Wrestling USA Magazine, Preseason Picks Utah Wrestlers of the Year

Outstanding Junior Wrestlers for 2005–2006
 

Shay Warren
Weber High School, 119 lbs.
GPA: 4.0

School Classification: 5A (1,675 Enrolled)

Warren had an even more dominant sophomore year than he did as a freshman.  He won the 5A state title at 112 lbs., winning his championship match by fall voer Jesse Betts of Northridge after dominating every opponent in the tournament.  In 2004, he won the multistate Tiger-Grizzly Invitational and the Warrior Duals, rounding out his season to an awesome record of 40-1.  Warren was very impressive his freshman year.  He won the 5A title at 103 pounds, recovering from a loss to Caleb Isom of Layton in the Region 1 finals.  And when he recovers, he recovers strong — he pinned Isom in the second round of the finals for the 5A title.

2005 State Champion (112 lbs.), 2004 State Champion (103 lbs).  Interscholastic Career Record: 73-4.  2004–2005 Record: 40-1.  2003–2004 Record: 33-3. 

Following is a summary of Shay's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• Six-Time USA Wrestling Utah Freestyle State Champion (1999–2004)

• Four-Time USA Wrestling Utah Greco-Roman State Champion (2000–2001, 2003–2004)

• Two-Time USA Wrestling Utah Greco-Roman State Silver Medalist (1999, 2002)

• 2005 Champion, Tiger-Grizzly Invitational

• 2005 Champion, Warrior Duals

• 2004 USA Wrestling Western Regional Champion in Freestyle

• 2004 USA Wrestling Western Regional Silver Medalist in Greco-Roman

• 2004 Rocky Mountain Nationals Silver Medalist

• 2004 Champion, Richardson Memorial

• 2004 Champion, Evanston Tournament

• 2003 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regionals in Freestyle

• 2003, 2002, 2000 Reno World Championships Silver Medalist

• 2002 Tulsa Nationals Bronze Medalist

• 2002 Mile High Tournament of Champions Silver Medalist

• 2001 Rocky Mountain Nationals Champion

• 2000 USA Wrestling Western Regional Silver medalist in Freestyle

• 1998 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional in Freestyle

• Four-Time Junior High Folkstyle State Champion (1999–2003)

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Junior Rankings (119 lbs.): No. 19

Shay is also an Eagle Scout and a member of the National Junior Honor Society.
 

Sean Porter
Davis High School, 130 lbs.
GPA: 3.725

School Classification: 5A (2,400 enrolled)
 

In 2005, he won his second state title, rounding out his season with an impressive record of 43-3.  In 2005, he was a selection for the Utah Amateur Wrestling Foundation All-Star Dual, where he lost a tight 5-4 decision to Jake Swensen of North Sanpete (2005 preseason pick for Utah All-Division Wrestler of the Year).  He also won the Rocky Mountain Rumble and the Viewmont Invitational.  As a freshman in 2004, Porter landed the 5A State Championship outside the lower weights and was named Outstanding Lower Weight Wrestler for 5A in 2004, beating two top-ranked wrestlers to do it (Kalen Wilson, 2nd in state the year previous, and Evan Woody, 3rd in state the year previous).  That summer, he traveled back to Lincoln, Neb., this past spring to compete in the National High School Coaches Association National State Duals, and finished with an impressive record of 2-1.  In 2004, he was the Utah Wrestling Coaches Association pick for Freshman Wrestler of the Year.  Porter could also be added to that oh-so-short list of four-time state champions. 

2005 State Champion (130 lbs.), 2004 State Champion (125 lbs). 

Interscholastic Record Career Record: 78-12 with 37 pins.    2004–2005 Record:  43-3.  2003–2005 Record: 35-9.

Following is a summary of Sean's wrestling career so far: 

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• 2005 Champion, Viewmont Invitational

• 2005 Champion, Rocky Mountain Rumble

• 2005 2nd Place, Richardson Memorial

• 2004 Champion, Rocky Mountain Rumble

• 2004 3rd Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals

• 2003 Freshman Wrestler of the Year, Utah Wrestling Coaches Association

• 2003 Champion, USA Wrestling Utah State Championships, freestyle

• 2002 Champion, USA Wrestling Utah State Championships, freestyle

• 2001 Champion, USA Wrestling Utah State Championships, freestyle

• 2001 5th Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, freestyle

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Junior Rankings (130 lbs.): No. 19

Wade Eldredge
Monticello High School, 145 lbs.
GPA: 3.2

School Classification: 1A (150 Enrolled)
 

Eldredge had a dominant sophomore year, finishing with an outstanding record of 43-0.  What's more, he swept through the 2A state tournament like a hurricane, pinning every opponent until the finals, when he beat Kiley Sanders by technical fall with a score of 18-3.  This kid is something else.  As a freshman, he was almost as dominant, placing 2nd in state at 130 lbs. in the 2A, and was the Region 13 champion.  He finished out his freshman year with an very impressive 35-5 record, and did it in a very tough weight class.  On his way to that silver medal, he beat Kolby Lambertson of Millard, a senior who placed second in state the year before.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: any freshman placing well at state outside the bottom three weights is a wrestler worth watching.

2005 State Champion (130 lbs.)  2004 2nd in State as a Freshman (130 lbs.). 

High School Career Record: 78-5.  2004–2005 Record: 43-0.  2003–2004 Record: 35-5.

Following is a summary of Wade's wrestling career so far:

• One-Time High School State Champion

• 2004 2nd Place, High School State Championships

• Two-Time Region XIII Champion

• 2004 3rd Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals

• 2003 Junior High School State Champion

• 2003 Outstanding Wrestler, Junior High State Championships

• 2003 Utah Summer Games Champion

• 2002 2nd Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Junior Rankings (145 lbs.): No. 16

Casey Smith
Wasatch High School, 112 lbs.
GPA: 3.86

School Classification: 3A (900 Enrolled)

Smith's first two years of high school have only been blemished by spending two years butting heads with Levi Mele of Uintah.  He is a tough, tough competitor, making it to the finals to fall short of Mele both years.  As a freshman, he beat Mele for the Region X title, then lost to him in the rematch at state. As a sophomore, he took 4th at the incredibly tough Reno Tournament of Champions, and 2nd at the Tiger-Grizzly Invitational, where he lost in the championships to fellow Utahn and fellow stud Shay Warren of Weber.  Smith gnawed out an excellent 34-8 record as a freshman, then followed it with some very strong performances this summer in freestyle and Greco-Roman, finishing out the USA Wrestling Cadet National Duals at 5-2 in both styles in Greeley, Colo., followed by a 5th-place freestyle finish at USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in Fargo.

2005 2nd in State (112 lbs.), 2004 2nd in State as a Freshman (103 lbs.)

High School Career Record: 70-17.  2004–2005 Record: 36-9.  2003–2004 Record: 34-8.

Following is a summary of Casey's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Silver Medalist

• 2005 Champion, Layton Invitational

• 2005 2nd Place, Tiger-Grizzly Invitational

• 2005 4th Place, Reno Tournament of Champions

• 2005 5th Place, BRUTE-adidas Nationals (Lincoln, Neb.)

• 2004 Region X Champion

• 2004 3rd Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals

• 2004 5th Place, USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals, Greco-Roman (Fargo, ND)

• 2003 Junior High School State Champion

• 2003 Outstanding Wrestler, Junior High State Championships

• 2003 Utah Summer Games Champion

• 2002 2nd Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Junior Rankings (112 lbs.): No. 19

Casey is an athlete-scholar, also taking part in FBLA and the Ambassadors Club.
 

Colton Miles
Altamont High School, 112 lbs.
GPA: 3.5

School Classification: 1A (150 Enrolled)

Miles took is a two-time State Champion at 103 lbs., but don't hold that against him — his state tournament in 2005 consisted of a 3 minutes and 32 seconds of wrestling, because he pinned every poor schmuck who walked out on the mat with him.  He's gotten the attention of the national wrestling media, and it's well deserved.  His junior year promises to continue to turn heads.

2005 State Champion (103 lbs.), 2004 State Champion (103 lbs.)

High School Career Record: 73-5.  2004–2005 Record: 36-2.  2003–2004 Record: 37-3.

Following is a summary of Colton's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• 2005 3rd Place, Gladiator World Championships

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Junior Rankings (112 lbs.): No. 29

Kolby Bradley
Springville High School, 103 lbs.
GPA: 3.9

School Classification: 4A (900 Enrolled)

Bradley took state this year with a dominant 9-2 decision over Logan Wilson.  He's a very powerful 103-pounder, reminding me a bit of Michael Watts of Riverton when he was that size.  He's filling his résumé with championships, including a Region VI title, and the tough Layton Invitational.  He's starting to get some attention from the national wrestling media, and this year will be an important once for him.

2005 State Champion (103 lbs.), 2004 4th in State (103 lbs.)

High School Career Record: 62-11.  2004–2005 Record: 35-2 with 16 Pins.  2003–2004 Record: 27-9.

Following is a summary of Kolby's wrestling career so far:

• One-Time High School State Champion

• 2005 Champion, Region VI

• 2005 Champion, Layton Invitational

• 2005 Champion, Bruin Classic

• 2005 2nd Place, Rocky Mountain Rumble

• 2004 4th Place, High School State Championships

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Junior Rankings (103 lbs.): No. 21