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CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — What a difference two days makes, at least for Zama American’s Michael Spencer and Nile C. Kinnick’s Nichalous Gibbons.

In a reversal of Saturday’s 168-pound Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools gold-medal bout, Spencer manhandled his archrival Gibbons, pinning him in 1 minute, 30 seconds as the 2010 Far East Tournament began Monday at Camp Humphreys’ Super Gym.

“Maybe my head was in the gutter,” Spencer, a reigning Far East gold medalist, said of Gibbons pinning him in the second period of their Saturday match, “but I’m focused now. Just hope I keep it going.”

Spencer’s victory evened their season series at 2-2. Gibbons pinned Spencer in a dual meet last month at Camp Zama, two weeks after Spencer edged Gibbons by decision in the “Beast of the Far East” tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base.

“I’m not going to make any excuse,” Gibbons said. “I just needed a big wakeup call. That was a big slap in the face. Now, I know what to work on and improve, and tomorrow, I’ll just be better.”

The Spencer-Gibbons bout was one of at least six that many considered possible previews of Wednesday’s gold-medal bouts in the double-elimination individual freestyle phase of the Far East Tournament.

The others were:

Kinnick’s Elijah Gamble pinning defending Far East champion Devin Day of Yokota in 1:21 at 135 pounds.Reigning gold medalist Marcus Boehler of Kinnick pinning Yokota’s Ed Peterson in 1:05 at 108 pounds.Kadena’s Aaron Avila decisioning Kinnick’s Triston Barnet at 115 pounds.Guam High’s Andrew Sturgis decisioning Jacob Bishop of Kadena at 141 pounds.Two-time Far East gold medalist Harry Bloom of Kadena decisioning Zama’s John Iredale at 158 pounds.Reigning heavyweight gold medalist Michael Gilliam of Osan American sending Kadena’s Gabe Ahner to the sideline with a rib injury; Ahner returned later Monday to wrestle again.Observers also pointed to three-man pools in the 115- and 122-pound weight classes as “groups of death.” The 115 Group B pool included Avila, Kanto champion Barnet and Yokota’s Trenton Traylor. The 122 Group A pool included Kadena’s Jeff Mizell, Seoul American’s Geoffrey Furner and Yokota’s Will Smith.

Is it beneficial or detrimental to have such fierce competition so early in the week?

“You get to see who’s got the highest potential in the tournament, if you have good, hard matches early on,” Bloom said.

“It’s an opportunity for everyone to know what they’re going up against,” said Gilliam, who entered the Far East tournaments with just two regular-season bouts. “I’d like to know what my competition and style is like.”

To deal with unknowns such as Ahner, whom Gilliam hadn’t wrestled since last year, “you just push into the fear,” Gilliam said. “He could have changed, he could have become stronger, all sorts of things. Just wrestle and do what I’ve been taught and I’ll be fine.”

Gamble hadn’t wrestled in two weeks before running his record over Day to 6-0 this season; a year ago, Day went 5-1 against Gamble.

“I get a feel for how he is,” Day said. “I get to see where he’s at.”

“Either you do well and get a good (double-elimination playoff) seed, or you do badly and you get a bad seed, meaning you have to wrestle that much harder,” Gamble said. “And if it means I have to wrestle that much harder, that’s what I have to do.”

Double-elimination playoff action runs through Wednesday’s individual freestyle gold-medal finals, starting at about 3:30 p.m. at Super Gym. That’s followed by Thursday’s dual-meet tournament.

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Dave Ornauer has been employed by or assigned to Stars and Stripes Pacific almost continuously since March 5, 1981. He covers interservice and high school sports at DODEA-Pacific schools and manages the Pacific Storm Tracker.

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