FARGO, N.D. - Thirteen champions were crowned at the 1998 HEALTHSOUTH Cadet Greco-Roman National Wrestling Championships in Fargo, N.D., July 20.Leading the list of winners was 1997 Cadet Nationals double champion Chris Fleeger of Trout Run, Pa. at 112 pounds. Fleeger, the 1998 FILA Jr. World Team Trials champion in freestyle, scored a 7-6 decision over Josh Lamano of Layton, Utah to secure his third career Cadet title. Fleeger was a member of the 1997 U.S. Cadet World Team.
Returning All-American Matt Nagel of Frazee, Minn., scored an 8-0 decision over Thad Pike of Brownstown, Minn. at 132 pounds. Nagel, who was the 1997 Cadet Nationals runner-up, scored quickly and never looked back on way to his first national title. Nagel was the 1998 Cadet Northern Plains Greco-Roman champion.
1998 Cadet Greco-Roman World Team members claiming national titles included Cam Jones of Salt Lake City, Utah at 88 pounds, Nick Zajac of Hastings, Minn., at 167 pounds and Jason Moreno of Firebaugh, Calif., at 103.5 pounds.
Zajac, a four-time Cadet Northern Plains Regional champion, scored a 3-0 overtime win over Drew Hageman of Newberg, Ore. to win his first Cadet title. Zajac, who placed second in the 1998 Cadet Freestyle World Team Trials, is a four -time Cadet Northern Plains Regional champion.
Jones, who will represent the U.S. at the 1998 Cadet Greco-Roman World Championships, scored a decisive 10-0 technical fall over Nate Gallick of Tucson, Ariz. in 2:21 to secure his first national title. He has claimed a total of 16 state freestyle and Greco-Roman titles in Utah.
In a battle of 1998 Cadet World Team Trials champions, Moreno defeated Nate Piasecki of Minocqua, Wis. in the 103.5 pound division. Moreno, the 1998 Cadet Greco-Roman World Team Trials champion at 105.5 pounds, placed second in the Cadet Freestyle World Team Trials and finished in the runner-up position at the 1998 FILA Jr. Greco-Roman World Team, Trials at 108 pounds. Piasecki was the Cadet World Team Trials champion at 99 pounds.
Leo Bugaj of Hot Springs, Ark., at 83.5 pounds. Bugaj claimed his first Cadet national title with an 8-5 decision over James Holt of Tulare, Calif. With his win, Bugaj became the first ever Cadet national champion for the state of Arkansas. Bugaj, a four-time Cadet Southern Plains Regional champion, improved upon his 1997 Cadet Greco-Roman All-American performance when he placed fourth.
Lucas Smith of Chippewa Falls, Wis., was crowned a national champion for the first time with a 5-3 decision over Todd Meneely of Omaha, Neb. at 94.5 pounds. Smith, a six-time state champion in both styles, is a five-time Cadet Northern Plains Regional champion.
In a highly charged match, Matt Stenglein of Albany, N.Y., claimed his first Cadet Nationals title with a 3-2 overtime decision over Matt McIntire of West Chester, Ohio in the 121 pound division. Tied 2-2 with four seconds remaining in the overtime period, McIntire was charged with fleeing the mat and the winning point was awarded to Stenglein.
Tyson Springer of Monroe, Wash., scored a 4-3 decision over Zemoir Pittman, Flint, Mich. at 143 pounds to secure his first Cadet national title. Springer is a four-time Cadet Western Regional champion. Springer was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Nick Ciarcia of Berlin, Conn., claimed his first Cadet national title in dramatic fashion with a pin at 2:00 minutes over James Woodall of Dupont, Pa. at 154 pounds. Woodall, who placed third in the 1997 cadet Greco-Roman Nationals, was fighting an ankle injury throughout the match. Tied 3-3, Ciarcia drove Woodall to the mat for the pin and the title. Ciarcia was a 1998 Cadet Northeast Regional double champion.
Returning All-American Jordan Holm of Northfield, Minn., secured his first Cadet national title and Minnesota's third of the evening with a 4-3 decision over Paul Velekei of Orefield, Pa. at 182.5 pounds. Holm, who placed fifth in the 1997 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals, is the 1998 Minnesota freestyle champion and has a total of three state titles.
At 209 pounds, Matt Hasbrook of Indianapolis, Ind., scored a late flurry of points to defeat Jacob Knighton of West Bountiful, Utah, 8-5. Hasbrook turned Knighton twice for four points in the last 30 seconds to gain his first title.
In the final match of the evening Joe Hennis of Mims, Fla., scored a 4-1 decision over Ryan Martinez of Greeley, Colo. to claim the 242-pound title. Hennis, who earned his first Cadet Nationals title, placed third in the 1998 Junior Southeast Regional in Greco-Roman. Martinez was a 1997 Cadet All-American in Freestyle where he placed fourth.
California led the Cadet Greco-Roman tournament with 12 All-Americans including one champion. Pennsylvania followed close behind with nine All-Americans and one champion. Minnesota and Oregon tied with eight All-Americans each, with Minnesota claiming the most individual titles with three.
Wrestling continues on Tuesday, July 21, with the 1998 ASICS TIGER Junior Greco-Roman competition. Preliminary rounds are scheduled from 9:00-12:00 a.m. Medal matches featuring third, fifth and seventh place matches will be held from 2:00-3:30 p.m. The Junior Greco-Roman tournament wraps up with the championship finals scheduled fro 7:00-9:00 p.m.
1998 HEALTHSOUTH Cadet Greco-Roman National Championships
Fargo, N.D., July 20, 1998
Final Results
83.5 lbs.
1st - Leo Bugaj, Hot Springs, Ark. dec. James Holt, Tulare, Calif., 8-5
3rd - Justin Pearch, Oregon City, Ore. dec. Kyle Klooster, Grand Haven, Mich., 6-5
5th - Taylor Graham, Forrest Grove, Ore. dec. Shawn Clay, Petoskey, Mich., 11-5
7th - Jeff Davis, El Reno, Okla. Pin Denis Breaud, Ponchatolula, La., 1:11
88 lbs.
1st - Cam Jones, Utah won by tech. fall over Nate Gallick, Tucson, Ariz., 10-0, 2:21
3rd - .Lief Gilsdorf, Maumee, Ohio dec. Nick Leon, Calif., 5-4, ot
5th - Eric Fiedler, Cambridge, Minn. pin Kevin Egolf, Glastonbury, Conn., 2:33
7th - Mike Hamlin, Millington, Mich. pin Jeremy Woodcock, Youngsville, Pa., 1:24
94.5 lbs.
1st - Lucas Smith, Chippewa Falls, Wis. dec. Todd Meneely, Omaha, Neb., 5-3
3rd - Joe Streu, San Jose, Calif. pin Eric Stevenson, Newberg, Ore., 1:55
5th - Nick Stoltz, Dubois, Pa. pin Jimmy Crisman, West Linn, Ore., 0:40
7th - Ethan Kyle, St. Charles, Mo. dec. Sterling Ogelsby, Gillette, Wyo., 6-3
103.5 lbs.
1st - Jason Moreno, Firebaugh, Calif. dec. Nate Piasecki, Minocqua, Wis., 5-2
3rd - Travis Paulson, Council Bluffs, Iowa dec. Skyler Woods, Mesquite, Nev., 6-5
5th - Jeff Breese, Claysville, Pa. dec. Colter Brown, Jackson Hole, Wyo., 6-1
7th - Troy Forte, Pittsford, N.Y. dec. Zac Roth, Lake Crystal, Minn., 10-6
112 lbs.
1st - Chris Fleeger, Trout Run, Pa. dec. Josh Lamano, Layton, Utah, 7-6
3rd - Harry Lester, Akron, Ohio dec. Eli Dominguez, Omaha, Neb. (Iowa), 3-2, ot
5th - Michael Simpson, Anaheim, Calif. dec. Clint Wolfley, Blackfoot, Idaho, 10-9
7th - Matt Jones, Lake Crystal, Minn. dec. Ron Tarquinio, McDonald, Pa., 8-6, ot
121 lbs.
1st - Matt Stenglein, Albany, N.Y. dec. Matt McIntire, West Chester, Ohio, 3-2, ot, 6:56
3rd - Joe Johnston, Prairie Village, Kan. dec. Angel Portillo, Tulare, Calif., 3-1
5th - Juan Mora, Vista, Calif. pin Tyson Shatto, Douglas, Wyo., 1:48
7th - Jordan Barich, Newberg, Ore. pin Tony D'Ambra, Caledonia, N.Y., 0:52
132 lbs.
1st - Matt Nagel, Frazee, Minn. dec. Thad Pike, Brownstown, Minn., 8-0
3rd - Steve Garcia, Cypress, Calif. dec. Chris Nedens, Hardin, Mont., 8-1
5th - Tony Peters, Boring, Ore. dec. Chris Bravo, Tucson, Ariz., 7-5, ot
7th - Leister Bowling, Allenspark, Col. dec. Kenneth Cook, Fremont, Calif., 3-0
143 lbs.
1st - Tyson Springer, Monroe, Wash. dec. Zemoir Pittman, Flint, Mich., 4-3
3rd - Jason Woodall, Dupont, Pa. dec. Trevor Hill, Lincoln, Neb., 4-3, ot
5th - Joshua Sheridan, Fort Myers, Fla. dec. Casey Roddis, Bloomington, Ill., 4-1, ot
7th - Sean McIntosh, Atlanta, N.Y. dec. Russell Giresi, Port Richey, Fla., 7-5
154 lbs.
1st - Nick Ciarcia,