Olympic Trials a success for Iowa, but state wrestlers tumble

IOWA CITY - The state of Iowa and the University of Iowa welcomed the United States Olympic Wrestling Trials with record-breaking crowds and unparalleled enthusiasm.

The Trials didn't return that love to the hosts on Sunday.

Before a single-session record crowd of 13,784 in the morning and a two-day record total of 54,766, native Iowan Travis Paulson and former Hawkeye star Brent Metcalf came up short in their bids for Olympic freestyle glory last night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Before 13,712 fans for the final session, Metcalf lost to Jared Frayer at 145.5 pounds and former Iowa State standout Paulson of Council Bluffs to Jake Herbert at 185.

“It's not what I came here to do,” Paulson said.

Only Saturday night winner Jake Varner, a former Iowa State two-time NCAA champ, will represent the state at the 2012 London Olympics.

Metcalf said he let Frayer set the pace in the first bout, then simply couldn't get the job done in the second. A former Hawkeye assistant, Frayer won, 5-1, 1-4, 6-0 in the first best-of-three bout, 2-1, 0-1, 2-2, in the second. His 2-point move in the third period gave him the win despite Metcalf's tying takedown with six seconds left.

“The first match was all how he wanted, he set the pace,” Metcalf said.

Frayer, 33, said he was tired of runner-up finishes, like in the 2009 World Team Trials and the 2001 NCAA Championships.

“This is the fourth time I have been in the finals,” he said. “I learned a lot from it. This year I am older and wiser and did things right, listened to my body.”

Frayer's journey isn't over. It's really just beginning, with the next stop London.

“I need to continue to work,” he said. “I have done everything perfect the last year - the training, giving my body time to rest. I have done things perfect and I have to continue to do that and live my life the right way.”

Paulson won the first bout with Herbert, a former Northwestern standout, 0-1, 2-1, 1-1, the last by scoring the final point. Herbert took the second-round bout, 4-2 and 3-2.

In the deciding bout, Herbert scored a takedown and two-point exposure for a 3-0 first period win, then won the second period, 2-1.

“I was ready to make that team,” Paulson said about winning the first round. “I don't know, it just didn't happen ... All the credit to Herbert.”

Herbert and Paulson roomed together while training in Colorado Springs. He knew how tough Paulson would be last night.

“I was glad to be able to shut (his offense) down and get it done,” Herbert said.

The other freestyle winners last night were former Oklahoma wrestler Sam Hazenwinkel, who upset top-seeded Nick Simmons in three bouts at 121 pounds, and two-time NCAA II champion Tervel Dlagnev at 264.5.

R.C. Johnson won the Greco-Roman title at 211.5, but the U.S. is not yet qualified there for the Olympics. Other Greco-Roman winners last night were Ellis Coleman at 132 and Ben Provisor at 163.

Women's freestyle winners were Clarissa Chun at 105.5 and Elena Pirozhkova at 138.75.

Several other former Iowa and Iowa State wrestlers competed in the challenge tournament Sunday with only ex-Hawkeye Steve Mocco earning a spot on the national team. Mocco, a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa and Oklahoma State, took third at 264.5 pounds, battling back after a quarterfinal loss to third-seeded Les Sigman.

Iowa junior Matt McDonough won twice at 121 and ex-Hawks Phil Keddy went 2-2 at 185 - including a first-round win over reigning NCAA champion Ed Ruth of Penn State - while Joe Johnston went 1-2 at 145.5, beating another one-time Iowa wrestler, Todd Meneely, by default.

Former Iowa State standout Jon Reader went 2-2 at 145.5 and John Helgerson, a former Wartburg national champ at North Fayette prep, won twice at 264.5.