He was the one of four soldiers to secure a berth after he beat teammate Spc. Timothy Taylor, a world class athlete, in the final on June 15 during a three-day tournament at the University of Nevada Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Center.

Byers, the 2002 Greco-Roman heavyweight world champion, scored 2-5, 2-1, 1-1 in a best of three matchup.

He capped the match in dramatic fashion by scoring five points with a high-amplitude throw of Taylor.

"I just felt that if I worked my under hooks it would pay off, and right there in a clutch moment, it paid off -- just like I had hoped," Byers told MSNBC wrestling analyst Rulon Gardner, a former Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler.

"Taylor is pretty good at being a wall when he wants to," Byers said.

Both soldiers are stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. and train together daily.