Fresno wrestler has high hopes at Junior World Freestyle Championships

Stephen Abas has fond memories of his last trip to Southern Nevada.

In just his first season wrestling for Fresno State, Abas plowed his way through five straight opponents to capture the 118-pound title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational last December.

The victory, which included a upset of second-seeded Coby Sanders of Iowa St. in the finals, helped Abas earned the event's Most Valuable Wrestler honor.

When he returns to Primm's Star of the Desert Arena on Friday, Abas has dreams of topping all of those successes. This week, he'll be wrestling for his country at the 16th Junior World Freestyle Championships.

"I feel quite comfortable there," the 20-year-old Abas said. "Last time I was there, I went 5-0. Hopefully, I can do it again."

Abas, who has participated on the 10-man squad during the past three summers, will compete in the 56 kg division (equivalent to 123 pounds) in the first United States-hosted World Championships since 1985.

Abas will be joined by Nebraska's Todd Beckerman (60 kg) and J.R. Plienis (115 kg), Oklahoma State's Mark Munoz (83 kg) and Ty Wilcox (76 kg), Iowa State's Zachary Thompson (90 kg), Wisconsin's Don Pritzlaff (70 kg), Lassen College's Reggie Wright (65 kg) and two high schoolers, Pennsylvania's Chris Fleeger and Missouri's T.J. Hill.

Purdue's Jesse Reyes will coach the team, which is looking to improve on last year's fifth-place finish.

"We definitely have a chance to win this tournament," Abas said. "It's a realistic goal."

More than 40 countries are expected to compete in the four-day event, including 1997 champion Russia and runner-up Iran. Other countries expected to make a run at the title include Armenia, Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the Ukraine.

* U.S. NATIONALS RETURNING: The United States National Wrestling Championships will return to Las Vegas in 1999 and 2000. The competition will feature the national championships in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling along with the Western Junior Regional Championships. The United States National Wrestling Championships will be co-produced by USA Wrestling and the Las Vegas Organizing Committee (LVOC), and will be held in the newly expanded Las Vegas Convention Center. The event is scheduled for April 21-24 in 1999.

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