Sanders, Rauser, Team Illinois highlight exciting final round in Junior Nationals Greco-Roman competition
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by Craig Sesker
Florida's Kendrick Sanders executes a five-point throw to win the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title. Photo by John Sachs/Tech-fall.com
FARGO, N.D. - Montana's Jade Rauser is well aware no wrestler has won a USA Wrestling Triple Crown at the Junior level.
He's planning on becoming the first to accomplish that feat.
Rauser is now two-thirds of the way toward his lofty goal after winning the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title at 105 pounds on Tuesday afternoon at the FargoDome. Jade beat Arizona's Chris Bostic 1-0, 7-0 in the finals.
"I just had to stay focused out there and keep wrestling tough," Rauser said. "I have been training hard for this opportunity. I have just have to keep wrestling hard in freestyle and keep my focus."
Rauser had mixed emotions while standing in the interview area shortly after his win. His twin brother, Valyen, fell in the 112-pound finals to Ryak Finch of Arizona.
Jade Rauser won the Folkstyle Nationals in April and now needs to win the Junior Nationals freestyle title on Saturday to complete the hat trick at the Junior level.
This is the third year that Juniors have had a chance to win the Triple Crown. The Junior division was added at the 2007 Folkstyle Nationals.
One of the most anticipated matches of the night turned into a lopsided win as Florida's Kendrick Sanders rolled to a win over Wisconsin's Kalvin York in the 152 finals. Sanders won Junior Nationals last year at 145 and York won at 152.
Sanders launched York with a spectacular five-point throw to finish off the win. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
"This is my last shot at Fargo," said Sanders, who also won Cadet Nationals in Greco in 2007. "I was really motivated for this tournament."
Illinois crowned four champions - Ellis Coleman (135), Josh Castellano (145), Mark Stenberg (171) and Josef Rau (215) - en route to winning the team title.
The Mango family from St. Louis continued to stockpile hardware from Fargo when 2008 Junior Nationals double champion Ryan Mango won the 2009 Junior Greco-Roman title at 119 on Tuesday. Mango beat Colorado's Jerry Huff in the finals.
Mango, a Stanford recruit, is the younger brother of 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Team member Spenser Mango. Ryan Mango placed fourth at the 2009 U.S. Senior World Team Trials.
"I've been wrestling a lot of guys at the Senior level and those guys are very strong," Ryan Mango said. "Coming here, the kids aren't as strong and their technique isn't quite as good. Wrestling those Senior guys really prepared me for this event."
2008 Cadet Nationals double champion Andrew Campolattano of New Jersey (189) continued his run of success after moving up to the Junior level. He won his first Junior Nationals title on Tuesday with a win over Minnesota's Tyler Lehman.
Campolattano was competing in Greco for the first time since he won Cadet Nationals last year.
"I had to get talked into wrestling Greco this year again," Campolattano said. "I feel like I'm a lot more dominant in freestyle than I am in Greco. I start getting frustrated with myself when I can't score at will in Greco."
2008 Cadet Triple Crown winner Dylan Ness of Minnesota saw his quest to win a Junior Triple Crown at 140 end with a finals loss to Nebraska's RaVaughan Perkins. The explosive Perkins, who is from Omaha, used an assortment of big moves in powering to a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
The name Gutches is back in the winner's circle in wrestling as Brock Gutches, cousin of past NCAA and World champion Les Gutches, won a Junior Nationals Greco title at 160. Gutches is from Oregon.
The Juniors have the day off on Wednesday before starting freestyle competition on Thursday morning in Fargo. Cadet freestyle action will kick off on Wednesday morning.
JUNIOR NATIONALS GRECO-ROMAN FINALS RESULTS
98 Pounds
Joey Moita (California) dec. Ruben Navejas (Washington), 1-0, 1-0
105 Pounds
Jade Rauser (Montana) dec. Chris Bostic (Arizona), 2-0, 7-0
112 Pounds
Ryak Finch (Arizona) dec. Val Rauser (Montana), 6-0, 7-0
119 Pounds
Ryan Mango (Missouri) dec. Jerry Huff (Colorado), 5-0, 1-0
125 Pounds
David Klingsheim (California) dec. Patrick Myers (Pennsylvania), 7-0, 3-2
130 Pounds
Justin LaValle (Minnesota) dec. Tucker Ray (Utah), 1-0, 7-0
135 Pounds
Ellis Coleman (Illinois) dec. Joseph Locksmith (Florida), 6-0, 7-0
140 Pounds
RaVaughan Perkins (Nebraska) dec. Dylan Ness (Minnesota), 6-0, 6-0
145 Pounds
Josh Castellano (Illinois) dec. Kory DeBerry (Arizona), 0-1, 3-0, 2-1
152 Pounds
Kendrick Sanders (Florida) dec. Kalvin York (Wisconsin), 6-0, 6-0
160 Pounds
Brock Gutches (Oregon) dec. Ronnie Balfour (Oklahoma), 3-1, 6-0
171 Pounds
Mark Stenberg (Illinois) dec. Tyler Beckwith (New York), 1-0, 1-0
189 Pounds
Andrew Campolattano (New Jersey) pinned Tyler Lehman (Minnesota), 1:06
215 Pounds
Josef Rau (Illinois) dec. Trevor Rupp (Idaho), 1-1, 1-0, 1-0
285 Pounds
Niko Bogojevic (Wisconsin) dec. Donovan Green (Florida), 2-0, 2-0
FARGO, N.D. - Montana's Jade Rauser is well aware no wrestler has won a USA Wrestling Triple Crown at the Junior level.
He's planning on becoming the first to accomplish that feat.
Rauser is now two-thirds of the way toward his lofty goal after winning the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman title at 105 pounds on Tuesday afternoon at the FargoDome. Jade beat Arizona's Chris Bostic 1-0, 7-0 in the finals.
"I just had to stay focused out there and keep wrestling tough," Rauser said. "I have been training hard for this opportunity. I have just have to keep wrestling hard in freestyle and keep my focus."
Rauser had mixed emotions while standing in the interview area shortly after his win. His twin brother, Valyen, fell in the 112-pound finals to Ryak Finch of Arizona.
Jade Rauser won the Folkstyle Nationals in April and now needs to win the Junior Nationals freestyle title on Saturday to complete the hat trick at the Junior level.
This is the third year that Juniors have had a chance to win the Triple Crown. The Junior division was added at the 2007 Folkstyle Nationals.
One of the most anticipated matches of the night turned into a lopsided win as Florida's Kendrick Sanders rolled to a win over Wisconsin's Kalvin York in the 152 finals. Sanders won Junior Nationals last year at 145 and York won at 152.
Sanders launched York with a spectacular five-point throw to finish off the win. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
"This is my last shot at Fargo," said Sanders, who also won Cadet Nationals in Greco in 2007. "I was really motivated for this tournament."
Illinois crowned four champions - Ellis Coleman (135), Josh Castellano (145), Mark Stenberg (171) and Josef Rau (215) - en route to winning the team title.
The Mango family from St. Louis continued to stockpile hardware from Fargo when 2008 Junior Nationals double champion Ryan Mango won the 2009 Junior Greco-Roman title at 119 on Tuesday. Mango beat Colorado's Jerry Huff in the finals.
Mango, a Stanford recruit, is the younger brother of 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Team member Spenser Mango. Ryan Mango placed fourth at the 2009 U.S. Senior World Team Trials.
"I've been wrestling a lot of guys at the Senior level and those guys are very strong," Ryan Mango said. "Coming here, the kids aren't as strong and their technique isn't quite as good. Wrestling those Senior guys really prepared me for this event."
2008 Cadet Nationals double champion Andrew Campolattano of New Jersey (189) continued his run of success after moving up to the Junior level. He won his first Junior Nationals title on Tuesday with a win over Minnesota's Tyler Lehman.
Campolattano was competing in Greco for the first time since he won Cadet Nationals last year.
"I had to get talked into wrestling Greco this year again," Campolattano said. "I feel like I'm a lot more dominant in freestyle than I am in Greco. I start getting frustrated with myself when I can't score at will in Greco."
2008 Cadet Triple Crown winner Dylan Ness of Minnesota saw his quest to win a Junior Triple Crown at 140 end with a finals loss to Nebraska's RaVaughan Perkins. The explosive Perkins, who is from Omaha, used an assortment of big moves in powering to a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
The name Gutches is back in the winner's circle in wrestling as Brock Gutches, cousin of past NCAA and World champion Les Gutches, won a Junior Nationals Greco title at 160. Gutches is from Oregon.
The Juniors have the day off on Wednesday before starting freestyle competition on Thursday morning in Fargo. Cadet freestyle action will kick off on Wednesday morning.
JUNIOR NATIONALS GRECO-ROMAN FINALS RESULTS
98 Pounds
Joey Moita (California) dec. Ruben Navejas (Washington), 1-0, 1-0
105 Pounds
Jade Rauser (Montana) dec. Chris Bostic (Arizona), 2-0, 7-0
112 Pounds
Ryak Finch (Arizona) dec. Val Rauser (Montana), 6-0, 7-0
119 Pounds
Ryan Mango (Missouri) dec. Jerry Huff (Colorado), 5-0, 1-0
125 Pounds
David Klingsheim (California) dec. Patrick Myers (Pennsylvania), 7-0, 3-2
130 Pounds
Justin LaValle (Minnesota) dec. Tucker Ray (Utah), 1-0, 7-0
135 Pounds
Ellis Coleman (Illinois) dec. Joseph Locksmith (Florida), 6-0, 7-0
140 Pounds
RaVaughan Perkins (Nebraska) dec. Dylan Ness (Minnesota), 6-0, 6-0
145 Pounds
Josh Castellano (Illinois) dec. Kory DeBerry (Arizona), 0-1, 3-0, 2-1
152 Pounds
Kendrick Sanders (Florida) dec. Kalvin York (Wisconsin), 6-0, 6-0
160 Pounds
Brock Gutches (Oregon) dec. Ronnie Balfour (Oklahoma), 3-1, 6-0
171 Pounds
Mark Stenberg (Illinois) dec. Tyler Beckwith (New York), 1-0, 1-0
189 Pounds
Andrew Campolattano (New Jersey) pinned Tyler Lehman (Minnesota), 1:06
215 Pounds
Josef Rau (Illinois) dec. Trevor Rupp (Idaho), 1-1, 1-0, 1-0
285 Pounds
Niko Bogojevic (Wisconsin) dec. Donovan Green (Florida), 2-0, 2-0
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