FARGO FEATURE: Wisconsin's Jesse Thielke continues pursuit of Cadet Triple Crown
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by Craig Sesker
FARGO, N.D. - Jesse Thielke's favorite style of wrestling is Greco-Roman.
But that hasn't stopped his determination to win a Cadet Nationals freestyle title as he pursues a USA Wrestling Triple Crown this week at the Fargo Dome.
The young standout from Wisconsin already has achieved the first two legs of the Triple Crown. He won the Cadet class at the Folkstyle Nationals this past spring before claiming the Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman title earlier this week in Fargo.
"I'm just keeping my eyes on that prize," Thielke said. "I want to get back in the finals for freestyle and win that championship. Winning the Triple Crown, that's one of my real big goals this year. I just need to keep moving forward and focusing on that."
Thielke, a Wisconsin state high school champion as a freshman in 2008, wasted little time in his first match of the second session on Wednesday. Thielke fired in on low single-leg shot, quickly finished for a takedown and then tipped Montana's Joshua Morin to his back with a cradle for a second-period fall.
Thielke won his first three freestyle matches by technical fall, fall and fall at 112 pounds. He's picked up where he left off after winning the Greco-Roman title here.
"It was awesome to come in here and be a repeat champion in Greco," he said. "I love Greco, it's my favorite. Moving into freestyle, I just need to go back to my folkstyle roots. I need to work on my shots and transition to getting easy points off my takedowns."
Thielke won back-to-back Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman titles in 2007 and 2008. He placed second behind Ohio's Hunter Stieber in the Cadet Nationals freestyle division in 2007. They could meet again this year. Both wrestlers are in the 112 class.
Thielke is a past winner of USA Wrestling's Ultimate Dominator Award. He won a USA Wrestling Triple Crown in the Schoolboy division in 2006.
Thielke finished a combined 19-0 in Greco-Roman and freestyle at 119 pounds during the Cadet National Duals in Kansas City. He led Wisconsin to the Cadet National team title in Greco-Roman.
Thielke hopes to finish his trip to Fargo back on the elevated platform in the Cadet Nationals finals on Friday afternoon.
"I definitely love the finals," Thielke said. "It's an amazing show and presentation they put on. It makes wrestling up there even more exciting than it already is. And knowing you're the best of the best, that's a great feeling to have.
But that hasn't stopped his determination to win a Cadet Nationals freestyle title as he pursues a USA Wrestling Triple Crown this week at the Fargo Dome.
The young standout from Wisconsin already has achieved the first two legs of the Triple Crown. He won the Cadet class at the Folkstyle Nationals this past spring before claiming the Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman title earlier this week in Fargo.
"I'm just keeping my eyes on that prize," Thielke said. "I want to get back in the finals for freestyle and win that championship. Winning the Triple Crown, that's one of my real big goals this year. I just need to keep moving forward and focusing on that."
Thielke, a Wisconsin state high school champion as a freshman in 2008, wasted little time in his first match of the second session on Wednesday. Thielke fired in on low single-leg shot, quickly finished for a takedown and then tipped Montana's Joshua Morin to his back with a cradle for a second-period fall.
Thielke won his first three freestyle matches by technical fall, fall and fall at 112 pounds. He's picked up where he left off after winning the Greco-Roman title here.
"It was awesome to come in here and be a repeat champion in Greco," he said. "I love Greco, it's my favorite. Moving into freestyle, I just need to go back to my folkstyle roots. I need to work on my shots and transition to getting easy points off my takedowns."
Thielke won back-to-back Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman titles in 2007 and 2008. He placed second behind Ohio's Hunter Stieber in the Cadet Nationals freestyle division in 2007. They could meet again this year. Both wrestlers are in the 112 class.
Thielke is a past winner of USA Wrestling's Ultimate Dominator Award. He won a USA Wrestling Triple Crown in the Schoolboy division in 2006.
Thielke finished a combined 19-0 in Greco-Roman and freestyle at 119 pounds during the Cadet National Duals in Kansas City. He led Wisconsin to the Cadet National team title in Greco-Roman.
Thielke hopes to finish his trip to Fargo back on the elevated platform in the Cadet Nationals finals on Friday afternoon.
"I definitely love the finals," Thielke said. "It's an amazing show and presentation they put on. It makes wrestling up there even more exciting than it already is. And knowing you're the best of the best, that's a great feeling to have.
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