FEATURE: Alton twins seek wrestling success side by side
Share:
by Gary Abbott
There is a tradition within wrestling of amazingly tough twin brother combinations. Think of the Brands brothers, the Scherr brothers, the Banach brothers, the Steiner brothers, the Purler brothers, the Hughes brothers, the Keller brothers, the Paulson brothers, the Bonomo brothers. Wrestling fans can come up with many more. All were twins, and all were very successful side by side.
There is a new brother combination in USA Wrestling's age-group national programs, the Alton twins of Pennsylvania, Andrew and Dylan.
Wrestling fans remember the Alton twins from Fargo, N.D. last summer, when they both Cadet National freestyle titles side by side, Dylan at 130 pounds and Andrew at 135 pounds. Andrew was also a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion, with Dylan placing second.
This weekend, Dylan enters the event as the top seed in the FILA Junior World Team Trials at 60 kg/132 lbs., after winning the FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas in April. Andrew was entered in the Challenge Tournament portion of the FILA Juniors on Saturday morning.
The Alton brothers, who started wrestling at the age of six together, won't wrestle each other. Their father Neil Alton said that they have not wrestled for a reason. In the practice room, the training tends to go after practice. The brothers don't want to stop because both want to score the last takedown.
"When they were little, they would argue who was better. If they'd wrestle a match, one would win and it would hurt the other. They are so close, yet so competitive. We would come back home, there would be holes in the wall and blood on the wall. They were always wrestling," said Neil.
The brothers admit that competing in a match may not be a great idea, especially with the way that they train together.
"We get into brawls sometimes. We get into fights about who is winning and who is not. We get at it," said Dylan.
"We go hard in the room," said Andrew. "We get at each other. Sometimes it is anger, but it is mostly being competitive."
Earlier this year, at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio, the Alton brothers made the finals in freestyle at 138.75 pounds and decided to be co-champions under the USA Wrestling age-group brother rule. The regulation was approved by USA Wrestling at the time that two other Pennsylvania twins were regularly banging heads at the same weight, John and Russ Hughes. Dylan was pleased with the co-champion rule.
"That was very nice. That would have gone to a coin flip if we had to choose. That made it a lot easier. We didn't have to decide," said Dylan.
The Alton twins were high school sophomores this season. Dylan won the state title this year for Central Mountain High School, the first Pennsylvania champion ever for the school, something that Neil said "was a big deal" at the school. Andrew placed third for the second straight year. Both of the brothers talk to each other and visualize winning state and national titles side-by-side.
"We are both training hard this summer for next year," said Andrew. "Hopefully, there won't be any upsets next year."
"It would be nice to win at the same time," said Dylan. "Sometimes we come up a little short. We will work harder next year so we both have the same result."
Neil indicated that the brothers decide for themselves who will go which weight class during the regular season and in the summer events.
Currently, Andrew competes up in weight, while Dylan goes down. According to their dad, at their natural weight, Andrew is a few pounds heavier than Dylan. When they were little, it was the other way around, with Dylan at the higher class and Andrew down in weight. At this time, Andrew is a little stronger in the weight room.
The Altons won't be competing against each other at this tournament. Dylan remained down to 60 kg/132 lbs. where he was the FILA Junior Nationals champion to claim the top seed here in Colorado Springs. Andrew, who was fourth at the 63 kg/145.5 lbs. class at the FILA Junior Nationals, moved up at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., keeping the brothers at different weight classes.
The brothers won't be in the championship finals side-by-side either this time around. With Dylan working the video tape camera, and father Neil and respected coach Sanshiro Abe in his corner, Andrew was defeated in his first match in the Challenge Tournament, losing to Oklahoma State wrestler Jamal Parks. The deciding third period went to the clinch, with Parks winning the flip and scoring the deciding takedown. After winning in the consolations, Andrew was eliminated by Mario Mason of Blair Academy.
"I wanted to do well here, make less mistakes and give it my all," said Andrew of his tournament today. "I had nothing to lose here."
Dylan still has the chance to carry the family banner in tonight's best-of-three finals, when he will compete against Challenge Tournament champion. He had a chance to sit out the morning session and concentrate on his own performance.
"I feel good about it. I warmed up early today. I will be ready when it comes," said Dylan.
Dylan is confident going into the finals, based upon his championship effort at the FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas.
"That tournament went really good for me. I didn't make any mistakes. I was on during that day," said Dylan.
In the finals, Andrew will switch roles with Dylan, helping support him during his matches. He often shoots video for his brother's bouts, but sometimes things don't go to well.
"I will drill with him before his match and get him ready to go," said Andrew. "When we video tape, sometimes we don't get the whole match. We get nervous for each other and we miss some things."
Coaches have nothing but praise for the Alton twins, who have the skill, desire and intensity to succeed at the highest level.
"They are great athletes," said Coach Sanshiro Abe. "Their work ethic is great. They have all the aspects that coaches want their wrestlers to have. They both have the right attitude. When they are physical and keep moving, they are tough to beat."
Father Neil knows about the tradition of great twin wrestling brothers, having a wrestling background himself. Neil wrestled at Long Beach High School on Long Island, N.Y., and was a Div. I star at West Chester and Temple. He qualified for the NCAA Championships twice, and was an EIWA champion for Temple in 1985, the same year his teammate Bill Hyman won the NCAA heavyweight title. Sometimes, Dad still works out with his boys
"He handfights with us in the room. He is hard to take down, but he tires real quickly," said Andrew about his father. "He supports us 100 percent. He takes us everywhere and doesn't let us stop. He encourages us to get better."
When Andrew and Dylan were born, the Alton family included two girls, and the news about twin boys was something that had Neil thinking ahead.
"When I heard it was twin boys, I was ecstatic. I knew they would have a chance to be better wrestlers together. They have an advantage. They always have a good partner," said Neil.
There is a new brother combination in USA Wrestling's age-group national programs, the Alton twins of Pennsylvania, Andrew and Dylan.
Wrestling fans remember the Alton twins from Fargo, N.D. last summer, when they both Cadet National freestyle titles side by side, Dylan at 130 pounds and Andrew at 135 pounds. Andrew was also a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion, with Dylan placing second.
This weekend, Dylan enters the event as the top seed in the FILA Junior World Team Trials at 60 kg/132 lbs., after winning the FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas in April. Andrew was entered in the Challenge Tournament portion of the FILA Juniors on Saturday morning.
The Alton brothers, who started wrestling at the age of six together, won't wrestle each other. Their father Neil Alton said that they have not wrestled for a reason. In the practice room, the training tends to go after practice. The brothers don't want to stop because both want to score the last takedown.
"When they were little, they would argue who was better. If they'd wrestle a match, one would win and it would hurt the other. They are so close, yet so competitive. We would come back home, there would be holes in the wall and blood on the wall. They were always wrestling," said Neil.
The brothers admit that competing in a match may not be a great idea, especially with the way that they train together.
"We get into brawls sometimes. We get into fights about who is winning and who is not. We get at it," said Dylan.
"We go hard in the room," said Andrew. "We get at each other. Sometimes it is anger, but it is mostly being competitive."
Earlier this year, at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio, the Alton brothers made the finals in freestyle at 138.75 pounds and decided to be co-champions under the USA Wrestling age-group brother rule. The regulation was approved by USA Wrestling at the time that two other Pennsylvania twins were regularly banging heads at the same weight, John and Russ Hughes. Dylan was pleased with the co-champion rule.
"That was very nice. That would have gone to a coin flip if we had to choose. That made it a lot easier. We didn't have to decide," said Dylan.
The Alton twins were high school sophomores this season. Dylan won the state title this year for Central Mountain High School, the first Pennsylvania champion ever for the school, something that Neil said "was a big deal" at the school. Andrew placed third for the second straight year. Both of the brothers talk to each other and visualize winning state and national titles side-by-side.
"We are both training hard this summer for next year," said Andrew. "Hopefully, there won't be any upsets next year."
"It would be nice to win at the same time," said Dylan. "Sometimes we come up a little short. We will work harder next year so we both have the same result."
Neil indicated that the brothers decide for themselves who will go which weight class during the regular season and in the summer events.
Currently, Andrew competes up in weight, while Dylan goes down. According to their dad, at their natural weight, Andrew is a few pounds heavier than Dylan. When they were little, it was the other way around, with Dylan at the higher class and Andrew down in weight. At this time, Andrew is a little stronger in the weight room.
The Altons won't be competing against each other at this tournament. Dylan remained down to 60 kg/132 lbs. where he was the FILA Junior Nationals champion to claim the top seed here in Colorado Springs. Andrew, who was fourth at the 63 kg/145.5 lbs. class at the FILA Junior Nationals, moved up at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., keeping the brothers at different weight classes.
The brothers won't be in the championship finals side-by-side either this time around. With Dylan working the video tape camera, and father Neil and respected coach Sanshiro Abe in his corner, Andrew was defeated in his first match in the Challenge Tournament, losing to Oklahoma State wrestler Jamal Parks. The deciding third period went to the clinch, with Parks winning the flip and scoring the deciding takedown. After winning in the consolations, Andrew was eliminated by Mario Mason of Blair Academy.
"I wanted to do well here, make less mistakes and give it my all," said Andrew of his tournament today. "I had nothing to lose here."
Dylan still has the chance to carry the family banner in tonight's best-of-three finals, when he will compete against Challenge Tournament champion. He had a chance to sit out the morning session and concentrate on his own performance.
"I feel good about it. I warmed up early today. I will be ready when it comes," said Dylan.
Dylan is confident going into the finals, based upon his championship effort at the FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas.
"That tournament went really good for me. I didn't make any mistakes. I was on during that day," said Dylan.
In the finals, Andrew will switch roles with Dylan, helping support him during his matches. He often shoots video for his brother's bouts, but sometimes things don't go to well.
"I will drill with him before his match and get him ready to go," said Andrew. "When we video tape, sometimes we don't get the whole match. We get nervous for each other and we miss some things."
Coaches have nothing but praise for the Alton twins, who have the skill, desire and intensity to succeed at the highest level.
"They are great athletes," said Coach Sanshiro Abe. "Their work ethic is great. They have all the aspects that coaches want their wrestlers to have. They both have the right attitude. When they are physical and keep moving, they are tough to beat."
Father Neil knows about the tradition of great twin wrestling brothers, having a wrestling background himself. Neil wrestled at Long Beach High School on Long Island, N.Y., and was a Div. I star at West Chester and Temple. He qualified for the NCAA Championships twice, and was an EIWA champion for Temple in 1985, the same year his teammate Bill Hyman won the NCAA heavyweight title. Sometimes, Dad still works out with his boys
"He handfights with us in the room. He is hard to take down, but he tires real quickly," said Andrew about his father. "He supports us 100 percent. He takes us everywhere and doesn't let us stop. He encourages us to get better."
When Andrew and Dylan were born, the Alton family included two girls, and the news about twin boys was something that had Neil thinking ahead.
"When I heard it was twin boys, I was ecstatic. I knew they would have a chance to be better wrestlers together. They have an advantage. They always have a good partner," said Neil.
Read More#
Benjamin, Ferriter, Bommarito unbeaten after day one of Beach World Series Monterrey in Mexico
Kilty, Welker to go for women’s freestyle gold at Pan American Championships, Gallegos, Nette in medal hunt
Jimenez, Blades, Baublitz win golds, Schwab claims silver, Martinez gets bronze in women’s freestyle at Pan American Championships
Kilty, Drury to meet at 65 kg in women’s freestyle at 2025 Final X in Newark, N.J.
