September 2007: West Jordan Journal

Local Wrestler Grabs National Medals

West Jordan resident Justin Schwendiman, 12, won several medals in the national State Games of America, held in Colorado Springs, Colo., Aug. 4 and 5.

He won titles in both styles of wrestling featured at the biannual national competition: freestyle, one of the international styles practiced in the Olympic Games; and folkstyle, the style practiced in high school and college in the United States.

“Justin works so hard,” coach Bill Kilpack said. “He gets everything he’s got through determination.”

Justin, a seventh-grader at West Jordan Middle School, also finished out a great season, with an All-American finish at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, where he placed third; two AAU state championships; and two USA Wrestling-Utah state third-place finishes. He finished second behind his teammate for the Novice Intermountain Champion title. These were Justin’s first two national titles, although he is a four-time All-American.

Justin is one of three Utahns competing in wrestling at the State Games of America. Athletes from 21 states competed in the wrestling tournaments, after qualifying in their respective state games in one or both of the previous two years.

Justin is a member of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, a nonprofit organization operating through Salt Lake County Recreation, which practices at Jordan High School. He has been recognized by the club coaching staff as one of the team’s Most Improved wrestlers in 2005 and the Most Dedicated Wrestler in 2006. He is currently the No. 6-ranked Novice-division wrestler in Utah and No. 17-ranked Kids division wrestler in the state. He is a Utah Summer Games champion in Greco-Roman, a runner-up in freestyle and bronze-medalist in folkstyle. Where his teammate has been wrestling since before he could ride a bicycle, Justin just finished his third season on the mat.

“He’s had to start out in some of the toughest weights, playing catch-up with some of the best in the state but he just goes out and goes after it,” Kilpack said. “And it’s paid off. Kids who beat him early on get a whole different story about every time he walks out on the mat. For those who were a nightmare for him not very long ago, now he’s theirs.”