Jan. 24, 2008: The Salt Lake Tribune

Prep Wrestling: Viewmont Senior Now 23-0 with All-Star Classic Win
by Chhun Sun

Viewmont senior Nate Larsen has a lot of national and local accolades many wrestlers would love to have, the kind that tell opponents he's not going to be an easy fight.

But that doesn't get to Larsen. All that recognition - he was ranked No. 10 in a Wrestling USA Magazine preseason poll of the nation's best seniors - doesn't mean he'll go into a bout thinking win, win and only win.

When Larsen faced an old opponent, one that gave him a loss when the two were in elementary school, South Summit's Cody Thornton left the center mat at the All-Star Classic at the McKay Events Center in Orem feeling disappointed - as he was dominated in the contest, 18-3.

Larsen said he won, in part, because he doesn't like to lose, especially losing to someone more than once.

"When I wrestle," said Larsen, who, with the win on Tuesday of last week against Thornton, owned a 23-0 season record, "I try to wrestle like I'm the underdog."

A Decent Showing

Despite a poor team showing, Bountiful made a solid run at the Rocky Mountain Rumble last week at the McKay.

The Braves had Travis Whiting win three of his five matches in the 112-pound class — in addition to losing to eventual tournament champion Bingham's Ryker Vandertoolen in the first round. Tanner Herrick was 1-2 in his 135-pound matches to finish the tournament with an 18-10 season record. Clinton Burnell won three of his five bouts.

In all, the Braves scored 51.5 points and landed in 41st place out of 60 teams in the annual tournament.

Gearing for State

In two weeks, the Davis Darts look to do what they've been planning to do all season.

And that's peak at right moments.

The Region 1 tournament will take place by then - and the Darts hope wrestlers like Zak Baker, Braiden Hart, Tanner Porath and Ben Lynch will all give Davis a shot at the title.

And later on at the Class 5A state tournament in three weeks, Davis will look to repeat their sixth-place finish a year ago — if not better it.

But before then, the Darts will go up against region favorite Viewmont in a dual meet Thursday.