Jan. 17, 2008: The Salt Lake Tribune

Prep Wrestling: Wolverine Sheen
by Chhun Sun

Wrestler Ben Kjar had a stellar career at Viewmont High. He won three state individual titles, and helped the Vikings to their first team state title in 2002.

After he was done, he had a couple of things he wanted to do. He wanted to serve a two-year LDS Church mission.

And he wanted to play a joke on an old friend.

The joke started after Kjar gave Boise State an oral commitment. The joke came in the midst of his former youth coach, Greg Williams, accepting the head coaching job at UVSC in 2006. Williams wanted Kjar for many reasons, including that Kjar could improve a young, unproven program.

Kjar coyly asked, "What do you think [about my commitment]?"

Williams offered support but was secretly disappointed, and Kjar finally said: "Well, I'm going to Utah Valley."

Everything else is history. And now, Kjar and Williams are working on the future of the only college wrestling program in Utah, which is in it fifth season.

Kjar is arguably the face of the program.

"What better place to come here and have an impact and help build a program?" Kjar said.

At the Reno Tournament of Champions last year - an event billed as "The Toughest in the USA" - Kjar headlined all UVSC wrestlers with a fourth-place finish in the 125-pound class. And most recently, Kjar was one of two

grapplers who completed his showing at the Lone Star Duals in South Grand Prairie, Texas, with three victories.

"He understands what it takes," Williams said. "He understands this is a good stage for people to look at."

Essentially, Kjar is part of a movement for the Wolverines to one day successfully land some of the best wrestlers in Utah, which is known to produced some of the best grapplers in the country.

UVSC tried to get the state's top prospects this year, but failed. Springville's Jason Chamberlain, Wasatch's Jake Salazar and Cyprus' Matt Brown intend to wrestle for Boise State, Michigan and Iowa State, respectively. If Kjar, a freshman, can earn All-America honors by the time he finishes his college career, Utah's top wrestlers might give UVSC a realistic shot.

Williams and Kjar hope to change those athletes' perceptions of UVSC in the near future.

"It'll happen before I leave," Kjar said. "I believe before I leave here, we'll be in the top 20. And those people who come here can be closer to their family. The moral and the standards that they live by their whole life, it'll be comfortable for them here."

Kjar's Credentials

• Former Viewmont star Ben Kjar is the face of a young and unproven Utah Valley State College wrestling program. Though he had offers from Boise State, Minnesota and Cornell, Kjar decided on UVSC because it was a chance to help build the state's only college team.

• At Viewmont, Kjar won three individual state titles, as he led the Vikings to their first team state title in 2002. After graduation, he served a two-year LDS Church mission in Tucson, Ariz.