1997 JOHN VAUGHAN/ASICS TIGER
JUNIOR NATIONAL
GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Freestyle Results
Greco-Roman Results
Washington Wrestlers are highlighted in red
T.J. Hill of Farmington, Mo. and Mike Zadick of Great Falls, Mont. successfully defended their
national titles at the 1997 John Vaughan/Asics Junior Greco-Roman National Wrestling
Championships in Fargo, N.D., on Tuesday, July 22.
The 27th annual John Vaughan/Asics Tiger Junior Nationals, which featured the best high
school age wrestlers in the nation, were held alongside the 13th annual HEALTHSOUTH Cadet
Nationals for the second straight year making it the largest amateur wrestling tournament in the
world.
Hill, a 1996 Junior Nationals double champion, won his third straight Junior Greco-Roman
Nationals title (1995, 1996, 1997) with a 6-0 decision over Brian Watson of Canby, Ore. in the
114.5 pound finals. Hill, a member of the 1997 U.S. Junior World Team, has now won a total of
eight USA Wrestling age-group titles, also winning the 1997 Espoir Nationals and 1995 Cadet
Nationals in both styles.
Zadick, the 1996 Junior Nationals double champion at 132 pounds, scored an 8-4 decision over
Dave Stoltz of Mt. Prospect, Ill to capture his third straight national title. Zadick, the
Outstanding Wrestler in the 1996 Junior Nationals freestyle competition, will attempt to make it
four in a row in the freestyle competition later this week.
Earning Junior National Greco-Roman titles for the first time were Jason Powell of Midwest
City, Okla., Leroy Vega of Valparaiso, Ind., Eric Larkin of Vail, Ariz., David Miller of Kearney,
Neb., Zac Dominguez of Omaha, Neb., Zach Stalder of Omaha, Neb., Jessman Smith of Des
Moines, Iowa, Justin Ruiz of Salt Lake City, Utah, Garrett Lowney of Appleton, Wis. and Isaiah
Larson of Hastings, Minn.
Powell, the 1996 Cadet Nationals freestyle champion at 88 pounds, pinned Ty Malia of Billings,
Mont. at 2:21 to claim the 98 pound title. Powell also claimed a double title at the 1997 Southern
Plains Junior Regionals earlier this year.
Vega, who placed third in the 1996 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals, scored a 5-1 decision over
Chris Williams of Perry, Mich. to win the 114.5 pound title. In the round-robin portion of the
tournament, Vega came from behind and pinned five-time Junior Nationals champion Kenny
Cox of Eugene, Ore. putting an end to Cox' bid to break the record of six titles. After the
tournament Vega was named the Outstanding Wrestler.
Larkin, who placed sixth in the 1996 Junior Freestyle Nationals, defeated Jordan Ottow of
Snohomish, Wash (USA Everett Team)., 9-2 to claim the 123 pound title. Larkin, a 1995 Cadet
Freestyle National champion, also claimed a double title at the 1997 West Junior Regional.
Miller, who placed eighth in the 1996 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals, claimed his first national
title with a pin over Collin Robertson of Springville, Utah at 1:29. Miller also was the 1997
Rocky Mountain Junior Regional Greco-Roman champion and placed second in the freestyle
competition.
Dominguez, a member of the 1994 Cadet Greco-Roman World Team, scored a 13-3 technical
fall over Matt Petsinger of Ellendale, Minn. to claim the 154 pound title.
Stadler, who placed eighth in the 1995 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals, moved up to claim his
first national title with a 4-1 overtime decision over Matt Barton of Wabasha, Minn. at 5:42.
Smith, a 1996 Cadet Nationals double champion, scored a 14-3 technical fall victory over Dusty
Swanson of Fargo, N.D. in 2:35 to capture the 178 pound title. Smith is also a 1996 Cadet World
Team Trials double champion and represented the U.S. at the 1996 Cadet World Championships
in Greco-Roman.
Ruiz, the 1997 Espoir Greco-Roman Nationals champion, added a Junior Nationals title with a
11-1 technicall fall over Daniel Cormier of Lafayette, La. in 1:11. Ruiz, a 1996 Junior
Greco-Roman Nationals runner-up, is a member of the 1997 Junior World Team.
Lowney, who claimed the 1996 Junior Freestyle National title, added a Greco-Roman title by
stopping Jamie Garvey of Fargo, N.D., 11-5 in the 220 pound finals. Lowney placed fifth in the
1996 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals.
Larson improved on his fifth place finish in the 1996 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals by winning
a 2-0 overtime referees decision over Luke Owens of Grundy, Va. in the 275 pound finals.
Dave Starks of Stoughton, Wis. won the Most Falls Award with seven pins in 13:10 competing
in the 105.5 pound division.
Kellie Odinet of Louisiana made history as the first female to compete in the Junior National
Championships. Odinet, competing at 105.5 pounds, faced three-time Greco-Roman national
champion T.J. Hill in her first match losing by a score of 10-0. Odinet finished the tournament
with a record of 0-2.
A record 839 competitors took to the mats at the Junior Greco-Roman Nationals.
The world' largest wrestling tournament continues on Wednesday, July 23 when the Cadet
freestyle competition begins with preliminaries scheduled from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. The Junior
freestyle competition will begin on Thursday, July 24, with preliminaries scheduled for 4:00 -
8:00 p.m.
1997 John Vaughan/Asics Tiger Junior Greco-Roman National ChampionshipsFinal Results
Tuesday, July 22 - Fargo, N.D.
98 lbs.
1st - Jason Powell, Midwest City, Okla. pin Ty Malia, Billings, Mont., 2:21; 3rd - Chad Carlile,
Liberal, Kan. won by tech. fall over Jason Harless, Bonanza, Ore., 10-0; 5th - Matthew Davis,
Corvallis, Mont. won by tech fall over Danny Arriaga, Chino, Calif. , 11-0; 7th - Leon Ngchee,
Kenner, La. won by tech. fall over Gary Oxford, St. Charles, Mo., 11-1
105.5 lbs.
1st - T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. dec. Brian Watson, Canby, Ore., 6-0; 3rd - Ben Vombaur,
Vancouver, Wash. dec. Dave Starks, Stoughton, Wis., 9-2; 5th - Adam Doherty, Jeffersonville,
Ind. pin Kasey Kohl, Omaha, Neb., 1:09; 7th - A.J. Grant, Clarkston, Mich. won by tech. fall
over Ricky Pence, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 10-0
114.5 lbs.
1st - Leroy Vega, Valperaiso, Ind. dec. Chris Williams, Perry, Mich., 5-1 ; 3rd - Kenny Cox,
Eugene, Ore. won by inj. dft. over Brady Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah; 5th - Witt Durden, Dublin,
Ga. pin Ryan Lewis, Vernal, Utah, 0:22; 7th - Nathan Martinez, Aurora, Ill. dec. Josh Buchanan,
Farmington, Mo., 6-5
123 lbs.
1st - Eric Larkin, Vail, Ariz. dec. Jordan Ottow, Snohomish,Wash (USA Everett Team), 9-2; 3rd
- Darnell Lollis, Harvey, Ill. pin Brandon Anderson, Loa, Utah, 2:46; 5th - Josh Habeck,
Schofield, Wis. pin Steve Palumbo, Park Ridge, Ill., 0:28; 7th - Tyrone Martinez, Papillion, Neb.
pin James Ferguson, Seward, Neb., 0:32
132 lbs.
1st - Mike Zadick, Great Falls, Mont. dec. Dave Stoltz, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 8-4; 3rd - Lance
Weber, Des Plaines, Ill. won by tech. fall over Chad Caros, Franklinville, N.Y., 12-0; 5th -
Michael Johnson, Lawton, Okla. pin Luke Bailey, Richland Center, Wis., 3:18; 7th - Darrell
Carr, Syracuse, Ind. dec. Clark Forward, Archbold, Ohio, 8-6
143 lbs.
1st - David Miller, Kearney, Neb. pin Collin Robertson, Springville, Utah, 1:29; 3rd - Dave
Shafer, Nuremberg, Pa. dec. Matt Anderson, Shenandoah, Iowa, 10-3; 5th - Dan Cysewski,
Vernon Hills, Ill. dec. Joe Paun, South Holland, Ill., 5-3; 7th - Gary Williams, Dimondale, Mich.
won by disq. over Martine Apodaca, Amarillo, Tex.
154 lbs.
1st - Zac Dominguez, Omaha, Neb. (Iowa) won by tech. fall over Matt Petsinger, Ellendale,
Minn., 13-3, 3:39; 3rd - Mike Bundy, Lake Stevens, Wash (USA Everett Team). dec. Carl
Fronhofer, Salem, N.Y., 8-3; 5th - Nathan Lawrenz, Herrington, Kan. won by tech. fall over
Mike Fiedler, Sauk Centre, Minn., 10-0; 7th - Eugene Harris, Las Vegas, Nev. won by tech. fall
over Brad Harper, Mishwaka, Ind., 12-1
165 lbs.
1st - Zach Stalder, Omaha, Neb. dec. Matt Barton, Wabasha, Minn., 4-1, 5:42; 3rd - Cael
Sanderson, Heber City, Utah pin Nathan Coy, Oregon City, Ore., 1:15; 5th - Andy Harrison,
Clive, Iowa dec. Matt Coyle, Schoharie, N.Y., 9-4; 7th - Brandon Springer, Snohomish, Wash
(USA Everett Team). pin Brenton Gabbert, Vernon, Tex., 1:54
178 lbs.
1st - Jessman Smith, Des Moines, Iowa won by tech. fall over Dusty Swanson, Fargo, N.D., 14-3,
2:35 ; 3rd - Mike Cuperus, Reading, Minn. won by inj. dft. over Jarrod Martin, Beavercreek,
Ohio; 5th - Mike Mathers, Canby, Ore. dec. Josh Dorfler, Oregon City, Ore., 10-1; 7th - Ty
Powers, Rockford, Ill. dec. Matt Huebner, Woodstock, Ill., 9-6
191.5 lbs.
1st - Justin Ruiz, Salt Lake City, Utah won by tech. fall over Daniel Cormier, Lafayette, La.,
11-1, 1:11; 3rd - Nik Fekete, Cranford, N.J. dec. Robert Odell, Pueblo, Colo., 3-2 ot; 5th - Nick
Curby, LaGrange, Ill. pin Brad Lynde, Rockton, Ill., 2:52; 7th - Lee Hiltner, Belgrade, Minn. dec.
Travis Kraft, Bismarck, N.D., 7-3
220 lbs.
1st - Garrett Lowney, Appleton, Wis. dec. Jamie Garvey, Fargo, N.D., 11-5; 3rd - Shawn
Laughlin, Cape May, N.J. dec. Chuck Halstead, Eagle River, Alaska, 7-0; 5th - Dean Taylor,
Swanton, Ohio dec. Wayne James, El Reno, Okla., 7-2 ; 7th - John Lockhart, Mahomet, Ill. dec.
Bob Murphy, Omaha, Neb., 9-1
275 lbs.
1st - Isaiah Larson, Hastings, Minn. won by ref. dec. over Luke Owens, Grundy, Va., 2-0, 8:00
ot; 3rd - Dustin Darveaux, Pipestone, Minn. dec. B.J. Bertelsman, Belleville, Ill., 3-1; 5th -
Antonio Garay, Rahway, N.J. dec. Jon Edwards, Holland, Ohio, 5-2; 7th - Nick Kindred,
Turlock, Calif. pin Zach Thumb, Fargo, N.D., 1:34
Outstanding Wrestler Award: Leroy Vega at 123 pounds, Valparaiso, Ind.
Most Falls Award:Dave Starks at 105.5 pounds, Stoughton, Wis., 7 falls in 13:10
1997 Vaughan/Asics
Go to Greco-Roman
Jason Powell of Midwest City, Okla., T.J. Hill of Farmington, Mo., Leroy Vega of Valparaiso,
Ind., Justin Ruiz of Salt Lake City, Utah and Garrett Lowney of Appleton, Wis. each claimed
double titles at the 1997 John Vaughan/Asics Junior Freestyle National Wrestling
Championships in Fargo, N.D., on Saturday, July 26, 1997
The 27th annual John Vaughan/Asics Tiger Junior Nationals, which featured the best high
school age wrestlers in the nation, were held alongside the 13th annual HEALTHSOUTH Cadet
Nationals for the second straight year making it the largest amateur wrestling tournament in the
world with 3,642 combined entries.
Powell, the 1996 Cadet Nationals freestyle champion at 88 pounds, claimed the 98 pound Junior
Nationals freestyle title with a 6-0 decision over Rocco Mansuetto of Middletown, N.Y. to
secure his double title. Powell also claimed a double title at the 1997 Southern Plains Junior
Regionals earlier this year.
Hill, a 1996 Junior Nationals double champion, won his second straight double championship
with a 10-0 victory in 3:28 over Dean Martinez of Park Ridge, Ill at 105.5 pounds. The Junior
Nationals title was his fourth straight and fifth overall. Hill, a member of the 1997 U.S. Junior
World Team,only allowed four total points through both competitions. Hill now has a total of
nine USA Wrestling age-group titles.
Vega, the Outstanding Wrestler in the Greco-Roman tournament, scored a 13-9 decision over
Witt Durden of Dublin, Ga. to win the 114.5 pound title and his first double title.
Ruiz, the 1997 Espoir Greco-Roman Nationals champion, added a Junior Nationals double title
at 191.5 pounds with a 6-2 decision over Dan Stine of Queensbury, N.Y. Ruiz, a 1996 Junior
Greco-Roman Nationals runner-up, will represent the U.S. at the 1997 Junior World
Championships in August.
Lowney, the defending Junior Nationals freestyle champion at 191.5 pounds, closed out the
week with 10-0 technical fall over John Lockhart of Mahomet, Ill. to secure a double title in the
220 pound finals.
Sonny Marchette at 143 pounds and Joe Heskett at 154 pounds both representing Ohio picked up
their first Junior National freestyle championship.
Marchette, of Canal Fulton, Ohio, claimed the national championship with a 5-1 victory over Joe
Carr of Lexington, Ky.
Heskett, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, earned his first national title with a 13-7 decision over Brian
Burrows of Jeanette, Pa. Heskett finished third in last year's freestyle competition.
Other athletes earning Junior National freestyle titles for the first time were Matt Holman of
Choctaw, Okla., Jared Frayer of Clearwater, Fla., Cael Sanderson of Heber City, Utah, Damion
Hahn of Lakewood, N.J. and Luke Owens of Grundy, Va.
Holman claimed the 123 pound national title with a 9-1 decision over Eric Larkin of Vail, Ariz.
Frayer, a four-time Junior Nationals All-American and a three-time Cadet All-American, pinned
Mike Zadick of Great Falls, Mont. in just 0:55 to win the 132 pound title. Frayer, who was
named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament, prevented Zadick from claiming his second
consecutive double title.
Sanderson, who placed third in the Junior Greco-Roman Nationals earlier this week, won the
national title with a 3-1victory over Matt Kraft of Lakefield, Minn. at 165 pounds.
Hahn, who placed fourth at the 1997 Espoir Nationals, won the title with a 6-4 overtime victory
over Tom Grossman of Irving, Tx. at 178 pounds.
Owens, who placed second in the Greco-Roman Nationals on Tuesday, won the 275 pound
championship with a 6-3 decision over Dustin Darveaux of Pipestone, Minn.
Shane Roller of Bixby, Okla. won the Most Falls Award with six pins in 13:48 competing at 132
pounds.
1997 John Vaughan/Asics Tiger Junior National Freestyle Championships
All-American Results
Saturday, July 26 - Fargo, N.D.
98 lbs.
1st - Jason Powell, Midwest City, Okla. dec. Rocco Mansuetto, Middletown, N.Y. , 6-0 ; 3rd -
Matthew Davis, Corvallis, Mont. pin Chad Carlile, Liberal, Kan., 1:39; 5th - Leon Ngchee,
Kenner, La. dec. Danny Arriaga, Chino, Calif., 8-3; 7th - Jason Harless, Bonanza, Ore. pin Keith
Pickel, Greenfield Park, N.Y., 2:26
105.5 lbs.
1st - T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. won by tech. fall over Dean Martinez, Ill., 10-0, 3:28; 3rd -
Zachary Roberson, Overland Park, Kan. dec. Tommy Hoang, Cushing, Okla., 12-4; 5th - Brian
Watson, Canby, Ore. dec. A.J. Grant, Clarkston, Mich., 7-5; 7th - Dan Lilledahl, St. Louis, Mo.
dec. Kelly Madden, Pekin, Ill., 6-1
114.5 lbs.
1st - Leroy Vega, Valperaiso, Ind. dec. Witt Durden, Dublin, Ga., 13-9; 3rd - Bo Maynes, Salina,
Kan. dec. Kenny Cox, Eugene, Ore., 5-1; 5th - Ryan Lewis, Vernal, Utah, dec. Justin Bravo,
Brooklyn, N.Y., 11-9; 7th - Nathan Martinez, Aurora, Ill. dec. Jeff Ratliff, Marion, Ohio, 10-9
123 lbs.
1st - Matt Holman, Choctaw, Okla. dec. Eric Larkin, Vail, Ariz., 9-1; 3rd - Jesse West, Iowa
City, Iowa dec. Steven Bradley, Beech Grove, Ind., 4-3; 5th - John Giacche, Hemington, N.J.
dec. Brandon Anderson, Loa, Utah, 7-1; 7th - Frank Palumbo, Dix Hills, N.Y. dec. Chris Jenson,
Tahlequat, Okla., 16-5
132 lbs.
1st - Jared Frayer, Clearwater, Fla. pin Mike Zadick, Great Falls, Mont, 0:55.; 3rd - Ty Reynolds,
Jamestown, N.C. dec. Chad Erikson, Apple Valley, Minn., 13-10; 5th - Scott Owen, Carlsbad,
N.M. dec. Brian Smiley, Plainfield, Ind., 9-7; 7th - Tom Waldron, Williamsport, Pa. dec. Billy
Smith, New Alexandria, Pa., 6-4
143 lbs.
1st - Sonny Marchette, Canal Fulton, Ohio dec. Joe Carr, Lexington, Ky., 5-1; 3rd - Jamarr
Billman, Easton, Pa. pin Tony Morgan, Stillwater, Okla., 1:17; 5th - Ty Morgan, New Carlisle,
Ohio dec. Collin Robertson, Springville, Utah, 6-3; 7th - Jimmy Hawthorne, Blairstown, N.J.
dec. Travis Johnson, Boring, Ore., 5-3
154 lbs.
1st - Joe Heskett, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio dec. Brian Burrows, Jeannette, Pa., 13-7; 3rd - Griff
Powell, Wesley Hills, N.Y. dec. Luke Becker, Cainbridge, Minn., 5-3; 5th - Donny Pritzlaff,
Lyndhurst, N.J. dec. Rob Waller, Latrobe, Pa., 8-7 ot; 7th - Nathan Lawrenz, Herrington, Kan.
dec. Terry Parham, Pacific Junction, Iowa,6-2
165 lbs.
1st - Cael Sanderson, Heber City, Utah dec. Matt Kraft, Lakefield, Minn., 3-1; 3rd - Rick
Springman, Norristown, Pa. dec. Ty Wilcox, Fountain Valley, Calif., 7-5; 5th - Nathan Coy,
Oregon City, Ore. dec. Jeff Stewart, Apple Valley, Minn., 5-3; 7th - Zach Stalder, Omaha,
Neb.dec. Joel Walker, Columbus, Ohio, 6-3
178 lbs.
1st - Damion Hahn, Lakewood, N.J. dec. Tom Grossman, Irving, Tx., 6-4, 6:21 ot; 3rd - Chris
Luciano, Northampton, Pa. won by tech. fall over Scott Kaufman, Emmetsburg, Iowa, 11-0; 5th -
Scott Owen, Carlsbad, N.M. dec. Michael Bigrigg, Santa Ana, Calif., 7-0; 7th - Scott Coleman,
Manhattan, Kan. dec. Rowdy Lundegreen, Amarillo, Tx., 7-6 ot
191.5 lbs.
1st - Justin Ruiz, Salt Lake City, Utah dec. Dan Stine, Queensbury, N.Y., 6-2; 3rd - Jeff Knupp,
Akron, Ohio dec. Brad Lynde, Rockton, Ill., 9-8; 5th - Lee Hiltner, Belgrade, Minn. dec. Nick
Preston, Columbus, Ohio, 5-2; 7th - Kevin Herron, Imperial, Mo. dec. Travis Kraft, Bismarck,
N.D., 9-7 ot
220 lbs.
1st - Garrett Lowney, Appleton, Wis. won by tech. fall John Lockhart, Mahomet, Ill., 10-0, 3:16;
3rd - Brad Steele, St. James, Minn. dec. Daniel Cormier, Lafayette, La., 9-8; 5th - Geoffrey
McIntosh, Atlanta, N.Y. won by inj. dft. over Kevin Shippos, Baldwin, N.Y.; 7th - Viktor Sveda,
Peninsula, Ohio pin Philip Alejandrino, Chino, Calif., 1:10
275 lbs.
1st - Luke Owens, Grundy, Va. dec. Dustin Darveaux, Pipestone, Minn., 6-3; 3rd - Jake Vercelli,
Minooka, Ill. won by tech. fall over Andy Bowlby, Newberg, Ore., 11-0; 5th - Matt Brink,
Muskegon, Mich. pin Chad Johnson, Presho, S.D., 3:55; 7th - Keith Bell, Newport News, Va. pin
Dave Neumyer, Port Washington, Wis., 0:12
Outstanding Wrestler Award: Jared Frayer, Clearwater, Fla. at 132 pounds
Most Falls Award: Shane Roller, Bixby, at 154 pounds, 6 pins in 13:48
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