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Oct.
3, 2006: InterMatWrestling.com, Youth Wrestling
News
Brandon George Named 2006 Utah Youth
Wrestler of the Year
UtahWrestling.org has named Brandon George
of Woods Cross the 2006 Youth Wrestler of the Year.
George, a 12-year-old student in the
seventh grade at Millcreek Junior High, has had an
excellent year on the mat, compiling a season record of
87-8, three state championships, a national title, and an
Western Regional championship. He is a member of the Elite
Wrestling Club, based in Kaysville.
Bill Kilpack, editor of UtahWrestling.org
and Utah editor for Wrestling USA Magazine, said, "Brandon
is a genuinely tough kid. I've had the chance to watch him
develop for some time now, because he and my son spent a
number of years butting heads every weekend, and his
growth as an athlete and as a young man had been
remarkable to see."
George's first big accomplishment in the
season was finishing second at the U.S. Folkstyle
Nationals this past January. But he didn't let that loss
in the finals shake him as he went out the next weekend
and took state at the 4A/5A Junior High State
Championships. Several months later, he won the state
titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the USA
Wrestling-Utah State Championships, rounding out his place
at the top in the state with titles in all three styles.
He took fifth at the Reno World Championships, one of the
toughest folkstyle tournaments in the country, took the
gold in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling Western Regional
Championships (11-state championship tournament) held in
Klamath Falls, Ore., and won a national title in
Greco-Roman at the AAU Grand Nationals held in Omaha, Neb.
At that same tournament, he took runner-up honors in both
freestyle and folkstyle. He wrapped up the season as a
selection for the Utah All-Star team, winning one of the
five matches that Utahns rose victorious against the Ohio
All-Star team this past July.
He has been a prominent athlete in Utah
wrestling for several years. In 2006, he was ranked no. 1
in the Novice division (ages 11 and 12), as well as for
all Kids divisions (ages 4 to 14), outscoring the no. 2
ranked overall, William Kilpack of Sandy (the 2005 Youth
Wrestler of the Year, 74-70 (third came in with 66
points). In 2005, George was the no. 3 ranked Novice in
Utah, and no. 9 overall. In 2004, he was the no. 1 ranked
Midget division (ages 9 and 10) wrestler, and no. 4 ranked
overall.
Over his young career, George has won five
state championships, three national titles, and nine
All-American finishes. In 2003, he won the World Cup
tournament, held in Boise.
Another young Utah wrestler who really
shined was Caleb Williams of Wellington. He finished out
2006 as the no. 1 ranked Midget division wrestler, and no.
5 overall, but was the first Utahn to win a Triple Crown,
then a Golden Gear Award in the Rocky Mountain Nationals
series of tournaments. This series includes six national
tournaments. To win a Triple Crown, a wrestler must take
first in three; to win the Golden Gear Award, a wrestler
must win four championships.
Nine-year-old Williams is a student at
Wellington Elementary School in Wellington, Utah, where he
is in the fourth grade. In this series, which started in
Orem, with the Gladiator World Championships in October
2005, Williams took gold, then followed with a
championship at the Monster Match Nationals in Denver in
November 2005, then the Who's Bad National Classic (also
in Denver) in January 2006, winning the Triple Crown, and
wrapped up the series by taking first at the most
prestigious of the series, the Rocky Mountain National
Championships in Denver in March 2006, also earning him
the Golden Gear Award.
Williams is an nine-time Utah state
champion (between freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman).
He has won seven national titles in folkstyle wrestling.
This is the third year that
UtahWrestling.org has named a Youth Wrestler of the Year.
In 2005, the Youth Wrestler of the Year
was William Kilpack of Sandy. At that time, he was a
10-year-old fourth grader at Sunrise Elementary, with an
excellent season on the mat, winning a national title in
each of the three styles (freestyle, Greco-Roman and
folkstyle), a state title in Greco-Roman wrestling, a
fourth-place finish at the USA Wrestling Western Regional
Championships in Greco-Roman, and a total of seven
All-American finishes. In February of 2005, he was
recognized by Utah Sports magazine as one of Utah's
Finest. He is a member of the Mountain Top Wrestling Club,
based in Sandy.
In 2004, the Youth Wrestler of the Year
was Carson Kuhn of Sandy. At that time, he was a
12-year-old seventh grader. That year, he won a national
title in freestyle, was the runner-up in Greco-Roman, and
earned two championships at USA Wrestling Western
Regionals (freestyle and Greco-Roman). This came after
taking state in all three styles.
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