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Favorites dominate first session action at Junior Greco-Roman Nationals

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by Gary Abbott

FARGO, N.D. - There were no significant upsets during the first session at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Greco-Roman Nationals at the FargoDome on Sunday.

In action on Sunday was Max Nowry of Illinois (105), a returning double champion who won both styles at the Junior Nationals last year. The other eligible returning double champion, David Taylor of Ohio, is not entered in Greco-Roman this year.

Nowry opened with a 5-0, 4-1 win over Blayne Shockley of Missouri.

In addition to Nowry, a returning 2007 Junior National Greco-Roman champion competing this weekend is Kendrick Sanders of Florida (140). Also competing are 2006 Junior National Greco-Roman champion Nathan Furches of Kansas (112), Justin Forrest of Missouri (119) and Eric Grajales of Florida (130). All emerged from the morning session undefeated.

All three 2007 Junior runners-up in the field were also unbeaten in the session, Cody Pack of California (112), Alec Ortiz of Oregon (160) and Tyrell Fortune of Oregon (215).

There were a number of past Cadet Nationals champions in the field today who also were unbeaten in the morning session. These included Alan Waters of Missouri (112), Ellis Coleman of Illinois (130), Andrew Alton of Pennsylvania (140), Carson Fields of Georgia (140), Dirk Cowburn of Pennsylvania (152), Joel Bauman of Minnesota (160), Ethen Lofthouse of Utah (171) and Kyle Caylor of Kansas (215).

Fields scored two pins in the session, stopping Bill Borseth of Iowa and David Calhoun of Florida.

A Cadet National champion who lost a bout in the morning session was Kyle Detmer of Kansas (152), who fell in the second round to Jonathan Urango of California, 2-2, 6-0, 0-4.

Andrew Alton won two matches in the session, as did his twin brother Dylan, who was a Cadet National runner-up last year and is competing at 135 pounds this year. Both Alton brothers had one pin and one technical fall in the session.

2008 FILA Junior National freestyle champion Logan Stieber of Ohio (119), who was also a Cadet National freestyle champion last year, is also in the field. He won his first two bouts, one by pin and the other by technical fall.

This year, the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Greco-Roman Nationals included 790 athletes, representing 44 states and Puerto Rico.

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