

"I think at this level of wrestling, everybody can come watch us wrestle and you'll be able to learn a lot about Greco and it's great to be able to showcase that," Johnson said. "I think it's going to be a great stage to show everybody Greco is here, Greco's legit and maybe attract some more people."

It could be the first of a few chances for Johnson and the nation's best international competitors to take the mat in Iowa City, including 2016.

CHA hosted most of the largest crowds in NCAA history, is the perfect home. The Olympic tradition, highlighted by legendary University of Iowa Coach Dan Gable, who will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his gold medal where he didn't allow a single point at Munich, current Hawkeye head coach and 1996 Olympic champion Tom Brands and a host of other Hawkeye Olympic medalists, speaks for itself. The focus was to make this a special event from the moment Iowa City was announced as host in 2011.

"It's no secret that our goal when we started this process 18 to 20 months ago was to create an experience that's going to make it absolutely impossible for people like Rich and (USA Wrestling Director of Communications and Special Projects) Gary (Abbot) to ever think about holding the Olympic Trials in any other city," Iowa City/Coralville Area Visitors and Convention Bureau President Josh Schamberger said.