June 15, 2008: The Salt Lake Tribune

Beijing Out of Reach for Haight
by Michael C. Lewis

LAS VEGAS — Orem's Cheney Haight wrestled himself all the way through a challenge tournament and into the Greco-Roman finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials on Saturday.

He just couldn't get past the final hurdle.

The 23-year-old former three-time state champion from Timpanogos High School lost to three-time national champion T.C. Dantzler at the Thomas & Mack Center, falling two victories short of what would have been a stunning berth to the 2008 Beijing Games in China.

Haight was competing in his first Olympic Trials, at 163 pounds, and beat Ken Cook and two-time trials champion Keith Sieracki after receiving a first-round bye in the challenge tournament to earn his shot at Dantzler.

And though he said he felt "real prepared" to take on Dantzler because of the coaching he had received, he couldn't pull off the upset.

Dantzler beat Haight 3-2, 0-2, 5-0 and 5-1, 1-1, 4-1 in the best-of-three finals to earn his first trip to the Olympics at age 37. With his best finish at a national event, Haight earned a spot as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Sandy's Talan Knox had a chance to meet Haight for the right to challenge Dantzler, but he lost to Sieracki in the semifinals of the challenge tournament. Pleasant Grove's Bo Beckman and Provo's Nathaniel Holt each lost both matches they wrestled at 145 1/2 pounds — Holt in freestyle, Beckman in Greco-Roman — though Holt won once in the loser's bracket by forfeit.

Taylorsville's Justin Ruiz will compete at 211 1/2 pounds tonight on the final day of the trials, expecting to earn an Olympic berth after losing the trials title match four years ago. Ruiz is a five-time national champion and former world bronze medalist.