FARGO FEATURE: Minnesota's Hayden Zillmer chasing second title in North Dakota
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by Craig Sesker
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Minnesota's Hayden Zillmer is well aware a lot of his friends are just goofing off and taking it easy during their summer off from school.
But he doesn't think he's missing out on anything by competing on the USA Wrestling circuit this summer.
"I would rather be on the mat," Zillmer said.
His opponents wish he wasn't.
Zillmer continues to rip through the Cadet Nationals field in Fargo. He won the Cadet Nationals title in Greco-Roman earlier in the week and now he's trying to add a freestyle title at 91 pounds.
"Winning Greco helped me a lot going into this tournament," he said. "It really pumped me up."
Zillmer opened Thursday's afternoon session by earning a hard-fought 5-3, 2-1 win over Virginia's Joey Dance. Zillmer gave up an early takedown before battling back to gain the win. Zillmer has won his first five matches in the freestyle competition.
Dance placed fourth in the Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman competition. He was second at Folkstyle Nationals in Cadets earlier this year.
"I'm used to wrestling a lot of matches in a tournament like this," Zillmer said. "I was out in Colorado and then I went to Junior Duals. I'm used to being on the mat a lot."
Zillmer was a Triple Crown winner in Cadets in 2007. He fell short of placing at 98 pounds at the 2008 Folkstyle Nationals this year. But he has come back strong and can still win the final two legs of the Triple Crown.
"I had a bad tournament at Folkstyle Nationals," Zillmer said. "I knew I had to pick it up after that.
But he doesn't think he's missing out on anything by competing on the USA Wrestling circuit this summer.
"I would rather be on the mat," Zillmer said.
His opponents wish he wasn't.
Zillmer continues to rip through the Cadet Nationals field in Fargo. He won the Cadet Nationals title in Greco-Roman earlier in the week and now he's trying to add a freestyle title at 91 pounds.
"Winning Greco helped me a lot going into this tournament," he said. "It really pumped me up."
Zillmer opened Thursday's afternoon session by earning a hard-fought 5-3, 2-1 win over Virginia's Joey Dance. Zillmer gave up an early takedown before battling back to gain the win. Zillmer has won his first five matches in the freestyle competition.
Dance placed fourth in the Cadet Nationals Greco-Roman competition. He was second at Folkstyle Nationals in Cadets earlier this year.
"I'm used to wrestling a lot of matches in a tournament like this," Zillmer said. "I was out in Colorado and then I went to Junior Duals. I'm used to being on the mat a lot."
Zillmer was a Triple Crown winner in Cadets in 2007. He fell short of placing at 98 pounds at the 2008 Folkstyle Nationals this year. But he has come back strong and can still win the final two legs of the Triple Crown.
"I had a bad tournament at Folkstyle Nationals," Zillmer said. "I knew I had to pick it up after that.
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