Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Team Florida) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of July 18-25.

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.

Grajales was named 2006 Junior Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year, as presented by USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman National Team program, on July 25 in Fargo, N.D. He also was named Outstanding Wrestler at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman.

Grajales won a gold medal at 112 pounds at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Greco-Roman Championships. He beat a talented Donte Butler of Missouri in the finals. Butler grabbed a 3-0 lead but Grajales came right back. The first period ended in a 5-5 tie, but Grajales won by virtue of scoring with a three-point throw. Grajales then won 10-2 in the second period, capping the win with a spectacular five-pointer. He won eight matches during the tournament, including two pins and five technical falls.

Grajales won a gold medal at 110 pounds at the FILA Junior National Championships in Greco-Roman, held in Las Vegas, Nev., April 12-15. He was the only high school wrestler to win a Greco-Roman title. Grajales stopped John Connor McDonald of Delaware in the Championship finals, 3-1, 7-1. 

Also competing at 110 pounds, Grajales won a gold medal at the FILA Cadet National Championships, held in Evanston, Ill., on April 27-30. In the finals, he defeated Demetrius Johnson of Tennessee in the finals by injury default. He had five victories prior to the finals, including two technical falls and two pins. He also was third in freestyle at the competition.

Grajales was a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion in Fargo, N.D., last summer, competing at 98 pounds.

He will be a sophomore at Brandon High School, coached by the legendary Russ Cozart. He was a State champion at 103 pounds with a 48-0 record as a freshman and placed second in Florida state high school tournament as an eighth grader.

Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Craig Sesker at csesker@usawrestling.org