Burton, McLay, Barnes named TheMat.com Wrestlers of the Week of July 23-30

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
08/04/2000


TheMat.com has named its National Wrestlers of the Week for July 23-30. 

The winner of TheMat.com International Wrestler of the Week is Charles Burton (Bloomington, Ind./New York AC)

The winner of TheMat.com Junior Wrestler of the Week is Josh McLay of Hastings, Minn.

The winner of TheMat.com Youth Wrestler of the Week is Burke Barnes of Lake Stevens, Wash.

TheMat.com will announce Wrestlers of the Week in a number of age group levels, which will be posted on the web page and promoted to the national media.

International Wrestler of the Week: Charles Burton, Bloomington, Ind. (New York AC)

Burton claimed the 85 kg/187.25 pound position on the U.S. Olympic Team for freestyle wrestling, by winning a Special Wrestle-off in Fargo, N.D., July 27. He defeated 2000 U.S. Nationals champion Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids), two matches to one. The Wrestle-off became necessary when Gutches was unable to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Dallas, Texas, June 22-24, due to injury. Burton won the first match, 4-1, but Gutches won the second match, 4-3. Burton won the third and deciding match, 5-0.

Junior Wrestler of the Week: Josh McLay of Hastings, Minn.

McLay claimed a double title, winning the freestyle and Greco-Roman gold medals at 165 pounds, at the Asics/Vaughan Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D., July 23-29. McLay won the Greco-Roman gold medal, defeating Luke Larwin of Bend, Ore., 5-0 in the finals. He claimed the freestyle gold medal with a 7-0 win over Mitch Hancock of Royal Oak, Mich. in the finals. McLay has now won three career Junior National titles, including a 1999 Greco-Roman title. He had a 19-0 record for the week.

Youth Wrestler of the Week: Burke Barnes of Lake Stevens, Wash.

Barnes claimed a double title, winning the freestyle and Greco-Roman gold medals at 121 pounds, at the AdvoCare Cadet National Championships in Fargo, N.D., July 23-29. Barnes won the Greco-Roman title with a 12-2 technical fall over Eric Tannenbaum of Naperville, Ill., and was named Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman. He won the freestyle title with a 12-1 technical fall over Tony Franco of Bakersfield, Calif. Barnes had a 18-0 record for the week.

TheMat.com is "The Ultimate Source for Real Wrestling." It is being developed into the official web page of the Amateur Wrestling Alliance, which includes USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

The goal of the Amateur Wrestling Alliance is to develop TheMat.com into the most comprehensive web page in the wrestling market, as well as one of the most popular sports sites on the entire internet.