132

275

3rd

Mike Juby
mikejuby@usawks.com

We brought a very strong Junior team to Fargo this year.  At the end of the first day, our team had 33 wins and 24 losses, a remarkable winning percentage considering the caliber of the competition.   Of the 29 Kansas wrestlers, only nine were eliminated during the first session, and eleven have yet to lose a single match.

Joe Johnston, a 1998 Cadet Freestyle All-American, is among the Kansas wrestlers without a defeat this session.  After being eliminated in two straight losses in the Greco division, Johnston seemed eager to demonstrate his freestyle skills.  In his first match (#87), he first countered his opponent's shot with a front headlock tilt, followed by a trapped-arm gut & back exposure combination, which was in turn followed by a second trapped- arm gut wrench.  His opponent finally managed to score a reversal, making the score 7-1.  Back on his feet, Johnson scored another takedown from a double-leg, then added a one-point ankle lace, followed by a gut wrench.  Once again, his opponent managed a reversal, which made the score 10-2.  Johnson scored the final two points off a pair of single leg takedowns, earning a 12-2 technical fall.

Like Johnston, Scott Polley also ended the day with a 3/0 record.  The first points in match #154 were earned by his opponent from a single leg takedown, but that proved to be the only point his opponent would score.  Polley earned three points from a double leg takedown, with another two points earned from an ankle lace.   Polley performed a trapped-arm gut wrench, combined with an additional point for back exposure, two times consecutively, earning three points (2+1) each time and gaining a 11-1 tech fall.

Also in that elite 3-0 crowd is 4X state champion and 1998 Junior Nationals Outstanding Wrestler Zach Roberson.  An example of Roberson's skills came in match #283, which he started by snapping down his opponent and quickly spinning behind him for a one point takedown.  Roberson then used the trapped-arm gut & back point combination that our entire team seems to be performing so effectively, increasing his lead to 4-0.   Back on his feet, Roberson scored again off of a single leg, then added two points with a bar-arm roll.  Another takedown made the score at the end of the first period 8-0.  Roberson quickly iced the match in the second period with a takedown followed by a two-point gut wrench, winning with an 11-0 tech fall.  All three of Roberson's victories today were technical falls, as well as shut-outs.

Zach Allen, also a 1998 Junior All-American, was equally dominant, and also very proficient with the trapped-arm gut wrench series.  Allen was the fourth Kansas wrestler to post a 3/0 record today; and, like Roberson, was not scored on.  The fifth and final wrestler to end the day at 3/0 was Dusty Spaulding, already a 1999 National Champion in Junior National Greco-Roman.

Shawn Bunch (112), who entered the day with a 3-1 record, will add Freestyle All-American honors to his Greco award, due to the three victories he earned this session.  His closest victory was in match #1581, which he scored in first with a one-point arm spin.  His opponent scored the next takedown off of a scramble, then Bunch scored the next takedown from a duckunder.   Trading takedowns continued with his opponent scoring on a double leg, then Bunch on a "snap down & spin"  move.  His opponent scored the next takedown, then moved into a 4-3 lead when Bunch lost one point for an illegal figure-4 to the head.  The score at the end of regulation was 4-4, due to a "fleeing the mat" penalty charged to Bunch's opponent.  In overtime, Bunch's quick feet secured the victory as his spun behind his opponent for the final takedown of the match.   Bunch will compete for first or fifth place in the medal rounds, depending on the matches in tomorrow's Session III.

Doug Hoover (112) was the surprise All-American of the team.  Hoover entered the day with a strong 4-0 record, and proceeded to win his first two matches of the day.   The next two matches, however, seemed to spell the end for Hoover.  However, the pool proved to be equally vicious to Hoover's opponents, and several of them lost their second matches in the same round.  Because there were fewer than four competitors remaining, the final wrestler was determined based on match points earned.   This placed Hoover in the finals, where he will wrestle for seventh place.   One of Hoover's victories today came in match #1275.  Hoover started with a single leg takedown.  After returning to his feet, he added to his lead with a takedown using a kelly, and holding his opponent on his back.  He increased his lead to 6-0 with a duck-under.  Another attempt by Hoover at a takedown was countered by his opponent, however, who used a tight waist tilt to counter Hoover's shot.  Hoover scored a reversal for one point, but was again caught by his opponent in a "cheap tilt."  The two tilts by his opponent made the score closer, but still left Hoover with a solid 7-4 victory.

Justin Dyer (167)continued to build on his 3-0 record from yesterday's session with two more victories today.  His victory in match #1514 demonstrated a number of scoring moves.  His first two points came from a tilt off of a front headlock, followed by a gut wrench for another two points.  He used another tilt to hold his opponent in the danger position, gaining two plus one points, then increased his lead to 9-0 with two more points earned with a bow & arrow.  He secured the technical fall with an ankle lace, making the final score 11-0.  Dyer will wrestle in the finals, but which match will not be determined until tomorrow.

The other guaranteed All-American is Ian Bork (209).  Bork remains undefeated with a record of 5-0, and only four wrestlers remain in his bracket.  As he had promised, Bork avenged his loss in the Greco competition when he defeated Joshua Sears from Ohio in match #1632.  Bork executed two headlock throws from an underhook position, and his firmly secured the second throw for a fall.  Like Dyer, Bork will wrestle in the finals, but which match will not be determined until tomorrow.

One of Gabe Conaghan's wins came in match #166, which was tied at 1-1 at the end of the first period.  In the second period, he snapped his opponent down toward the mat and quickly spun behind him for a one point takedown. A double-leg takedown later in the period gave him a 4-1 victory.

Doug Hoover used a series of one & two point moves to win match #330.  Hoover scored his first points from his knees, executing a throw which earned him the first two points of the match.  From the top position, he turned his opponent with a trapped-arm gut wrench, with an additional back point to increase his lead to 5-0.  A reversal by his opponent cut the lead to 5-1, but Hoover regained his five point lead with another takedown before the end of the first period.  Hoover started his scoring in the second period with a takedown from a duck-under, followed by a gut wrench.  Two more one-point takedowns by Hoover gave him a technical fall (11-0).

Justin Dyer showed his mastery of the front headlock in match #576.  He scored first on a counter, exposing his opponent's back for a 2-0 lead.  The first points he earned from the top par terre position came from a gut wrench, increasing his lead to 4-0.   After returning to his feet, Dyer secured a front head lock, from which he score a tilt (3 pts) followed by a backwards roll.  Coming to his feet while still holding the front headlock, he dropped under his opponent, flipping him into a forward roll across his back for the final three points of the match.  The final score of 12-0 gave Dyer a technical fall.

As I described yesterday in my final notes on the Cadet Championships, the atmosphere at the first place match is extremely impressive.  Although Kansas did not have a participant in the Cadet division, that same shortfall did not exist in the Junior Championships.   Dusty Spaulding (132 lbs) qualified for the final championships by winning his pool.  There were 89 competitors in the 132 lb division, evenly split into two pools.   The winner of the second pool, and Dusty's opponent in the championship match, was Bryson Vasquez of Colorado.

Dusty started from an underhook position, looking for a hip toss.  Unable to get inside his opponent, Dusty shucked him down and executed a front headlock roll for two points, with an additional back point.  Returning to their feet, Bryson caught Dusty in a headlock throw, earning three points before being reversed by Dusty, making the score 4-3.  Dusty took advantage of his top position with a gut wrench, increasing his lead to 6-3, which later increased to 7-3 when Dusty scrambled for another one-point takedown.

A second headlock attempt by Bryson was countered by Dusty, giving him top position but no points as the official ruled the action a slip.  When Dusty proved unable to score this time, the wrestlers were returned to their feet.  This time, Bryson attempted a belly-to-belly back arch throw, which Dusty countered by catching Dusty in the danger position, earning two additional points and further increasing his lead to 9-3.  Again on their feet, a scramble ensued, followed by an arm drag by Dusty for another one-point takedown. Returning to their feet one last time, Bryson made a final attempt at a throw, which Dusty efficiently countered for his final two points, making Dusty Spaulding a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman Champion by a dominating score of 12-3.

Dusty becomes only the fourth Kansas Greco-Roman champion, and the first since Corey Jones (Kapaun Mt. Carmel/Wichita) at 105 lbs. in 1986.

During the last part of the first period and the entire second period, it was clear that Jeremiah was having a difficult time getting a good grip on Russ.  Unable to lock on the body, Jeremiah attempted a head lock throw, which Russ countered for a one point takedown.  Scoring another gut wrench, followed later in the match by a three point throw, gave Russ the victory over Jeremiah (8-1).

With the loss, Jeremiah takes third place in his pool.  He will wrestle for fifth place against the third place winner from the other pool during the medal round late this afternoon.

Unfortunately, there were no Kansas wrestlers competing in this year's finals.  The only Kansas All-American was Shawn Bunch, placing third at 112 lbs.  The placers in his bracket were as follows:
     1  Zack Lamano (Utah)
     2  C.P. Schlatter (Ohio)
     3  Shawn Bunch (Kansas)
     4  Chase Metcalf (Michigan)
     5  Chris Lape (Pennsylvania)
     6  Donny DePatto (Minnesota)
     7  Jeff Breese (Pennsylvania)
     8  Gabe Rostermundt (Iowa)

Interestingly, the top three finishers in Shawn's pool all defeated their counterparts from the other pool.  Also, Shawn defeated Zack Lamano, the National Champion, in head-to-head competition.

Jeremiah Beltran (275 lbs) won his match, which qualified him for the finals.  The place he will be wrestling for will not be determined until Session IV tomorrow.

Dusty Spaulding (132 lbs) won both of his matches this session, which gives him a current 7/1 won-loss record.  More importantly, and despite one earlier loss (5-7), the two wins guarantee that Dusty will take first place in his pool, and will be wrestling for the championship in tomorrow's final!

Jeremiah Beltran (275 lbs), who swears that no one wants to win here more than he does, showed that in match #900, with an aggressive style that resulted in his first point being earned by a "fleeing the mat" call against his opponent.  Although he lost a takedown later in the match, his enthusiasm was undampened.  Turning to his coaches during the match, he said "I'm going to throw him," then proceeded to do precisely that, with a throw resulting in a touch fall.

Dusty Spaulding (132 lbs) took a more methodical approach in winning match #990.   Countering his opponent's move, he locked onto his opponent's elbows and executed a throw which gained him two points, plus another for back exposure.  Giving up a reversal cut his lead to 3-1, but another takedown followed by a one point gut wrench (hand-to-hand) increased his lead to 5-1 before losing another reversal.  After returning to their feet, Dusty took command with a duck-under takedown followed by two sets of gut wrench and back exposure combinations.  This gave him a commanding 12-2 lead until his opponent countered  his next gut attempt, exposing Dusty's back for two points.  Dusty sealed the victory with a final takedown and gut wrench, giving him a 15-4 tech fall.

Another dominating match was performed by Kelly Gabel (178 lbs) in match #1225.   Kelly executed a pretty high dive takedown, followed by three consecutive trapped-arm guts, holding the first two for additional back exposure points.  Unable to get the final point, they returned to their feet with the score 9-0.  Kelly wasted little time in attacking, and scored the tech fall off of a duckunder takedown for a final score of 10-0.

Shawn was on the attack throughout the second period, finally scoring a one point takedown from an arm spin.  A leg foul by Chris cut the lead to 2-4, and an aggressive scramble earned Shawn another one point takedown.   With time running out, Shawn wasn't able to secure his gut wrench in time to beat the clock, losing a close 3-4 decision.

All was not yet loss, however, since Zack Lamano (Utah), the World Team Trials champion, had not yet wrestled Chris Lape.  In a limited but possible scenario, if Zack could win his match against Chris in a shut-out decision, and did not score a technical fall, Shawn would still qualify for the championship match on the basis of match points earned.   Midway into the second period, it appeared this might be a possibility, since Zack was leading 4-0.  A flurry of activity by Zack soon ensued, however, and Zack ended the match with a 10-0 technical fall.

Shawn entered into the bronze medal match against Chase Metcalf of Michigan.  The Kansas team was out in force for the match, chanting "Kansas ... Kansas ... Kansas" from the stands long before the actual start of the match.  Chase attempted an arm spin, which Shawn countered but didn't score on a slip call.  Shawn attempted his own arm spin, which resulted in both contestants coming to the feet in a scramble.  Shawn out-hustled his opponent and scored the takedown, then added a trapped-arm gut to take a 3-0 lead.  Chase came to his feet, and it looked for a moment as though Shawn was set up to launch a throw, but Chase managed a safe return to the mat.  The first period ended with Shawn on top following a passivity call against Chase.  Score 3-0.

The second period started with Chase attempting another arm spin, which Shawn rejected with authority, throwing Chase back across his body to the mat for a one point takedown.   When Shawn was unable to turn Chase, the official returned the wrestlers to their feet.  A weak attempt at an arm throw by Chase was ruled a slip, but Shawn again was unable to turn Chase.  It didn't matter in the end, though, since that was where the match ended.   Final score Shawn Bunch (4) - Chase Metcalf (0).

Ian Bork won match #1106 in convincing style, scoring first with a back arch and holding his opponent for the additional back point. As soon as they returned to their feet, Ian again attached, throwing his opponent to his back with a headlock, and holding it for the fall.

Junior Session I:  Ben Orozco started the Junior Team off right, with a solid victory in match #28. Scoring first with a back arch, Ben’s next attempt at a throw was countered by his opponent for a takedown, which cut Ben’s lead to 3-1. He then turned Ben with a gut wrench and held for the additional point, taking a 4-3 lead. Ben, however, got another opportunity to wrestle from the top position, and capitalized with a gut wrench of his own, regaining his lead by a score of 5-4 at the end of the first period. Ben owned the seconds period, starting out with a great back arch for three points, later followed by an arm drag for a takedown. At this point the score was 9-4, but Ben was just starting. He scored a gut wrench for two points; then, after a break in the action, scored on a high gut with an additional back point. Although his opponent earned the final point in a reversal during a continuation in the action, Ben won with a strong 14-5 effort.

Match #147 had Matt Turner showing his counter-offense abilities. Wrestling from the bottom position, Matt countered his opponent’s attempted gut wrench, exposing his back for a 2-0 lead. After losing a takedown due to a missed headlock, he repeated his gut defense, again scoring two points and ending the first period ahead 4-1. In the second period, Matt (again!) found himself on bottom, and (again!) countered a gut wrench for another two points. Finally, in a kind of poetic irony, Matt attempted his own gut wrench, which his opponent countered for a one point reversal. The match ended with a 6-2 victory for Matt.

Clint Freemen started match #223 with a great example of combining moves. Executing an arm-drag takedown, he kept his momentum going and combined a trapped-arm gut wrench, taking a 3-0 lead. Clint later scored another takedown with a drag-by, then added another gut wrench. Working to add to his 6-0 lead, he sank a chicken wing, then walked it towards his opponent’s head. This turned his opponent to his back, where Clint held him for the fall.

Dustin Spaulding kept match #353 short and sweet, scoring a back arch from a high dive (3 pts), back exposure (1 pt), gut wrench (2 pts) and more back exposure (1 pt) in only 37 seconds before securing the fall.

There will be lots of wrestling, both Cadets & Juniors tomorrow. I’l try to update this page as time is available. Hope you’re finding it useful.

Both wrestlers entered the match undefeated, and attacked his other aggressively. After over a minute passed with no points being scored, Shawn was put in the bottom par terre position, where Zack performed a gut wrench and five second back exposure to take a 3-0 lead. As Zack attempted another gut, Shawn countered the move and scored a reversal, then scored his own gut wrench to tie the match at 3-3. Moving back to their feet, Shawn executed a beautiful back arch, exposing Zack’s back to the mat and scoring 3 points, taking a 6-3 lead.

After returning to the feet again. Zack attempted a headlock throw, which Shawn was able to stop and hold for a takedown. Shawn was seemingly in control with a 7-3 lead, when the tide seemed to turn. Zack scored a takedown from an arm spin, and scored two points with a gut wrench. Seemingly able to gut on command, he rolled Shawn again to go out-of-bounds. Although the rules don’t allow for scoring on two consecutive guts, going out-of-bounds is considered a break in the action, which opened the window for Zack to score another gut. With the score now a tight 7-6, another gut would put Shawn behind. With only ten seconds remaining, Zack threw his best gut attempts on Shawn, all of which Shawn successfully countered to win the match 7-6. With only four wrestlers left in his pool, Shawn is guaranteed All-American status.

I am updating this during a short break between Cadet action and the start of the Junior’s first session. Being short on time, I will have to save the remaining report for later this evening, after the Junior’s session.

Luke Metzler started the team out with the first match of the day on mat 12. Luke scored first, but ended the first period down 1-3 after spending the final 55 seconds fighting off his back. During the second period Luke was taken down twice, which increased the margin to 6-1. Luke made his move with only seconds to go. Executing a move which lifted his opponent from the mat (1 pt), he took him to his back (3 pts) and held him for over 5 seconds (1 pt) just a time expired. The end result of this single move was a tie score (6-6). During overtime, Luke scored a takedown, winning the match 7-6.

Clint Slyter also had to work from behind in match #161. When I arrived at the mat, Clint was trailing 1-3. From that point forward, however, Clint owned the match. Scoring a takedown cut the margin to 2-3, and a trapped-arm gut wrench gave him the lead at 4-3. He added to his margin with a takedown, countering an arm spin, for a final score of 5-3.

One of Davin Spaulding’s three victories today cam in the 181^st match. Already leading 2-0, Davin attempted a duck-under, which was blocked by his opponent. Davin took advantage of his position by locking on his opponent and throwing him from a back arch, making the score 5-0. Davin scored another back exposure from the feet with a toss from his whizzer hold, and held his opponent on his back for the five count. He sealed the victory with a final back exposure, winning by tech fall 11-0.

Match #249 didn’t start well for Steven Kirkbride. After losing the first three points, Steven began to come back with a reversal, cutting the margin to 1-3. However, he lost the next takedown, and again found himself down three points (1-4). Good body position allowed him to counter his opponent’s attempt at a gut wrench and expose his back to the mat, resulting in a score of 3-4 at the end of the first period. The second period started with Steven again losing ground by getting his own back exposed to the mat, making the margin once again three points (3-5). Steven’s scored the next takedown and then, with 28 seconds remaining in the match and still down by two points, he took his opponent directly from his feet to the danger position, winning by one point (7-6).

Just as he did in the first round, Luke Metzler began the second round with a win in match #322. Also like in the first round, he fell behind early (0-3), but scored the final three points of the first period off of a nice counter which held his opponent on his back for over five seconds. Luke showed that basics still count in the second period, scoring three consecutive takedowns for the only points of the period, and winning 6-3.

Jeremy Johnson demonstrated why you never give up in match #421. Trailing his match 2-10, with only 52 seconds remaining in the final period, Jeremy’s constant attack resulted in catching his opponent on his back, where Jeremy secured his win with a fall.

Ryan Zweygardt won match #481 in a rather unique way. With the scored tied 0-0 at the end of the period, Ryan and his opponent were forced to start the second period in a clinch. Under the rules, neither opponent could break this clinch except with a successful scoring move. Any other break would result in a point for the opponent, and place that wrestler on the bottom in the par terre position. Ryan took full advantage of the position, taking his opponent directly to his back for three points, which was also the final score (3-0).

Match #535 was controlled by Aaron Anderson, who sandwiched a three point takedown between two standard takedowns (set up by arm spins). While leading 6-0, his opponent’s frustration led him to engage in some overly aggressive slaps at Aaron. This resulted in a caution, giving Aaron a 7-0 lead and the top position. Aaron capitalized on this position with a gut wrench, increasing his final lead to 9-0.

Donnie Abell found himself down 0-3 at the end of the first period in match #535, and wasn’t having much luck scoring early in the second period. His opponent’s passivity caught up with him, however, and Donnie was allowed to take the top position in par terre. Taking full advantage, Donnie scored first with a gut wrench, then from a bulldog, resulting in a close 4-3 victory.

Shawn Bunch was completely dominant in all three of his matches today. An example came in match #699 where he scored the first takedown. Following the takedown, Shawn completed a trapped-arm gut wrench and held his opponent in the danger position for five seconds, getting three points (2+1). Since the back exposure points allow for a new gut wrench, Shawn allowed his opponent to roll back to his belly, then repeated the move for three more points. Then … guess what? … he did the same thing again for a final three points, resulting in a tech fall (10-0).

Session II for the Cadets will be held tomorrow (Sunday) from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.   The Juniors will begin wrestling at 4:00.

If you haven't seen the Junior/Cadet Nationals in Fargo, you're missing quite a sight.  The venue is at 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.

Richard Frakes, the Cadet Team Leader, said that the camp went very well this year.   He was very impressed with the support provided by the staff at Neosho County Community College, the new site for the camp.  Neosho County bucked the national trend this year by adding, rather that eliminating, a wrestling program to its athletic offerings.  The program was an outstanding success, with over 90 athletes ultimately wrestling for the college!

The first competition will begin at 4:00 Saturday for Cadet Greco-Roman.