Jan. 10, 2005: The Salt Lake Tribune

Prep Wrestling: Box Elder Stings Delta in Final Bout
by Peter Richins

Last Wednesday's Utah All-Star Wrestling Classic featured more wrestlers than it ever had.

Seventeen wrestlers represented each team in the dual-meet format event at Utah Valley State College. That meant three more bouts and six more wrestlers faced off than normally would in a dual meet.

Wednesday's meet included two matches at 112, 135 and 152 pounds. Rondo Fehlberg, board member of the Utah Amateur Wrestling Foundation, said some people might not care for the extra matches.

"There are a few that I might call purists that might call that an abomination," Fehlberg said. Others have criticized the format for going too long on a school night.

But on the other hand, in a celebration of wrestling like the Classic, denying a deserving wrestler because there is another athlete at the same weight may seem wrong to some. Riverton's Michael Watts, a two-time state champion who defeated Wasatch's Shayne Bonner 3-2 on Wednesday, is a case in point.

Watts originally was left out of the large-schools team roster, but a strongly-worded letter from his father John was received by UAWF president Ross Brunson the weekend before the meet demanding Michael be included. Room was made for Watts at 119 pounds when Wasatch's Casey Smith was brought in to represent the small schools.

The 2005 All-Star Classic was not the first year extra matches were scheduled. Last year, 16 bouts took place.

Fehlberg, while standing on the mat and introducing the event Wednesday, put the question of whether or not to include extra matches in the Classic to the fans in attendance. By applause, a majority of fans in attendance showed their support for the expanded format.

Attendance Down

To be sure, Wednesday's Classic had the smallest number of fans at the McKay Events Center in it's five-year history. The venue was virtually silent during many matches, and Fehlberg said the weather was to blame.

"It was just because we had a blizzard," Fehlberg said. "You usually have big crowds from Beaver and Delta and Fillmore."

Still, the event brought in close to $10,000. As usual, the UAWF donated their profits to UVSC wrestling. The Bruins ended up with a net sum of $8,000.

"Given the weather conditions, we were satisfied with [the attendance]," Fehlberg said.

All-Star Rewind

As previously reported, Wednesday's team score was the widest in the events' five year history. The small schools won 37-24, a 13-point margin, larger by far than the previous two years' three-point margins. The 2004 result was 35-32 for the small schools and the 2003 was 25-22 for the large schools. The large schools won it the first two years: 25-18 in 2002 and 34-27 in 2001. . . . Four wrestlers won their second straight All-Star victories: North Sanpete's Jake Swensen, Lehi's Tyson Thompson and Wasatch's Cyler Sanderson and Dallin Norton. . . . All seven All-Star participants with two state championships to their credit won: Swensen, Thompson, Sanderson, Norton, Lehi's Rodney Sager, Riverton's Watts and Viewmont's Shay Lawrence. . . . In all, 11 seniors, four juniors and two sophomores won their matches.