Jan. 10, 2005: The Wrestling Mall, High School News

Utah Wrestling All-Star Meet Complete: Small Schools On Top

The fifth Annual Utah Amateur Wrestling Foundation Utah Wrestling All-Star Classic has come and gone. For the second consecutive year, the small schools (1A/2A/3A) came out ahead in the all-star dual meet, beating the 4A/5A team 37-24. The event, a fundraiser in support of the new wrestling program at Utah Valley State College (UVSC) in Orem, was held on the UVSC campus.

The small schools won 11 of the 17 matches, unlike last year, where it came down to the lat match of the night.

Match results were as follows:

103 — Kolby Bradley (4A/5A: Springville) defeated Jared Shepherd (1A/2A/3A: Delta), decision, 4-3

112 — Levi Mele (1A/2A/3A: Uintah) defeated Shay Warren (4A/5A: Weber), decision, 9-0

112 — Casey Smith (1A/2A/3A: Wasatch) defeated Jason Warner (4A/5A: Spanish Fork), decision, 8-7

119 — Michael Watts (4A/5A: Riverton) defeated Shayne Bonner (1A/2A/3A: Wasatch), decision, 3-2

125 — Rodney Sager (1A/2A/3A: Lehi) defeated Aaron Ross (4A/5A: Weber), decision, 14-5

130 — Jake Swensen (1A/2A/3A: North Sanpete) defeated Sean Porter (4A/5A: Davis), decision, 5-4

135 — Shay Lawrence (4A/5A: Viewmont) defeated Zack Mau (1A/2A/3A:: Ogden), decision, 3-0

135 — Cameron George (4A/5A: Bountiful) defeated Czyz Woody (1A/2A/3A: Uintah), fall

140 — Cyler Sanderson (1A/2A/3A: Wasatch) defeated Spencer Dinkins (4A/5A: Spanish Fork), technical fall, 22-7

145 — Josh Wilson (1A/2A/3A: Morgan) defeated Casey Fromm (4A/5A: Box Elder), decision, 13-10

152 — Tyson Thompson (1A/2A/3A: Lehi) defeated Kelly Kelsey (4A/5A: Payson), decision, 10-5

152 — Colton Camp (1A/2A/3A: North Sevier) defeated John Johnson (4A/5A: Box Elder), decision, 10-6

160 — Talan Knox (4A/5A: Brighton) defeated Jordan Smith (1A/2A/3A: Wasatch), decision, 6-4

171 — Philip Keddy (1A/2A/3A: Uintah) defeated Phillip Rutledge (4A/5A: Mountain Crest), decision, 11-9

189 — Brett Boyce (4A/5A: Box Elder) defeated Jared McCurdy (1A/2A/3A: Uintah), fall

215 — Trevor Clegg (1A/2A/3A: South Summit) defeated Robert Takeno (4A/5A: Hillcrest), decision, 3-2

275 — Dallin Norton (1A/2A/3A: Wasatch) defeated Rio Stottler (4A/5A: West Jordan), decision, 5-1

Nine of the 17 small-school athletes came from Wasatch High School (one of the top-ranked wrestling high schools in the country) and Uintah, the school coming in second to Wasatch at recent 3A state championships. Nonetheless, the results were somewhat surprising, according to an online survey conducted on UtahWrestling.org prior to the meet.

Those surveyed predicted that five of the matches would have turned out differently. The biggest upset, according to the polls, was the Camp-Johnson match at 152. More than 70 percent of those polled expected Box Elder's Johnson to come out on top. Only slightly less surprising was the Wilson-Fromm match at 145. Almost 70 percent of those polled expected Box Elder's Fromm to win. Others predicted to come out differently were at 103, where polls had more than 60 percent predicting that Delta's Shepherd would win; 189, where 55 percent predicted that Uintah's McCurdy would come out ahead; and at 135, where polls had it close, but still more than half thought Uintah's Woody would win.

One of those polled said, "[The] 2A-3A schools should dominate this one. Can there be any question whatsoever that the 3A competition is head and shoulders above the rest? Excluding Wasatch, Uintah would pound any school in the state. Last year, Kaden King (N. Sanpete) won the All Star dual at 103 by pinning his opponent, this year he didn't even make the cut because of the fierce competition. To put it bluntly, 3A schools such as Wasatch, Uintah, Delta, North Sanpete, Lehi and 2A Millard are without a doubt the most powerful schools in the state."

His overall prediction was correct, but the means to that end were not. Only two of the four Uintah wrestlers in the dual won their matches, while the lone Delta wrestler lost his, as well.

Some highlights from the match included Lehi's Tyson Thompson, wrestling in his third straight Classic. He won his second straight All-Star match against Payson's Kelly Kelsey (also a state champ). Both are also nationally ranked by Wrestling USA Magazine. The polls had more than 90 percent predicting a win for Thompson, who was also a preseason pick for a Utah Senior Wrestler of the Year by Wrestling USA Magazine's Utah editor, Bill Kilpack.

Wasatch's Cyler Sanderson also was predicted by more than 90 percent of those polled to win, and he did so in commanding fashion, beating Dinkins by technical fall, with a score of 22-7. Sanderson is ranked no. 1 in the nation by Wrestling USA Magazine, and was the preseason pick as the All-Division Outstanding Wrestler by the magazine's Utah editor.

In all, of the 34 athletes in the All-Star meet, 11 are ranked nationally or selected by the Utah editor as outstanding athletes.

"Utah has a very high caliber of wrestling," Kilpack said. "It shows from youth up through high school when you go to the big tournaments and the national tournaments. It's no surprise that Sanderson and Norton won here, or even that they each won championships at the Reno Tournament of Champions. They and many of the others at this meet at top of the heap in a state that produces many champions."

Michael Watts, a senior at Riverton who won his match, said that he had been coming to the All-Star meet for years, every year knowing that he would have his time. That he got to make his first appearance as one of the top 119-pounders in the state, and came out with a win, made it that much more satisfying.

Wrestling USA Magazine has been the voice of national high school wrestling since 1965. For more information, see www.wrestlingusa.com .

Kilpack is editor of UtahWrestling.org, a past AAU national champion, a seven-time national silver medalist, an AAU All-American, and earned an alternate position on the U.S. Pan-Am Team in Greco-Roman. He is Utah Editor for both Wrestling USA Magazine and American Adrenaline Magazine. He coaches an independent freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling program through Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, Mountain Top Wrestling Club.