By Mike Finn, W.I.N. Editor

So much for winning a World team championship by the United States Greco-Roman squad last fall.

            Six of the seven men who became the first U.S. Greco squad to lead the Worlds in Baku, Azerbaijian, were presented special rings prior to the start of the U.S. Nationals finals, April 25, in Las Vegas.

            That would be the only thing given to these men that night at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where only three men —T.C. Dantzler (163), Justin Ruiz (211.5) and Dremiel Byers (264.5) — on last year’s World Team left Las Vegas with a U.S. national championship.

            Of the remaining four, Lindsey Durlacher (121), Joe Betterman (132) and Brad Vering (185) lost their championship matches and the honor of being the man to beat at the upcoming Olympic Trials. The other member, Harry Lester (145.5), of that World championship team was injured and did not compete at the Nationals, meaning that he must wrestle in a mini-tournament prior to the Championship Series at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, starting June 13.

            The Greco-Roman team wasn’t the only style at the Nationals, where defending World Team members came up short at the Trials.

            In men’s freestyle, Henry Cejudo (121) and Joe Williams (185) failed to win their weights while Mike Zadick (132) did not compete and was not selected to represent the U.S. at the final Olympic qualifying tournament in Warsaw, Poland, where Nate Gallick failed to qualify the weight.

            In women’s freestyle, where only four of seven weights will compete at the Beijing Olympics this August, 2008, World Team members Stephanie Murata (105.5), Sara McMann (138.75) and Kristie Marano (158.5) all failed to win their weights in Las Vegas.

            Dantzler, who like 132-pound champ Jim Gruenwald must still qualify his weight for the Olympics at a May 10 qualifier in Rome, said the focus should be the Trials.

            “I seen a lot of national champs not make one World Team or one Olympic Team,” Dantzler said. “Six weeks from now will be a totally different makeup. A lot of younger guys gear up for nationals.”

            The 37-year-old Dantzler may be the best example of wrestler, who has had more success at World Trials than at Nationals. He competed at the Worlds in 2002, 2003 and 2005 after he failed to win the Nationals those years.

            “I won my first national championship three years ago, but I’ve been on five World Teams,” said Dantzler, who has yet to qualify for an Olympic Team. (The U.S. failed to qualify the 163-pound weight class in 2004). “During an Olympic year, they know what’s at stake down the road.

            “To peak right now and try to peak six weeks from now is not very realistic.”

            Statistics show some truth in Dantzler’s logic. In the past ten years, only 68 percent of wrestlers (144 of 210) who won national championships in all three styles went on to represent the United States at either a World or Olympic tournament. And during an Olympic year, that number drops to 59 percent (23 of 39).

            Men’s freestyle has the highest retention rate — 75 percent overall and 80 percent in Olympic years — followed by women’s freestyle (65 percent overall and 40 percent in an Olympic year), and Greco-Roman (64 and 50 percent, respectively.)

            Some other wrestlers have waited a long time for a shot at the Worlds. Van Dusen, 25, didn’t make her first World Team until last year and put herself in good position by rallying to beat Jenny Wong — who wrestled at last year’s Worlds at 112 pounds but moved up to the 121-pound Olympic weight — at this year’s nationals.

            “I allowed myself to make mistakes during the year that I was getting away with because the competition wasn’t as high,” said Van Dusen, who finished ninth in last year’s Worlds.

            “I can’t make mistakes on anyone, no matter what level they are.”