Utah All-Stars to battle USA All-Stars in Greco-Roman high school challenge match, April 27 in Sandy

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/20/2001


A new All-Star high-school age wrestling event has been created, featuring many of the best high-school age Greco-Roman wrestlers from across the nation.    The All Star participants have been selected and teams set for the 1st Annual Utah Greco-Roman Challenge to be held on April 27th, 7:00 PM, at Jordan High School (95 East Beetdigger Blvd. or 10000 S. State Street) in Sandy, Utah.     This exciting new concept is similar to special challenge events held in scholastic wrestling each season. However, for the first time, the best athletes in Greco-Roman, one of the two Olympic styles of wrestling, will be featured in the competition.    Hosting the event is Team Utah, which has become one of the strongest age-group teams in USA Wrestling Greco-Roman programs. Many nationally-ranked star Greco-Roman athletes have been developed in recent years through the Utah youth programs.    Team Utah will be led by 3x State Champion, 4x Greco Roman National Champion, Cam Jones (Brighton High School), who recently finished 3rd in the National Senior Greco Roman Tournament held in Las Vegas, Nevada - losing only to Dennis Hall 4-0 (World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist).    2000 Cadet National Champion, Kevin Hunter (Orem H.S.) will also be participating along with a stellar line-up of National Champions including Daryl Spackman and Rob Maxwell (Brighton H.S.), and Zack and Josh Lamano (Layton H.S.).      Team Utah will be coached by Ivan Ivanov (Wrestling Coach at Treehouse Athletci Club) who was a World Silver Medalist in the 1995 World Greco-Roman Championship.  Ivanov was a 1996 Olympian, representing Bulgaria, and is one of the best Greco-Roman coaches in the United States. Ivanov is a resident of Draper, Utah.    The USA All Stars will counter with Cadet World Champion and 2x National Champion Harry Lester of Akron, Ohio. Lester was the  Outstanding Wrestler at 2000 Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman, and is one of the nation's top wrestling recruits.    Other Greco Roman Stars include Matt Nagel of Fraser, Minn. (3x Greco Roman National Champion and 5x State Champion) and Joe Hennis of Mims, Fla.  (3x Cadet National Champion and 3x State Champion).    The USA All Stars will be coached by Joe Russell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is the Assistant Coach of the 2001 NCAA Champion University of Minnesota Gophers.  Russell is considered one of the nation's top age-group Greco-Roman coaches.    Tickets are on sale for $5.  They can be purchased at the door on the night of the event, or you can contact Jed Jones (801) 943-0107.    The Challenge will feature the following matches:    Team Utah vs USA All Stars    98 lbs  Kevin Hunter, Orem, Utah; State Runner Up; 2x Cadet National Champ   Gabriel Mooney, Greenbush, Minnesota; Minnesota State Champ; 2x Cadet National Champ    105 lbs  Ben Kjar, Bountiful, Utah, 2x State Champion, All American  Brock Zollinger, Rexburg, Idaho, 2x State Champion, National Runner Up    114 lbs  Daryl Spackman; Sandy, Utah; State Champion; 2x Cadet National Champion; Junior National Runner Up  Eric Stevenson; Newberg, Oregon; 2x State Champion; Junior National Champ    123 lbs  Cam Jones; Sandy, Utah; 3x State Champion; 2x Cadet National Champion; 2x Junior National Champion; 3rd in 2001 U.S. Senior Nationals  Shawn Bunch; Levenworth, Kansas; 2x State  Champion; 3x Cadet National Runner Up; Junior National Runner Up;  6th Place H.S. Senior Nationals    132 lbs  Zack Lamano; Layton, Utah; 2x State Champion; 1999 Cadet National Champion; 2x FILA Cadet National Champion  Harry Lester; Akron, Ohio; 4x State Champion; Cadet World Champion; Cadet National Champion; Junior National Champion    143 lbs  Josh Lamano; Layton, Utah; 2x State Champion; FILA Junior National Champion; 2x FILA Cadet National Champion;  5x All American  Nathan Galloway; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; 2x State Champion; 2x Cadet National Champion     154 lbs  Rob Maxwell; Sandy, Utah; 2x State Champion; Cadet National Champion; FILA Cadet National Champion; Junior All American; 5th Place H.S Senior Nationals  Matt Nagel; Fraser, Minnesota; 5x State Champion; Cadet National Champion; 2x Junior National Champ;     165 lbs  Darrin Harris; West Valley City, Utah; State Champion; Cadet FILA Runner Up; 3rd Place Junior Nationals  Kenneth Cook; Fremont, California; State Champion; Junior National Champion; Senior H.S. National Champ    178 lbs  Jon Carlisle; Heber City, Utah; State Champion; Cadet All-American; 4th Place H.S. Senior Nationals  Ryan Halsey; Oceanside, California; State Champion; Cadet National Champion; FILA Cadet National Champ; Junior National Runner Up; 2nd Place H.S. Senior National    191 lbs  Gerard Habibian; St. George, Utah; State Champion; FILA Cadet Runner Up; Cadet All-American  Chris Skretkowicz; Hardston, New Jersey; State Champion; 3rd Place H.S. Senior Natíll; 3rd Place Junior Nationals    220 lbs  Will Webster; Heber City, Utah; State Champion; Cadet All-American; High School All-American  Grant Miller; Roscoe, Illinois; State Champion; 2x FILA  Cadet National Champion; Cadet National Champion    275 lbs  Emosi FieFia; Hyrum, Utah; State Champion; High School All-American  Joe Henis; Titusville, Florida; 3x State Champion; 3x Cadet National Champ; 7x All-American