July 2004: Wrestling USA Magazine

Three Utah National Titles; Nine Utah Wrestler All-American Finishes at Kids National Championships

Nine Utah wrestlers traveled to Menomonie, Wis., for the Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships held June 30­July 3, 2004, at the Johnson Fieldhouse on the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus. From that pool of elite athletes, three national titles were earned, as well as nine All-American finishes between the two styles.

"This was a great showing for Utah," said Craig LaMont, Kids Director for USA Wrestling Utah. "It was a long way to go, which really thinned the numbers of Utahns able to make the trip so soon after the Western Regional Championships. It pretty much added up to one tournament two weeks long with those families going home one or two days before hitting the road again. That's hard on anyone, let alone these nine wrestlers ranging from nine to 14 years old. Nontheless, Utah can really be proud about the state's showing."

Utah wrestlers earned two freestyle national championships and one national title in Greco-Roman:

• Freestyle National Champion: Carson Kuhn of Sandy, with Salt Lake City-based Specialized Wrestling Club, Novice (ages 11 and 12) 65 lbs.

• Greco-Roman National Champion: Jason Chamberlin of Springville, with Specialized Wrestling Club, Schoolboy (ages 13 and 14) 100 lbs.

• Freestyle National Champion: Matthew Brown of West Valley City, with Specialized Wrestling Club, Schoolboy 105 lbs.

All-American finishers included

• Fourth Place Greco-Roman: Brandon George of Riverton, with Salt Lake City-based Specialized Wrestling Club, Midget (ages 9 and 10) 60 lbs.

• Second Place Freestyle: Kuhn, Novice 65 lbs.

• Second Place Freestyle: Chamberlin, Schoolboy 100 lbs.

• Fifth Place Greco-Roman: Brown, Schoolboy 105 lbs.

• Second Place Freestyle and Greco-Roman: Matthew Fairbrother of Murray, Specialized Wrestling Club, Schoolboy 250 lbs.

Finishing one round short of medaling in both styles was William Kilpack of Sandy, with Sandy-based Jordan Freestyle Wrestling, Midget 60 lbs.; and Ryker Vandertoolen of Sandy, with Specialized Wrestling Club, Schoolboy 80 lbs. In Greco-Roman, Kilpack's final match finished in a wrenching one-point loss by decision with a score of 17-16. Nine-year-old Kilpack was the youngest Utahn to compete in the tournament.

Finishing one round short of medaling in freestyle was George, Midget 60 lbs.

Also competing in the Kids National Championships were Braxton Vandertoolen of Sandy, Novice 60 lbs.; and Kade Moss, Schoolboy 70 lbs., both with Specialized Wrestling Club. Moss was forced to withdraw following an elbow injury in the first round of the Greco-Roman tournament.