Loaded with new faces and returning veterans from Iraq, the Marine Corps Wrestling team grappled their way to a second place overall finish at the 2008 Armed Forces Wrestling Championship 14-18 March in New Orleans, LA.
In the 120 Kg. weight class of the Greco-Roman competition, Sgt David Arendt stunned the Army’s Dremiel Byers, pinning him in 1:32 of the first period. During an attempted throw, Arendt executed a perfect defensive maneuver to gain the reverse forcing Byers to his back. After countless attempts to escape, Byers was unable to escape the grip of Arendt as the two-time world champion was pinned. Arendt also won placed second in Freestyle behind Mark Simmonds of the Navy.
Sgt Donovan Depatto also captured the gold medal in the 60 Kg weight class of the Greco-Roman competition and silver medal in the freestyle competition. Cpl Jeremy Pederson won silver medal in both the Greco-Roman and Freestyle events in the 84 Kg weight class; SSgt James Shillow won silver in the Greco-Roman at 74 Kg; Cpl Miguel Pena won the silver medal in Freestyle at 55 Kg; and Cpl Charlie Fish won the silver medal in Freestyle at 96 Kg.
The gold medalists qualified to represent the United States Armed Forces at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Wrestling Championship, September 1-8, in Split, Croatia. Silver medalists will be chosen in the event the gold medalist is unable to attend or the wrestler captured gold medals in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle. The Army’s Jermaine Hodge was the only one to capture double gold, thus qualifying the Marine Corps’ Cpl Pena to represent the United States at the CISM Championship.
The winners of the Greco-Roman competition also qualified for the Olympic Trials, June 13-15 in Las Vegas. While the Freestyle competition was not used as a qualifier for the Olympic Trials, many of the military wrestlers are now headed for USA Wrestling’s National Championship, April 24-26 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
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