Dec. 8, 2006: The Salt Lake Tribune

Transfers Pin Brighton
by Jay Drew

New Brighton wrestling coach Wade Brown has been on the job for only a few months now, but already he has had a career full of headaches regarding transfers.

“It's been crazy,” Brown said. “It's been an eye-opener, as far as how the system works.”

The two-year assistant replaced Ted Sierer, who left the Jordan School District for the Salt Lake School District. Another Brighton assistant last year, Steve Sanderson, became Wasatch's coach for the second time.

Jerry Bovee, who oversees wrestling as part of his position as assistant director of the Utah High School Activities Association, said there have been three high-profile transfers, or attempted transfers, in Utah prep wrestling this year, and all three have involved Brighton.

What's the end result?

Brown and the Bengals will compete without three boys they thought would help them contend with Weber and Viewmont for the Class 5-A title. Brighton was at the top of Utah prep wrestling from 1978-88, winning 11 consecutive state championships. It has won just one since, in 2001.

“We're still optimistic about the kids we have. We haven't given up our [state-title] hopes,” Brown said. “But we don't quite have the horses we would have had.”

First, the Bengals figured they would have 171-pounder Wade Eldredge, state champion for Monticello last year at 160. Eldredge moved into Brighton's boundaries last summer to live with his uncle, and played football for the Bengals.

But Eldredge recently married the daughter of Millard wrestling coach Blake Turner, and has moved to Fillmore. He went 10-0 at the recent Iron Man Duals for the defending 2-A champion Eagles, and will conclude his career there, Turner said.

Bovee said married student-athletes are considered “emancipated” and are immediately eligible at their boundary school.

Second, Brighton was hoping to have junior Jon Gappmier, who was a state runner-up at Skyline last year and state runner-up at Jordan his freshman year.

But Skyline protested, arguing the transfer was for athletic reasons. The UHSAA agreed after a transfer hearing and an appeal, Bovee said, and it ruled Gappmier can only participate in junior varsity matches this year.

“The kid was completely done wrong,” Brown said. “Skyline protested a transfer? That's the pot calling the kettle black.”

Skyline has a reputation, substantiated or not, for benefiting from transfers like no other Utah public school.

Coincidentally, Brighton didn't protest the loss of one of its wrestlers, Bo Beckman, to Pleasant Grove. Instead, Timpanogos did.

Beckman, a senior, left Brighton for Pleasant Grove over the summer after starting his career at Timpanogos. His eligibility was denied in a first hearing by the UHSAA, and an appeal is pending, Bovee said.

“Bo was a state placer in 2006 and a high-quality wrestler,” Brown said. “I feel bad for him. I wanted to see him wrestle.”

All the changes have left the Bengals with four star wrestlers and three or four other contributors, but little else.

At the recent Layton Invitational, Brighton's Cole Shafer was first at 171, while K.C. Nate (145) and Jaes Jones (130) took second and Ky Lucero (140) took third, while wrestling in a killer weight class that included two-time state champion Jason Chamberlain of Springville and three-time state champion Sean Porter of Davis.

“Don't count us out,” Brown said.