Howells native shooting for gold

LINCOLN - Brad Vering belongs in Athens, Greece.

His sculpted 185-pound body, his dedication to working hard and his ability to compete with the best in the world at the oldest sport known to man are a perfect fit.

"Greco-Roman wrestling in Greece - it seems pretty appropriate to me," said Vering, who is preparing for his Olympic debut Aug. 23-25 against the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world.

Vering found a shortcut in the thousands of miles between the northeast Nebraska town of Howells and Athens.

He simply worked to become the most consistent, most deliberate and best conditioned wrestler in the U.S. In just his third year of major international Greco-Roman competition, he won his second U.S. championship this spring in Indianapolis and will be only the second Nebraska native to wrestle in the Olympics.

"It means a lot because so many people have been behind me and supported everything I've done," said Vering, a former NCAA champion at Nebraska. "I have focused all my efforts on making this team and trying to win the gold medal, and I've earned the opportunity."

Vering was a three-time All-American at Nebraska from 1997-2000. He won three Nebraska state high school championships at Howells from 1994-96 and made the move from freestyle (the style most closely associated with high school and college wrestling) to Greco-Roman (a form of wrestling that involves almost all upper body wrestling with no leg holds and very little wrestling with the competitors prone to the ground).

"I enjoyed Greco when I tried it and I was pretty successful at it, so I've stayed with it," he said. "It is the most popular form of wrestling in the world. Only the U.S. and Iran put more emphasis on freestyle wrestling. The rest of the world goes with the emphasis on Greco."

With the help of former Nebraska wrestling coach Tim Neumann and former Husker Matt Lindland, who won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling, Vering earned a spot on the U.S. team. He stays and trains in Colorado Springs, Colo., and competes around the world. He has since trained with the German national team, Egyptian teams and Scandinavian teams.

He earned fifth place at the World Championships and is considered the most consistent wrestler on the U.S. team.

"I try to take everything I've learned from my brother, Russ, a former Husker wrestling standout, and the coaches at the Fremont Wrestling Club where I wrestled from fourth grade to eighth grade, high school and at Nebraska and here and put it all on the mat," Vering said.

"It's what I love doing right now."

Vering already has plans to compete in the Olympics in 2008.

At 27 years old, he is one of the younger competitors at the highest level.

"Look at guys like Rulon Gardner who are 32 and 33 years old and they are at the peak of the sport," Vering said.

Gardner, a former Husker and 2000 gold-medal winner in Greco-Roman at heavyweight, is also on this year's U.S. team.

"Rulon is an inspiration to all of us, because he has accomplished what was thought to be impossible when he won in 2000, then had all those injuries and is back again this year," Vering said. "I also get inspiration from Justin Ruiz, my training partner, and all the other former Huskers like Tolly Thompson who are competing on the world stage."

Ruiz, a two-time Nebraska All-American, left the Huskers last fall to train for the U.S. Olympic team. He barely missed making the team this year but continues to train with the team and with Vering.

"I get a lot from Justin because he is bigger (211 pounds) and stronger and wrestles more like the guys I'll see at the Olympics," Vering said. "He's as tough as anybody I'll see. I'm smaller and quicker and have to have technically better holds and moves to compete with him."

Vering said the American style of Greco-Roman wrestling is more of a constant attack, while the European and Asian style is to wait until there is an opening, then attack, then wait, and attack later.

Vering recently finished 2-1 in a pre-Olympic warmup tournament in Poland.

"I lost to a guy 3-2 and then came back and won my next two matches easily," he said. "But I came away with more knowledge. I also wrestled through the toughest part of our training. Now, with some tapering the last few weeks, and a couple of weeks before we compete in Athens, I think I'll be ready for anything."

As for Athens, Vering expects to see his parents, Reynold and Rose Marie, and the rest of his family that includes brother Russ, sisters Rhonda, Lori and Kristyn.

"When I was back in Nebraska a couple of weeks ago, I heard from a lot of people who were coming, and I heard from a lot of people who said they were rooting for me," Vering said. "That trip to Howells, Omaha, Norfolk and Fremont was like a giant pep rally, and it really pumped me up. Nebraska people are so good."

Many Nebraskans and many Nebraska businesses have contributed to Vering's goal of reaching the Olympics.

"We get a $6,500-a-year stipend from the USOC, and I get a dorm room and cafeteria meals here at the Olympic Training Center," he said. "But after this Olympics, I'd like to stay at the training center but get my own place.

"It's kind of hard to lure a girl to your dorm room." he said with a laugh.

Vering's Web site Bradvering.com, explains how interested parties can become donors to his cause.

"I'm so excited about going to Athens and knowing I have all those people back home behind me," Vering said. "The ancient city with all the history is full of things to see and things to do. It is beautiful, and I plan on making the most of the free days I get between the opening ceremonies and the time we compete.

"I'll also have a lot of time to think about all the people in Nebraska who are rooting for me and all those folks who helped make this possible.

"Then I'll do what I can about getting a medal, and then do some fishing and then get right back to it again for 2008."