Metcalf repeats as champion and takes home Outstanding Wrestlers at FILA Junior Freestyle Nationals
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Josi Carlson (USA Wrestling)
04/30/2005
For the second straight year, Brent Metcalf of Davison, Michigan, took home the top prize at 66 kg at the 2005 FILA Junior Freestyle Nationals in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 30. For his efforts and his 4-2, 7-0 decision over Jeff Jaggers of Columbus, Ohio, in the finals, Metcalf was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler of the Freestyle Nationals. The only other repeat champion of the tournament was Patrick McCaffrey of Glen Ellyn, Illinois. McCaffrey took home the title at 50 kg with a 3-0, 3-0 decision over Gabriel Burak of Colorado Springs, Colo. In the heavyweight competition, last year's champion Jon May of Lincoln, Nebraska, was defeated by Bode Ogunwole of Cambridge, Mass., in a 1-0, 1-0 decision. Ogunwole competes for Harvard Univ. At 55 kg, Paul Donahoe of Davison, Mich. won a close match over Obenson Blanc of Lock Haven, Pa., by a 1-0, 1-0 decision. In the 60 kg match, U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete Angel Cejudo of Colorado Springs, Colo. stopped Patrick Aleksanyan of Santa Ana, Calif. Cejudo claimed the title with a 1-1, 4-0 decision. In another close match-up, Steve Luke of Ann Arbor, Mich. defeated David Rella Akron, Ohio, with a 1-0, 2-0 decision at 74 kg. At 84 kg, Jake Herbert of Evanston, Illinois claimed the top prize over Jake Varner of Bakersfield, Calif. The final score was a 2-0, 3-1 decision for Herbert, an NCAA All-American for Northwestern Univ. In the 96 kg match-up, Brandon Halsey of Bakersfield, Calif. topped John Laboranti of Blacksburg, Va., with a 2-0, 2-0 decision. No athletes claimed championships in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman styles this year. The FILA Junior Championships are for athletes ages 17-20 years old. This includes many of the nation's best high school wrestlers, as well as college wrestlers who are underclassmen. The FILA Junior National Championships are part of the qualification process for the U.S. Junior World Championships team. The national champions from this event earn the top position for the Junior World Team Champ and Trials set for Colorado Springs, Colo., in late May. The FILA Junior World Championships will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 5-10.