Wrestling USA Magazine and IntermatWrestle.com, Utah Editor's Preseason Picks

Outstanding Freshman Wrestlers for 2008–2009
 

Teddy Hackford
Wasatch High School, 125 lbs.
GPA: 3.8

School Classification: 3A (950 enrolled)

I have watched Teddy every weekend for years.  His first year, to be honest, I felt bad for him, watching him taking some serious beatings from some very good wrestlers.  But, at the same time, I was always impressed with his heart.  He always came back the next weekend ready to go at it again.  And that has certainly paid off, as he consistently improved, until he got to be the one winning those matches, then turned his attention to the national stage.  He is coming into the freshman ranks as a three-time 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Champion, with Outstanding Wrestler honors in 2008, not to mention his marked success in freestyle and Greco-Roman.  He's a four-time state champ in Greco and he's won it five times in freestyle.  At the USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships in Klamath Falls, Ore., he won the title in both freestyle and Greco in 2006.  That same year, he traveled to Green Bay, Wis., to finish sixth in Greco-Roman and eighth in freestyle at the USA Wrestling Kids National Championships.  This past July, he improved on those finishes, taking third in freestyle and 6th in Greco-Roman.  He has placed top three at both the Rocky Mountain Nationals and the Monster Match Nationals in Denver, and won the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals three times.  In 2007, he had a decisive win at the dual against the Ohio All-Stars, pinning his opponent in three minutes in Utah's victory of that national all-star team.  Teddy has been consistently ranked among the best in his age division, if not all the Kids divisions, since 2004, and been the nemesis of West Jordan Jake Ribald for years, the two of them trading matches from the time they were just kids to the Kids Nationals this past July. 

Teddy is aggressive, and can be extremely explosive.  He will be a real terror on the mat as a freshman.

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

• Three-Time Junior High State Champion, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships (2006–2008)

• Four-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman (2004, 2006–2008)

• Five-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle (2004–2008)

• Three-Time National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle (2005–2007)

• Two-Time Champion, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships

• 2008 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Freestyle

• 2008 6th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Folkstyle

• 2008 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 5th Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2008 Runner Up, Beehive Brawl, Folkstyle

• 2008 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle

• 2008 Outstanding Wrestler, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships

• 2007 National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2007 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle

• 2007 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 Team Member, Utah All-Star Team

• 2006 National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2006 6th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2006 8th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Freestyle

• 2006 3rd Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2006 Champion, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Folkstyle

• 2006 Champion, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2005 National Champion, Gladiator World Championships, Folkstyle

• 2005 National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2005 6th Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2005 Champion, Utah Summer Games

UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 6th Schoolboy Division

• 16th Overall Kids Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2007 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 6th Schoolboy Division

UtahWrestling.org 2006 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 3rd Novice Division

• 3rd Overall Kids Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2005 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 21st Novice Division

UtahWrestling.org 2004 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 7th Midget Division

Jacob Ribald
West Jordan High School, 125 lbs.

School Classification: 5A
 

Jake Ribald is a stud.  He's been on the mat since a kid and has placed well at a lot of big tournaments.  He is a skilled technician who about as explosive as they come.  He's strong, he's fast, and he can be very slick on his feet.  He's a real pleasure to watch and coach.  His nemesis for a lot of years has been Wasatch's Teddy Hackford, the two of them trading matches from the time they were just kids to the Kids Nationals this past July.  That followed finishing second at the Beehive Brawl and winning state titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, and earning a silver medal in folkstyle.  In 2007, he finished third at the USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam and the Gladiator World Championships, as well as placing third in freestyle and fourth in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships.  In 2007, he dominated his opponent in the Utah All-Star dual against the Ohio All-Stars, winning by technical fall, without a single point being scored against him.  Jake has been consistently ranked in his age division and in the Kids Overall Division since 2007, and he's won 10 state titles between the three styles.  He is absolutely a very promising freshman.

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

• Three-Time Junior High State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships (2005, 2007–2008)

• Three-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle (2004, 2007–2008)

• Four-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman (2004–2005, 2007–2008)

• 2008 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 4th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Freestyle

• 2008 Silver Medalist, Beehive Brawl

• 2008 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle

• 2007 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle

• 2007 6th Place, Gladiator World Championships, Folkstyle

• 2007 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2007 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 4th Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 Champion, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 Champion, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 Team Member, Utah All-Star Team vs. Ohio All-Stars

• 2006 Bronze Medalist, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships, Middle School Division, Folkstyle

• 2006 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2006 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2006 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2005 Silver Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2004 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2004 Champion, Utah Summer Games, Freestyle

• 2004 Silver Medalist, Utah Summer Games, Folkstyle

UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 4th Schoolboy Division

• 10th Overall Kids Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2007 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 1st Schoolboy Division

• 4th Overall Kids Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2006 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 12th Novice Division

UtahWrestling.org 2005 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 12th Novice Division

UtahWrestling.org 2004 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 3rd Midget Division

• 13th Overall Kids Divisions
   

Zac Loveless
Payson High School, 103 lbs.
GPA: 4.0

School Classification: 4A

Zac Loveless is a stud.  He's been on the mat for years and has placed well (if not winning altogether) a lot of the big folkstyle tournaments.  He is a skilled technician who knows how to work the mat to his advantage, always knowing where he's at, and what needs to be done.  On top of all that, he rarely loses his cool.  Once the match is over, the emotions come out but, when it's time to wrestle, he's all business.  In 2008, he won the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships in folkstyle and finished fourth at the Beehive Brawl.  In 2007, he won the USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, and finished fourth at the Reno World Championships.  In both 2006 and 2007, he finished third at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals.

Zac is a very promising freshman.

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

• Two-Time Junior High State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships (2007–2008)

• 2008 4th Place, Beehive Brawl, Folkstyle

• 2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle

• 2007 4th Place, Reno World Championships, Folkstyle

• 2007 3rd Place, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals

• 2006 3rd Place, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals