RIVIERA BEACH, FLA. - It was a historic day as USA Wrestling hosted its first U.S. Beach National Championships along the Atlantic Ocean at the Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Resort, August 19.

A total of 103 athletes entered in five age divisions, with competition for both men and women.

In addition, a World Team Trials event was held for the Senior level, to determine the athletes who will represent the United States at the World Beach Championships in Antalya, Turkey in November.

The top three wrestlers in each weight division on the Senior level for men qualified for the World Team Trials in two international weight classes: Below 85 kg (187.5 lbs.) and Above 85 kg (185.75) for men.

Qualifying for the U.S. Team at the Below 85 kg (187.5 lbs.) were World Team Trials champion Steve Forrest of Virginia, runner-up Dewitt Driscoll of North Carolina and third place finisher Jonathan Taylor of Florida.

Forrest defeated Driscoll in the championship bout, 2-0. Taylor stopped Ray Downey of New York, 2-0, in the place match. In the U.S. Nationals event, Forrest was the national champion at 188 pounds, Driscoll was the national runner-up at 141 pounds and Taylor was the national runner-up at 168 pounds.

Qualifying for the U.S. Team at the Above 85 kg (187.5 lbs.) were World Team Trials champion Carlos Dolmo of New York, runner-up Frank Workman of Virginia and third place finisher Angelo Borzio of Pennsylvania.

Dolmo scored a 2-0 win over Workman in the World Team Trials finals. Borzio pinned Jeff Zastrow in the third place match.

All three of the U.S. World Team medalists wrestled at 276 pounds at the U.S. Nationals, with Borzio placing first, Workman taking second and Dolmo taking third. Dolmo has been very active in Beach Wrestling, winning the gold medal at the ASICS East Coast Beach Nationals the last two years.

The U.S. Women’s World Team Trials was held at one weight class, the under 70 kg/154 lbs. division. There were no women at the U.S. Nationals who weighed over 154 pounds, so there was no World Team Trials participants in those divisions.

Capturing the World Team Trials in the Women’s Under 70 kg/154 lbs. division were World Team Trials champion Leigh Jaynes of Colorado, runner-up Lila Ristrevska of Florida and third-place Ingrid Santos of Florida.

Jaynes beat Ristrevska, 2-0 in the finals. Santos scored a 2-1 win over Clara Curtis of Colorado in the third place match. Jaynes had won the U.S. Nationals at 148 pounds, Ristrevska was the U.S. Nationals champion at 127 pounds and Santos was the 109 pounds U.S. Nationals.

The World Team Trials followed a successful day of Beach Wrestling at the first U.S. Nationals tournament. Athletes from across the nation came together to become the first ever U.S. Beach Nationals champions.

In the Senior men’s division, there were eight weight classes. Claiming individual gold medals were Orlando Lagos of Florida (132), Mike Waldron of Florida (141), J.P. Reece of Florida (168), Ray Downey of New York (183), Steve Forrest of Virginia (188), Craig Salvatore of New Jersey (207), Jeff Zastrow of Wisconsin (231) and Angelo Borzio of Pennsylvania (276).

Borzio is a past member of Freestyle Team USA, and was nationally ranked in men’s freestyle wrestling for many years. Reece competed for the Univ. of Michigan and Downey wrestled for Hofstra Univ.

The individual champions in the Women’s Open division were Ingrid Santos of Florida (109), Lila Ristrevska of Florida (127), Clara Curtis of Colorado (132) and Leigh Jaynes of Colorado (148).

Jaynes is a nationally ranked wrestler in women’s freestyle wrestling, competing for the U.S. Army. She was fourth at the 2006 U.S. Nationals in women’s freestyle.

There were three weight classes in the Veteran division. The champions included Steve Biedrycki of Virginia (136), Scott Sodergren of Florida (162) and Robin Franze of New York (223).

Biedrycki was a nationally ranked Greco-Roman wrestler for many years, competing for the U.S. Marines, and was a World Cup champion in Sombo.

There was one champion in the Schoolboy division, Kyle Koziec of Florida.

Five individual champions were determined in the Cadet division: Craig Barker of Florida (110), Andy Skaggs of Missouri (116), Thrasher Porcher of Florida (129), Gunnar Magliolla of Florida (139) and Jacob Schalles of Florida (150).

The Elite division featured wrestlers who are 17 and 18 years old. Seven individual champions were crowned: Pedro Lopez of Florida (121), Christopher Perrodin of Florida (132), Jeremy James of Florida (145), Dean Hancock of Connecticut (159), Chris Renza of Florida (188), Nick Chase of Florida (211) and Justin Chase of Florida (235).

Many of the athletes in the competition are expected to enter the U.S. Sombo Nationals, set for Sunday at the North Palm Beach Community Center in North Palm Beach, Fla.

U.S. Beach Senior Beach World Team

Men’s Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs.
Steve Forrest, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Dewitt Driscoll, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Carolina WC)
Jonathan Taylor, Boca Raton, Fla. (Calvary Chapel)

Men’s Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs.
Carlos Dolmo, Bronx, N.Y.(New York AC)
Frank Workman, Spotsylvania, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Angelo Borzio, Stroudsburg, Pa.

Women’s Under 70 kg/154 lbs.
Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (EA Kombat)
Lila Restrevska, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Ingrid Santos, Tampa, Fla.(EA Kombat)