Fresno State Athletics
Back to the Mat
10/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
by Rachel Azevedo, Fresno State Media Relations
For one whole year, wrestler Stephen Abas put his life on hold. The 1999 NCAA Champion knew he had a chance to realize his Olympic dream, so he took the 1999-00 school year off from classes and college wrestling to train for a berth to the 2000 Summer Games. Abas, a 22-year-old junior, has been wrestling since the age of six and feels that making it to the Olympics is the most prestigious feat one can achieve.
Abas began his rigorous Olympic training in September of 1999 with the Fresno State wrestling team. His workouts consisted of two training sessions per day, two hours of running and lifting weights, a break, and then another two hours of wrestling drills in the wrestling room. He also made four trips out to Colorado Springs, Colo., throughout the year to work with the Olympic wrestling coaches. There, Abas worked on sharpening his freestyle technique, the style used in the Olympics, which is different from folk style, the style used in collegiate wrestling.
The major difference between freestyle and folk style is that in freestyle, a wrestler is not allowed to expose their back to the mat. Abas was not fazed by the prospect of wrestling freestyle though because he has been switching styles for about eight years now. As well as participating on high school and college teams, he has also been a member of a freestyle club, Sunkist Kids for four years.
Changing styles was only one small obstacle for Abas considering he also had to shed six pounds off his already light weight frame of 125 pounds. In freestyle wrestling, the closest division to 125 is 119, but Abas said that cutting an extra six pounds was not very hard.
In an effort to polish his skills for the trials, Abas wrestled in five tournaments and won each tournament title, beginning in November. At the Colorado Springs Training Center during one of such tournaments, Abas defeated Wilfredo Garcia, a 1997 World Champion. Abas also beat the 1996 Olympian Dave Shultz at a tournament in New York.
To qualify for the Olympic trials, one must wrestle at the U.S. Open and place in the top six. Abas went to the U.S. Open April 23 in Las Vegas, Calif. and went 5-1, his only loss to Sam Henson, the 1998 World Champion and eventual Olympic silver medallist in the 119 division.
Two months later, in Dallas, Texas, Abas wrestled in the Olympic trails. The first day of the tournament, June 22, he went 2-0, with 6-0 and 4-2 decisions. The second day did not go as smoothly however. His semi-final match was against Eric Akin, a 29 year old from Iowa, who had defeated Abas five times before over a period of three years. In a close match, Abas fell to Akin 7-6. Akin lost to Henson in the finals the next day.
"One thing a lot of people don't know is that in wrestling, only one guy makes it to the Olympics," said Fresno State wrestling head coach Dennis DeLiddo. "Most other sports take two or three players, but not wrestling. Only the number one guy goes."
"Going to the trials was a great experience for me," Abas said. "Not only was it a good wrestling experience, but it also helped mentally prepare me for the next time. I know what kind of mental state I need to have in 2004."
Abas looks to continue his pursuit for an Olympic title in the 2004 games. "Most wrestlers that make it to the Olympics are in their late 20's. I will keep wrestling as long as my body lets me," Abas said.
Until the next Olympic year though, there are three World titles to be claimed. "Next year, my chances of making the World team are good considering how well I did at the trials. The World Championships are going to be held in New York, which helps because I always compete at my best on U.S. soil. My expectations for next year are first to make the World team," said Abas.
As for wrestling at Fresno State, Abas has plans to continue dominating in the 125 division. After sitting out a year, Abas said, "I have to get back into the flip mode," in reference to switching back to collegiate style.
In two years he has compiled a 75-4 record, with only one loss in 1999. He is also a two-time All-American, placing fourth at the NCAA tournament his freshman year, and winning first place his sophomore year. Abas also has his name in the record books at Fresno State. He set the record for best win percentage in a career (.949) and is second in win percentage for a season (.974). Abas has a chance to become the first ever four-time All-American in the history of Bulldog wrestling, an accomplishment he intends to achieve.
Abas has set his goals high for the next two seasons, as he aims for a spotless record and two more NCAA titles. Said DeLiddo, "If he wrestles to his capability, he will succeed."
After college, Abas noted that he would like to be able to coach wrestling for a college, and eventually open his own business.
