11 wrestlers remain alive in Kids Triple Crown quest, after winning Kids National Greco-Roman titles

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
06/30/2005


Greco-Roman champions were crowned at the 2005 USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, held  at the Brown County Arena in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday,  June 30.    The nation's best 9-14 year old wrestlers will be battling for national titles and All-American honors in three age-divisions: Midget (9-10), Novice (11-12) and Schoolboy/girl (13-14). The tournament features the two international styles of wrestling: Greco-Roman and freestyle.    This is the final tournament in the coveted USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown. Each year, USA Wrestling honors athletes who are able to win national titles at their age-level in all three styles: folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle.     A total of 29 athletes who were 2005 USA Wrestling Folkstyle National champions entered the Greco-Roman tournament and were eligible to challenge for the Triple Crown.    After the Greco-Roman Nationals ended, there were just 11 athletes who have won the first two events of the Triple Crown (folkstyle, Greco-Roman) and remain eligible to win the award with a victory in freestyle on Saturday.    Midget athletes who are still alive in the hunt for the Triple Crown are:  - Noah Teaney of Missouri at 60 pounds  - Mitch Sliga of Indiana at 87 pounds  - Dylan Diebitz of Wisconsin at 95 pounds    Novice athletes who are still alive in the hunt for the Triple Crown are:  - Mark Grey of New Jersey at 70 pounds  - Eric DeVos of Minnesota st 85 pounds  - Joshua Villani of Washington at 90 pounds  - Taylor Massa of Michigan at 100 pounds  - Jason Luster of Georgia at 112 pounds  - Donny Longendyke of Minnesota at 140+ pounds    Schoolboy athletes who are still alive in the hunt for the Triple Crown are:  - Riley Ewalt of Michigan at 95 pounds  - Ben Best of Wisconsin at  130 pounds    None of the athletes who are eligible for the Triple Crown were winners of the award last year. In fact, of the 11 athletes who have a chance for the award have ever won the Triple Crown before.    A total of seven wrestlers repeated as a Kids National champion, winning a national Greco-Roman title for the second straight year.    Those winning for the second year in a row in Greco-Roman competing as Midgets this year were Dylan Lucas of Florida, the champion at 55 pounds and Alexander Lennartson of Wisconsin, the 120-pound champion.    Claiming a Greco-Roman national title for the second year straight and competing as Novice wrestlers this year was Sam Brancale of Minnesota, the 60-pound champion. Last year, Brancale won his title as a Midget.    In the Schoolboy division, athletes winning for the second year in a row in Greco-Roman were Ewalt, plus Cody Brewer of Missouri, the 70-pound champion, Nick Moore of Iowa, the 110-pound champion, Zachary Skates of Oklahoma, the 125 pound champion. Ewalt won as a Schoolboy last year, with the others all winning in 2004 as Novice wrestlers.    One weight class had three 2005 USA Wrestling folkstyle national champions entered. In the Schoolboy 130 pound class, the folkstyle champions from earlier in the year were Brandon Rolnick of New Jersey (120 in folkstyle), Kalvin York of Wisconsin (125 in folkstyle) and Ben Best of Wisconsin (130 in folkstyle). The winner was Ben Best of Wisconsin, who beat James Cook of California in the finals, 6-5 in overtime.    A pair of brothers from Minnesota won Kids national Greco-Roman titles. Tommy Longendyke was the Midget champion at 103 pounds, while brother Donny Longendyke was the Novice champion at 140++ pounds.    A total of 441 athletes entered the competition, representing 35 states.     Weigh-ins for the freestyle competition were held on Thursday, with competition set for Friday and Saturday.