Gallick, Rowlands will wrestle for gold at 2005 World University Games

John Fuller USA Wrestling
08/14/2005

Izmir, Turkey - Last night, Jesse Jantzen (Brookline, Mass./Harvard Univ./New York AC) became just the third U.S. wrestler to win gold at the World University Games. Tonight, Nate Gallick (Tucson, Ariz./Iowa State Univ./Sunkist Kids) and Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/The Ohio State Univ./Sunkist Kids) could became the fourth and fifth. Gallick and Rowlands both swept through their competition on Sunday morning at the Ozel Yamanlar High School Sports Hall. Gallick won three matches to advance at 60 kg/132 lbs., and has yet to surrender a single point in the tournament. In the first round, Gallick defeated Jaanek Lips of Estonia (1-0, 2-0). Lips placed fifth in the 2004 World University Championships. In each period, Gallick scored all the points he needed within the first 25 seconds. In the quarterfinals, Gallick then downed Andrei Perepelita of Moldova (1-0, 3-0). This time, Gallick scored at the back end of each period with a takedown with only six seconds remaining in the first period and a takedown with two exposure points with only 20 seconds left in the second period. To advance to the finals, Gallick defeated Abbas Baglarbagi of Iran (3-0, 3-0). In the first period, Gallick scored a takedown and took Baglarbagi to his back for a 3-0 lead. In the second period, he was unable to score in regulation, but after breaking out of Baglarbagi’s hold in the leg clinch, he scored a three-point throw at the edge of the mat. Gallick will face 2004 Olympian Odabasi Tevfik of Turkey in the finals. Rowlands wasted no time in making his presence known in the 96 kg/211.5 lbs. weight class. In his first bout, Rowlands cradled Nadeem Maeem of Pakistan, pinning him in just 17 seconds. In the quarterfinals, Rowlands defeated Sergey Pernikau of Belarus (2-0, 2-2). Pernikau placed fifth in the 2005 European Championships and sixth in the 2004 World University Championships. Rowlands forced Pernikau out of bounds twice in the first period for the 2-0 win. In the second period, Pernikau and Rowlands traded takedowns. Fortunately for Rowlands, Pernikau scored the first takedown, and Rowlands scored the last takedown, tying the score at 2-2 and giving him the tiebreaker advantage. In the semifinals, Rowlands again went back to the pin, dominating 2004 Olympian Bartolomeij Bartnicki of Poland (7-0, 0:42). Bartnicki placed seventh in the 2003 World Championships. Rowlands will face 2003 World Military Championships gold medalist Hakan Koc of Turkey in the gold-medal bout. Tyrone Lewis (Stillwater, Okla./Oklahoma State Univ./Gator WC) lost his first match to 2003 World silver medalist Mourad Gaidarov of Belarus (1-1, 2-0, 0-1). Gaidarov also captured a gold medal at the 2004 World University Championships. In the first period, Lewis scored a takedown early in the period and it appeared he would hold on. However, late in the period, Gaidarov forced Lewis out of bounds, tying the score and gaining tiebreaking criteria. In the second period, Lewis dominated, scoring two takedowns, but in the third, neither wrestler was able to put a point on the scoreboard. Lewis lost the coin toss for the leg clinch, and Gaidarov took full advantage, scoring just five seconds later to win. Gaidarov did not advance to the finals, though, which means Lewis will not have a chance to compete for a bronze medal. The gold-medal bouts will begin at 5:00 p.m.