Vering named Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling

o Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was named 2007 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling.

Vering won a World silver medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling at the World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in September. It was the top performance by a U.S. wrestler at the competition.

At the World Championships, Vering opened the tournament with a victory over Nikola Kinezvic of Montenegro, 7-0, 6-0, then defeated Bolat Abdullayev of Ukraine, 4-0, 4-0. In the third round, he beat Jan Fischer of Germany, 3-0, 4-0, then stopped Saman Tahmasebi of Iran, 2-1, 0-3, 2-1 in the quarterfinals. In dramatic fashion, Vering pinned Korea´s Jung-Sub Kim in the semifinals in the second period, 3-0, 1:59. In the championship round, he dropped a 4-0, 4-0 finals match to 2004 Olympic champion Aleksey Mishin of Russia.

He was a member of the historic 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, which won the World Team Title for the first time ever. The USA defeated Russia by one point in the team standings at the World Championships.

Vering won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, in July, the major multi-sport event held every four years. He was one of three U.S. champions in Greco-Roman wrestling. He defeated Eddy Bartolozzy of Venezuela in the finals.

He won the title at the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. in June. It was his fourth career victory at the World Team Trials. He defeated 2006 U.S. World Team member Jake Clark of the U.S. Marines in the finals series in two straight matches. Vering also won the title at the U.S. Nationals championships in Las Vegas, Nev. in April. He pinned Justin Millard of the U.S. Air Force in the finals match.

Vering claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador in May. This was the qualifying event for the 2007 Pan American Games. He won the gold medals at three other international events, the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, Colo. in February, the Gedz Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia in March and the Vantaa Cup in Vaanta, Finland in November. He also added a bronze medal at the Ion Cornianu Memorial Tournament in Brasov, Romania in August.

Vering is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. He was a 2000 NCAA Div. I champion and three-time All-American at the Univ. of Nebraska. A native of Howells, Neb., Vering was a three-time Nebraska state high school champion.

USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners this week on TheMat.com.

PAST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2007 – Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2006 – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2005 – Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2004 - Rulon Gardner, Wellsville, Utah (Sunkist Kids)
2003 - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2000 - Rulon Gardner, Afton, Wyo., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
1998 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Dennis Hall, Stevens, Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1993 - James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.

o Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was named 2007 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling.

Vering won a World silver medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. in Greco-Roman wrestling at the World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in September. It was the top performance by a U.S. wrestler at the competition.

At the World Championships, Vering opened the tournament with a victory over Nikola Kinezvic of Montenegro, 7-0, 6-0, then defeated Bolat Abdullayev of Ukraine, 4-0, 4-0. In the third round, he beat Jan Fischer of Germany, 3-0, 4-0, then stopped Saman Tahmasebi of Iran, 2-1, 0-3, 2-1 in the quarterfinals. In dramatic fashion, Vering pinned Korea´s Jung-Sub Kim in the semifinals in the second period, 3-0, 1:59. In the championship round, he dropped a 4-0, 4-0 finals match to 2004 Olympic champion Aleksey Mishin of Russia.

He was a member of the historic 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team, which won the World Team Title for the first time ever. The USA defeated Russia by one point in the team standings at the World Championships.

Vering won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, in July, the major multi-sport event held every four years. He was one of three U.S. champions in Greco-Roman wrestling. He defeated Eddy Bartolozzy of Venezuela in the finals.

He won the title at the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. in June. It was his fourth career victory at the World Team Trials. He defeated 2006 U.S. World Team member Jake Clark of the U.S. Marines in the finals series in two straight matches. Vering also won the title at the U.S. Nationals championships in Las Vegas, Nev. in April. He pinned Justin Millard of the U.S. Air Force in the finals match.

Vering claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador in May. This was the qualifying event for the 2007 Pan American Games. He won the gold medals at three other international events, the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, Colo. in February, the Gedz Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia in March and the Vantaa Cup in Vaanta, Finland in November. He also added a bronze medal at the Ion Cornianu Memorial Tournament in Brasov, Romania in August.

Vering is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. He was a 2000 NCAA Div. I champion and three-time All-American at the Univ. of Nebraska. A native of Howells, Neb., Vering was a three-time Nebraska state high school champion.

USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners this week on TheMat.com.

PAST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2007 – Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2006 – Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2005 – Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2004 - Rulon Gardner, Wellsville, Utah (Sunkist Kids)
2003 - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2000 - Rulon Gardner, Afton, Wyo., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
1998 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Dennis Hall, Stevens, Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1993 - James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.