Nowry repeats as Junior Nationals double champion; Moore and Mason repeat at Junior Freestyle Nationals
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by Gary Abbott
FARGO, N.D. - The ASICS/Vaughan Junior Freestyle Nationals completed with an impressive group of champions crowned at the FargoDome on Saturday morning.
Max Nowry of Illinois claimed a Junior National double title for the second straight year with a victory at 105 pounds. He defeated Ryak Finch of Arizona in the finals, 3-1, 1-0. It was a rematch of the Greco-Roman finals, which Nowry also won.
Nowry won the first period with an active exchange on the buzzer. Nowry headlocked Finch in the closing seconds for three points, and Nowry rolled through for two points. Nowry won the period with the higher point move. The second period went to the leg clinch, with Nowry winning the flip and scoring the winning takedown.
"It was really tough," said Nowry. "I'm really sore because I had a bunch of matches this week. Last year I had a smaller bracket and didn't have to wrestle so many matches.
Nowry, a high school graduate heading for the USOEC program at Northern Michigan, finished his career with four Junior National titles. Nowry indicated that he will no longer wrestle freestyle, concentrating on his Greco-Roman career at the USOEC.
"It was the only thing going through my head that match. It was my last freestyle match, ever," said Nowry.
Two other returning Junior National freestyle champions claimed gold medals for the second straight year: Nate Moore of Iowa at 130 pounds and Mario Mason of New Jersey at 152 pounds.
Moore dominated the action to score a first-period pin over Jose Mendoza of California in 1:31. Moore turned Mendoza early in the match and almost scored a fall, but the second time he had Mendoza on his back, Moore secured the fall. Moore will be attending the Univ. of Iowa in the fall. Moore was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Mason was completely in control in the championship finals, defeating Derek St. John of Iowa, 4-0, 4-0. Moore was especially effective on his feet, getting a number of leg attack takedowns. Mason will attend the Univ. of Minnesota next year.
Winning a second career Junior National title was Justin Forrest of Missouri, who pinned 2007 Junior Nationals freestyle champion Jon Morrison of Illinois at 119 pounds in 1:25. Morrison started off the scoring, but Forrest was able to turn and press Morrison for the pin midway in the first period. Forrest was a 2006 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion. He will attend Oklahoma in the fall.
Four other 2008 Junior Greco-Roman champions won their freestyle finals and became double champions: Ryan Mango of Missouri (112), Logan Stieber of Ohio (125), Dylan Alton of Pennsylvania (135) and Tyrell Fortune of Oregon (215).
Mango defeated Shane Young of Pennsylvania in the finals, 4-1, 4-3. In the first period, Mango hit a three-point front headlock throw for the margin of victory. In the second period, trailing 2-1, Mango scored a two-point reversal late in the period to gain the advantage.
Stieber defeated fellow Ohio star Samuel White in the finals. Stieber had a strong first period, controlling the action. In the second period, Stieber won the tiebreaker by scoring the last point in the period, a reversal.
In an all-Pennsylvania final, Alton stopped Josh Kindig in two periods, 3-0, 5-3. Alton was able to score a big three-point move in the second period to put the match away. It was a rematch of the Greco-Roman finals, also won by Alton.
Fortune was dominant in his championship match, earning a technical fall over Byron Tate of Iowa, 7-1, 6-0. Fortune scored two three-point takedowns in the first period for a technical fall. In the second period, another two three-point takedowns, a lateral drop and a power double leg ended it. Fortune will attend Clackamas CC in the fall.
It was a great day for the Alton family of Lock Haven, Pa. Andrew Alton, the twin brother of Dylan, added a national title at 140 pounds, pinning Bobby Barnhisel of Illinois in the first period in 1:38. Barnhisel scored the first takedown, but Alton came back to turn Barnhisel to his back and secure the fall. Andrew was second in the Greco-Roman tournament on Tuesday.
2007 Junior National runner-up Eric Thompson of Iowa ended his career with a Junior National title, defeating Steve Andrus of Kansas in two straight periods, 6-0, 3-1. Thompson had an impressive double-overhook throw in the first period, and controlled the action throughout the match.
Moore and Thompson helped lead Team Iowa to the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Cup team title, with 67 points. Iowa had two champions and four finalists. Placing second was Missouri with 54 points and third was Ohio with 46 points.
Three 2007 Cadet National freestyle champions moved up an age-group and won Junior Nationals freestyle titles this year, Stieber and the Alton twins.
The tournament started with a pin, as New Jersey's Tyler Fraley pinned Jade Rauser of Montana in the second period at 98 pounds, 1-6, 1:48. Rauser dominated the first period, but Fraley hit a headlock in the second and put Rauser away.
Another pin ended the 145-pound finals, as Matt Lester of Missouri pinned Jim Belleville of Washington in 0-1, 1:41. The second period featured back-and-forth action, with Lester scoring a reversal to a pinning combination where he secured the fall.
In a battle between contrasting styles, Andrew Howe of Indiana scored a three-period win over Alex Meade of Delaware, 0-1, 3-0, 6-2. Meade won the first period with technical skill, but Howe came back with a high-pressure power offense in the last two periods. The key to the win came in period three, when Howe scored a takedown and two leg lace turns to put the match away.
Ben Bennett of Michigan captured the 171-pound title in an impressive shutout over Josh Asper of Maryland, 4-0, 6-0. Bennett was effective with his takedown attacks and also scored exposure turns in both periods. Bennett will attend Central Michigan in the fall.
At 189 pounds, Chris Perry of Oklahoma needed three periods to defeat Brian Roddy of Ohio, 2-5, 3-0, 6-0. Roddy won the first period, scoring two exposure moves against Perry for the edge. In the second period, Perry rebounded to score two takedowns and a stepout. In the deciding third period, Perry came out strong with a takedown to exposure, with an additional backpoint for holding Roddy to the mat, and went on to secure a technical fall.
Max Nowry of Illinois claimed a Junior National double title for the second straight year with a victory at 105 pounds. He defeated Ryak Finch of Arizona in the finals, 3-1, 1-0. It was a rematch of the Greco-Roman finals, which Nowry also won.
Nowry won the first period with an active exchange on the buzzer. Nowry headlocked Finch in the closing seconds for three points, and Nowry rolled through for two points. Nowry won the period with the higher point move. The second period went to the leg clinch, with Nowry winning the flip and scoring the winning takedown.
"It was really tough," said Nowry. "I'm really sore because I had a bunch of matches this week. Last year I had a smaller bracket and didn't have to wrestle so many matches.
Nowry, a high school graduate heading for the USOEC program at Northern Michigan, finished his career with four Junior National titles. Nowry indicated that he will no longer wrestle freestyle, concentrating on his Greco-Roman career at the USOEC.
"It was the only thing going through my head that match. It was my last freestyle match, ever," said Nowry.
Two other returning Junior National freestyle champions claimed gold medals for the second straight year: Nate Moore of Iowa at 130 pounds and Mario Mason of New Jersey at 152 pounds.
Moore dominated the action to score a first-period pin over Jose Mendoza of California in 1:31. Moore turned Mendoza early in the match and almost scored a fall, but the second time he had Mendoza on his back, Moore secured the fall. Moore will be attending the Univ. of Iowa in the fall. Moore was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Mason was completely in control in the championship finals, defeating Derek St. John of Iowa, 4-0, 4-0. Moore was especially effective on his feet, getting a number of leg attack takedowns. Mason will attend the Univ. of Minnesota next year.
Winning a second career Junior National title was Justin Forrest of Missouri, who pinned 2007 Junior Nationals freestyle champion Jon Morrison of Illinois at 119 pounds in 1:25. Morrison started off the scoring, but Forrest was able to turn and press Morrison for the pin midway in the first period. Forrest was a 2006 Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion. He will attend Oklahoma in the fall.
Four other 2008 Junior Greco-Roman champions won their freestyle finals and became double champions: Ryan Mango of Missouri (112), Logan Stieber of Ohio (125), Dylan Alton of Pennsylvania (135) and Tyrell Fortune of Oregon (215).
Mango defeated Shane Young of Pennsylvania in the finals, 4-1, 4-3. In the first period, Mango hit a three-point front headlock throw for the margin of victory. In the second period, trailing 2-1, Mango scored a two-point reversal late in the period to gain the advantage.
Stieber defeated fellow Ohio star Samuel White in the finals. Stieber had a strong first period, controlling the action. In the second period, Stieber won the tiebreaker by scoring the last point in the period, a reversal.
In an all-Pennsylvania final, Alton stopped Josh Kindig in two periods, 3-0, 5-3. Alton was able to score a big three-point move in the second period to put the match away. It was a rematch of the Greco-Roman finals, also won by Alton.
Fortune was dominant in his championship match, earning a technical fall over Byron Tate of Iowa, 7-1, 6-0. Fortune scored two three-point takedowns in the first period for a technical fall. In the second period, another two three-point takedowns, a lateral drop and a power double leg ended it. Fortune will attend Clackamas CC in the fall.
It was a great day for the Alton family of Lock Haven, Pa. Andrew Alton, the twin brother of Dylan, added a national title at 140 pounds, pinning Bobby Barnhisel of Illinois in the first period in 1:38. Barnhisel scored the first takedown, but Alton came back to turn Barnhisel to his back and secure the fall. Andrew was second in the Greco-Roman tournament on Tuesday.
2007 Junior National runner-up Eric Thompson of Iowa ended his career with a Junior National title, defeating Steve Andrus of Kansas in two straight periods, 6-0, 3-1. Thompson had an impressive double-overhook throw in the first period, and controlled the action throughout the match.
Moore and Thompson helped lead Team Iowa to the Wells Fargo Insurance Services Cup team title, with 67 points. Iowa had two champions and four finalists. Placing second was Missouri with 54 points and third was Ohio with 46 points.
Three 2007 Cadet National freestyle champions moved up an age-group and won Junior Nationals freestyle titles this year, Stieber and the Alton twins.
The tournament started with a pin, as New Jersey's Tyler Fraley pinned Jade Rauser of Montana in the second period at 98 pounds, 1-6, 1:48. Rauser dominated the first period, but Fraley hit a headlock in the second and put Rauser away.
Another pin ended the 145-pound finals, as Matt Lester of Missouri pinned Jim Belleville of Washington in 0-1, 1:41. The second period featured back-and-forth action, with Lester scoring a reversal to a pinning combination where he secured the fall.
In a battle between contrasting styles, Andrew Howe of Indiana scored a three-period win over Alex Meade of Delaware, 0-1, 3-0, 6-2. Meade won the first period with technical skill, but Howe came back with a high-pressure power offense in the last two periods. The key to the win came in period three, when Howe scored a takedown and two leg lace turns to put the match away.
Ben Bennett of Michigan captured the 171-pound title in an impressive shutout over Josh Asper of Maryland, 4-0, 6-0. Bennett was effective with his takedown attacks and also scored exposure turns in both periods. Bennett will attend Central Michigan in the fall.
At 189 pounds, Chris Perry of Oklahoma needed three periods to defeat Brian Roddy of Ohio, 2-5, 3-0, 6-0. Roddy won the first period, scoring two exposure moves against Perry for the edge. In the second period, Perry rebounded to score two takedowns and a stepout. In the deciding third period, Perry came out strong with a takedown to exposure, with an additional backpoint for holding Roddy to the mat, and went on to secure a technical fall.
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