U.S. National Wrestling Championships set for Las Vegas

Tim Graham

Thursday, April 29, 1999 | 10:59 a.m.

Two years at Disney World was long enough.

After a two-year stint at the Orlando, Fla., resort the U.S. National Wrestling Championships returned to Las Vegas this week. The event, which features men's, women's and junior tournaments, takes place on 18 mats at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"We'll have every one of the top freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers here," USA Wrestling director of events Rich Bender said. "Every member who will make up the 2000 Olympic Team should all be here."

The open championships begin Friday at 11 a.m. and run until 10 p.m. Saturday's action picks up at 10 a.m., with the finals of all three divisions -- men's freestyle and Greco-Roman and women's freestyle -- taking place between 4-6 p.m.

Some of the top names include 1996 Olympic silver medalists Matt Ghaffari and Dennis Hall and reigning national champs Les Gutches and Lincoln McIlravy.

The Western Junior Regionals, which started Wednesday, resume today at 1 p.m. The final rounds are Friday from 9-11 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. with several Southern Nevada prepsters competing.

"I'm thrilled it's back," longtime area high school educator and wrestling coach Larry Barnson said. Barnson is president of the Las Vegas Organizing Committee, a non-profit group that runs the championships.

"I was real disappointed when it left," he continued. "I couldn't understand why (USA Wrestling) took an adult event to kiddie land. I guess they learned their lesson."

Las Vegas had hosted the championships nine times before it went to Disney World's new Wide World of Sports Center in 1997. USA Wrestling opted to return when the numbers for the juniors portion of the event dropped drastically.

"The numbers weren't too high," Bender said, noting the Southeast is not a big wrestling region. "We have 130,000 members, and California is our largest state. Las Vegas really draws those people out."

And now that the tournament has found its way back, Las Vegas is a front- runner to land the prestigious World Championships in 2001. Wrestling'sinternational governing body, FILA, already has awarded that event to the United States, according to Bender and Barnson.

FILA president Milan Ercegan toured the MGM Grand Garden last August when he was in for the 1998 Junior World Championships at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm.

"They were very pleased," Barnson said. "His exact words -- through his interpreter -- was 'For that tournament to come here (to the MGM Grand Garden), wrestling will have to come up to that level.'

"To go to that classy of a hotel and arena, wrestling will have to straighten its act up like it's used to doing for the Olympics."

Bender cited the importance of hosting the World Championships and how the glitz of Las Vegas can help the U.S. team.

"Since 1993, the host country has won the World Championships every year," Bender said.