Along with 39 other Pennsylvania wrestlers, Keck traveled to Fargo, N.D., on July 18-19 to participate in the ASICS/Vaughan Cadet National Championships and left with a second-place silver medal at 125 pounds and is considered to be an All-American in Greco-Roman style wrestling.

The Pennsylvania Cadet Team had 14 total All-Americans placing and captured the National Team Title in Greco-Roman.

Keck went 6-0 on the first day of competition before winning two more matches the second day to advance to the finals inside the Fargo Dome against Jon Jay Chavez of California.

In the 125-pound finals, Keck and Chavez went scoreless through 90 seconds in the first period before going to the “clinch” – with one wrestle standing and the other on the mat – as it is called in Greco-Roman wrestling. Keck failed to turn Chavez over for the pin, which awarded the California grappler a point to win the first period 1-0.

Chavez gained momentum in the second period and had Keck reeling as he attempted to knock the Bulldog out of bounds to earn another point, ultimately winning the match by a 1-0, 1-0 decision.

“I tried defending it and he countered it,” Keck said. “He took me down, so he was up 1-0 and we went to the clinch after that. I was on bottom that time and I defended for 30 seconds, but he still won because he had that initial first point. That match easily could have gone either way.”

Keck was one of six Pennsylvania wrestlers on the team to advance to the finals in their respective weight classes. He said Greco-Roman helps improve his skills during the off-season from high school wrestling because some rules are different and it helps hones specific moves and poise on the mat.

After joining his Pennsylvania teammates for a weeklong training camp at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, the team took a coach bus across the country to arrive at the Fargo Dome, a large indoor football field at North Dakota State University.

“It was tough,” Keck said of the experience. “It was a huge arena. It was just overwhelming. The competition was tough. These were some of the best kids in the nation wrestling there. I didn’t really expect to go as far as I did. I was the underdog; I wasn’t even expected to place out there. I just kept confident, acted like I had nothing to lose and proved to everyone what I could do.”

Keck qualified for nationals by placing second in the 130-pound weight class at PAWF States in May. He also went on to wrestle at the Northeast Regionals at East Stroudsburg, earning top honors as the champion at 130 pounds against grapplers from Maine, Massachusetts and New York.

Keck, who has been working with the same Greco-Roman coach from the past four years, Gino Frank from Mechanicsburg, has attended practice twice a week in Gettysburg and Chambersburg with his older brother Colten Keck, who won his 100th match as a Bulldog during his senior season at Big Spring, since the high school wrestling season ended.

Reflecting on the experience at nationals, Keck says he feels more confident in his abilities as he enters his junior season wrestling for coach Kemal Pegram.

“I feel like I did my best, just the set up that they had there – with only one mat running, the finals, all the attention on you – I think that got to me, but overall I think I did my best,” said Keck, who also earned funded access to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado as a reward for his performance in Fargo. “I’m definitely more confident in myself and I believe I can go far if I have the right mindset. I’m sure (my coaches) are proud of me and what I did out in North Dakota.”

Two years ago, Keck also qualified for another national team that competed in team-style duals in Indianapolis, Ind., he said.

Keck wished to thank his sponsors for making the trip to North Dakota possible, including Newville Wrestling Association, Funk’s Well Drilling, Blue Mountain Excavation, Graham Medical Clinic, Newville Auto Service, Turner Hydraulics and Lowell and Virginia Hassinger. It was their monetary donations that made his trip possible.

The six other Pennsylvania wrestlers who made it to the finals were Darian Cruz (105), Chance Marstellar (152), Eric Morris (160), Ray O’Donnell (171) and Jovon Reyes (189).

For Complete article and Results by C.J. Lovelace, The Shippensburg News-Chronicle

“Last year I was confident I was going to win it, but I ended up falling short,” Brunson said. “This year I knew it was possible, but I tried to focus on being more humble. One match at a time, and I was not concerned about winning, but wrestling my best.”

Brunson won 11 matches during three days to win the 152-pound title at the national freestyle championships in Fargo, N.D., on Saturday.

“It was pretty spectacular,” Churchill coach Scott Kearney said. “This has been part of the process for him and goal of his since he was a little kid. This is the tournament that defines his high school career.”

Brunson is a three-time state wrestling champion who has a chance next year as a senior to become the 21st four-time champion in state history and the first from the Midwestern League. Kearney said that Brunson is only the ninth wrestler from Oregon to win a title at Junior Nationals.

“It feels great and I am real pleased with it, but after all is said and done I look forward to still competing,” Brunson said. “Competing in college and trying to win NCAA titles, things like that. So this is a steppingstone.”

Brunson will have his pick of colleges and said he is still narrowing his choices but hopes to decide by November.

“Before this tournament he was getting a lot of attention from colleges across the country,” Kearney said. “Coaches were coming up there and saying, ‘you won’t have to pay to go to college.’”

Brunson faced Edwin Cooper, a runner-up last year who just graduated from high school in Illinois, in the final, and Cooper won the first period 4-0 in the best-of-three format.

Kearney noted that Cooper had obviously scouted Brunson, so he had to alter his attack.

“You don’t want to lose 4-0 in the first period, but Zac has been there before,” Kearney said. “He’s a cool customer, so I wasn’t worried although I was concerned.”

Brunson won the second period 1-0 and then clinched the title by winning the third 6-0.

“I try to wrestle 20 seconds at a time, so once the first period was over I tried not to think about it,” Brunson said. “The second round comes, and it is a new match for me. Just go out and score points and win the round and not worry about what happened earlier or later.”

Brunson failed to place at the tournament last year.

“After losing last year it was eating at me the whole year wanting to win this,” Brunson said.

Brunson wrestled nearly four matches per day against foes from across the country, including some who were a year ahead of him in school.

“The competition was unbelievable,’ Brunson said. “I wrestled four or five returning All-Americans and four kids I wrestled were state champions. You can’t understand how difficult the tournament is until you have wrestled in it. Not just physically, but mentally it wears on you. The whole time you have to be focused, and when you have a chance to recover physically and mentally, you have to take it. If you focus on the whole 11 matches it will tear you apart.”

For Complete Article by Steve Mims, The Register-Guard

And he had been.

For the third time this year, Moody walked onto the mat with an opportunity to capture a Junior Nationals championship.

And for the third time, he had his hand raised in victory.

Moody downed Illinois teammate Tommy Pawelski 6-3, 5-1 to win the Junior Nationals freestyle title at 98 pounds on Saturday morning in the FargoDome. Moody had lost to Pawleski in the Illinois state freestyle tournament.

“It was important. It feels great to win this,” Moody said of the Triple Crown. “I worked so hard this past year to make up for what I didn’t do last year. We had wrestled each other before, and I knew his strengths and weaknesses. I just went out there and capitalized on all of them.”

Moody won a Junior Nationals title in Folkstyle this past April in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He captured a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman crown on Tuesday.

Moody becomes the third Junior to capture a USA Wrestling Triple Crown. He joins Montana’s Jade Rauser (2009) and Michigan’s Freddie Rodriguez (2010). Juniors became eligible to win the Triple Crown in 2007.

Moody’s Illinois teammate, Jahwon Akui, fell just short of winning a Junior Triple Crown. Akui, the Outstanding Wrestler in the Junior Greco-Roman tournament on Tuesday, fell to Wisconsin’s Devin Peterson in the 189 freestyle finals. Peterson won the first period 7-0 before recording a fall just before time ran out in the second period.

Peterson, a 2009 Triple Crown winner in Cadets, won a Junior Greco title earlier in the week. Peterson now has five Fargo titles. He also won a Junior Nationals Greco crown in 2010. He also won a Cadet Nationals Folkstyle title in Iowa in 2009.

Akui, an Iowa Central recruit, bumped up to 189 for the freestyle event after winning a Junior Greco title at 171.

Wisconsin’s Alex Dieringer repeated as a Junior Nationals freestyle champion after sweeping Oklahoma’s Zac Skates 4-0, 4-0 in the 160 finals. Dieringer, an Oklahoma State recruit, won a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title here on Tuesday.

Dieringer was named Outstanding Wrestler in the freestyle tournament. He moved up a weight class in freestyle after winning a Junior Nationals Greco title at 152 earlier in the week.

“The competition is unbelievable. The best wrestlers in the country are here,” Dieringer said. “Being here is an honor. All the years here, I have gone up in weight in freestyle. It was a little different here this time. Once you get to the bigger guys, they are a whole lot stronger. I guess my strength was enough.”

ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year Morgan McIntosh of California (215) repeated as Junior freestyle champion. The powerful McIntosh, a Penn State recruit, beat Iowa’s Blaize Cabell 5-0, 5-0 in the finals.

“I talked to the coaches, and they wanted me to focus on getting better and not worry about my weight,” McIntosh said. “I want to get used to the bigger, stronger guys. There was a difference. A lot of these guys were 10-15 pounds bigger than me. It was a good experience for me. I tried to stay with what I do. I tried to be quicker on my feet, get on low shots and not get underneath these big guys.”

“I wanted to come here to help the California team. I love being here. I like being on the big stage in front of everyone.”

Illinois won the team title with Iowa second and Wisconsin third.

Matt Garelli of Illinois repeated as Junior Nationals freestyle champion after earning a tough three-period win over California’s Johson Mai. Garelli won 3-3, 7-0, 3-3 in the 105 finals.

Junior Greco-Roman champion Ben Whitford of Michigan completed a Fargo double after winning the freestyle finals at 135. He swept Ohio’s Ty Davis 7-0, 2-0 in the finals.

Whitford won a freestyle title in Fargo for the third straight year after claiming Cadet Nationals crowns here in 2009 and 2010. He has now won five titles in Fargo. He also won a Cadet Greco title in 2010.

Past FILA Cadet Nationals champion Jason Tsirtsis of Indiana topped 2011 Junior Nationals Folkstyle champion Jake Short of Minnesota 1-0, 1-0 in the Junior Nationals freestyle finals at 140.

Florida’s Pat Downey capped an impressive tournament by downing Washington’s Jordan Rogers, a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2010, in the Junior freestyle finals at 171. Downey rallied past Rogers 1-1, 3-1, 3-0.

Past Cadet and FILA Cadet Nationals champion Thomas Gilman of Nebraska capped a superb tournament by winning the title at 119. Gilman swept Hawaii’s David Terao 4-1, 2-1 in the finals.

Gilman, whose stock as a top college recruit went up considerably in the past two days, will compete in the FILA Cadet World Championships next month in Hungary.

Virginia’s Joey Dance continued his run of success in Fargo by winning the 125 freestyle title. Dance beat Washington’s Joey Palmer 3-0, 0-1, 2-1 in the finals. Dance won a Cadet Nationals freestyle title in 2009.

Past Cadet Nationals champion Connor Medbery of Colorado became a Junior Nationals champion when he downed Iowa’s Cody Krumwiede 3-1, 2-0 in the 285 finals. Medbery is a Wisconsin recruit. Krumwiede won a Junior Nationals Folkstyle title in April.

Zane Richards of Illinois capped a superb week by topping Virginia’s Brandon Jeske 2-1, 2-0 in the 130 finals. Richards placed second in Greco-Roman earlier in the week. Richards won Cadet Nationals here in Greco in 2009 and 2010.

Past FILA Cadet Nationals champion Nathan Tomasello of Ohio defeated Indiana’s Jarred Brooks 5-1, 0-4, 4-1 in the 112 finals.

New York’s Brian Realbuto delivered one of the most dramatic wins of the night when he rallied past Brian Murphy of Illinois in the 145 finals. Realbuto dropped the first period, but came back to score a pin with one second left in the second period to prevail.

Oregon’s Zach Brunson dropped the first period, but regrouped to down Edwin Cooper of Illinois 0-4, 1-0, 6-0 in the 152 finals. Brunson was second in FILA Junior Nationals this year and third in the FILA Junior World Team Trials.

The eight-day Junior and Cadet Nationals concluded on Saturday.

98 POUNDS
Nkosi Moody (Illinois) dec. Tommy Pawelski (Illinois), 6-3, 5-1

105 POUNDS
Matt Garelli (Illinois) dec. Johnson Mai (California), 3-3, 7-0, 3-3

112 POUNDS
Nathan Tomasello (Ohio) dec. Jarred Brooks (Indiana), 5-1, 0-4, 4-1

119 POUNDS
Thomas Gilman (Nebraska) dec. David Terao (Hawaii), 4-1, 2-1

125 POUNDS
Joey Dance (Virginia) dec. Joey Palmer (Washington), 3-0, 0-1, 2-1

130 POUNDS
Zane Richards (Illinois) dec. Brandon Jeske (Virginia), 2-1, 2-0

135 POUNDS
Ben Whitford (Michigan) dec. Ty Davis (Ohio), 7-0, 2-0

140 POUNDS
Jason Tsirtsis (Indiana) dec. Jake Short (Minnesota), 1-0, 1-0

145 POUNDS
Brian Realbuto (New York) pinned Brian Murphy (Illinois), 0-1, 1:59

152 POUNDS
Zach Brunson (Oregon) dec. Edwin Cooper (Illinois), 0-4, 1-0, 6-0

160 POUNDS
Alex Dieringer (Wisconsin) dec. Zac Skates (Oklahoma) 4-0, 4-0

171 POUNDS
Pat Downey (Florida) dec. Jordan Rogers (Washington), 1-1, 3-1, 3-0

189 POUNDS
Devin Peterson (Wisconsin) pinned Jahwon Akui (Illinois), 7-0, 1:59

215 POUNDS
Morgan McIntosh (California) dec. Blaize Cabell (Iowa), 5-0, 5-0

285 POUNDS
Connor Medbery (Colorado) dec. Cody Krumwiede (Iowa), 3-1, 2-0

And he had been.

For the third time this year, Moody walked onto the mat with an opportunity to capture a Junior Nationals championship.

And for the third time, he had his hand raised in victory.

Moody downed Illinois teammate Tommy Pawelski 6-3, 5-1 to win the Junior Nationals freestyle title at 98 pounds on Saturday morning in the FargoDome. Moody had lost to Pawleski in the Illinois state freestyle tournament.

“It was important. It feels great to win this,” Moody said of the Triple Crown. “I worked so hard this past year to make up for what I didn’t do last year. We had wrestled each other before, and I knew his strengths and weaknesses. I just went out there and capitalized on all of them.”

Moody won a Junior Nationals title in Folkstyle this past April in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He captured a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman crown on Tuesday.

Moody becomes the third Junior to capture a USA Wrestling Triple Crown. He joins Montana’s Jade Rauser (2009) and Michigan’s Freddie Rodriguez (2010). Juniors became eligible to win the Triple Crown in 2007.

Moody’s Illinois teammate, Jahwon Akui, fell just short of winning a Junior Triple Crown. Akui, the Outstanding Wrestler in the Junior Greco-Roman tournament on Tuesday, fell to Wisconsin’s Devin Peterson in the 189 freestyle finals. Peterson won the first period 7-0 before recording a fall just before time ran out in the second period.

Peterson, a 2009 Triple Crown winner in Cadets, won a Junior Greco title earlier in the week. Peterson now has five Fargo titles. He also won a Junior Nationals Greco crown in 2010. He also won a Cadet Nationals Folkstyle title in Iowa in 2009.

Akui, an Iowa Central recruit, bumped up to 189 for the freestyle event after winning a Junior Greco title at 171.

Wisconsin’s Alex Dieringer repeated as a Junior Nationals freestyle champion after sweeping Oklahoma’s Zac Skates 4-0, 4-0 in the 160 finals. Dieringer, an Oklahoma State recruit, won a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title here on Tuesday.

Dieringer was named Outstanding Wrestler in the freestyle tournament. He moved up a weight class in freestyle after winning a Junior Nationals Greco title at 152 earlier in the week.

“The competition is unbelievable. The best wrestlers in the country are here,” Dieringer said. “Being here is an honor. All the years here, I have gone up in weight in freestyle. It was a little different here this time. Once you get to the bigger guys, they are a whole lot stronger. I guess my strength was enough.”

ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year Morgan McIntosh of California (215) repeated as Junior freestyle champion. The powerful McIntosh, a Penn State recruit, beat Iowa’s Blaize Cabell 5-0, 5-0 in the finals.

“I talked to the coaches, and they wanted me to focus on getting better and not worry about my weight,” McIntosh said. “I want to get used to the bigger, stronger guys. There was a difference. A lot of these guys were 10-15 pounds bigger than me. It was a good experience for me. I tried to stay with what I do. I tried to be quicker on my feet, get on low shots and not get underneath these big guys.”

“I wanted to come here to help the California team. I love being here. I like being on the big stage in front of everyone.”

Illinois won the team title with Iowa second and Wisconsin third.

Matt Garelli of Illinois repeated as Junior Nationals freestyle champion after earning a tough three-period win over California’s Johson Mai. Garelli won 3-3, 7-0, 3-3 in the 105 finals.

Junior Greco-Roman champion Ben Whitford of Michigan completed a Fargo double after winning the freestyle finals at 135. He swept Ohio’s Ty Davis 7-0, 2-0 in the finals.

Whitford won a freestyle title in Fargo for the third straight year after claiming Cadet Nationals crowns here in 2009 and 2010. He has now won five titles in Fargo. He also won a Cadet Greco title in 2010.

Past FILA Cadet Nationals champion Jason Tsirtsis of Indiana topped 2011 Junior Nationals Folkstyle champion Jake Short of Minnesota 1-0, 1-0 in the Junior Nationals freestyle finals at 140.

Florida’s Pat Downey capped an impressive tournament by downing Washington’s Jordan Rogers, a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2010, in the Junior freestyle finals at 171. Downey rallied past Rogers 1-1, 3-1, 3-0.

Past Cadet and FILA Cadet Nationals champion Thomas Gilman of Nebraska capped a superb tournament by winning the title at 119. Gilman swept Hawaii’s David Terao 4-1, 2-1 in the finals.

Gilman, whose stock as a top college recruit went up considerably in the past two days, will compete in the FILA Cadet World Championships next month in Hungary.

Virginia’s Joey Dance continued his run of success in Fargo by winning the 125 freestyle title. Dance beat Washington’s Joey Palmer 3-0, 0-1, 2-1 in the finals. Dance won a Cadet Nationals freestyle title in 2009.

Past Cadet Nationals champion Connor Medbery of Colorado became a Junior Nationals champion when he downed Iowa’s Cody Krumwiede 3-1, 2-0 in the 285 finals. Medbery is a Wisconsin recruit. Krumwiede won a Junior Nationals Folkstyle title in April.

Zane Richards of Illinois capped a superb week by topping Virginia’s Brandon Jeske 2-1, 2-0 in the 130 finals. Richards placed second in Greco-Roman earlier in the week. Richards won Cadet Nationals here in Greco in 2009 and 2010.

Past FILA Cadet Nationals champion Nathan Tomasello of Ohio defeated Indiana’s Jarred Brooks 5-1, 0-4, 4-1 in the 112 finals.

New York’s Brian Realbuto delivered one of the most dramatic wins of the night when he rallied past Brian Murphy of Illinois in the 145 finals. Realbuto dropped the first period, but came back to score a pin with one second left in the second period to prevail.

Oregon’s Zach Brunson dropped the first period, but regrouped to down Edwin Cooper of Illinois 0-4, 1-0, 6-0 in the 152 finals. Brunson was second in FILA Junior Nationals this year and third in the FILA Junior World Team Trials.

Article Written By Craig Sesker of USA Wrestling

JUNIOR NATIONALS FREESTYLE FINALS RESULTS

Complete Brackets & Results for Junior Freestyle Nationals

This year’s recipients are Morgan McIntosh of California for boys and Jenna Burkert of New York for girls.

McIntosh, a 2010 ASICS Junior Nationals champion, won three California state high school titles for Calvary Chapel High School. He was named the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner on the national level by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, based upon athletic and academic achievement and community service.

McIntosh is expected to compete this week at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals in freestyle. He will attend Penn State in the fall.

Burkert was fourth at the 2011 U.S. Senior Open, and was a member of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games team. She won the FILA Junior Nationals title this spring and qualified for the Junior World Team at the Body Bar Nationals.

Burkett attended Marquette High School in Michigan, where she is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) program.

Burkett will not be competing this week at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals, as she is in her final week of training for the Junior World Championships which take place next week in Bucharest, Hungary.

Burkert becomes only the second girl to win the award twice, joining California’s Tatiana Padilla who was honored in 2007 and 2008. No boy has ever won this award twice.

The program began in 1986, when California’s Laurence Jackson was named as the first ASICS High School Boys Wrestler of the Year. With the growth of women’s wrestling, the first ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year was recognized in 2001, with Toccara Montgomery of Ohio receiving the award.

Looking back over the history of the program, the winners have gone on to achieve great things at the higher levels of wrestling.

Olympic champion Henry Cejudo of Colorado was the 2006 boys winner. Others who have made Olympic teams for the United States include boys recipients Oscar Wood of Oregon, Cary Kolat of Pennsylvania, Joe Williams of Illinois and Steve Mocco of New Jersey and girls Toccara Montgomery of Ohio and Ali Bernard of Minnesota.

World medalists who are past winners include girls Montgomery and Padilla, plus boys Kolat and Williams.

Wrestlers who have won multiple NCAA Div. I titles included Kolat, Williams, Mocco and Damion Hahn of New Jersey. Others won an NCAA Div. I title were Alan Fried of Ohio, Jesse Jantzen of New York, Zach Esposito of New Jersey, Dustin Schlatter of Ohio and Troy Nickerson of New York.

Future winners of this award may be competing this weekend in Fargo. A large majority of past winners have either won titles here or have been multiple All-Americans on the Junior or Cadet levels.

For Complete Article by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

“It means a lot to wrestle for them,” Moody said. “A lot of great wrestlers have come through there, like (Olympian) T.C. Dantzler and (NCAA champion) Tony Davis. I’m just glad to be a part of it and continue the tradition.”

Moody is doing exactly that after he swept Nebraska’s Dante Rodriguez 4-0, 6-0 in the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman 98-pound finals on Tuesday afternoon.

Moody was one of 15 champions crowned on Tuesday at the Fargo Dome.

Moody won the Junior Folkstyle Nationals earlier this year and remains alive to win a USA Wrestling Triple Crown. He will need to win a Junior freestyle title later this week to complete the rare triple.

“Winning the Triple Crown is very important to me,” Moody said. “Last year I wasn’t able to do it. This year I’m coming after it. I’ve put in so much work that it would just mean so much to me.”

Three wrestlers repeated as Junior Nationals Greco champions. They included Missouri’s Colton Howell (112 pounds), Florida’s Rossi Bruno (125) and Wisconsin’s Devin Peterson (189)

Howell swept Iowa’s Phillip Laux 1-0, 3-0 to win his second straight Junior Greco title.

“Freestyle and Folkstyle is not my thing,” Howell said. “Greco is where I’m comfortable and where I’m at my best. It really fits well with my style of wrestling.”

Bruno, a four-time state high school champion, won Junior Greco at 125 for the second straight year. Bruno edged 2010 Cadet Nationals Greco champion Zane Richards of Illinois 3-0, 0-1, 1-0.

Peterson downed Minnesota’s Jake Waste 5-0, 1-0 in a battle of 2009 Cadet Triple Crown champions.

Illinois’ Jahwon Akui (171), a past Cadet Nationals double champion, struck gold again in North Dakota when he downed Michigan’s Kevin Beazley 1-0, 1-0. Akui, an Iowa Central recruit, placed third in Junior Greco in 2010.

Akui was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Illinois won the team title with Florida finishing second.

Florida’s Isaiah Varona knocked off returning champion Tyler Fraley of New Jersey 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 to win the title at 119.

Following Bruno’s win at 125, Florida made it three in a row when Kevin Norstrem swept Jacob Velarde of Washington 3-0, 1-0 in the 130 finals.

Florida added a fourth title when Geordan Speiller defeated Iowa’s Alex Meyer 3-0, 3-1 in the 160 finals. Meyer won Junior Folkstyle Nationals earlier this year.

Michigan’s Ben Whitford continued his run of Fargo success by taking two straight from Oklahoma’s Chase Ferman 9-2, 7-0 in the 135 finals. Whitford won Cadet Nationals titles in Greco and freestyle in 2010.

Michigan’s Adam Coon won the title at 215 after scoring a second-period pin over Florida’s Lee Wildes. Coon won a Cadet Nationals Greco title in 2010.

North Dakota’s Joe Schumacher delivered in his home state by downing Idaho’s Casey George 2-0, 1-0 in the 140 finals.

California’s Johnson Mai won the crown at 105 after rallying past Wisconsin’s Bobby Nachreiner 2-5, 3-2, 3-0.

Utah’s Jacob Falk swept Oliver Pierce of Texas 2-1, 1-0 in the 145 finals.

Wisconsin’s Alex Dieringer (152), an Oklahoma State recruit, swept Florida’s Clark Glass 2-0, 1-0 in the finals. Dieringer placed third in Greco here last year before winning a Junior freestyle championship.

Minnesota’s Parker Betts capped the session by defeating Colorado’s Connor Medbery 1-0, 2-0 in the 285 finals. Betts is the brother of 2009 World Team member Chas Betts.

Juniors feature the nation’s top 16-18 year olds.

Article Written By Craig Sesker of USA Wrestling

JUNIOR NATIONALS GRECO-ROMAN FINALS RESULTS

Complete Brackets & Results for Junior Greco-Roman Nationals

He defeated RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./RP Nationals), two matches to one, in a best-of-three series to earn a trip to the 2011 Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania in late July.

Coleman won the first match, 3-1, 1-0. He scored on a step-out and a gutwrench in the first period, then won the second period with another step-out point.

Perkins claimed bout two, winning in three periods, 0-1, 1-0, 2-0. It went down to the third period, with Perkins on the top in the par terre. If Coleman had defended, he would have won the bout and the series, however, Perkins scored a two-point turn to win the bout.

The third match was not decided until the final seconds of the third period. Coleman won the first period by technical fall, 7-0. Perkins won the second period, 3-0 after he hit a three-point throw. In the final period, Perkins scored a point and was in the top in the par terre position, needing only to avoid being scored upon to win the bout. Coleman got to his feet and scored a push out for the winning point with just three seconds to go. The period ended 1-1, but Coleman won because he scored the final point.

“I went out to wrestle. I tried as hard as I could. It came out my way,” said Coleman. “This is only the second time we have wrestled each other. I won the first time in a hard-fought match. He had this match won. I had to find a way to win.”

The best-of-three series was held because of a Junior World Team Trials qualification procedure in which a returning Junior World medalist moves directly to the Championship finals series, and can delay the series due to injury.

Coleman won a bronze medal at the 2010 Junior World Championships. He was unable to compete at the FILA Junior Nationals due to injury.

Perkins won the FILA Junior Nationals title with a two-match triumph over Old Dominion’s Justin LaValle.

In addition to his Junior World medal in 2010, Coleman earned a spot on Greco-Roman Team USA with a third place at the 2010 World Team Trials. He was fourth at the 2010 U.S. Senior Open.

Perkins won the 2011 Northern Plains Senior Regionals, which earned him a spot at the 2011 Senior World Team Trials. He won the 2010 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title as a prep star from Nebraska.

“It was a barnburner. For me it’s exciting to have two young gentleman capable of wrestling at the Worlds. Ellis had to win with just five seconds left. It shows you the heart of a champion Ellis had to find a way to win, but it also shows that RaVaughn is not afraid to wrestle anybody,” said National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson.

The rest of the U.S. Greco-Roman Junior World Team was determined at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Indiana in May. The U.S. Junior World Team has been in training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, alongside the Senior U.S. World Team.

JUNIOR WORLD TEAM GRECO-ROMAN SPECIAL WRESTLE-OFF
At Colorado Springs, Colo., July 2

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (RP Nationals), 2 matches to 1
Bout One – Coleman dec. Perkins, 3-1, 1-0
Bout Two – Perkins dec. Coleman, 0-1, 1-0, 2-0
Bout Three – Coleman dec. Perkins, 7-0, 0-3, 1-1

J.D. Bergman, Cody Magrum, Keith Witt and Kirk Tank are only a few.

But he’s never quite had a wrestler like Ian Miller — and he may not again.

“Ian’s talent level is off the charts,” Bergman said. “He’s very strong and very explosive. He’s probably the best, the most dynamic and most explosive wrestler I’ve coached at Oak Harbor. Just about every major record we have is his.”

Miller’s got five of them to be exact, including most career victories (173), career falls (108), victories in a season (51), falls in a season (42) and most consecutive wins by fall (24). The last three records were established this past season when Miller (51-1) finished as state runner-up in Division II at 152 pounds.

Miller is the second of six seniors in the News-Messenger’s 14th annual Michael K. Bosi Athlete of the Year series.

“Those are all big to have,” Miller said of owning school records at a program with 21 state champions. “Going into the year, I was looking at the records and I knew I could break most of them. To own the ones I do is big. It’s a special thing.”

J.D. Bergman and Magrum each won multiple state titles at Oak Harbor. Miller won a title at 145 pounds as a junior. This past season he lost a 2-0 overtime decision in the state finals to St. Paris Graham’s Matt Stephens — the projected state runner-up.

Had Miller won, he would’ve been the seventh Oak Harbor wrestler to ever win multiple titles. Yet, he owns a championship neither J.D. nor Magrum ever achieved.

With an 8-6 finals win over Montini (Ill.) Catholic’s Stephen Robertson, Miller became the Rockets’ first titlist at the prestigious, annual Iron Man tournament at Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit. Robertson came in as a two-time state champion in Illinois.

“That’s probably my biggest accomplishment in wrestling,” Miller said, whose lone loss as a junior came in the Iron Man finals. “Being the first champion there for Oak Harbor means a lot. I went into the tournament not really thinking about it, then came out on top.”

Coach Bergman called the Iron Man event, “the country’s toughest tournament.”

“The Iron Man is tougher than the state tournament,” he said. “It definitely put Ian in exclusive company. But there is nothing like winning a state title either. And there’s something about winning in front of the 14 or 15,000 people that watch the state tournament each year. So losing at state was still very disappointing for Ian.”

Few opponents lasted more than a few minutes on the mat with Miller.

“He’s so good on his feet,” George said. “He also takes good shots at his opponents, he’s good at lifts, and he finishes takedowns. And no one worked harder than him in the wrestling room.”

Takedowns are tough to come by when you’re mostly pinning your opponents in the first minute. Still, Miller finished with 156 takedowns as a senior and had 446 for his four-year career — the second-most in program history.

Wrestling has long been a part of the Miller family. Miller’s father got him started on the mat in kindergarten. Over the years he developed a close relationship with four-time state champion Erik Burnett, who he wrestled for at the Junior Nationals dual tournament last summer.

Burnett became a personal coach for Miller, and it wasn’t uncommon for the two to do work during times others would rather rest.

For Complete Article by Kevin Shields, News-Messenger

And he does all this with metal rods in his spine.

When Crutchmer was 4 years old, he had a serious medical condition that showed up as a birth defect. It prevented him from walking and would require major surgery.

Doctors told the Crutchmer family that Brian wouldn’t walk again and definitely wouldn’t be able to play sports anymore.

They were wrong.

His dad, Tulsa Union wrestling coach Kevin Crutchmer, made him do workouts with his legs, and he walked again. Brian began playing soccer at age 7 and football at age 8, and he began wrestling in the 6th grade with his younger brother Kyle.

Crutchmer now wrestles with metal rods in his spine that were placed there to combat his condition and keep fluid flowing through his spine, but he doesn’t let it faze him on the mat.

“It hurts every once in a while, but I don’t worry about my back.” Crutchmer said.

He is grateful for everything he has been able to accomplish but hasn’t reached his goal: to be better than his brother, Kyle Crutchmer.

Kyle is the 6A state champion at 171 pounds, and he beat OSU signee and two-time state champion Zach Skates of Broken Arrow for that title.

Kyle has received offers from a number of schools, including OU, OSU and Maryland.

“I hope he is better than me — he’s my brother I wish him the best and hope he does well in everything he does,” Kyle Crutchmer said.

Kevin Crutchmer has coached his sons since they began wrestling in the sixth grade, and they have been working in the family’s property management business.

“They’re both hard workers and both of them have been working for me for 8 years,” Kevin Crutchmer said. “They appreciate the finer things in life through working with me.”

Crutchmer is an assistant for Team Oklahoma at Junior Nationals. He tries to play more of a dad role as the kids are preparing for college.

“Up until they were sophomores I coached them pretty heavy, but I listen to a lot of veteran coaches,” Kevin said. “I kind of want to be more of a dad at this point. I let my assistant coaches put in more time with them and I got back in the dad role.”

Tony Cook is the head coach of Team Oklahoma at Junior Duals and is Locust Grove’s wrestling coach.

“Dealing with Brian is a dream,” Cook said. “To see him have the success he has at the level he has makes you feel proud to work with a kid like that.

“Sometimes you have to back him off some. He’s always at ‘full-go’ but sometimes his back won’t allow him to. He’s a guy that won’t let you back him off.”

The brothers may have to separate when college comes as they are gaining interest from different schools, but they both want to stay close to home

“We would like to see them stay close so we could attend and see them,” Kevin Crutchmer said. “But I’ve always told my boys I support their decision as long as it is an educated decision. I would like to see them together but I don’t think it will happen.”

Now the Crutchmers are playing the waiting game until Brian and Kyle both sign and start their new lives in college.

For Article by Tariq Lee, NEWSOK, The Oklahoman

“We are excited to welcome all our incoming cadet wrestlers in the class of 2015,” said Sharratt. “These guys bring in a wealth of talent and accolades that together combine for 27 state placing honors and nine athletes who have more than 100 high school victories in their prep career.”

“I am very proud of the effort put forth by the Academy, my staff and these athletes to close out our 2015 recruiting class,” continued Sharratt. “The Air Force Academy application process takes a lot of time and effort and so many people play a part of the successful completion of each cadet’s application. It is exciting for me to see the way our admissions office worked hand in hand to close out the appointment offers for each of our young men, as well as the yeoman’s effort by Trapper Carpenter and Sam Barber to get it done.”

“In our effort to add depth at strategic weights we also focused on recruiting the right guys with the right work ethic in our 2015 class,” said Sharratt. “In 2011-12 we are looking to raise the level of intensity in all aspects of the program and these young men will have to be ready to battle when we kick things off. They have the talent and we expect them to be ready to meet the challenges ahead of them in our training and competition.”

Following is a listing of this year’s newcomers, along with a brief summary of their previous athletic accomplishments:

Jack Carda, Pukwana, S.D. – Two-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish … career record of 108-30.
Daniel Cotton, Phoenix, Ariz. – Three-time state medalist, including two runner-up finishes … career record of 117-10.
Jeremy Delzer, Altus, Okla. – Three-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish.
Cody Hancock, Phelan, Calif. – Attended the Academy Prep School … finished in the top 12 in the state in 2010 … career record of 160-41.
Joshua Hastings, Pleasant Hill, Mo. – Three-time state medalist, including two runner-up finishes … career record of 148-33.
Dalton Henderson, Owatonna, Minn. – Attended the Academy Prep School … three-time state medalist … state champion … career record of 143-29 … All-American at NCWA Nationals in 2011, finishing as runner-up.
Dylan Hyder, Yelm, Wash. – Four-time state medalist … two-time state champion … fifth-place at NHSCA Junior Nationals in 2010 … career record of 124-11.
Roger Jones II, Brandon, Fla. – Attended the Academy Prep School … state qualifier at 135 pounds in 2010 … career record of 103-32.
Elijah Levee, Mandeville, La. – Four-time state champion … career record of 205-31 … 129 career falls.
Carter McElhany, Colorado Springs, Colo. – Four-time state medalist … two-time state champion … 2008 USA Wrestling All-American … career record of 157-8.
Garrett Wells, Corvallis, Ore. – Attended the Academy Prep School … placed fourth in state in 2010 … compiled a season record of 37-5 … two-time conference champion.

Article by USAFA, CO.

Greco – June 24th & 25th

Freestyle – June 26th & 27th

Where:

Freede Center @ Oklahoma City Univ.
2501 North Blackwelder Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Junior National Duals – Event Schedule

Greco – Participating Teams:

1. California
2. Colorado
3. Florida
4. Georgia 1
5. Georgia 2
6. Illinois
7. Indiana
8. Iowa
9. Kansas 1
10. Kansas 2
11. Michigan 1
12. Michigan
13. Minnesota Black
14. Minnesota Blue
15. Missouri
16. Nebraska
17. New York
18. North Dakota
19. Oklahoma
20. Tennessee
21. Texas
22. Virginia
23. Washington
24. Wisconsin

Freestyle – Participating Teams:

1. California 1
2. California 2
3. Colorado
4. Connecticut
5. Flordia
6. Georgia 1
7. Georgia 2
8. Illinois
9. Indiana
10. Iowa 1
11. Iowa 2
12. Kansas 1
13. Kansas 2
14. Michigan 1
15. Michigan 2
16. Minnesota 1
17. Minnesota 2
18. Missouri
19. Nebraska
20. New Jersey
21. New York
22. North Dakota
23. Ohio
24. Oklahoma 1
25. Oklahoma 2
26. Pennsylvania
27. South Dakota
28. Tennessee
29. Texas
30. Virginia
31. Washington
32. Wisconsin

Live TV : Ustream

Live TV : Ustream

Live TV : Ustream

Live streaming video by Ustream

Live streaming video by Ustream

Roberts will board a plane today that’s headed to Germany to wrestle and to Romania in July to compete.

At Friday’s FILA Junior World Team Trials in Franklin, Ind., Roberts repeated as the 55-kilogram (110-pound) champion by beating Jarred Brooks (H.M. @ 112) 3-0, 2-1 in the first match, then 1-0, 5-0.

That victory clinched Roberts’ spot on the United States World Junior Team that will wrestle in Romania. Roberts finished fifth at the world championships last year as a 16-year-old.

The Junior World Championships annually feature the top 17-20-year-old wrestlers on the planet.

Something new this year, Roberts earned a spot on the U.S. World Cup team that will travel to Germany this week to compete against the hosts, Russia, Iran and others in an eight-team field. It is a dual meet tournament mirroring the senior-level World Cup including the top wrestling countries from around the world. The event will guarantee athletes as many as four international matches and the opportunity to help the United States to win the Junior World Cup Team Title.

Last month in Cleveland, Roberts won the 55 kg championship at the ASICS FILA Junior Nationals Freestyle Wrestling Tournament.

The Junior Division includes wrestlers born from 1991-93, mainly first-year college wrestlers and elite high school seniors.

Roberts won his second PIAA state title at 112 pounds for North Star in March. He placed third in 2010.

Complete Article by Jeff Maurer, Daily American

Competition will be held in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. FILA Juniors are athletes who are 17-20 years old.

This is the qualifying event for the 2011 FILA Junior World Championships, set for Bucharest, Romania, July 26-31

A number of past FILA Junior World Team members are eligible to compete again this year. Among the stars back is 2010 Junior World bronze medalist Ellis Coleman, (Colorado Springs, Colo./NYAC) who competed at 145 pounds in Greco-Roman last year. Coleman is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete.

Two members of the 2010 Junior World freestyle team who both placed fifth in the Junior Worlds are eligible to return: Nick Roberts, (Hooversville, Pa./Young Guns) at 110 pounds and Jeremy Johnson, (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Bobcat WC) at 264 pounds. Roberts is a high school star in Pennsylvania, while Johnson wrestles for Ohio University.

Athletes in freestyle and Greco-Roman will both weigh in on Thursday, May 19, with competition in both styles set for Friday, May 20.

Competition will be in the eight FILA Junior weights: 50 kg/110 lbs, 55 kg/121 lbs, 60 kg/132 lbs, 66 kg/145.5 lbs, 74 kg/163 lbs, 84 kg/185 lbs, 96 kg/ 211.5 lbs and 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Athletes who compete at the non-FILA weights at the FILA Junior Nationals in Cleveland will have to select a FILA weight class for the event.

This does not affect the FILA Junior World Team Trials for women, which remains a part of the Body Bar Women’s Nationals in Kissimmee, Fla., May 13-15.

2011 FILA JUNIOR WORLD TEAM TRIALS SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 19

7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Weigh-ins for Greco-Roman
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Weigh-ins for Freestyle weights

Friday, May 20

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Freestyle Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals
5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Final Trials for all Greco-Roman and Freestyle

For Brackets & Results

Free Live Stream for World Team Trials

Massa repeated as champion and was named Outstanding Wrestler after winning the FILA Junior Nationals freestyle title on Sunday at the Cleveland Public Auditorium.

Massa downed Nebraska’s Robert Kokesh 3-1, 2-1 to win the title at 74 kg/163 lbs. Massa won the title at 70 kg/154.25 lbs. last year.

Massa was joined as a repeat champion by Nick Roberts (No. 7 @ 112) (50 kg/110 lbs.), Ethen Lofthouse (79 kg/174 lbs.) and Lee Munster (84 kg/185 lbs.). Massa is a junior in high school. He won the USA Wrestling Cadet Triple Crown in 2009.

“This year, it feels so much better to win it,” Massa said. “I feel like I had one of the toughest charts in the tournament, if not the toughest. My goal is to make the Junior World Team. It’s always a real tough tournament. I trained hard and it paid off.”

Roberts was fifth at the 2010 Junior World Championships.

The Junior age group consists of 17-20 year olds, featuring some of the nation’s top wrestlers, as well as underclassmen from the college level.

The champions in each of the seven Olympic weight classes, plus 50 kg/110 lbs., advance to the best-of-3 finals for the FILA Junior World Team Trials. The Junior World Team Trials are set for May 19-20 in Franklin, Ind.

The top six finishers in the seven Olympic classes, plus 50 kg, qualify for the Junior World Team Trials.

There were 357 wrestlers entered in the FILA Junior freestyle class, an increase from the 317 that entered last year.

For Complete Article by Craig Sesker, USOC PressBox

Thielke fell short of placing in back-to-back trips to the Junior Worlds in 2009 and 2010, but the standout wrestler from Wisconsin is hoping to change his fortunes this season.

Thielke took a big step toward having that opportunity after winning the FILA Junior Nationals Greco-Roman competition on Thursday night at the Cleveland Public Auditorium.

Thielke downed Minnesota’s Justin Lavalle 1-0, 1-0 to earn the title at 60 kg/132 lbs. Thielke was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

“I was wrestling up a weight, so it was tough wrestling some of these bigger guys,” Thielke said. “I want to be a Junior World champion. I know I’m right there with the best guys and I’m excited to see what I can do this year.”

The Junior age group consists of 17-20 year olds, featuring some of the nation’s top wrestlers, as well as underclassmen from the college level.

The champions in each of the seven Olympic weight classes, plus 50 kg/110 lbs., advance to the best-of-3 finals for the FILA Junior World Team Trials unless there is a returning Junior World medalist in that weight class. The Junior World Team Trials are set for May 19-20 in Franklin, Ind.

Click Here For Complete Article

Fueled by a spirited community and a passion for wrestling, Cleveland, Ohio is the perfect location for a major USA Wrestling Championship. The vision for the 2011 U.S. Open is to showcase the nation’s best wrestlers in a city that shares a zeal for the sport while offering wrestling fans with a plethora of great entertainment options, attractions, history and culture.

When:  April 7th – 10th

Where:  Public Hall, Cleveland, OH

Results & Brackets:

FILA Junior Nationals – Greco-Roman Final Results

Live Video Streaming – Watch the U.S. Open Championships & FILA Junior Nationals