DATE: 1/19/2008 3:08:00 AM

By Craig Sesker
USA Wrestling

There will be no shortage of firepower on the mat for the second edition of the Chicago Cup.

The 2007 World champion U.S. Greco-Roman team is scheduled to face a powerful team from Bulgaria that includes three individual World champions.

Rosters have been finalized and tickets are now on sale for the Chicago Cup, set for Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. The inaugural event was a huge success with 7,000 fans packing Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena in 2007.

The star-studded Bulgarian team is led by Greco-Roman legend Armen Nazarian, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World champion. He competes at 60 kg/132 lbs. The Bulgarian team also features past World champions Yavor Yanakiev and Nikolay Gergov.

Tickets for the event are now on sale. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and youth under 18 years of age. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Tickets.com hotline at 800-511-1552.

Any questions in regards to the event should be directed to 312-616-5450 or info@worldsportchicago.org

The U.S. Greco-Roman team is led by World champion Dremiel Byers, World silver medalist Brad Vering, and World bronze medalists Lindsey Durlacher, Harry Lester and Justin Ruiz. Durlacher and past World Team member T.C. Dantzler both grew up in the Chicago metro area.

Yanakiev will face Dantzler, who placed fifth in the World in 2006. Gergov will face Lester at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Lester and Gergov both won bronze medals at the 2007 World Championships.

Bulgaria’s Venelin Venkov, who placed fifth in the World in 2006, is scheduled to meet Durlacher at 55 kg/121 lbs. Byers is slated to face Bulgaria’s Ivan Ivanov at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Byers beat Ivanov 1-1, 3-0, 3-0 in the second round of the 2007 World Championships.

Northwestern standout Jake Herbert – a 2007 NCAA champion and 2008 Olympic hopeful – also is expected to compete in an exhibition match in men’s freestyle. Herbert is taking an Olympic redshirt this season and is ranked third in the U.S. in freestyle at 84 kg/185 lbs. Herbert is scheduled to face Mihail Ganev of Bulgaria.

The U.S. women’s freestyle team also will battle a squad from Poland in the four Olympic weight classes for women. The U.S. women’s squad will feature two-time World champion Kristie Marano, Olympic and World silver medalist Sara McMann, World silver medalist Stephanie Murata and 2007 World Team member Marcie Van Dusen.

2006 World Team member Mary Kelly, who wrestled in the 2007 World Cup, also is scheduled to compete in the Chicago Cup. Kelly is an Illinois native.

The women’s team from Poland also includes a number of wrestlers with strong credentials. Monika Rogien is a two-time World bronze medalist at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Iwona Sadowska is a past World bronze medalist at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. The Poland team also includes World fifth-place finisher Anna Zwirydowska at 55 kg/121 lbs. and World University bronze medalist Agnieszka Wieszczek at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

World Sport Chicago and USA Wrestling are joining forces to put this event on for the second straight year.

2008 CHICAGO CUP ROSTER

U.S. GRECO-ROMAN ROSTER

55 kg/121 lbs. – Lindsey Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill. (USOEC/New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Harry Lester, Marquette, Mich. (Gator WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

Coaches – Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo.

BULGARIA GRECO-ROMAN ROSTER

55 kg/121 lbs. – Armen Nazarian
60 kg/132 lbs. – Venelin Venkov
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Nikolay Gergov
74 kg/163 lbs. – Yavor Yankiev
84 kg/185 lbs. – Hristo Marinov
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Georgi Zlatanski
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Ivan Ivanov

Coach – Stoian Stoianov

U.S. WOMEN’S FREESTYLE ROSTER

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Mary Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann, Gaffney, S.C. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)

Coach – Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo.

POLAND WOMEN’S FREESTYLE ROSTER

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Iwona Sadowska
55 kg/121 lbs. – Anna Zwirydowska
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Monika Rogien
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Agnieszka Wieszczek

Coach – Jan Waldemar Godlewski

MEN’S FREESTYLE EXHIBITION MATCHUP

84 kg/185 lbs. – Jake Herbert (USA/NYAC) vs. Mihail Ganev (Bulgaria)