Rodriguez, Lantz among repeat champions in Kids divisions at ASICS Folkstyle Nationals

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/03/2010


CEDAR FALLS, Iowa â€" Champions were crowned in four KIDS divisions (Schoolboy/girl, Novice, Intermediate, Bantam) as well as the Veterans division on the final day of the USA Wrestling ASICS Folkstyle National Championships on Saturday.

In the Schoolboy/girl division, two wrestlers were able to repeat as champions: Dante` Rodriguez of Husker Elite of Nebraska at 77 pounds and Jens Lantz of the Victory School of Wrestling of Wisconsin at 91 pounds.

In the finals, Rodriguez defeated Nolan Hellickson of the UBASA Wrestling Academy of Iowa, 4-2. Rodriguez score a takedown in the first two periods for the victory.

Lantz stopped John Erneste of the Team Central WC of Missouri, 6-0, in the gold-medal match. Lantz scored the opening takedown and controlled the rest of the match.

Claiming a Schoolboy/girl title at 128 pounds was 2009 ASICS Folkstyle Novice national champion Mark Hall of the CMS club in Michigan. Hall scored a major decision over Bobby Reece of Washington, 14-4, in the finals. Hall jumped to an 8-1 lead in the match, and was effective on top, scoring numerous tilts.

The Schoolboy/girl finals were webcast live, and can now be viewed as an archive on TheMat.com or USA Wrestling’s UStream Channel.

Two of the more competitive Schoolboy finals came at 105 pounds and 160 pounds.

At 105 pounds, Michael Olsen of Missouri edged Justin Oliver of the CMS club of Michigan, 8-7. Oliver led at one point 6-4, but Olsen made a late comeback. He tied it at 6-6 with a takedown with 30 seconds left, then after an Oliver escape, scored the winning takedown with just eight seconds left on the clock.

The 160-pound final went to the tiebreaker in overtime, as Robert Steveson II of Portage Elite of Indiana stopped 2009 ASICS Novice national champion Lance Benick of Forest Lake of Minnesota, 2-1. The match ended at 1-1, and neither wrestler scored a takedown in the overtime. In the tiebreaker, Steveson got an escape with 15 seconds left, then rode out Benick for the victory.

Two of the Intermediate champions repeated from last year: Travis Wittlake, Jr. of Team Bucs of Oregon at 80 pounds and Gable Steveson of Portage Elite of Indiana at 120 pounds. Wittlake edged Mason Reiniche of Tennessee in the finals, 4-3. Steveson won a four-athlete roundrobin, defeating all three of his opponents by technical fall.

There were no repeat champions on either the Bantam or Novice levels this year.

In the Veterans competition, six wrestlers were repeat champions: 
• Cory Warman (Unattached-WI) Veterans A 152 lbs.
• Chad Shilson (Unattached-MN) Veterans B 138.75 lbs.
• Rudy James (Apple Valley-MN) Veterans B 167.5 lbs.
• Octavius Bellamy Sr. (Greater Chicago Wrestlers-IL) Veterans B 213.75 lbs.
• Charles Knox (Team Of Hard Knox-KS) Veterans D 127.75 lbs.
• Mark LeVasseur (Minnesota Storm-MN) Veterans D 138.75 lbs.

Team awards were presented in each of the Kids divisions.

The Bantam team champions were the United Southern All Stars of Illinois. Winning both the Intermediate and the Novice team titles were PINnacle of Minnesota. Capturing the Schoolboy/girl team title was the Purler Wrestling Academy of Missouri.

ASICS FOLKSTYLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Cedar Rapids, Iowa, April 3, 2010

Individual champions

Bantam
40 - Colton King (United Southern All Stars-IL)
45 - Derrick Cardinal (Forest Lake-MN)
50 - Hunter Mode (Unattached-OR)
55 - Luke Odom (United Southern All Stars-IL)
60 - Johnny Parker, Jr. (Contenders-IN)
65 - Garrett Pavelko (Rochester Panthers WC-MN)
70 - Rocky Elam (Team Central WC-MO)
75 - William Ahnen (Westby-WI)
75+ - Tyler Hannah (Viroqua Wrestling-WI)
75++ - Lance Keneley (Team GV-NV)

Intermediate
50 - Anthony Schickel (Southside Stallions-IL)
55 - Jace Koelzer (Olathe South Falcons-KS)
60 - Ridge Lovett (Team Real Life-ID)
65 - Jace Coulter (Team Aggression-WA)
70 - Markus Hartman (Team Overtime-IL)
75 - Abe Assad (Gomez Wrestling Academy-IL) 
80 - Travis Wittlake, Jr. (Team Bucs-OR) 
87 - Daniel Kerkvliet (Simley-MN) 
95 - Joseph Barnes (Gilroy Hawks-CA) 
103 - Cole Kraemer (Rosemount WC-MN)
112 - Cain Van Scoy (Unattached-IA)
120 - Gable Steveson (Portage Elite-IN) 
120+ - Tyler Kropiwka (Shakopee Mat Club-MN)

Novice
60 - Dack Punke (Unattached-IL)
65 - Dylan Duncan (Team Overtime-IL)
70 - Yahya Thomas (Harvey Twisters-IL)
75 - Corey Shie (Golden Cross-OH)
80 - Brady Berge (PINnacle-MN)
85 - Owen Webster (PINnacle-MN) 
90 - Jason Crary (CIA/NWI-IN)
95 - Kamal Bey (Harvey Twisters-IL)
100 - Chase Shiltz (High Altitude Wrestling Club-IA)
105 - Randy Meneweather (Knox County Krushers-IL)
112 - Beau Breske (Ringers-WI)
120 - Tanner Long (Unattached-MN)
130 - Brady Rude (Sauk Valley Wrestling Club-IL)
140 - Nicolas Mosco (Caveman Wrestling Club - FL)
140+ - Gannon Gremmel (Dubuque Wrestling Club-IA)

Schoolboy/girl
70 - Hunter Marko (PINnacle-MN)
77- Dante` Rodriguez (Husker Elite-NE)
84 - Dewey Krueger (X-Factor Elite-WI) 
91 - Jens Lantz (Victory School of Wrestling-WI) 
98 - Jonathon Marmalejo (Gomez Wrestling Academy-IL)
105 - Michael Olsen (Unattached-MO)
112 - Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian Wrestling Club-IN)
120 - Jordan Dieringer (Ringers-WI)
128 - Mark Hall (CMS-MI)
136 - Ryan Christensen (Team Aggression-WA)
144 - Ethan Soderstrom (Lancaster-WI)
152 - Connor Doak (Junior Pioneers-IL)
160 - Robert Steveson II (Portage Elite-IN)
175 - Christian DuLaney (PINnacle-MN)
190 - Tyler Schmidt (Unattached-WI)
210 - Spencer Sorenson (Owatonna-MN)
265 - Jake Marnin (Unattached-IA)

Veterans A
127.75- Brian Utke (Unattached-WI)
138.75 - Mike Hollnagel (Sussex-WI)
152- Cory Warman (Unattached-WI)
167.5 - Jeffrey Canella (The Wrestling Factory-WI)
187.25 - Corey Brown (Sulphur Jr Wrestling Club-LA)
213.75 - Stuart Terronez (Unattached-IL)

Veterans B
138.75 - Chad Shilson (Unattached-MN)
152 - Tim Cardinal (Forest Lake-MN)
167.5 - Rudy James (Apple Valley-MN)
187.25 - Troy Bennett (Fort Dodge Wrestling Club-IA)
213.75 - Octavius Bellamy Sr. (Greater Chicago Wrestlers-IL)

Veterans C
138.75 - Robert Porter (Unattached-IL)
152 - Jeff Miller, Sr (Old-IA)
167.5 - Scott Pelot (X-Factor Elite-WI)
187.25 â€" Richard Tado (Unattached-IL)
213.75 - Michael Berdahl (Unattached-MN) 
286.5 â€" Matthew Nowak (Northern Exposure-MI)

Veterans D
127.75 - Charles Knox (Team Of Hard Knox-KS)
138.75  - Mark LeVasseur (Minnesota Storm-MN)
152 - Kris Putman (Independent-MI)
167.5 - Todd Blaschko (Le Center Wrestlers-MN)
187.25 â€" Rick Carlson (Evolution-FL)

Veterans E 
138.75- Jack Hornbuckle (Ex-Cowboy-OK)
167.5 - Steve Hart (Bears Wrestling-FL)
187.25 â€" Bob Montague (Coon Rapids Mat Club â€" MN)
213.75 - Joe Reasbeck (Unattached-WI)

Bantam Team Standings
1. United Southern All Stars, 21.0 
2. PINnacle, 16.0 
3. Iron Mustangs, 14.0 
4. (tie) Contenders, 8.0 
4. (tie) Forest Lake 9803 8.0 
4. (tie) Rochester Panthers WC 8.0 
4. (tie) Team Central WC 8.0 
8. (tie) Martinez Elite 7.0 
8. (tie) Parker Sons of Thunder 7.0 
8. (tie) Team Central Wrestling Club 7.0 
8. (tie) Tinley Park Bulldogs 7.0 

Intermediate team standings
1. PINnacle, 20.0 
2. Team Overtime, 19.0 
3. Simley, 18.0 
4. Team Aggression,14.0 
5. Purler Wrestling Academy Elite, 12.0 
6. (tie) Harvey Twisters, 11.0 
6. (tie) Purler Wrestling Academy, 11.0 
6. (tie) Team Bucs, 11.0 
6. (tie) Team GV, 11.0 
10. Union Grove Broncos, 10.0 

Novice team standings
1.  PINnacle, 43.0 
2.  Purler Wrestling Academy, 17.0 
3.  Harvey Twisters, 16.0 
4.  Ringers, 13.0 
5. (tie) Dubuque Wrestling Club, 12.0 
5. (tie) Team Aggression, 12.0 
5. (tie) X-Factor Elite, 12.0 
8. (tie) Arlington Cardinals, 11.0 
8. (tie) Menomonie, 11.0 
8. (tie) Peak Wrestling, 11.0 
8. (tie) Team Overtime, 11.0 

Schoolboy/girl team standings
1.  Purler Wrestling Academy, 23.0 
2.  PINnacle, 21.0 
3.  CMS, 15.0 
4. (tie) Dakota Wrestling Club, 13.0 
4. (tie) Forest Lake 9803 13.0 
4. (tie) Team Overtime 0340 13.0 
4. (tie) UBASA Wrestling Academy, 13.0 
8. (tie) Advance School of Wrestling, 12.0 
8. (tie) Riverdale 12.0 
10. (tie) Ringers 0153 11.0 
10. (tie) Team Central WC 9906 11.0 
10. (tie)X-Factor Elite 0060 11.0