Reader wins double title and Outstanding Wrestler at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Freestyle Nationals; Past runners-up Hall, White claim golds

<< Back to Articles
Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
07/29/2006


FARGO, N.D. - Jon Reader of Michigan won a double title and was named Outstanding Wrestler with a victory at 160 pounds at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Freestyle Championships at the Fargodome on Saturday morning.

Reader was the only Junior wrestler to win a double title, capturing both freestyle and Greco-Roman national titles this year

In a hotly contested match, Reader pinned Scott Glasser in the third period, 0-1, 1-1, 0:54. Reader was also a Junior Greco-Roman champion on Tuesday night. Reader was named Outstanding Wrestler in the Junior freestyle tournament.

Glasser won the first period by scoring on the leg clinch. The second period ended tied at 1-1, but Reader won by scoring the last point. In the third period, Glasser jumped to a 3-0 lead, but Reader scored a reversal for two points to get on top in par terre. Reader then hit a gutwrench and held Glasser to the mat for the pin.

Two past Junior Nationals runners-up turned silver into gold by winning titles on Saturday morning

2005 Junior Nationals runner-up Adam Hall of Idaho captured the title at 152 pounds, beating Ryan Smith of Oregon in the finals, 1-0, 6-0. He scored the only takedown of the first period on a leg attack. In the second period, both wrestlers scored counter exposures for two points, but Hall scored two takedowns in the last minute of the period for the win. 

At 145 pounds, Albert White of Illinois, who was a Junior Nationals runner-up in 2004, captured the gold medal with a victory over Nathaniel Holt of Utah, 3-0, 3-1.White used his quickness on his feet to secure the only takedowns of the match, and was in control throughout the match.

Capturing the Acordia Cup team title was New Jersey with 66 points, edging Ohio with 65 points. Missouri was third with 33 points, and tied in fourth place were Illinois and Iowa with 31 points.

New Jersey had an individual champion, Kellen Russell at 130 pounds, and won the title on the strength of 14 All-Americans. 

Russell, a 2005 Cadet Nationals champion, beat Adam Koballa of Ohio in the finals, 6-0, 2-0. Russell hit two front headlock rolls and a gutwrench for the first period technical fall. In the second period, Russell scored on a pushout and a spin behind takedown for his two points.

Idaho had a perfect finals round, winning all three matches where it had a finalist. Joining Hall as Junior National champions from Idaho were Kirk Smith at 171 pounds and Clayton Foster at 189 pounds.

Smith, a 2006 Junior Greco-Roman runner-up, defeated 2005 Junior Nationals freestyle runner-up Ryan Patrovich of New York in two straight periods, 2-0, 1-0. Smith won the first period, scoring two points off the leg clinch after the period ended scoreless. Smith scored a point in the second period on a pushout while controlling a high single leg position.

Foster needed three periods to defeat Sonny Yohn of Colorado, 0-1, 1-0, 4-1. Yohn won the first period on a pushout. Foster scored a point in the second period with a pushout, while Yohn could not complete a takedown on Foster after getting behind him as time ran out. Foster scored a three-point takedown midway through the third period and added another takedown in the closing seconds for the margin of victory.

At 112 pounds, Connor McDonald of Delaware defeated returning Junior Nationals runner-up Donte Butler of Missouri in two periods, 5-0, 6-0. McDonald grabbed a standing "cement job" from the feet and took Butler directly to his back to win the first period, 5-0. In the second period, McDonald added scored two takedowns and turned Butler twice for exposures for a technical fall. McDonald was second at the FILA Junior Nationals earlier this year.

In a battle of 2005 Cadet National champions, Luke Ashmore of Texas stopped Jake Deitchler of Minnesota at 140 pounds, 6-0, 4-0. Ashmore, a Cadet freestyle champion last year, was in control throughout over Deitchler, a 2005 Cadet National Greco-Roman champion. Ashmore dominated the first period with takedowns and exposures. In the second period, he scored a three-point leg attack takedown to keep the momentum going.

At 98 pounds, John Prezzia of Pennsylvania earned a tight two-period victory over Jon Morrison of Illinois, 1-1, 1-0. Prezzia won the first period which was tied by scoring the last point of the period. In the second period, there was no scoring in regulation and Prezzia scored the winning point on the leg clinch.

At 105 pounds, it took three periods for Ben Sergent of Ohio to defeat 2006 Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Fred Santaite of New Jersey, 1-1, 0-1, 1-0. Sergent won the tiebreaker in the first period with the last point scored. Santaite scored in the second period from the leg clinch. Sergent scored the only takedown late in the third period for the win. Sergent was a Cadet Nationals runner-up last year.

Zachary Sanders of Minnesota captured the 119-pound title, defeating James Nicholson of Iowa, 1-0, 0-2, 3-0. Sanders scored the only takedown in the first period. Nicholson scored a two-point exposure during a scramble late in the second period to tie up the match. In the third period, Sanders scored two takedowns and a pushout for the win. Sanders was third at the 2005 Junior Nationals in freestyle.

At 125 pounds, 2005 Cadet Nationals champion Michael Mangrum of Washington stopped Tyler Graff of Colorado, 3-0, 1-0. Mangrum scored a three-point takedown off the leg clinch to win the first period. In the second period, Mangrum scored a spin behind takedown for the only point to take the match. Mangrum executed a pair of high altitude flips in celebration of the win.

It took all three periods to determine the champion at 135 pounds, where Jamal Parks of Oklahoma beat Willie Saxton of Ohio, 0-1, 2-1, 2-1. Saxton won the first period on a takedown. Parks won the second period with a spin behind takedown with 15 seconds on the clock. In the third period, Parks scored a three-point double leg takedown with 14 seconds to go win the period and the match.

At 215 pounds, Cody Gardner of Virginia edged Jared Platt of New Jersey in two periods, 1-0, 1-1. The first period was scoreless and went to the leg clinch, where Gardner scored a takedown to win the period. Platt scored a leg attack takedown in the second period, but Gardner scored on a spin behind takedown with 20 seconds left to tie the match at 1-1. Gardner won the criteria on last point scored.

At 275 pounds, Dom Bradley of Missouri defeated Cameron Wade of Ohio in a three-period match, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0. Bradley scored the first point of the match on a single leg takedown. Wade won the second period with a takedown. The bout was decided on the leg clinch in the third period when no points were scored in regulation. Bradley won the flip, secured the single leg and took Wade out of bounds for the win. In 2005, Bradley was second in the Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman and Wade was second in the Cadet Nationals in freestyle.