Six wrestlers win coveted Kids Triple Crown after winning freestyle national titles

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
06/30/2010


The 2010 USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown winners pose after receiving their honors.

OREM, Utah – Six wrestlers won the coveted USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown, after winning titles in freestyle at the USA Wrestling Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals on Wednesday.

To win the Kids Triple Crown, an athlete must win USA Wrestling national titles in folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle the same year. 

The first leg of the Kids Triple Crown was held during the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, April 1-3. The second leg was the Greco-Roman Nationals, held Tuesday in Orem.

Winning the coveted USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown this year were:
• Ridge Lovett of Idaho, Intermediate 60 
• Travis Wittlake, Jr. of Oregon, Intermediate 80
• Joseph Barnes of California, Intermediate 102
• Beau Breske of Wisconsin, Novice 112
• Dante Rodriguez of Nebraska, Schoolboy 84 
• Christian DuLaney of Minnesota, Schoolboy 175

One of the Kids Triple Crown winners, Dante Rodriguez of Nebraska, is a previous winner, having won his first Kids Triple Crown as a Novice back in 2008. Rodriguez defeated Danny Boychuck of New Jersey in the finals in both styles this week.

On the Intermediate level, Lovett won his freestyle finals over Drew Eller of Colorado, by technical fall, 12-5, 6-0. Wittlake stopped Elijah Fisher of Idaho in the finals, 7-0, 4-2. Barnes stopped Sebastian Mordecai of Arizona, 6-0,4-0, to claim his freestyle title.

Breske was the only Novice wrestler to win a Triple Crown, stopping Trenton Schultz of Colorado in the freestyle finals by technical fall, 7-0, 7-0. Also scoring a technical fall in the freestyle finals was Schoolboy Triple Crown winner DuLaney, who defeated Thomas Higelmire of Michigan, 8-0, 6-0.

Competition was held in three USA Wrestling Kids age groups: Intermediate (9-10 years), Novice (11-12 years), Schoolboy (13-14 years). 

Three wrestlers who won Kids Nationals titles in folkstyle and Greco-Roman fell short of the Triple Crown with losses in the freestyle tournament. Losing in their freestyle gold-medal matches were Dylan Duncan of Illinois (Novice 65) and Abe Assad of Illinois (Intermediate 75). Placing fifth in freestyle was Ryan Christensen of Washington (Schoolboy 136).

There were 17 USA Wrestling Folkstyle National champions who entered the Kids Greco-Roman tournament with only six reached the Triple Crown status.

In addition to the Triple Crown winners, there were 22 double champions, winners of the Greco-Roman and freestyle events in Orem. 

Intermediate double champions were Brandon Psyk of Minnesota (50), Aaron Cashman of Minnesota (55) and Brock Hardy of Utah (95).

Novice double champions were Taylor LaMont of Utah (75), Paul Steffensen of Alaska (80), Christian Bahl of Minnesota (90), Jaden Enriquez of California (95), Brandon Moen of Minnesota (105), Samuel Grove of Minnesota (140), Dallas Goodpaster of Oregon (140+) and Devin Fry of Washington (140++).

Schoolboy/girl double champions were Matthew Lee of Utah (70), Mitchell McKee of Minnesota (77), Isaac Dulgarian of Kansas (105), Ellery Steffensen of Alaska (120), Kimball Bastian of Utah (128), Chandler Rogers of Washington (144), Tevis Bartlett of Wyoming (152), Rodolfo Garcia of California (160), Michael Siwiec of Nevada (190), Roy Nash of Utah (210) and Tashon Smallwood of California (265).

Repeating as Kids National freestyle champions from last year were Paul Steffenson of Alaska (Novice 80) and Matthew Kolodzik of Ohio (91 Schoolboy/girl).

Individual freestyle champions came from 18 different states.

Last year, 10 athletes won coveted Kids Triple Crowns. 

The USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown was created in 1997, and since then, 122 Kids Triple Crown awards have been presented. Among the past winners are current Freestyle Team USA members and NCAA Div. I champions Brent Metcalf of Michigan and Angel Escobedo of Indiana.

USA WRESTLING KIDS FREESTYLE CHAMPIONS

Intermediate
50 - Brandon Psyk of Minnesota
55 - Aaron Cashman of Minnesota
60 - Ridge Lovett of Idaho
65 - Jaden Abas of California
70 - Colton Yapoujian of Colorado
75 - James Rogers of Washington
80 - Travis Wittlake, Jr. of Oregon
87 - Cohlton Schultz of Colorado
95 - Brock Hardy of Utah
103 - Joseph Barnes of California
120+ - Clint Herrick of Missouri

Novice 
60 - Ty Smith of Nevada
65 - Pat Walker of Illinois
70 - Cole Moody of Utah
75 - Taylor LaMont of Utah
80 - Paul Steffensen of Alaska
85 - Tommy Strassenberg of Washington
90 - Christian Bahl of Minnesota
95 - Jaden Enriquez of California
100 - Tanner Fletcher of Montana
105 - Brandon Moen of Minnesota
112 - Beau Breske of Wisconsin
120 - Andrew Berreyesa of Nevada
130 - Brian Barnes of Oregon
140 - Samuel Grove of Minnesota
140+ - Dallas Goodpaster of Oregon
140++ - Devin Fry of Washington

Schoolboy/girl 
70 - Matthew Lee of Utah
77 - Mitchell McKee of Minnesota
84 - Dante` Rodriguez of Nebraska
91 - Matthew Kolodzik of Ohio
98 - Jaedin Sklapsky of Michigan
105 - Isaac Dulgarian of Kansas
112 - Brandon Arteaga of Illinois
120 - Ellery Steffensen of Alaska
128 - Kimball Bastian of Utah
136 - Nicholas Villarreal of California
144 - Chandler Rogers of Washington
152 - Tevis Bartlett of Wyoming
160 - Rodolfo Garcia of California
175 - Christian DuLaney of Minnesota
190 - Michael Siwiec of Nevada
210 - Roy Nash of Utah
265 - Tashon Smallwood of California