Nowry, Sanders, Grajales win second career Junior National Greco-Roman titles
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by Gary Abbott
FARGO, N.D. - Max Nowry of Illinois (105) and Kendrick Sanders of Florida (145) repeated as Junior National champions with victories at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Greco-Roman Nationals at the FargoDome on Tuesday afternoon.
Nowry, a Junior double champion last year, won his third career Junior Nationals title with a victory over Ryak Fitch of Arizona at 105 pounds, 6-5, 1-1. The first period was wide open, with Fitch jumping ahead 5-0, but Nowry turning him three times with gutwrenches to win 6-5. The second period went down to defense from the bottom position, with Nowry defending and scoring the final point of the match.
Sanders put on a display of explosive throws in a two-period victory over Zach Clemente of New York in the finals, 6-1, 6-0. In the first period, Sanders had a three-point throw. In the second period, a high amplitude five-point throw from the reverse lift position ended the match instantly.
Sanders was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for his impressive dominant performance.
Winning a second career Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title was Eric Grajales of Florida, who needed three periods to defeat Ellis Coleman of Illinois, 0-2, 3-3, 6-0. Grajales was also a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion in 2006, and has competed on two U.S. Junior World Teams.
In the final period, Grajales received two points when Coleman was cautioned for jumping the whistle. Grajales hit two more gut wrenches to win the final period by technical fall.
2007 Junior Nationals runner-up Tyrell Fortune of Oregon had his offense going strong when he defeated Orlando Scales of Ohio in two straight periods, 6-1, 6-0. Scales scored the first takedown of the match, but Fortune rebounded with a three-point throw to take the first period. In the second period, he quickly took down Scales and turned him a number of times for the technical fall. Fortune was a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2005 and 2006.
Talented twins Dylan and Andrew Alton of Pennsylvania both reached the finals, but only one came home with a title.
Dylan defeated fellow Pennsylvanian Josh Kindig in the finals in two straight periods, 4-0, 3-0 at 135 pounds. Alton scored exposure points in both periods and controlled the action. Dylan Alton was second in Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman last year and first in freestyle.
At 140 pounds, Cole Schmitt of Wisconsin defeated Andrew Alton of Pennsylvania in two straight periods, 4-1, 4-2. Schmitt scored a three-point throw in both periods. Schmitt was a FILA Cadet Nationals champion this year and was third at the Junior Nationals last year. Andrew Alton was a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2007.
Joining Schmitt as a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion was his high school teammate at Belleville-Monticello-New Glarus co-op program in Wisconsin was Kalvin York at 152 pounds. He defeated 2007 Cadet Nationals champion Kirk Cowburn of Pennsylvania in the finals, 3-2, 7-1. York hit a big three-point throw early in the second period to nail down the win.
In a battle of Missouri stars, Ryan Mango defeated Alan Waters in the finals at 112 pounds in a three-period battle, 4-1, 0-2, 6-0. After splitting the first two periods, Mango got his offense going in the deciding third period, using lift and throws to score a technical fall for the period.
Mango was a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2006, while Waters won a Cadet double title in 2007. Mango, younger brother of 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango, missed this event last year after breaking his wrist. Mango beat Waters 2-3, 6-1, 2-1 earlier this year in the FILA Cadet Nationals finals in Akron, Ohio.
Jake Bellis of Illinois opened the tournament with excitement, defeating Tyler Fraley of New Jersey in the finals, 5-4, 7-0 at 98 pounds. Bellis was able to use a powerful gut wrench a number of times during the match.
With Bellis and Nowry winning titles, and a total team effort, Illinois won the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Cup team title with 67 points, followed by Minnesota with 49 points and Pennsylvania with 45 points.
In an impressive performance at 119 pounds, Logan Stieber of Ohio pinned Sharky Slyter of Kansas in 1:27. Stieber turned Slyter early in the period, then ran a bar arm for the pin. He was a Cadet Nationals freestyle champion last year.
The 125-pound match went down to the final seconds, with Luke Goettl of Arizona defeating Justin LaValle of Minnesota, 2-1, 1-10, 3-2. With LaValle leading in the closing period, Goettl scored an exposure turn for two points to win the final period.
Travis Rutt of Minnesota won the gold medal at 160 pounds, defeating 2007 Junior Nationals runner-up Alec Ortiz of Oregon in the finals, 5-0, 7-0. Rutt scored a five-point throw from the reverse lift in the first period, then turned Ortiz twice in the second period for the technical fall. Rutt placed fifth at the Junior Nationals last year.
In a battle of Cadet National Greco-Roman champions from last year, Ethen Lofthouse of Utah defeated Joel Bauman of Minnesota at 171 pounds, 2-0, 5-1. Lofthouse scored a hip toss for three points in the second period to end the match. Last year, Lofthouse won the Cadet title at 160 pounds while Bauman was the champion at 171 pounds.
After losing the first period, Brent Haynes of Missouri came back strong to defeat Clayton Kendall of Illinois, 0-6, 1-1, 7-0. Haynes had two takedowns, a gut wrench, then a headlock to put Kendall away in the final period.
The heavyweight match ended quickly, as John Hiles of Ohio hit multiple gut wrench turns in both periods to score a technical fall over Kyle Kober of Iowa in the finals, 7-0, 6-0.
Nowry, a Junior double champion last year, won his third career Junior Nationals title with a victory over Ryak Fitch of Arizona at 105 pounds, 6-5, 1-1. The first period was wide open, with Fitch jumping ahead 5-0, but Nowry turning him three times with gutwrenches to win 6-5. The second period went down to defense from the bottom position, with Nowry defending and scoring the final point of the match.
Sanders put on a display of explosive throws in a two-period victory over Zach Clemente of New York in the finals, 6-1, 6-0. In the first period, Sanders had a three-point throw. In the second period, a high amplitude five-point throw from the reverse lift position ended the match instantly.
Sanders was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for his impressive dominant performance.
Winning a second career Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title was Eric Grajales of Florida, who needed three periods to defeat Ellis Coleman of Illinois, 0-2, 3-3, 6-0. Grajales was also a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion in 2006, and has competed on two U.S. Junior World Teams.
In the final period, Grajales received two points when Coleman was cautioned for jumping the whistle. Grajales hit two more gut wrenches to win the final period by technical fall.
2007 Junior Nationals runner-up Tyrell Fortune of Oregon had his offense going strong when he defeated Orlando Scales of Ohio in two straight periods, 6-1, 6-0. Scales scored the first takedown of the match, but Fortune rebounded with a three-point throw to take the first period. In the second period, he quickly took down Scales and turned him a number of times for the technical fall. Fortune was a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2005 and 2006.
Talented twins Dylan and Andrew Alton of Pennsylvania both reached the finals, but only one came home with a title.
Dylan defeated fellow Pennsylvanian Josh Kindig in the finals in two straight periods, 4-0, 3-0 at 135 pounds. Alton scored exposure points in both periods and controlled the action. Dylan Alton was second in Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman last year and first in freestyle.
At 140 pounds, Cole Schmitt of Wisconsin defeated Andrew Alton of Pennsylvania in two straight periods, 4-1, 4-2. Schmitt scored a three-point throw in both periods. Schmitt was a FILA Cadet Nationals champion this year and was third at the Junior Nationals last year. Andrew Alton was a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2007.
Joining Schmitt as a Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion was his high school teammate at Belleville-Monticello-New Glarus co-op program in Wisconsin was Kalvin York at 152 pounds. He defeated 2007 Cadet Nationals champion Kirk Cowburn of Pennsylvania in the finals, 3-2, 7-1. York hit a big three-point throw early in the second period to nail down the win.
In a battle of Missouri stars, Ryan Mango defeated Alan Waters in the finals at 112 pounds in a three-period battle, 4-1, 0-2, 6-0. After splitting the first two periods, Mango got his offense going in the deciding third period, using lift and throws to score a technical fall for the period.
Mango was a double Cadet Nationals champion in 2006, while Waters won a Cadet double title in 2007. Mango, younger brother of 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango, missed this event last year after breaking his wrist. Mango beat Waters 2-3, 6-1, 2-1 earlier this year in the FILA Cadet Nationals finals in Akron, Ohio.
Jake Bellis of Illinois opened the tournament with excitement, defeating Tyler Fraley of New Jersey in the finals, 5-4, 7-0 at 98 pounds. Bellis was able to use a powerful gut wrench a number of times during the match.
With Bellis and Nowry winning titles, and a total team effort, Illinois won the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Cup team title with 67 points, followed by Minnesota with 49 points and Pennsylvania with 45 points.
In an impressive performance at 119 pounds, Logan Stieber of Ohio pinned Sharky Slyter of Kansas in 1:27. Stieber turned Slyter early in the period, then ran a bar arm for the pin. He was a Cadet Nationals freestyle champion last year.
The 125-pound match went down to the final seconds, with Luke Goettl of Arizona defeating Justin LaValle of Minnesota, 2-1, 1-10, 3-2. With LaValle leading in the closing period, Goettl scored an exposure turn for two points to win the final period.
Travis Rutt of Minnesota won the gold medal at 160 pounds, defeating 2007 Junior Nationals runner-up Alec Ortiz of Oregon in the finals, 5-0, 7-0. Rutt scored a five-point throw from the reverse lift in the first period, then turned Ortiz twice in the second period for the technical fall. Rutt placed fifth at the Junior Nationals last year.
In a battle of Cadet National Greco-Roman champions from last year, Ethen Lofthouse of Utah defeated Joel Bauman of Minnesota at 171 pounds, 2-0, 5-1. Lofthouse scored a hip toss for three points in the second period to end the match. Last year, Lofthouse won the Cadet title at 160 pounds while Bauman was the champion at 171 pounds.
After losing the first period, Brent Haynes of Missouri came back strong to defeat Clayton Kendall of Illinois, 0-6, 1-1, 7-0. Haynes had two takedowns, a gut wrench, then a headlock to put Kendall away in the final period.
The heavyweight match ended quickly, as John Hiles of Ohio hit multiple gut wrench turns in both periods to score a technical fall over Kyle Kober of Iowa in the finals, 7-0, 6-0.
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