Jan. 2, 2005: The Salt Lake Tribune

All-Star Classic to Feature Familiar Faces
by Peter Richins

For Lehi's Tyson Thompson and Wasatch's Dallin Norton, Wednesday's Utah All-Star Wrestling Classic is familiar territory.

Both wrestlers will be in their third straight All-Star Classic when the event gets under way at Utah Valley State College in Orem at 7 p.m. But although the pair have been there before, they still look forward to their matchups.

"It's kind of nice being elected to do that," Norton said. The heavyweight will face West Jordan's Rio Stottler, someone he has been looking forward to facing again since the Layton Invitational at the beginning of the season.

"He's a tough kid, and I like wrestling tough kids," Norton said.

Thompson, a senior, is just as excited for the Classic as he was his sophomore year.

"It's always fun to be there," Thompson, a 152-pounder, said. "It's just like the state tournament for me."

A two-time state champion, Thompson is having his best year. After finishing the Reno Tournament of Champions in fifth place the past two years, he won an individual title in the event last month.

"I'm doing pretty good, better than any other year," Thompson said. "This year is a lot more fun, and I'm more competitive than I have been in the past." Thompson will face Payson's Kelly Kelsey. Thompson wrestled with Payson his freshman year, but has not faced Kelsey since. Kelsey is a defending Class 4-A champion, having won an individual title at 140 last February.

Another headline matchup is at 130 pounds. Davis' Sean Porter, a defending champion who is having a banner year, will face two-time champion Jake Swensen from North Sanpete. Also, Spanish Fork's Spencer Dinkins will be the latest to try for an upset against Wasatch's Cyler Sanderson.

The Classic pits a team of the best wrestlers from the 5-A and 4-A schools against a team of standouts from 3-A, 2-A and 1-A. Last year, the small schools won their first All-Star Classic since the event's inception in 2001.

Other wrestlers with multiple appearances in the Classic include Uintah's Phillip Keddy, Wasatch's Sanderson, North Sanpete's Swensen and Lehi's Rodney Sager.

All four earned their second invitations this year.

Norton, Thompson, Sanderson, Swensen and Sager each have won two state titles. Also, Riverton's Michael Watts and Viewmont's Shay Lawrence have won two titles. All together, the 34 wrestlers in the Classic have won 23 state championships. Wasatch has the most wrestlers (five) in the Classic. Fifteen of the 17 wrestlers on the small-schools team are from 3-A. The large-schools team has eight wrestlers from 5-A and nine from 4-A.
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