Metcalf wins second straight Junior Greco-Roman national title

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
07/27/2004


Fargo, N.D. - Brent Metcalf of Michigan was the only wrestler to repeat as a champion at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Greco-Roman National Championships at the FargoDome on Tuesday evening.    Metcalf, a double national champion last year, won the 145-pound title with a decisive 12-1 technical superiority win against Wesley English of Indiana.    Metcalf will begin his quest for a second year of double national titles on Thursday when the Junior freestyle competition begins.    Three of last year's Cadet Greco-Roman national champions also captured Junior titles: Henry Cejudo of Arizona at 112 lbs. and Troy Nickerson of New York at 119 lbs. and Kyle Bounds of Washington at 152 lbs. Nickerson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.    Cejudo dominated Spenser Mango in the finals, winning 13-3 and Bounds defeated Mack Lewnes of Maryland 10-0.    Nickerson, in one of the highly-anticipated matchups of the evening, left no doubters in his wake with a 10-0 thrashing of talented Nick Gallick of Arizona.    Overall, the state of New York had four of the evening's national champions, and seven finalists. Besides Nickerson, Dan Bishop, Joe Whitaker and Mike Roberts won titles for New York.    Bishop defeated Ian Moser of Delaware 14-2 at 105 lbs. Whitaker downed Scott Prutzman, also of New York, 8-0 at 130 lbs., and Roberts defeated Justin Hellwig, another New York wrestler, 10-0 at 140 lbs.    The other finalist for New York was 2003 Cadet Greco-Roman champion Alton Lucas at 160 lbs., who lost to Mike Felling of Minnesota 5-3.    The state of Minnesota had three champions: Jayson Ness at 125 lbs., Mike Felling at 160 lbs. and Chas Betts at 171 lbs.    Ness defeated North Dakota's Travis Lang, a Univ. of Minnesota recruit, 8-0 and Betts won a spirited battle with Florida's David Craig, pulling out a 3-2 victory.    Winning a second title for the state of Illinois on the night was Brett Robbins at 135 lbs. Robbins defeated Utah's Cyler Sanderson 9-1 in the finals, scoring from par terre throughout the entire match.    At 215 lbs., Brandon Halsey of California won a close 3-2 overtime decision over 2003 Cadet Greco-Roman national champion Erik Nye, also of California.    Also winning their first Junior Greco-Roman national titles were Matt McNaughton of Illinois at 98 lbs., Jake Cranford of Oregon at 189 lbs. and Nick Smith of Idaho at 275 lbs.    Junior freestyle competition begins on Thursday, July 29 with pool competition at 10 a.m. (Central Time).    TheMat.com will provide complete results of this year's ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships.