NOTES FROM PRESS ROW IN FARGO, Sunday, July 20
Share:
by various journalists
Craig wastes no time ... whatsoever
By Jason Bryant, InterMat
http://www.intermatwrestle.com
Pennsylvania's Evan Craig doesn't like to spend too much time on the mat. The returning Cadet Greco-Roman champion and rising junior at Abington Heights near the Scranton area has wrestled five matches and picked up five falls. Craig's first four falls were in the first period. He's spent 278 seconds on the mat in five matches, the longest was his fifth-round victory over Karl Green of Maryland. But it wasn't going the distance as Craig pinned Green with a body lock 20 seconds into the second period. Two of the first period falls came in a combined 25 seconds (11 seconds in round one, 14 in round three). He's also got one in 27 seconds -- just for good measure. He'll open up the day on Monday with Iowa's Caleb White. This past season, Craig was unbeaten heading into the state finals and ended up finishing second.
Iowa's Austin Blythe has five matches where he's picked up the maximum classification points as well -- four falls and an injury default. The freshman state runner-up has two first period falls and two second period falls. Blythe and Craig are both in separate pools. Blythe's fastest is a 30-second fall in round two.
Bohn seeks Junior National title, to go with Grappling World bronze
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
http://www.themat.com
Jake Bohn of Michigan placed sixth in the Junior Nationals last year after his junior year in high school. For many wrestlers, that may have been the highlight of the summer season. For Bohn, who loves to compete in all styles of the sport, it was just a beginning.
In April of 2007, he won the U.S. National Sombo Championships on the Senior level, and qualified to compete at the Sombo World Championships, which were included in the World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey.
At the World Wrestling Games, FILA encouraged athletes from a number of non-Olympic styles to participate in the other styles of wrestling being held there. Bohn stepped up to the challenge, and competed at the World Championship events in Sombo, Beach Wrestling and Grappling. Bohn came home with a bronze medal in the Grappling World Championships at 154 pounds.
Bohn also competes in folkstyle, and will continue that career by attending George Mason Univ. in the fall. He also wrestles freestyle, where he lost to respected stars Vince Ramos and Albert White last summer at the Junior Nationals and fell one round short of All-American status.
"Greco is what I am best at; I love to do it," said Bohn, after scoring a dominant technical fall in the second round on Sunday. "What I enjoy the most is freestyle. There are no worries for me. I don't have to do what they expect me to do, so there is no expectations. But Greco is my high. It is my true love. Freestyle is my relaxation."
It has been a busy year for Bohn. He placed second in the Michigan state meet as a senior, after recovering from a knee injury. "I wrestled well and had a great guy in the finals," said Bohn. "We duked it out to the end. I lost by one point."
This spring, he placed second at the FILA Junior National Championships in Las Vegas in Greco-Roman, falling to Jon Drendel of the USOEC in the finals. He also participated in the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Bohn has already qualified for the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials in California in September, after placing third at the Midwest Grappling Regional Qualifier in Chicago, Ill.
"I spent my summer at Dan Severn's gym, working on my jiu jitsu and Grappling skills," said Bohn. "I plan on going to the Worlds again in Grappling. My goal is to win it this year. I have to stay focused and positive and train hard."
The task at hand is the Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman, and Bohn is confident in his ability to make the most of his final year at this level.
"I want to win this tournament," said Bohn. "As long as I wrestle to my full potential and don't let anything get in my way, I can do it."
Maryland, my Maryland
By John Punwani, Center Mat Press
They sing this song at the Preakness each year to start the second leg of the triple crown of horse racing. This year, a Maryland horse of the mat world may warrant the playing of this song if they can come up with a winner. The rejuvenated Maryland squad has some potential winners.
Take Helen Maroulis of Rockville, Md. who was fifth at the Fargo Nationals in 2006. In 2007, she topped that performance to become the Junior National champion, the Canada Cup champion, and a FILA Cadet National champion. She has continued her winning ways in 2008 with a second place finish at the U.S. Senior National Tournament. A smart (3.7 GPA) wrestler she has her eyes on bigger things.
Maryland wrestling is more than crab cakes and football as they like to say. Led by Brandon Lauer, a former Fargo standout, and Pete Welch, coach at the famous McDonogh High School, this Maryland team is out to prove its mettle. Shane Milam, a Maryland state champion at 152 lbs and Alex Pagnotta,, 189 lb., state champions are out to show that Maryland, too, belongs among the wrestling elite in 2008. Good luck Maryland, My Maryland!
Editor's note: John Punwani has attended every Junior National Championships, going back to the first held in 1971
By Jason Bryant, InterMat
http://www.intermatwrestle.com
Pennsylvania's Evan Craig doesn't like to spend too much time on the mat. The returning Cadet Greco-Roman champion and rising junior at Abington Heights near the Scranton area has wrestled five matches and picked up five falls. Craig's first four falls were in the first period. He's spent 278 seconds on the mat in five matches, the longest was his fifth-round victory over Karl Green of Maryland. But it wasn't going the distance as Craig pinned Green with a body lock 20 seconds into the second period. Two of the first period falls came in a combined 25 seconds (11 seconds in round one, 14 in round three). He's also got one in 27 seconds -- just for good measure. He'll open up the day on Monday with Iowa's Caleb White. This past season, Craig was unbeaten heading into the state finals and ended up finishing second.
Iowa's Austin Blythe has five matches where he's picked up the maximum classification points as well -- four falls and an injury default. The freshman state runner-up has two first period falls and two second period falls. Blythe and Craig are both in separate pools. Blythe's fastest is a 30-second fall in round two.
Bohn seeks Junior National title, to go with Grappling World bronze
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
http://www.themat.com
Jake Bohn of Michigan placed sixth in the Junior Nationals last year after his junior year in high school. For many wrestlers, that may have been the highlight of the summer season. For Bohn, who loves to compete in all styles of the sport, it was just a beginning.
In April of 2007, he won the U.S. National Sombo Championships on the Senior level, and qualified to compete at the Sombo World Championships, which were included in the World Wrestling Games in Antalya, Turkey.
At the World Wrestling Games, FILA encouraged athletes from a number of non-Olympic styles to participate in the other styles of wrestling being held there. Bohn stepped up to the challenge, and competed at the World Championship events in Sombo, Beach Wrestling and Grappling. Bohn came home with a bronze medal in the Grappling World Championships at 154 pounds.
Bohn also competes in folkstyle, and will continue that career by attending George Mason Univ. in the fall. He also wrestles freestyle, where he lost to respected stars Vince Ramos and Albert White last summer at the Junior Nationals and fell one round short of All-American status.
"Greco is what I am best at; I love to do it," said Bohn, after scoring a dominant technical fall in the second round on Sunday. "What I enjoy the most is freestyle. There are no worries for me. I don't have to do what they expect me to do, so there is no expectations. But Greco is my high. It is my true love. Freestyle is my relaxation."
It has been a busy year for Bohn. He placed second in the Michigan state meet as a senior, after recovering from a knee injury. "I wrestled well and had a great guy in the finals," said Bohn. "We duked it out to the end. I lost by one point."
This spring, he placed second at the FILA Junior National Championships in Las Vegas in Greco-Roman, falling to Jon Drendel of the USOEC in the finals. He also participated in the FILA Junior World Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Bohn has already qualified for the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials in California in September, after placing third at the Midwest Grappling Regional Qualifier in Chicago, Ill.
"I spent my summer at Dan Severn's gym, working on my jiu jitsu and Grappling skills," said Bohn. "I plan on going to the Worlds again in Grappling. My goal is to win it this year. I have to stay focused and positive and train hard."
The task at hand is the Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman, and Bohn is confident in his ability to make the most of his final year at this level.
"I want to win this tournament," said Bohn. "As long as I wrestle to my full potential and don't let anything get in my way, I can do it."
Maryland, my Maryland
By John Punwani, Center Mat Press
They sing this song at the Preakness each year to start the second leg of the triple crown of horse racing. This year, a Maryland horse of the mat world may warrant the playing of this song if they can come up with a winner. The rejuvenated Maryland squad has some potential winners.
Take Helen Maroulis of Rockville, Md. who was fifth at the Fargo Nationals in 2006. In 2007, she topped that performance to become the Junior National champion, the Canada Cup champion, and a FILA Cadet National champion. She has continued her winning ways in 2008 with a second place finish at the U.S. Senior National Tournament. A smart (3.7 GPA) wrestler she has her eyes on bigger things.
Maryland wrestling is more than crab cakes and football as they like to say. Led by Brandon Lauer, a former Fargo standout, and Pete Welch, coach at the famous McDonogh High School, this Maryland team is out to prove its mettle. Shane Milam, a Maryland state champion at 152 lbs and Alex Pagnotta,, 189 lb., state champions are out to show that Maryland, too, belongs among the wrestling elite in 2008. Good luck Maryland, My Maryland!
Editor's note: John Punwani has attended every Junior National Championships, going back to the first held in 1971
Read More#
Final X spots up for grabs at Senior World Team Trials next week in Louisville, Ky.
Arujau, Forrest to meet at 61 kg in men’s freestyle at 2025 Final X in Newark, N.J.
USA Wrestling Beach Nationals brings top talent to Carolina Beach, N.C., on May 10
2024 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Awards: Payton Jacobson (Wrestler), Andy Bisek (Coach)
