Biographies of U.S. Youth Olympic Games wrestling participants
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by Gary Abbott
YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES WRESTLING BIOGRAPHIES
Updated August 5
Men's freestyle
63 kg/138.75 lbs - Quinton Murphy, Holley, N.Y.
Born: November 5, 1993
Achievements: 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion...Third in 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ 2010 Northeast Junior Festival champion"¦ Third in 2008 and 2009 Northeast Cadet Regional in Greco-Roman"¦ 2009 Central Regional Cadet freestyle champion"¦ Second in 2008 Central Cadet Regionals in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman"¦ Two-time New York State high school champion (2008, 2010)"¦ 2009 New York State high school runner-up"¦ Sixth in 2007 New York State High School Championships"¦ Has been on the high school varsity since seventh grade"¦ Varsity career record of 187-11.
Personal: Will be a junior at Holley High School in New York"¦ His hobbies include swimming and science fiction, with special interest in "Star Gate."
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Jordan Rogers, Spokane, Wash.
Born: January 25, 1994
Achievements: 2010 Cadet Nationals freestyle and Greco-Roman champion"¦ 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion... 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals freestyle champion"¦ 2010 Northwest Regional Junior Greco-Roman champion"¦ 2010 Northwest Regional Cadet freestyle champion"¦ Second in 2009 Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ Fourth in 2009 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman"¦ 2008 Schoolboy National champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman"¦ 2008 Schoolboy Duals All-Tournament Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman"¦ 2009 Washington state high school champion as a freshman"¦ District champion in high school as a sophomore, but unable to compete in state meet due to emergency appendectomy"¦ Rocky Mountain Classic champion"¦
Personal: Will be a junior at Mead High School in Washington"¦ Hobbies include guitar, reading, camping, whitewater rafting and kayaking, fishing, ping pong, youth group, sports, outdoor recreation, and hanging out with family and friends.
Greco-Roman
85 kg/185 lbs. - Luke Sheridan, Concord, Calif.
Born: June 14, 1993
Achievements: 2010 Junior Nationals champion"¦ 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion... Second in 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ Third in 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman"¦ 2010 Northwest Regional Junior Greco-Roman and freestyle champion"¦ Third in 2009 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman"¦ Second in 2009 Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ Third in 2010 California state high school tournament as a junior"¦
Personal: Will be a senior for De La Salle High School"¦
Women's freestyle
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jenna Burkert, Middle Island, N.Y.
Born: May 9, 1993
Achievements: Second in 2010 Junior Nationals"¦ 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion... 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion"¦2010 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion"¦ 2010 ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year"¦ 2009 Junior Nationals champion"¦ Fourth in 2009 FILA Cadet Nationals"¦ Third in 2009 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals"¦ Second in 2008 FILA Cadet Nationals"¦ 2007 Body Bar Schoolgirl National champion"¦
Personal: Will be a senior at Marquette High School in Michigan"¦ She is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan Univ"¦She enjoys listening to music, reading, and riding a bike. She would like to go to the Olympics, then settle down with a family as a gym teacher"¦
Coach
Mark Halvorson, Brentwood, Calif.
Halvorson works as the varsity wrestling coach at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. His team has won back to back North Coast Section (NCS) individual tournament team titles, four straight NCS Dual Team titles, and in 2010 their first top 10 California State Meet finish. He also has produced 14 CIF State medalists, 22 North Coast Section Champions, and 37 CIF State Qualifiers. In 2004, 2009, 2010 Halvorson was named the Contra Costa Times Coach of the Year. He has also received De La Salle Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2009.
He has had numerous international coaching assignments for USA Wrestling. In addition to coaching the 2010 Youth Olympic Games team, Halvorson also coached the U.S. Greco-Roman athletes at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games Pan American Qualifier. He was a 2006 FILA Junior World Team coach, and also coached a 2004 FILA Junior tour team. He was an assistant coach for the 2003 University World Team at the Olympic Hopes Tournament in Hungary. Halvorson was Team Leader for the 2001 FILA Junior World Team, and Head Coach of the 2000 FILA Cadet World Team.
He is the club coach at the Concord CYC, and is active in USA Wrestling on the local, state and national levels. Since he took over the CYC wrestling program in 1998, the CYC has produced 120 State Champions, 44 Regional Champions, 30 California Triple Crown winners, 79 USA All-Americans, 24 National Champions, 15 international tournament medalists, one Junior Pan American Champion, two Junior World Team members, one Youth Olympian, and one senior national team member. In addition, CYC has won 38 age group team state championships since he joined the organization. His CYC teams have competed in France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, and The Netherlands.
Halvorson served as the California Greco Roman Head Wrestling coach from 1996 to 2008, and California Greco Roman Coach for the Junior National Duals in 2000. Team California won five unofficial national team championships while he was the head coach. Mark also served on the California USA Wrestling executive committee for two years. In 1998, he was named the Western States Developmental Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. In 2006, he earned his National Coaches Education Program Gold Coaching level certification from USA Wrestling, the highest level of achievement in coaching.
Halvorson graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree from San Francisco State University with a Social Science emphasis, and received a California Single Subject Teaching Credential from Chapman University
Referee
Sam Julian, Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
Julian has been officiating on the national level for eight years, achieving the U.S. rank of M1 in 2006. He has been a FILA international official since 2008 and holds a FILA II ranking on the international level.
Julian was a referee at the Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier, held in Mexico in May 2010. Other international experience includes working the New York Athletic Club Holiday International two times.
Julian has officiated many major national events on the USA Wrestling schedule including the U.S. Senior Open three times and the Senior World Team Trials one time.
On the age-group levels., he has worked at the ASICS Junior/Cadet Nationals four times, the University/FILA Cadet Nationals four times, the Kids Nationals three times, the Cadet National Duals three times, the Junior National Duals three times and the Schoolboy National Duals two times.
Julian received the 2009 Glenn Blackman Memorial Award, which is presented to a new official who is working to improve and for recognition of outstanding accomplishments as a mat official and contributions to USA Wrestling.
Updated August 5
Men's freestyle
63 kg/138.75 lbs - Quinton Murphy, Holley, N.Y.
Born: November 5, 1993
Achievements: 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion...Third in 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ 2010 Northeast Junior Festival champion"¦ Third in 2008 and 2009 Northeast Cadet Regional in Greco-Roman"¦ 2009 Central Regional Cadet freestyle champion"¦ Second in 2008 Central Cadet Regionals in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman"¦ Two-time New York State high school champion (2008, 2010)"¦ 2009 New York State high school runner-up"¦ Sixth in 2007 New York State High School Championships"¦ Has been on the high school varsity since seventh grade"¦ Varsity career record of 187-11.
Personal: Will be a junior at Holley High School in New York"¦ His hobbies include swimming and science fiction, with special interest in "Star Gate."
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Jordan Rogers, Spokane, Wash.
Born: January 25, 1994
Achievements: 2010 Cadet Nationals freestyle and Greco-Roman champion"¦ 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion... 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals freestyle champion"¦ 2010 Northwest Regional Junior Greco-Roman champion"¦ 2010 Northwest Regional Cadet freestyle champion"¦ Second in 2009 Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ Fourth in 2009 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman"¦ 2008 Schoolboy National champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman"¦ 2008 Schoolboy Duals All-Tournament Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman"¦ 2009 Washington state high school champion as a freshman"¦ District champion in high school as a sophomore, but unable to compete in state meet due to emergency appendectomy"¦ Rocky Mountain Classic champion"¦
Personal: Will be a junior at Mead High School in Washington"¦ Hobbies include guitar, reading, camping, whitewater rafting and kayaking, fishing, ping pong, youth group, sports, outdoor recreation, and hanging out with family and friends.
Greco-Roman
85 kg/185 lbs. - Luke Sheridan, Concord, Calif.
Born: June 14, 1993
Achievements: 2010 Junior Nationals champion"¦ 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion... Second in 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ Third in 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman"¦ 2010 Northwest Regional Junior Greco-Roman and freestyle champion"¦ Third in 2009 Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman"¦ Second in 2009 Cadet Nationals in freestyle"¦ Third in 2010 California state high school tournament as a junior"¦
Personal: Will be a senior for De La Salle High School"¦
Women's freestyle
60 kg/132 lbs. - Jenna Burkert, Middle Island, N.Y.
Born: May 9, 1993
Achievements: Second in 2010 Junior Nationals"¦ 2010 Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion... 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Games Qualifier champion"¦2010 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion"¦ 2010 ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year"¦ 2009 Junior Nationals champion"¦ Fourth in 2009 FILA Cadet Nationals"¦ Third in 2009 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals"¦ Second in 2008 FILA Cadet Nationals"¦ 2007 Body Bar Schoolgirl National champion"¦
Personal: Will be a senior at Marquette High School in Michigan"¦ She is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan Univ"¦She enjoys listening to music, reading, and riding a bike. She would like to go to the Olympics, then settle down with a family as a gym teacher"¦
Coach
Mark Halvorson, Brentwood, Calif.
Halvorson works as the varsity wrestling coach at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. His team has won back to back North Coast Section (NCS) individual tournament team titles, four straight NCS Dual Team titles, and in 2010 their first top 10 California State Meet finish. He also has produced 14 CIF State medalists, 22 North Coast Section Champions, and 37 CIF State Qualifiers. In 2004, 2009, 2010 Halvorson was named the Contra Costa Times Coach of the Year. He has also received De La Salle Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2009.
He has had numerous international coaching assignments for USA Wrestling. In addition to coaching the 2010 Youth Olympic Games team, Halvorson also coached the U.S. Greco-Roman athletes at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games Pan American Qualifier. He was a 2006 FILA Junior World Team coach, and also coached a 2004 FILA Junior tour team. He was an assistant coach for the 2003 University World Team at the Olympic Hopes Tournament in Hungary. Halvorson was Team Leader for the 2001 FILA Junior World Team, and Head Coach of the 2000 FILA Cadet World Team.
He is the club coach at the Concord CYC, and is active in USA Wrestling on the local, state and national levels. Since he took over the CYC wrestling program in 1998, the CYC has produced 120 State Champions, 44 Regional Champions, 30 California Triple Crown winners, 79 USA All-Americans, 24 National Champions, 15 international tournament medalists, one Junior Pan American Champion, two Junior World Team members, one Youth Olympian, and one senior national team member. In addition, CYC has won 38 age group team state championships since he joined the organization. His CYC teams have competed in France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, and The Netherlands.
Halvorson served as the California Greco Roman Head Wrestling coach from 1996 to 2008, and California Greco Roman Coach for the Junior National Duals in 2000. Team California won five unofficial national team championships while he was the head coach. Mark also served on the California USA Wrestling executive committee for two years. In 1998, he was named the Western States Developmental Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. In 2006, he earned his National Coaches Education Program Gold Coaching level certification from USA Wrestling, the highest level of achievement in coaching.
Halvorson graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree from San Francisco State University with a Social Science emphasis, and received a California Single Subject Teaching Credential from Chapman University
Referee
Sam Julian, Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
Julian has been officiating on the national level for eight years, achieving the U.S. rank of M1 in 2006. He has been a FILA international official since 2008 and holds a FILA II ranking on the international level.
Julian was a referee at the Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier, held in Mexico in May 2010. Other international experience includes working the New York Athletic Club Holiday International two times.
Julian has officiated many major national events on the USA Wrestling schedule including the U.S. Senior Open three times and the Senior World Team Trials one time.
On the age-group levels., he has worked at the ASICS Junior/Cadet Nationals four times, the University/FILA Cadet Nationals four times, the Kids Nationals three times, the Cadet National Duals three times, the Junior National Duals three times and the Schoolboy National Duals two times.
Julian received the 2009 Glenn Blackman Memorial Award, which is presented to a new official who is working to improve and for recognition of outstanding accomplishments as a mat official and contributions to USA Wrestling.
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