July 4, 2005: Wrestling USA Magazine

Sandy Youth Named Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling All-American

(Sandy, Utah) July 4, 2005 — Ten-year-old William Kilpack of Sandy was named All-American by USA Wrestling in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the Kids National Championships held in Green Bay, Wis., June 28-July 2, 2005. He was not only recognized in both styles, but he was the only Utahn to be so named in the tournament.

Kilpack, who just completed his fourth-grade year at Sunrise Elementary School, placed sixth in the 70-pound weight class in the Midget Division (9 and 10 year olds) at the USA Wrestling Kids Nationals in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments. The top eight placers received All-American honors.

Kilpack said, "It was a tough tournament with tough kids. Everyone there was tough and ready to give their best. The wrestlers there were a lot better than people I wrestle at regular tournaments. Since you don't know most of the people there, you don't know what they know, you don't know the things they're going to do, or how they might counter your moves. That makes it harder."

Earlier in the season, Kilpack placed fourth in Greco-Roman in the 70-pound weight class at the USA Wrestling Western Regionals held in Winnemucca, Nev., in June. This followed taking gold medals in freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman at the Utah Summer Games, and a state championship in Greco-Roman and a silver-medal finish in freestyle in the 65-pound weight class at the USA Wrestling Utah State Championships held in North Ogden in April.

Kilpack said, "I'm happy with taking sixth in both styles at nationals. Last year, I didn't do as well. I finished one round short of placing in both styles and I feel like I should have done better. This year, I didn't give anything up."

Kilpack is a member of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, a nonprofit organization operating through Salt Lake County Rec, practicing at Jordan High School. Coach and father Bill Kilpack (III) said, "William has all the potential in the world. He lost a tough match by one point to the kid who took third in Greco in Green Bay, which shows how tight the competition really was. The kid who beat him for fifth in Greco gave him all he wanted, then William drew him first round in freestyle. He showed just how much guts and heart he has when he gritted his teeth and wrestled a smart, tough match, pulling it out by one point in overtime. That match was really the high point of the tournament for me. William came back from a pretty bad loss and, right off the bat, had to rematch. He wrestled his guts out."

Kilpack has been recognized by the club coaching staff as one of the team's Outstanding Wrestlers each of the past five years. He is currently ranked as the top Midget-division wrestler in Utah (regardless of weight) and the top Kids-division wrestler in the state (ages four to 14, regardless of weight). He is a three-time state champion and a five-time silver medalist at state. He has won six championships at the Utah Summer Games, placed second at Western Regionals in Greco-Roman and second at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals. He has been named Outstanding Wrestler for his age division at one tournament, and received one tournament fastest pin award. In February 2005, Utah Sports Magazine recognized him as one of Utah's Best. Perhaps most astonishing, however, is that he has wrestled more than 400 matches at age 10, winning 337 of them.

He said, "I love wrestling. I started really young and it's something I'll be good at my whole life. Wrestling gives me courage and I'm always looking for things that can make me a better wrestler, like learning all I can in school. You can't be stupid and do well in wrestling. I work hard at wrestling practice and I work my hardest at other sports, like gymnastics. I want to start boxing now, because I think that it will help me be a better wrestler, too."

Kilpack will be competing at the AAU Grand Nationals in Santa Fe, NM, next week, and at the State Games of America in Colorado Springs at the end of July. The latter is a national tournament where those competing had to place at their state's respective summer games.

Kilpack will be a fifth-grader at Sunrise Elementary School in the new school year. He said he wants to one day be a national champion, wrestle in the Olympics and wrestle the Pan-Am Games. "I can do those things," he said. "Doing well at wrestling can open up lots of things for me, like college scholarships, and going to a good college can make sure I have a good job when I don't wrestle anymore."

Mountain Top Wrestling Club is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to providing a venue for individuals to learn, develop and refine their athletic skills and abilities; and teaching the rules and regulations of freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. It is open to male and female athletes ages four and older who live anywhere in the State of Utah. Practices are held three days a week from 5:30–7 p.m. at Jordan High School. For more information, call 641-9832, e-mail coach@mountaintopwrestling.com or visit them on the Worldwide Web at www.mountaintopwrestling.com.