It was a great day for the U.S. Marines Corps team, which captured four individual titles. Winning gold medals for the Marines were Jonathan Pattison at 55 kg/121 lbs., Ryan Bridge at 60 kg/132 lbs., Steve Forrest at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Charles Fish at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
“We brought all of our young guys up here,” said U.S. Marines coach Dan Hicks. “Pattison and Fish wrestled excellent. Bridge has experience, but he is new to Greco-Roman. Forrest won his weight class. We got four guys through. It was a successful weekend.”
Forrest was the most veteran of the U.S. Marines in the field, after winning the 2008 Armed Forces title. He currently holds a No. 6 national ranking. Forrest won three matches on the way to the title, including a 6-0, 2-0 win over Greg Crane of the All-Navy team in the finals.
Pattison stopped Roger Stewart of the New York AC in the finals with a third-period fall. Bridge beat Trey Hicks of the Clarion WC in the finals, 3-0, 1-0. Fish needed three periods to defeat Akil Patterson of the TF Wrestling Club, 0-1, 1-1, 6-0.
The athletes who won titles on Sunday have qualified to compete at the World Team Trials, presented by the U.S. Marines, set for Council Bluffs, Iowa, May 30-31. |
