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much I weigh. Some of those guys at 145, like Kyle Ruschell, are a lot bigger than me the day after we weigh in. Ruschell, man, he is huge for this weight class. It’s definitely a challenge, wrestling some of those bigger guys.” Ware swept the top-seeded Metcalf in
two straight periods in the quarterfinals of this year’s U.S. Open. “Metcalf is still the No. 1 guy in my
eyes,” Ware said. “He is the returning World Team member and he’s wrestled well this season. He’s an amazing wrestler, but he’s not invincible. I don’t think he overlooked me at the Open, and I know he is going to come back strong at the Trials. He wrestles hard the whole time and he breaks a lot of guys. I have to make him wrestle my match. He’s very tough, but he’s beatable if I just wrestle my style.” Ware downed surprise finalist Cary
Kolat in the finals of the U.S. Open. Kolat, 37, won World silver and bronze medals in the late 1990s and was a 2000 Olympian. “Kolat beat me at Sunkist in 2007, and
he’s still very tough,” Ware said. “Facing him before, I think that helped me at the Open. Kolat’s a legend. He’s still a very, very good wrestler. I need to capitalize when I shoot in on his legs. It’s tough to finish on him.” Training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling
Club has been a perfect fit for Ware, who placed second in the Hargobind event in Canada earlier this season. “It’s a great situation at Penn State,” he
said. “I have great coaches and great training partners, and we have great resources and support. Cael is obviously a great coach and he knows the game real well. Matt Dernlan, the head coach of the club team, has been a tremendous mentor for me. I work with Coach Dernlan 24/7 and he’s helped me a lot.” At the World Team Trials, Ware will sit
out before facing the winner of the Challenge Tournament later that day. “There are some very tough guys who
will have to battle it out in the Challenge Tournament,” Ware said. “I think it is an advantage for me to sit out because I will be fresh for the finals. But whoever wins the Challenge Tournament will have a lot of momentum going into the finals. I know that’s going to be hard to stop. I have to make sure I’m ready to go right away.” Wrestling at the World Team Trials in Oklahoma City will be a homecoming of sorts for Ware, who grew up in nearby Edmond, Okla. Ware is quick to point out that returning home provides no guarantees. He wres-
Ware has excelled since moving to Pennsylvania. John Sachs photo.
tled his final collegiate match in Oklahoma City, falling to Iowa State’s Nate Gallick in the 2006 NCAA finals. “I’m excited to be wrestling close to
home, but I didn’t take care of business the last time I wrestled there,” Ware said. “That loss in 2006 is still in the back of my mind. I didn’t show up and I lost. I was sad and I was down, but I still won two NCAA titles and had a good college career. And I was getting ready to jump into international wrestling full-time.
Ware battles Cary Kolat during the U.S. Open finals. Larry Slater photo.
“I will have a lot of friends and family supporting me and cheering for me in Oklahoma City. I know I need to step up this time.” Ware’s college teammate, Sam Hazewinkel, also has excelled after switching from Greco to freestyle. Hazewinkel, who trains in Norman, Okla., won the U.S. Open in freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs. “Sam has won the U.S. Open three
times now, after winning it twice in Greco, but he is still looking for make his first World Team,” Ware said. “He’s hungry and he’s wrestling great right now. He’s a beast and he puts on a show. It would be an honor if we could make the World Team together this year.” Ware’s Olympic dream was launched
as a youth wrestler when he competed at a tournament in Tulsa. “I met Kenny Monday and they were
talking about how we won the Olympics,” Ware said. “Ever since then, it’s always been something I wanted to do. I always looked up to Kenny and he’s mentored me. I want to accomplish what he did.” Ware wants to prove that he’s more
than just the best guy in the U.S. “I want to win the Olympics – that’s
what I’m working toward,” he said. “If being a World and Olympic champion wasn’t my goal, I wouldn’t be wasting my time out here. There is no reason I can’t be up there with the best guys in the World. “Now I just have to go out there and
prove it.” 15 USA Wrestler
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