Garrett Lowney of Appleton, Wis, claimed his fourth junior national title at the 1998 ASICS TIGER Junior Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Fargo, N.D.Lowney, the 1997 Junior Nationals double champion and 1996 Junior freestyle champion, needed 53 seconds of overtime to defeat 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman World Champion Joshua Etu of Queensbury, N.Y. With Lowney leading 5-1, Etu scored on a three-and-one throw to tie the match with just 18 seconds remaining in regulation. In overtime, Lowney countered off an Etu attack for the takedown and the win.
Claiming their third consecutive Junior Nationals titles were Jason Powell of Choctaw, Okla., at 105.5 pounds and Justin Ruiz of Salt Lake City, Utah at 191.5 pounds.
Powell, the 1997 Junior Nationals double champion, scored a 9-2 decision over Davey Starks of Stoughton, Wis. for the title. Powell, the 1996 Cadet Freestyle national champion, will represent the U.S. at the 1998 FILA Jr. World Championships in Greco-Roman. He is the 1998 ASICS All-American First Team member at 103 pounds.
Ruiz, a 1997 Junior Nationals double, scored a 10-0 technical fall over Markus Steicher of Las Vegas, Nev., to capture his third junior crown. Ruiz, the 1998 ASICS All-American First Team Member at 189 pounds, placed sixth in the 1997 FILA Jr. World Championships and is a 1998 FILA Jr. U.S. World Team member. He will be attending the University of Nebraska in the fall.
Eric Larkin of Vail, Ariz. added to his growing list of accomplishments with a 57 -second pin over David Castle of Sublimity, Ore., at 132 pounds. Larkin, a 1998 ASICS All-American First Team member at 140 pounds was the 1997 Junior Greco-Roman national champion at 123 pounds and was the 1995 Cadet freestyle national champion. Larkin will attend Arizona State University in the fall.
In a mild upset, Brady Jones of Salt Lake City, Utah, claimed his first Junior National title with a 6-0 decision over T.J. Hill of Farmington, Mo. at 114.5 pounds.
Jones, a two-time Junior Greco-Roman World Team member, dominated Hill throughout the match, scoring early and building a 5-0 lead. Hill, a five-time Junior Nationals champion, was unable to penetrate against the experienced Jones. Hill was put down early on a passivity call and Jones capitalized scoring three points. Jones, who placed eighth in the 1997 U.S. Senior Nationals, is a two-time Cadet Greco-Roman World Team member and is a 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals champion.
Also winning their first Junior Greco-Roman National titles were Terrence Thompson of Rock Hill, S.C. at 98 pounds, Ben Martinez of Pixley, Calif. at 123 pounds, Ryan Berger of Mahomet, Ill at 143 pounds, Matt Anderson of Shenandoah, Iowa at 154 pounds, Jacob Clark of St. Paul, Minn. at 165 pounds and Andy Harrison of Clive, Iowa at 178 pounds.
Thompson, who placed sixth in the 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals, registered an overtime pin over Bryan Howson of Sedro Valley, Wash., in 4:48. Thompson is a three-time Southeast Regional champion. Tied 5-5 in regulation, Thompson caught a tired Howson with a right arm headlock to get the pin and secure the title.
Martinez, a 1997 Cadet Greco-Roman national champion at 121 pounds, scored a 7-5 decision over Skyler Holman of Broken Arrow, Okla. Martinez was a runner-up in the 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals.
Berger, who placed sixth in the 1996 Cadet Nationals in freestyle, won a very close 8-7 overtime decision over 1996 Cadet Nationals double champion Pat Cadwallader of Anaheim, Calif.
Anderson, who placed fourth in the 1997 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals, won a 0-0 overtime decision over Josh McClay of Hastings, Minn. Anderson, the Iowa Junior state champion the past two years, placed fifth in the 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals.
Clark, the 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman National champion, pinned Clint Wattenberg of Chico, Calif. in 1:37 to earn his first title on the junior level. Clark, an 11-time Northern Plains Regional champion, placed fifth in the 1996 Cadet Freestyle National Championships.
Harrison, who placed fifth in the 1997 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals, scored a 9-4 decision over 1997 Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Dusty Swanson of Fargo, N.D. Harrison, a 1996 Cadet Greco-Roman National champion, placed third in the 1995 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals.
In the final match of the evening, hometown favorite Zac Thumb of Fargo, N.D. won a hard-fought 3-1 overtime decision over Dustin Darveaux of Pipestone, Minn. at 275 pounds. Thumb, who placed eighth in the 1997 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals, scored two takedowns in the overtime period to win his first national title.
The 1998 ASICS TIGER Junior Greco-Roman competition attracted 786 wrestlers from 41 states.
1998 ASICS TIGER Junior Greco-Roman National Wrestling Championships
Fargo, N.D., July 21
Final Results
98 lbs.
1st - Terrence Thompson, Rock Hill, S.C. pin Bryan Howson, Sedro Valley, Wash., 5:48
3rd - Carson Bernard, Loveland, Colo. won by tech. fall over E.J. Newton, Kelso, Wash., 10-0
5th - Joe Honts, Fruitland, Iowa dec. Justin Thomas, Hunlock Creek, Pa., 10-7
7th - Adam Grillo, Albion, N.Y. dec. Dominic Capanna, Tucson, Ariz., 13-5
105.5 lbs.
1st - Jason Powell, Choctaw, Okla. dec. Davey Starks, Stoughton, Wis., 9-2
3rd - John Sommer, Spokane, Wash. dec. Kelly Pederson, Big Lake, Minn., 5-4
5th - Efren Ceballos, Manteca, Calif. won by tech. fall over Mark Twardy, Litchfield, Minn., 11-0
7th - Jose Martinez, Alexandria, Va. dec. Ricardo Osario, Las Vegas, Nev., 10-3
114.5 lbs.
1st - Brady Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah dec. T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo., 6-0
3rd - Evan Larkin, Vail, Ariz. dec. Jason Harless, Bonanza, Ore.,10-6
5th - Josh Buchanan, Farmington, Mo. Won by tech. fall over A.J. Grant, Clarkston, Mich., 12-2
7th - Eric Chambers, Humelstown, Pa. won by tech. fall over Gary Oxford, St. Charles, Mo., 12-0
123 lbs.
1st - Ben Martinez, Pixley, Calif. dec. Skyler Holman, Broken Arrow, Okla., 7-5
3rd - Brad Metzler, Omaha, Neb. pin Cliff Moore, Dubuque, Iowa, 2:46
5th - Kelly Madden, Pekin, Ill. won by tech. fall over Paul Gross, Grass Valley, Calif., 11-1
7th - Dusty Spaulding, Council Grove, Kan. won by tech. fall over Kris Harrington, Caledonia, N.Y., 12-2
132 lbs.
1st - Eric Larkin, Vail, Ariz. pin David Castle, Sublimity, Ore., 0:57
3rd - Coyte Cooper, Anacortes, Wash. dec. Brad Russell, Delafield, Wis., 6-0
5th - Ricky Palomino, San Jose, Calif. dec. Nickolas Saldivar, Sacramento, Calif., 4-0
7th - Chuck Sheldon, Simla, Colo. dec. Gabe Vigil, West Valley, Utah, 9-2
143 lbs.
1st - Ryan Berger, Mahomet, Ill. dec. Pat Cadwallader, Anaheim, Calif., 8-7, ot, 7:01
3rd - Joe Privitere, Binghamton, N.Y. won by tech. fall over Clark Forward, Archbold, Ohio, 11-0
5th - Mitch Marr, Wyoming, Minn. won by inj. Def. Over James Medeiros, Fremont, Calif.
7th - Matt Keinonen, Dundeee, Ore. pin Mitch Hancock, Royal Oak, Mich., 0:37
154 lbs.
1st - Matt Anderson, Shenandoah, Iowa won by ref. dec. over Josh McLay, Hastings, Minn., 0-0, ot, 8:00
3rd - Mike Fiedler, Sauk Centre, Minn. won by tech. fall over Arsen Aleksanian, Santa Ana, Calif., 13-1
5th - Blu Wahle, Neola, Iowa won by disqualification over Chris DiGuiseppe, Newtown, Pa.
7th - Dustin Zahursky, Minot, N.D. dec. Joe Paun, South Holland, Ill., 3-0
165 lbs.
1st - Jacob Clark, St. Paul, Minn. pin Clint Wattenberg, Chico, Calif., 1:37
3rd - Tyler Nixt, Greene, Iowa dec. Jereme Maye, Crivitz, Wis., 3-2
5th - Eddy Gifford, Las Vegas, Nev. dec. Chris Whetstone, Turlock, Calif., 5-1
7th - Tony Murphy, Chicago Heights, Ill. pin Danny Williams, Minot, N.D., 0:23
178 lbs.
1st - Andy Harrison, Clive, Iowa dec. Dusty Swanson, Fargo, N.D., 9-4
3rd - Ryan Hieber, Galion, Ohio dec. Aaron Brown, Cottage Grove, Minn., 11-7
5th - Mike Pierce, Gresham, Ore. won by tech. fall over Quint Swanberg, Tucson, Ariz., 12-0
7th - Travis Kraft, Bismarck, N.D. dec. Rafael Ruiz, Metairie, La., 3-0
191.5 lbs.
1st - Justin Ruiz, Salt Lake City, Utah won by tech. f