The NYAC defeated Russia, 14-11 in freestyle, and the NYAC also defeated Romania in Greco-Roman, 14-12. Over 1,600 fans packed the gymnasium to root the American teams to victory.

The two dual meets were held simultaneously, with alternating matches between freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The freestyle match finished first. After six bouts, the meet was tied at 11-11 going into the final bout. Hometown hero Steve Mocco, who grew up in nearby North Bergen, N.J., stopped Soslan Gagloev of Russia, 1-0, 2-0. Mocco (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) scored a takedown in the first period and two takedowns in the second period to win the match, as the crowd erupted with applause. Mocco won four prep national titles during his high school years, competing for St. Benedicts Prep and Blair Academy.

“It is really cool. I am excited to be here,” said Mocco. “We flew in yesterday and we have been traveling a lot, but I feel I wrestled well. It was a good opportunity for me to come home. We wrestle a lot around the world and you don’t have fans to cheer for you like this. It is nice to get international matches here in the United States. I was really pleased with how this went, and I hope to do it again.”

In the Greco-Roman dual meet, the U.S. trailed 12-11 going into the final bout. 2002 World champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) scored an impressive 6-0, 3-0 win over Yannick Szczepaniak of France, 6-0. 3-0. Byers wowed the crowd with two big throws in the first period and completely shut down Szczepaniak’s attack in the bout.

Szczepaniak competed because the Romanian team did not have a heavyweight. The bout was a rematch of the bronze-medal match at the 2007 World Championships, where Byers defeated Szczepaniak, a victory which gave the United States enough points to win the World Team title.

“I just wanted to open up more on my feet,” said Byers. “I was able to get that body lock. He has been getting better. But I know what he is going through. It was a close match at the Worlds. He wanted to come here and level the playing field. I wrestled harder than most guys would. I pushed hard and used it to my advantage.”

There were loud cheers when the announcer told the crowd that Byers was born in Newark, N.J.

There were 14 matches during the evening, and each of the individual winners received $1,000 for their victory.

The freestyle dual meet featured four local heroes, three from New Jersey and one from nearby Long Island, N.Y., and three of them won their bouts.

After losing the first two freestyle matches, the NYAC came back with a victory at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., when Jesse Jantzen (Cambridge, Mass./New York AC) stopped Junior World champion Shamil Batirov, 4-0, 4-1. Jantzen dominated the action, including a big throw with exposure in the first period. Jantzen was a four-time New York state champion from Shoreham-Wading River High School.

“I felt pretty good. I have seen him a bunch and he is very good. I have not competed since June, and it felt good to get out on the mat and wrestle prior to the New York AC Tournament on Sunday,” said Jantzen.

Along with Mocco, another New Jersey native, 2006 World bronze medalist Donnie Pritzlaff (Madison, Wis./New York AC) won his bout at 74 kg/163 lbs., defeating young Russian Rashid Kurbanov, 1-0, 1-0. Pritzlaff scored a takedown in each period for the win. He was a three-time New Jersey state champion for Lyndhurst High School.

“I haven’t been this excited to wrestle for a long time. I was coming home. It has been about 10 years since I have wrestled here. This has been a great experience. I was excited just getting on the plane to come here to compete. You never take anybody lightly. I was heavy on his head. I knew his left leg would come forward at some point. I capitalized on that,” said Pritzlaff.

The New Jersey native who lost his bout in freestyle was Damion Hahn (Ithaca, N.Y./New York AC), who fell to Soslan Gagloev 1-0, 0-3, 1-0. The match went to the clinch in the third period, and Gagloev secured the leg hold and scored the takedown. Hahn was a three-time New Jersey state champion from Lakewood High School.

A key win for the freestyle team came at 84 kg/185 lbs., when Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) defeated Alexander Kusraev of Russia, 1-2, 5-1, 2-2. Hrovat was trailing 2-0 with time running out in the final period, when he secured a front headlock and turned Kusraev for two points just prior to the buzzer for the winning move.

“We were wrestling hard, back and forth. He was short and hard to get under. He was tired at the end. He shot in on the final shot and tried to hold on. I got the headlock and turned him. I got the points that I needed. I knew I had plenty of time. He was already off his back before the buzzer. I knew I had him,” said Hrovat.

The New York AC Greco-Roman team got off to a slow start, losing its first three matches. However, the team got on a roll, winning the final four matches in a row for the victory. The team featured five of the seven members of the 2007 U.S. Greco-Roman World team, including the four athletes who won bouts this evening.

Getting the USA jump started with a victory at 74 kg/163 lbs. was T.C. Dantzler (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), who defeated Ion Painiat of Romania, 5-1, 4-0.

“I am wrestling good. I have to be ready for anything. This is all a stepping stone for qualifying this weight class. I did everything I wanted to do. I worked on the areas we trained for. I scored in every situation. I am satisfied. He is a tough competitor. I have seen him at the World Championships,” said Dantzler.

The U.S. comeback continued when 2007 World silver medalist Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) defeated Robert Papp of Romania, 5-4, 7-0. After a very competitive first period, Vering opened up the offense in the second period, securing a technical fall to end the bout.

“The match went fine. I made a mistake early and paid for it. I finished strong. I have been sick all week, but I felt OK out there. It was great to compete against a foreign team with such a big crowd. It had like a high school or college atmosphere out there,” said Vering.

The third straight win came at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. when 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) shut down Catalin Surugiu of Romania, 6-0, 3-0. Ruiz dominated the entire bout.

“I felt that I wrestled all right,” said Ruiz. “I tried to push him hard from the feet. It was fun. It was nice to get the crowd here, and to start the season by getting some matches in. He was a little smaller than me. He is young. It was a good match for this time of the year.”

The Greco-Roman triumph was sealed with Byers victory, the last match of the evening, sending the crowd home happy.

The wrestlers in the dual meet are expected to compete at the New York AC Holiday Intenational in New York City, N.Y., Nov. 17-18.

NYAC 14, RUSSIA 11

55 kg/121 lbs.
Osip Mikhaylov (Russia) dec. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC), 0-2, 1-1, 7-0
60 kg/132 lbs.
Alan Dudaev (Russia) vs. Jason Kutz, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC), 2-0, 3-0

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Jesse Jantzen, Cambridge, Mass. (New York AC) dec. Shamil Batirov (Russia), 4-0, 4-1

74 kg/163 lbs.
Donny Pritzlaff, Madison, Wis. (New York AC) dec. Rashid Kurbanov (Russia), 1-0, 1-0

84 kg/185 lbs.
Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC) dec. Alexander Kusraev (Russia), 1-2, 5-1, 2-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Soslan Gagloev (Russia) dec. Damion Hahn, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC), 1-0, 0-3, 1-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Steve Mocco, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Soslan Gagloev (Russia), 1-0, 2-0

NYAC 14, ROMANIA 12

55 kg/121 lbs.
Virgil Munteanu (Romania) dec. Spencer Mango, Flourissant, Mo. (Gator WC/USOEC), 6-0, 1-2, 3-0

60 kg/132 lbs.
Eusebiu Diaconu (Romania) dec. Joe Betterman, Chicago, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC), 4-0, 1-1

66 kg/145.5 lbs..
Ionel Puscasu (Romania) dec. Tim Bleau, Ipsheming, Mich. (New York AC/USOEC), 7-0, 6-0

74 kg/163 lbs.
T.C. Dantzler, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) dec. Ion Painiat (Romania), 5-1, 4-0

84 kg/185 lbs.
Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Robert Papp (Romania), 5-4, 7-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Catalin Surugiu (Romania), 6-0, 3-0

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Yannick Szczepaniak (France), 6-0. 3-0