Dec. 2, 2007: Deseret Morning News

Springville Wrestler Beats Texas Champ
by John Coon

LAYTON — In terms of opponents he might face this season, Springville's Jason Chamberlain had none with a bigger wrestling pedigree than Bishop Lynch (Texas) senior Dak Adamson, who came into the Layton Invitational Tournament as a two-time state champion in Texas. He was also a two-time prep All-American.

Still, Chamberlain didn't do anything new or special to prepare for Adamson in anticipation of a final match against him. Being the top ranked wrestler nationally in his weight class, he didn't really need to.

"I knew he was coming, but I just always wrestle the same," Chamberlain said. "I always like to show people what I'm capable of. I don't really care who I'm wrestling."

What Chamberlain showed Saturday night is that his top national ranking is legit.

The Springville senior beat Adamson 11-5 for the championship at 145 in the final day of the Layton Invitational Tournament.

After suffering an unexpected takedown at the beginning of the match, Chamberlain quickly took over and had his way with the two-time Texas state champion. He tossed Adamson around like a rag doll, using a ferocious sweep to score one two-point takedown after another.

Chamberlain had worked on the move with his coach all week because he felt like it would serve him well deep into the tournament. He was not disappointed.

"He was pretty heavy on his feet so I took them when they were there," Chamberlain said.

Wasatch took home top team honors in the annual meet, finishing with 219 points. The Wasps had 50.5 more points than second-place finisher Mountain Crest and had clinched their team title before the final matches had even taken place. Individual championships by Jake Salazar, Cole Shafer and Sean Sullivan — who won at 152, 171 and 285 respectively — were just icing on the cake.

Getting a team title at an event they have won multiple times in the past was a major goal for Wasatch so they could kick off the wrestling season in solid fashion.

"You wrestle tough kids out of the gate and do well, it builds your confidence level," Salazar said. "Not only that, but it gets you back into it."

Several final matches at this year's Layton Invitational pitted wrestlers who dominate on a national level in their respective weight classes. Chamberlain, Salazar, Mountain Crest's Ethen Lofthouse and Viewmont's Nate Larsen all rank among the top ten in the country by Wrestling USA magazine.

And the schools who participated were a who's who in high school wrestling — headlined by such powerhouses as Wasatch, Mountain Crest and Viewmont.
"Utah has a lot of good wrestlers — some of the best wrestlers in the country," Lofthouse said. "Coming to these (tournaments) is what prepares us for nationals."