Kids Nationals Special Section

GREEN BAY, Wis. - A total of 13 wrestlers remain alive in the quest for the coveted USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown, after capturing the Greco-Roman title at the ASICS Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships at the Brown County Arena, July 6.

The Triple Crown is awarded to any wrestler who wins USA Wrestling national titles in all three styles of wrestling in the same season: folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle. 

The 2007 Kids National Folkstyle Championships were held in Cedar Falls, Iowa in April. The National Greco-Roman Championships held today are the second leg of the Triple Crown, with the freestyle division to be completed on Saturday.

2005 Triple Crown winner Mitch Sliga is on pace to garner the same award in 2007.  The Indiana native, Sliga was victorious today in the Novice 130 division.  He is the only previous Triple Crown winner still alive in the quest for a 2007 Triple Crown.  

Midget wrestlers still alive in the hunt for the Triple Crown are Mark Hall II of Michigan (87), Lance Benick of Minnesota (95), Austin Reynolds of California (112), Zach Wolf of Wisconsin (120+), and Jacob Marnin of Iowa (120++).

Novice wrestlers that are still eligible for the Triple Crown include Dylan Lucas of Florida (70), Adam Drain of Iowa (100), Michael Johnson, Jr. of Illinois (112), Sliga, and Nick Cobb of Texas (140).

Three Schoolboy/girl wrestlers won the first two legs of the Triple Crown and remain in the quest for the honor after victories today: Alfredo Rodriguez of Michigan (80), Devin Peterson of Wisconsin (145), and Zack Rutt of Minnesota (185).

Two previous Triple Crown winners were defeated today, thus eliminating them from Triple Crown contention for 2007.  

Noah Teaney of Missouri (70) and Jake Scanlon of Iowa (140+), both Novices, could not continue their success from Folkstyle Nationals, and placed 5th and 2nd, respectively.

Teaney placed behind the aforementioned Lucas. Lucas was a 2006 Greco-Roman national champion, too.

Scanlon placed second to Nick Cobb from Texas, as Cobb was able to pin the Iowa native in 1:32.

There were five wrestlers were repeat winners of a USA Wrestling Greco-Roman title, winning again this year after taking a title last year.  

In the Nidget division, Brock Benitz of Wisconsin (60) was able to repeat as a Greco-Roman national champion.  Benitz was victorious by a score of 4-1, 6-0, in the finals against Russell Caldwell of Minnesota.

Two Novices, Zach Hall of Michigan (80) and Michael Johnson, Jr. (112) claimed their second straight Greco-Roman titles in Green Bay today.  Hall needed three periods to down Tommy Forte of Indiana by scores of 2-4, 1-1, 3-2.  

Johnson, Jr., was also the Division I Folkstyle Ultimate Challenge Winner.   

Two Florida schoolboy wrestlers, Earl Hall (85) and Kevin Norstrem (90), won titles in Greco-Roman for the second straight year.  Hall won by criteria over Iowa's Brandon Sorenson, 5-5, 2-2.  Norstrem, on the other hand, dominated with two 8-0 technical falls over Matthew Malnoske of Alaska in the finals.  

In 2006, a total of 12 athletes captured the Triple Crown. Since the award was created in 1997, there have been 78 Triple Crown awards given. The most in one year was the 12 awarded in 2004 and 2006. The least was in 1997, when just two athletes won the coveted award.

The final leg of the Triple Crown, the ASICS Kids Freestyle National Championships, will be held on Saturday.

2007 ASICS KIDS GRECO-ROMAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Midget Champions
50 - Ozzy Lugo (Florida)
55 - Gregory Shack III (Alaska)
60 - Brock Benitz (Wisconsin)
65 - Ty Lucas (Florida)
70 - Brandon Fleischmann (Wisconsin)
75 - Dakota Wall (Idaho)
80 - Zachary Volk (Washington)
87 - Mark Hall II (Michigan)
95 - Lance Benick (Minnesota)
103 - Samuel Colbrany (Oregon)
112 - Austin Reynolds (California)
120 - Alec Sampson (North Dakota)
120+ - Zach Wolf (Wisconsin)
120++ - Jake Marnin (Iowa)

Novice Champions
60 - Brian Burchett (Washington)
65 - Grant Boggs (Montana)
70 - Dylan Lucas (Florida)
75 - James Flint (Florida)
80 - Zac Hall (Michigan)
85 - Bryce Brill (Illinois)
90 - Ernest Battaglia (Illinios)
95 - Austin Worachek (Wisconsin)
100 - Adam Drain (Iowa)
105 - Keaton Subjeck (California)
112 - Dominic Flock (Wisconsin)
120 - Michael Johnson, Jr. (Illinois)
130 - Mitch Sliga (Indiana)
140 - Sam Stoll (Minnesota)
140+ - Nick Cobb (Texas)

Schoolboy/girl Champions
70 - Sam Brancale (Minnesota)
75 - Corey Keener (Pennsylvania)
80 - Alfredo Rodriguez (Michigan)
85 - Earl Hall (Florida)
90 - Kevin Norstrem (Florida)
95 - Dakota Trom (Minnesota)
100 - Jarod Donar (Wisconsin)
105 - Dylan Penka (Kansas)
110 - Ben Morgan (Minnesota)
115 - Jared Kust (Wisconsin)
120 - Tyrell Galloway (Nebraska)
125 - Justin Koethe (Iowa)
130 - Zak Benitz (Wisconsin)
145 - Devin Peterson (Wisconsin)
165 - Mike Ettore (Florida)
185 - Zack Rutt (Minnesota)
205 - Jordan Olgin (California)
250 - Trystan Palmer (Oregon)