The Jr. Freestyle team came home with a disappointing 3 All-Americans:
     105.5 lbs.
        Stewart Bogart - 4th place
        Luke Metzler - 6th place
     114.5 lbs. 
        Shawn Bunch - 4th place

Very Close to placing were:
     114.5
        Trevor Charbonneau- placed 5th in his pool (Top 10 Finish)
        Austin Devoe- A couple matches away from placing
     132
        Dusty Spaulding- 1 match away
     154
        Jacob Klein- 1 match away
     178
        Justin Dyer- a couple matches away
     275
        Jeremiah Beltran- torn cartilage in his knee in very first match of freestyle.

This will be my final report, as I will be leaving Fargo soon to drive home for tomorrow's Sunflower State Games.

There will be four Cadet Freestyle All-Americans, including one who will be wrestling for a national championship.  Korey Lira battled back from a single loss to win the 112 lb. "B" pool, and will face A.J. Lavender of Illinois in the championships this evening.  Lira won eight matches to reach the finals.

Cody Garcia, with a record of 6 wins and 1 loss, will Drew Headlee of Pennsylvania for third place in the 94.5 lb. division.  Garcia's only loss was in overtime to the 2000 FILA Cadet National Champion, Mack Reiter of Iowa.

Gabe Conaghan placed third in his pool in the 154 lb weight class, and will wrestle this afternoon for fifth place overall.  Conaghan brings a tournament record of 6 wins and 2 losses into his final match.  I was not able to determine who he will be wrestling at this time.

Doug Hoover will round out the Cadet All-Americans, wrestling for seventh place in the 112 lb. division.  Hoover suffered two 3-1 losses, giving him an overall record before the final match of 7 wins and 2 losses.  He will meet Kyle Graham of Virgina this afternoon for the 7th place spot.

Congratulations to these fine Kansas Cadet All-Americans!

Several Juniors still look good, particularly in our lighter weights.  Of the 30 boys that began Session II, eighteen still remain and five remain undefeated.  Click on the Junior Freestyle button above for individual records.

The Kansas Juniors had a very successful first session at the Junior Freestyle National Championships, posting an overall record of 35 wins and 32 losses.  Out of the 39 wrestlers that began the day, 30 are still in the competition and 14 have not suffered a single defeat.

Unfortunately, the team may be without the services of its Greco-Roman 275 lb. National Champion, Jeremiah Beltran.    During his first match, Beltran was in the process of winning his match when he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from continuing the match.  He has been sent to the hospital for testing, but it appears that he will not be able to continue in the tournament.  As a returning Junior Freestyle National All-American, he will be missed by the team.  Also lost would be his dreams of a dual National Championships.  While disappointed, Beltran was philosophical about the injury, and remained upbeat about all that he had accomplished.  We all wish Jeremiah the best of luck as he continues his wrestling career at the University of Ohio.

The Cadets continue to perform impressively, advancing four wrestlers into the next session.  Cody Garcia won five straight matches in the 94.5 lb division before falling to Matt McClellan (Pennsylvania) 4-3 in overtime.  Doug Hoover suffered a 3-1 loss early in this session, but rebounded for two straight victories, and carries a 7/1 record into Session III, as does Korey Lira who, like Garcia, had a perfect record until his last match of the day against Derrick Fleenor (Oklahoma).  Both Hoover and Lira compete in the very deep 112 lb bracket.

Another Kansas wrestler who recovered from an early loss to post the victory necessary to keep him alive was Gabe Conaghan at 154 lbs.  Conaghan has won 6 matches and lost 1 through the second session.  Several wrestlers came within one victory of making All-American status, including Thomas Rhodes (132 lbs) and Brett Stewart (154 lbs).  The final four in each pool advance to the medal rounds; Stewart made it to the final five, just missing qualifying.  The updated brackets haven't been posted yet, but it appears likely that all four Kansas Cadets still wrestling will become All-Americans.

The Junior Freestyle tournament will begin at 3:00 p.m. today, and should conclude around 8:00 p.m.  The next Cadet session will be tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. - Nonn.

The Kansas Cadet team had considerably more success in the first session of the Freestyle tournament than they did in the Greco-Roman tournament.  Of the 28 cadets who began the day, 13 survived to compete in the next session (as compared to only two in the Greco competition).

There were 939 wrestlers competing in 12 weight classes, with the 112 lb. class having the most entries (118).  Incidentally, we have two undefeated wrestlers still in that bracket: Doug Hoover and Korey Lira, who combined for 8 wins and 0 losses in Session I.

Also undefeated after Session I are Cody Garcia and Marcus Waters (94.5 lbs), Thomas Rhodes III (132 lbs), Stephen Hill (143 lbs), Gabe Conaghan (154 lbs) and J.P. Price (242 lbs).  Still wrestling after one loss are Tyler McCormick (103.5 lbs), Cody Betsworth (121 lbs), Nolan Cisper (132), Brandon Buck (143) and Brett Stewart (154).

I have notes on 13 matches during the day, but as you can see by the time of this posting, I'm pressed to take care of my duties here and still get these updates to you.  Although it might not seem like it, composing my notes into a meaningful report takes a fair amount of time.  I'd like some input on the reports - if you feel that the blow-by-blow match reports are truly important, I will try to continue giving them as I can find time to do so.  If you are satisfied with more of a synopsis of each session's action, I'll try to be more prompt in getting them to you.  Either send me an email or post a note to the Wrestling Talk forum, letting me know how you feel.  Thanks.

114.5 lbs ... Shawn Bunch ... 2nd place
275 lbs ... Jeremiah Beltran ... 1st place

For the second consecutive year Kansas has a Junior National Greco-Roman Champion, as well and a national runner-up.  After a 13-year drought of national championships, our team is proving that last year's success was not a fluke.  Much of the credit for the turnaround belongs to the coaches and supporters around the state who have been nurturing and developing the skills in our kids for the past several years, as well as to the superb team coaches who have sharpened those skills at camp and prepared the boys for this grueling tournament.  Finally, a big "pat on the back" to the parents who have encouraged, supported and sacrificed to give their kids this opportunity.  Whether their child was a champion or not, the lessons learned will help them throughout their lives.

Shawn Bunch's championship match at 114.5 lbs against Joe Espinoza (California) demonstrated how little room there is for error at the top.  Most of the match, Bunch appeared to be the dominant wrestler; but the final score was a solid victory for Espinoza.  Bunch came out fired up, but probably too much so, as he appeared a little out of control.  Attempting a front headlock, he slipped and was caught on his back, falling immediately behind 0-3.  Bunch came off of his back in a reversal, and score on a gut wrench to tie the score.  He became a little more cautious at that point, and the period ended on a 3-3 tie.  In the second period, Espinoza showed how all you need is to get one good move to earn a victory.  Wrestling Bunch in the par terre position, Espinoza was successful in lifting Bunch from the mat in a gut wrench.  He then threw Bunch in a high arch, earning a lift point and a five-point throw.  After that Espinoza forced Bunch to take all of the risks, and held him to a single snap & spin takedown.  The match ended with Espinoza winning the national championship 9-4.

Bunch placed third at last year's Cadet National Greco-Roman Championships, and will be a senior at Leavenworth High School.  As a junior, he was 40-1 and was Class 6A state champion at 119 lbs.  The two previous years, he was state runner-up, and has a career high school record of 110-10.  He placed fifth in last year's Cadet Freestyle National Championships, and was a 2000 FILA Cadet National runner-up in both styles.  Last year, he was the runner-up at the 1999 Cadet World Team Trials in Greco-Roman.

Jeremiah Beltran, sporting a red singlet and red tint in his hair, earned his Junior National Championship against Cain Velasquez (Arizona).  Beltran won the match in the same physical fashion as the rest of his pool victories.  His first points came early in the match, when he pummeled into an angle on Velasquez, then threw him over his hip for three points.  Back on their feet, Velasquez attempted a headlock, which Beltran countered for back exposure.  Velasquez got his first point with a takedown, but wasn't able to capitalize on it for any additional points.  Beltran added two point to his lead, using a gut wrench with less than a minute left in the third period.  There were no point scored in the second period, and Beltran's 5-3 lead held for the victory.

Beltran placed fifth in last year's Junior National Greco-Roman Championships, and graduated this year from Olathe South High School, where he was Class 6A state champion at 275 lbs and had 45 victories with 0 losses he senior year.  He was a state runner-up his junior year, and had a career high school record of 78-5.  He was also fifth in last year's Junior National Freestyle Championships.

132 lbs ... Dusty Spaulding ... 3rd place
105.5 lbs ... Luke Metzler ... 6th place

The first two Kansas Junior Greco-Roman All Americans wrestled their final match of the tournament this afternoon.  Already, it appears that the Kansas team will place in the top 10 in the nation in Greco-Roman, for the first time ever.

All American Luke Metzler wrestled first in the 105.5 lb division against Justin Pearch from Oregon.  Metzler hit the scoreboard first, using a belly to belly throw that Pearch was athletic enough to turn out of, avoiding the back exposure but giving up the takedown.  Metzler then turned Pearch on a one-point gut wrench.  Pearch executed the next scoring move, catching Metzler in a headlock that took them out-of-bounds.  Back in the center of the mat, Pearch tried a lift that earned him one point, but gave Metzler an opening for a one-point counter.  After returning to their feet, Pearch again scored three points on a headlock, moving his lead to 7-3.  Metzler closed the gap when he reversed Pearch, then cut the lead before the end of the first period to two points by scoring a takedown off of a duck under.

Metzler scored a takedown early in the second period, cutting the gap to only one point, but came up short when, with only seconds left in the match, Pearch hit his third headlock.  Metzler continued the motion through the headlock, taking Pearch across his back for two points, but still ended up losing 8-10.

All American Dusty Spaulding match was decided in the first period, as neither Spaulding nor his opponent Matt Gentry (Oregon) scored in the second period.  Spaulding caught Gentry first, throwing him with a headlock for a 3-0 lead, then holding him on his back for an additional point.  Gentry managed to counter out of the headlock, taking Spaulding across his back for two points.  Late in the first period Spaulding added a takedown, which turned out to be sufficient to win the match with a 5-2 final score.

Last year, Kansas had its first Junior Greco champion since Corey Jones won it in 1986 at 105.5 lbs.  This year, we have an opportunity to see two Kansas champions!  Shawn Bunch earned an 11-0 victory over Ethan Kyle of Missouri, and a final pool record of 7 wins and 0 losses, with 5 wins by fall.  Bunch will meet Joe Espinoza from California in the championship match this evening.

Also earning a spot on the center mat this evening is Jeremiah Beltran at 275 lbs, in a match with Cain Velasquez from Arizona.  Beltran had to win a tough match against undefeated Dan Howe of California by a score of 5-2 to advance to the final championship match.  Beltran carried a record of 8-0, with 5 wins by fall.

Dusty Spaulding will compete against Matt Gentry from Oregon in the third place match this afternoon.  Spaulding won his first match in this session, but was defeated by Harry Lester from Ohio in the Pool A championship match.

Luke Metzler (who is a Cadet wrestling up in the Junior division) will try to win his fifth place match against Justin Pearch from Oregon.  Metzler lost his final match in this session to Eric Stevenson from Oregon, but gave one of the gutsiest performances I've ever seen in his 5-8 loss.

Match #1506 featured Jeremiah Beltran against Devin Kraege (Wisconsin).  The only point in the first period was earned by Beltran when he used a body lock throw over his side to obtain a takedown.  The action picked up in the second period, with Beltran starting quickly from a body lock throw for three points.  He received an additional point for a leg foul, then added to his lead with a two-point reverse gut.  Kraege got on the scoreboard when he countered Beltran's reverse gut for one point, but Beltran again increased his lead when he locked Kraege up from the side and threw him over his hip for three points, extending his lead to 10-1.  Kraege made a last minute comeback attempt with a successful headlock throw for three points, but Beltran was able to quickly pull his head out for a reversal and the 11-4 victory.

The second Kansas match of this session was match #1512, with Shawn Bunch meeting Ethan Kyle (Missouri) for the Pool championship.  Bunch used a short drag to take down Kyle, then used three consecutive trapped arm guts, with an additional back point on the first two.  The third turn landed them out of bounds with Bunch leading 9-0.  He then iced the match with one final gut wrench for a final score of 11-0.

Dusty Spaulding won his first match of the day against Joe Henning (Wisconsin) in match #1518.  Spaulding countered Henning's attempted throw for two points, but lost two points when he attempted a belly to belly throw and wasn't able to turn out from under Henning.  Spaulding regained the lead before the end of the first period when he score on a gut wrench after a passivity call placed Henning in the par terre position.  In the second period Henning tried a head lock, which Spaulding countered with a body lock and cirle around the head, driving Henning directly to his back for a solid pin.

Jeremiah Beltran faced the only other remaining undefeated wrestler in his pool in match #1532, when he met Dan Howe (California) in his second match of the session.  Beltran, who is usually as tall or taller than most of his opponents, was several inches shorter than Howe, and seemed tentative initially.  Howe scored the only points of the first period when Beltran was called for passivity and Howe capitalized on the position with a gut wrench.  Beltran increased his aggressiveness in the second period, catching Howe for a three-point body lock throw, then later extended his lead when Howe unsuccessfully attempted a belly to belly throw.  No further points were scored, with Beltran winning the match 5-2.

Luke Metzler met Eric Stevenson (Oregon) in match #1239, knowing the best he could hope for was second place in the pool.  On the other hand, Stevenson had a lot more riding on it: a victory gave him 1st place in the pool, while a loss would move him to 3rd place.  Stevenson scored the first points of the match with a headlock throw, which Metzler reversed to close Stevenson's lead to 3-1.  The next headlock throw by Stevenson was significantly tighter, and it appeared that Metzler was not going to be able to escape from being pinned.  In a demonstration of true guts and determination, he refused to allow the fall and ultimately worked himself free of the headlock, gaining a reversal point in the process.  The first period ended with Metzler trailing 2-8.  The second period featured Metzler carrying a very physical attack straight to Stevenson.  The furious action finally resulted in Metzler scoring a takedown from a duck under, which he capitalized on by turning Stevenson with a gut wrench.  Unfortunately, he was not able to earn any further points, and lost the match 5-8.

The final match for Team Kansas in this session came in match #1541, with Dusty Spaulding facing Harry Lester (Ohio) for the Pool A championship.  Neither wrestler was able to score early in the match, until Lester received a passivity call and was placed in the par terre position.  Spaulding made the most of it, by turning Lester with a gut wrench.  Later, with Spaulding in the bottom position, Lester retaliated with a move of his own, except he used a gut lift for a three-point move.  Unlike a true gut wrench, the lift can be repeated, which Lester did to take a four point lead heading into the second period.  The second period had Lester scoring three takedown points, the last one scored when Spaulding made a desperation attempt at a throw with eight seconds remaining.  The match ended in a 2-9 loss for Spaulding.

One of the early Kansas matches in this session featured Mohammad Nomani against Darryl Taylor (Oregon) in match #866.  With Nomani doing all of the attacking, Taylor was called for passivity and placed in the down position.  Nomani never let him back up, as he scored a gut wrench, followed by a lift and throw, then another gut, and finally another lift and throw.  With an additional lift point for the first throw, that ended the match with Nomani winning 10-0

Jeremiah Beltran found himself in a scramble situation on the mat in match #911 against Ryan Morris (Michigan).  Beltran won the upper hand, as he caught Morris in a headlock and scored the fall.

Jared Vogel suffered a tough loss in match #1020 against Bobby Romano (Ohio).  The match started in his favor, as he scored three points from a headlock throw, then received another two points when his attempt at a reverse gut led Romano to leg foul him.  Romano then came back, scoring a three point throw, followed by a one point takedown after they were returned to their feet.  Vogel responded by countering an attempted reverse gut by Romano, catching him on his back for two points and extending his lead to 7-4.  Romano tied it up when he scored a takedown directly into a gut wrench, and sending the match into overtime.  Late in the overtime match, Romano score a single takedown, giving Vogel a 7-6 loss.

Match #799 put Cole Fredrickson against Derrick Hendren (Colorado) in the 154 lb division.  Fredrickson had a difficult time with Hendren, getting caught in a headlock throw twice, giving up a back point the first time a falling behind 0-7.  After the second throw, Hendren turned Fredrickson with a gut wrench out of bounds, then finished the match with a high gut.  The final score was Hendren - 11, Fredrickson 0.

Mohammad Nomani suffered his first loss of the tournament in match #1096 against Nathan Moore (Indiana).  Moore opened with a takedown off of an arm drag, followed by a gut wrench, to take a 3-0 lead into the second period.  After Nomani was called for passivity, Moore scored two points on another gut.  The final point in the match came as Moore countered an attempted headlock to score a takedown, and defeat Nomani 5-1.

Justin Mock made short order of Joe Lauquer (Minnesota) in match #1134, as he used an arm throw to take Laquer to the mat, where he held him for the fall.

Also suffering his first loss of the tournament was Luke Metzler in match #1155 against Robert Araiza (Arizona).  Metzler scored first, as he countered Araiza's attempt at a throw, taking him to his back.  Araiza cut into Metzler's two point lead with a reverse, then took the lead when he lifted Metzler to his feet for a three point throw.  Araiza's lead increase to 8-2 when he lifted Metzler again, this time off the mat, for another throw, receiving the additional lift point.  Araiza scored one final time in the first half with a two-point headlock, making the score 11-2 going into the second period, when he scored on a headlock score for a 14-2 victory over Metzler.

Another quick match was turned in by Ian Bork in match #1261, as he used a headlock throw to pin Nick Thomas (Ohio) in 20 seconds.

This is a continuation from the previous report.  The action to place during Session I of the Junior Greco-Roman tournament on Sunday, July 23.

Matt Murray's match included lots of action, starting with Murray going to the bottom on a slip throw against Ben Cherrington (Colorado) in match #418.  Cherrington capitalized on his position with a trapped arm gut, then turned him for a back point.  Keeping the trapped arm, Cherrington then repeated the two moved, first rolling Murray for two points, then tilting and holding him for the extra point.  Murray finally got on the scoreboard with a takedown before the end of the first period, cutting Cherrington's lead to 6-1.  Cherrington started the second period on the offensive, but Murray countered Cerrington's headlock for a two-point back exposure, then turned him a gut wrench, closing the gap to only two points (6-4).  Cherrington controlled the rest of the match, however, with a takedown from a duck-under, followed by a trapped-arm gut for 2+1 points, ending the match with a 4-10 loss for Murray.

Ian Bork took command of match #607 early, as he threw Antonio Criado (Oregon) in a headlock early in the match, and held him there for the fall.

Dustin Spaulding continued to dominate his opponents as he met Adam Bricker (Florida) in match #701.  Spaulding started the match with an arm-throw for three points plus one lift point, then secured a trapped-arm gut wrench for two consecutive three point tilts, ending the match early with a 10-0 victory.  Incidentally, Spaulding's 132 lb class is recognized by many as the toughest brackets, top to bottom, in the tournament.  The bracket has the most seeded wrestlers in the tournaments, and also has two defending Junior National Champions (Spaulding and Mark Jayne from Ohio).  With 103 wrestlers, it is also one of the largest brackets in the tournament.

Jared Vogel pulled one of the biggest upsets of the tournament in match #695 against last year's Junior National Runner-up Bryson Vasquez (Colorado).  Vogel was competitive throughout the match, but was still down 4-8 near the midpoint of the match.  Vogel proceeded to tie the match, then take the lead for good with a series of reverse-gut throws, winning the match 15-11.

July 23
10:00 p.m.
Junior
Greco
Session I
Part 1 of 2

The Kansas Junior Greco-Roman team had a successful first session, with 19 out of 28 wrestlers advancing to tomorrow's second session. Monday's session will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m.

Trevor Charbonneau was one of two Kansas wrestlers who competed in the first match (match #15) of the tournament. Trevor established the first lead in the match, countering Ben Daigle (Louisiana) to his back and holding him for the additional back point. There were no further points scored in the first period, which ended with Charbonneau leading 3-0. The second period featured more action, with Charbonneau first adding to his lead with a three point throw. However, Daigle came back with a gut lift and throw for three points, followed by another two back points. Fortunately, Charbonneau was able to hold on from there, earning a 6-5 victory.

Dusty Spaulding, our returning Junior National Greco-Roman champion, started the tournament in dominant fashion, pinning Rich Vigorito (Washington) in the first period of match #89 with a headlock.

Cole Fredrickson took a different route to his victory in match #186. Fredrickson fell behind 0-4 early, after being thrown to his back from a headlock. He bridged out of the headlock for a one point reversal, and continued his move into a trapped arm gut, tying the score at 4-4. Things began going badly for Fredrickson at that point, as he false started twice in the par terre position, giving up one point and his position. His opponent capitalized n his position by scoring a two-point gut wrench. Things got worse, and Fredrickson continued to lose a one point throw and 2 one-point guts. With the score then standing at 4-11 late in the second period, Fredrickson looked in serious trouble until his opponent tried one more gut wrench. Fredrickson managed to counter the move, taking his opponent directly to his back for the fall!

Match #230 featured Mike Andrews against Matt Herrington (New York). Herrington took control of the match early with a headlock directly to the back. Although he had Andrews in a very tight headlock, Andrews refused to quit and was able to ultimately fight off his back. As he came off of his back, Andrews tried to turn into Herrington, but was caught for a one-point back exposure. A three point throw by Herrington, combined with a gut lift and throw for another four points (3 + 1), ended the match with Andrews losing 0-12.

Luke Metzler got off to a slow start against Cory Husher (Missouri) in match #308. Husher scored first, receiving two points when he exposed Metzler's back from a counter. Metzler tied the score when he reversed Husher to his back. Returning to their feet, Metzler score a takedown from a duck-under, then used a trapped arm gut for two back exposure points plus an additional back point. Metzler then extended his lead in the second period to 9-2 when he used a body-lock to throw Husher directly to his back, then held on for the victory.

A dominating performance was turned in by Shawn Bunch in match #280 against Chris Wise (Pennsylvania).  Bunch first used an arm spin for a 1-0 lead, then extended the lead to 3-0 using a gut wrench.  A headlock throw and additional back point left the score at 7-0, when he used a front headlock to roll his Wise to his back, pinning him.

Chad White took the more direct approach in match #320, countering and attach by Blake Van Sickle (Indiana) and taking him directly to his back for the fall.

More to come on today's action later.

The extremely competitive nature of these National Championships continued to be evident today, as the remaining two Kansas Cadets were eliminated from the competition.

Thomas Rhodes started the day for Kansas in match #1138 against Chad Robinson (New York).  Rhodes struck first, scoring a three point headlock throw.  He added to his lead with another one point takedown from a headlock later in the match.  Trying to get into the match, Robinson attempted an arm spin which Rhodes countered; however, Robinson re-countered, catching Rhodes on his back for two points.  Robinson cut Rhodes lead to one with a hand-to-hand gut wrench.  Robinson then took the lead with a three-point headlock throw, although Rhodes immediately reversed him after the headlock.  The score at that point was 6-5, with Robinson leading.  Knowing he needed to score, and with time at a premium, Rhodes attempted a bulldog and was countered for a reversal.  Back on their fee, Robinson was hit with a one point penalty for fleeing the mat, as he tried to avoid Rhodes' attacks, but Rhodes was unable to score the additional point he needed, as the match ended with Robinson winning 7-6.

J.P. Price suffered his second loss in the tournament in match #1227, when Josh Bresnahan (Minnesota) defeated him 12-1.  Thomas Rhodes stayed alive through his second match of the day, pinning Jason Fuller (Michigan), but he lost his third match of the day (and sixth of the tournament) to Tyler Williams (Illinois) in a hard fought 8-2 loss.

The Juniors will compete in the first Greco session today from 4-8 p.m.

The Kansas Cadet team got off to a rocky start in the Greco-Roman Tournament. Through the first round, fifteen wrestlers lost their match, while only four claimed victories. At the end of the first session, only two Kansas wrestlers remained: Thomas Rhodes (3 wins, 0 losses at 132 lbs) and J.P. Price (1 win, 1 loss at 242 lbs).

Jake Wallace wrestled Adam Ezell (New York) in match #23, which was the first match of the tournament on mat #23. Ezell snapped Wallace down into a front headlock, then spun around him for the takedown. Ezell increased his lead to 3-0 with a gut wrench, but Wallace was able to counter from the gut, scoring a reverse. Returning to their feet after Wallace failed to score from par terre, Ezell increased his lead to 4-1 with an arm-spin, which he followed with a high-gut wrench. The period ended with Ezell leading 6-1.

In the second period, Ezell capitalized up on a duck-under by continuing the motion through a gut wrench. The match ended in a technical fall when Ezell used a chicken wing combination to secure a tilt. Final score: Ezell - 11, Wallace - 1.

Match #67 featured Brett Stewart against Joe Gadson (Ohio). Stewart found himself in trouble early against Gadson, when he got caught in a 3-poing throw and was held on his back for the additional back point. After returning to his stomach, he fell further behind when Gadson scored on a gut wrench. The first period ended with a 6-0 score.

Gadson won a scramble early in the second period, securing a takedown which he followed up with a gut wrench. Back on their feet, Stewart worked into good position against Gadson, which Gadson countered by moving out of bounds. He was called for fleeing the hold, giving Stewart his first point. Unfortunately, it was also his last, as Gadson scored the remaining points from a duck-under and gut wrench, winning a 12-1 technical fall.

Seth Halford didn't get much of an opportunity to demonstrate his wrestling skills in match #117, when Mark Schnell (Nebraska) threw him straight to his back. He was never able to return to his belly, and was eventually pinned by Schnell.

Cody Lambotte looked like he might turn the tide for the Kansas team, when he aggressively attacked Michael Horton (Indiana) until Horton received a passivity call. Lambotte tried to capitalize on the par terre position by moving to a front-headlock position, but was caught and reversed as he tried to roll Horton. Horton increased his lead to 3-0 with a gut wrench. Lambotte tried to counter the gut, but was caught out of position and taken to his back, where he lost the match by a fall.

Thomas Rhodes got off to a slow start in match #269 against Patrick Allibone (Iowa). Rhodes underhooked Allibone down to the mat, but Allibone scored from that position with a kelly, then followed-up with a gut wrench. Back on their feet, and trailing by 3-0, Rhodes again secured the underhook, which Allibone tried to kelly against again. This time, however, Rhodes was prepared for the counter and caught Allibone's elbow, taking him straight to his back. From there, he held on for the fall and one of the few first round Kansas victories.

The difficulties for Kansas wrestlers continued into the second round. Tyler McCormick found a tough opponent in Jon Read (Connecticut) in match #516. Read scored a takedown on McCormick, then secured a trapped-arm gut which he used for two points. Read kept the trapped-arm and used it to secure a five-count for an additional point. Returning McCormick to his stomach, Read then again rolled McCormick to his back using the same trapped-arm gut. This series left McCormick trailing 0-6. Back on their feet, Read finished the match with a headlock and additional back point for a 10-0 technical fall.

Thomas Rhodes continued his winning ways in match #643 against Donald Ooton (Virginia). Operating from the par terre position, Rhodes tried to secure a high-gut. When Ooton came to his feet, Rhodes continued the pressure and completed the throw from their feet for three points. Later in the match, back on their feet, Rhodes attempted a headlock which missed. When Ooton caught Rhodes before he hit the mat, he was awarded a takedown point. Rhodes later scored a takedown, and tried to use a reverse gut. When Ooton blocked the reverse gut through the use of a leg foul, Rhodes received two penalty points, making the score 6-1. Continuing from the mat, Rhodes scored on a bulldog to increase his lead to 8-1. Scoring another takedown, Rhodes successfully executed a high-gut roll, but was caught at the end and reversed. Final score: Rhodes - 11, Ooton - 2.

In match #723, Brett Stewart got an opportunity to wrestle on the premier mat which is situation on an elevated platform on the 50-yard line. Casey Streeter (Michigan) scored first after Stewart was forced into the par terre position due to a passivity call by the official. Streeter capitalized on his top position by turning Stewart with a gut wrench. After returning to their feet, Stewart went on the offensive with a superb body lock, where he lifted Streeter and took him directly to his back. Stewart was nearly able to hold Streeter in that position, but did not clear his head. As Streeter rolled to his belly, he kept Stewart's head and rolled on through with the headlock. Stewart was unable to escape from the headlock, and was ultimately pinned.

Brad Rieman got off to a great start in match #723, using a headlock to throw Geoffrey Miller (Maryland) to his back. Rieman held Miller on his back long enough to increase his lead to 4-0, but Miller was able to reverse Rieman as he escaped from his back. Miller then used a tight-arm gut and back exposure point to tie the score at 4-4. Back on their feet Rieman tried to regain the momentum by attempting an arm spin, but appeared to reconsider the move. That hesitation gave Miller the opening to arrest the move, throwing Rieman to his back for two points. Riemann scored another takedown, but came up short in a close 5-6 loss.

In an earlier match, I saw J.P. Price throw a 6-0 lead when he got caught on his back and pinned. Price announced his intention to remain in the tournament in match #785, when he tossed Geoff Hall (Alaska) early in his match for a touch fall.

The brackets for the Cadet Greco-Roman competition have been posted.  Most of the brackets have around 75 wrestlers, although some are larger.  The 143 lb. bracket has 103 competitors.  The Fargodome, where the boys are wrestling, is a football stadium dome, with 23 wrestling mats extending the length of the field. Eleven mats are placed on each side of the 50-yard line, with a single mat sitting in the middle on a raised platform. Although all 23 mats will be used during the preliminary competitions, only the two pool winners in each weight class will wrestle on this showcase mat in the finals.

Weigh-ins were uneventful.  Everyone made weight with no problems.  Opening ceremonies begin at 3 p.m., with wrestling scheduled from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.

July 21

The Cadets will weigh in Saturday morning, July 2, from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.  The above rosters are tentative pending the completion of weigh-in.

The Juniors will weigh-in Sunday morning, July 3.  I will get their tentative roster posted sometime Saturday.