|
Nov.
8, 2007: Wrestling USA
Magazine
Jordan Junior Wrestling Digs Into New Season
(Sandy, Utah) Nov. 8, 2007 - Jordan Junior Wrestling
digs into the 2007-2008 junior high/middle school
wrestling season with its second year under coach Bill
Kilpack (III), a national AAU wrestling champion and
alternate for the Greco-Roman Pan-Am team; his father,
Bill Kilpack (Jr.), one of the original coaches of the
much lauded Sundance Wrestling Club; Derek Jensen, a
two-time member of the All-Marine wrestling team; Jake
Ribald, a New Mexico high school state champion; and Toby
Orton, a varsity wrestler from Fidalgo Island, Wash.
Officially joining the coaching staff this year is Mike
Johnson, a former youth wrestler who successfully coaches
kids in a number of sports. "I'm very excited for this
season," Kilpack said. "We made some great strides as a
team last year, and will continue that with this new
season." Last season, the team finished sixth in the
Middle School Division at the 4A/5A Junior High State
Championships, with only 11 scoring wrestlers competing.
"We had a very young team last year, most fifth and sixth
graders, but the thing that hurt us most at state was the
flu." He said, "We had 14 wrestlers who I think would've
placed at state, but couldn't even compete, because a
nasty flu bug ripped through the squad. And those who
wrestled anyway were also affected, some of them not
having any soup to get through the third round, when they
were usually better conditioned than anyone else they
faced." Practices are slated to begin on Nov. 12 at
Jordan High School, and will be held three days a week
from 7-8:30 p.m. With the Middle School and Junior High
Divisions now available, athletes from fifth to ninth
grades (so long as they are not wrestling on a high-school
wrestling team) are eligible. This year's coaching staff
has a long and successful wrestling history. Kilpack
(III) of West Jordan was an original member of the
Sundance Wrestling Club, arguably the finest
freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling team in Utah history. As a
competitor, he garnered an AAU national championship,
seven national silver medals, seven more national medals,
and was a member of the Pan-Am team in Greco-Roman
wrestling holding an alternate position. In addition, he
was named All-American 15 times by AAU, the US Wrestling
Federation or USA Wrestling in freestyle and Greco-Roman
wrestling; was a seven-time Zone/Western Regional
champion; and a six-time state champion in freestyle and
Greco-Roman wrestling. He is the head coach of Mountain
Top Wrestling Club which, in 2007, was the Team State
Champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Kilpack (Jr.) of West Jordan was one of the two original
coaches of the Sundance Wrestling Club, and a member of
the University of Utah wrestling team. Sundance was
arguably the finest freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling team
in Utah history, producing the first two world champions
from Utah, and dozens of other international and national
honors. He was also a member of the University of Utah
wrestling team. Ribald of West Jordan wrestled in junior
high and high school, starting in Kent, Wash., where he
was a varsity wrestler at Kent Meridian High School, and
finished third in state as a sophomore. He then moved to
New Mexico, where he attended Mayfield High in Las Cruces,
and took second in state as a junior and was a state
champion his senior year. While in college, he pursued
Kempo karate in earnest, achieving a first-degree black
belt, and competed in full-contact karate and kickboxing.
As an adult, he has coached community sports such as
wrestling, football and soccer, as well as instructing in
Kempo. Jensen of West Valley City was a varsity
letterman all three years of high school at Hunter High
School, was a Utah Summer Games champion, a Region
champion, a two-time freestyle state champ, and competed
at nationals as a senior in high school. Following high
school, he was a member of the wrestling team at Palo Mar
College in California before joining the military, where
he was twice named to the All-Marine Wrestling Team.
Orton of West Jordan was a varsity wrestler at Anacortes
High School in Fidalgo Island, Washington. It was during
this time that he came to appreciate the competitive
nature of wrestling and other sports. As an adult, he has
coached community sports such as wrestling, soccer and a
championship baseball team. Johnson of Draper wrestled
as a child, but had to choose between wrestling and
basketball. As a result, he was a varsity letterman in
both basketball and football all three years of high
school, and a member of the All-Regional All-Star team in
basketball. His love of the sport and passion for helping
kids as a coach now continues through several sports.
Jordan Junior Wrestling is a folkstyle wrestling program
offered through Salt Lake County Recreation, operating out
or Jordan High School in Sandy. For more information, go
to
http://members.aol.com/jordanjuniors/ or email
jordanjuniors@aol.com. |
|