Four underclassmen named to 2001 Asics Tiger High School All-American First Team

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Rob Sherrill (Asics All-American Selection Committee)
06/26/2001


The Classes of 2001 and 2002, among the most eagerly anticipated recruiting classes in recent memory, again dominated the selection of wrestlers to the 16th annual Asics Tiger High School All-American Team , which was announced today.    The Asics Tiger All-American Team is selected by a nationwide panel of wrestling experts, and is considered the top honor in high school wrestling. It is the only national all-star team for which high school wrestlers competing on all four grade levels are eligible. Asics Tiger is the title sponsor of USA Wrestling's Junior National Championships and a major supporter of wrestling at all levels.     "This team represents the best of the best in our schools today,"  said Neil Duncan, president of TW Promotions. "We are proud to have these young men, with their talent and work ethic, representing us. They are clearly the World and Olympic champions of the future."    Members of the First Team, as well as the Asics Tiger Wrestler of the Year, will be honored prior to the finals of the Asics Tiger Junior National Freestyle Championships, hosted by USA Wrestling on July 28 at Fargo, N.D.    For the second straight year, record numbers of underclassmen were selected to the team. Four underclassmen were named to the elite First Team, 16 to the top three teams, and 34 overall among the top 112, shattering the standards set last year.    Powerful Blair Academy of Blairstown, N.J., the nation's top high school team this past year, set another record by placing three wrestlers on the First Team: seniors Cory Cooperman (125) and Steven Mocco (heavyweight), the only repeat First Team selection, and junior Zach Esposito (145). Junior Kurt Backes was a fourth Blair Academy selection, earning Honorable Mention honors at 189.    Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania each had two First Team selections. Representing Ohio are junior Mark Moos (112) of Lakewood St. Edward High and senior Harry Lester (130) of Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy; Oklahoma landed junior Teyon Ware (135) of Edmond Memorial High and senior Paul Duren (215) of Del City High; and Pennsylvania added junior Jermaine Jones (103) of West Chester Henderson High and senior Troy Letters (160) of Glenshaw Shaler High.    Rounding out the First Team are three-time state champions Alex Tirapelle (140) of Clovis (Calif.) High and Shane Webster (171) of Central Point (Ore.) High.    This year's First Team members combined to post 42 state high school or National Prep championships and eight Junior National titles. Cooperman and Mocco were four-time National Prep champions, while Lester, Nick Simmons (119) of Williamston (Mich.) High, and Marcus LeVesseur (152) of Bloomington (Minn.) John F. Kennedy High were four-time state champions. Simmons will be bidding for his fourth Junior National freestyle title this month, while LeVesseur is the first six-time state placewinner in the history of the Minnesota state tournament.    The Second and Third Teams are not far behind the First Team. The Second Team, led by three-time champions Kyle Ott (119) of St. Paris (Ohio) Graham High and Cam Jones of Salt Lake City (Utah) Brighton High, boasts 30 state and three Junior National titles. The Third Team, led by the nation's only five-time champion this year, Matt Nagel (152) of Frazee (Minn.) High and four-time champions Phillip Simpson (135) of Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy and Ty Eustice (145) of Blue Earth (Minn.) Area High, actually exceeded the Second Team with 34 state titles of its own.    The Asics Tiger All-America Team includes eight wrestlers at each of the 14 high school weight classes - the First, Second, and Third Teams and five Honorable Mention selections.    Pennsylvania placed 12 wrestlers on the overall squad for the second straight year to lead all states. New Jersey was second with 10 selections, followed by California (nine), Ohio (eight), Oklahoma (seven), and Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan (five each). The 112 wrestlers selected come from 35 states.      2001 Asics Tiger High School All-American Team    First Team  103 - Jermaine Jones, junior, Henderson HS, West Chester, PA*  112 - Mark Moos, junior, St. Edward HS, Lakewood, OH  119 - Nick Simmons, senior, Williamston HS, Williamston, MI*  125 - Cory Cooperman, senior, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ*  130 - Harry Lester, senior, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Cuyahoga Falls, OH*  135 - Teyon Ware, junior, Edmond North HS, Edmond, OK  140 - Alex Tirapelle, senior, Clovis HS, Clovis, CA  145 - Zach Esposito, junior, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ  152 - Marcus LaVesseur, senior, John F. Kennedy HS, Bloomington, MN*  160 - Troy Letters, senior, Shaler HS, Glenshaw, PA*  171 - Shane Webster, senior, Crater HS, Central Point, OR  189 - Jake Rosholt, senior, Sandpoint HS, Sandpoint, ID*  215 - Paul Duren, senior, Del City HS, Del City, OK  HWT - Steven Mocco, senior, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ*    Second Team  103 - Mack Reiter, sophomore, Don Bosco HS, Gilbertville, IA  112 - Christian Staylor, junior, Great Bridge HS, South Chesapeake, VA  119 - Kyle Ott, senior, Graham HS, St. Paris, OH*  125 - Cam Jones, senior, Brighton HS, Salt Lake City, UT  130 - Michael Martin, junior, Great Bridge HS, South Chesapeake, VA  135 - Andy Simmons, junior, Williamston HS, Williamston, MI*  140 - Ben Cherrington, senior, Granby HS, Middle Park, CO  145 - Nate Galloway, junior, State College HS, State College, PA  152 - Rocky Mantella, senior, Council Rock HS, Newtown, PA  160 - Ken Cook, senior, American HS, Fremont, CA  171 - Mike Massenzio, senior, St. Joseph Regional HS, Montvale, NJ  189 - Chris Skretkowicz, senior, Wallkill Valley HS, Hamburg, NJ*  215 - Dusty Hoffschneider, senior, Columbine HS, Littleton, CO  HWT - Matt Feast, senior, Blue Mountain HS, Schuylkill Haven, PA    Third Team  103 - Daryl Spackman, junior, Brighton HS, Salt Lake City, UT  112 - Jeff Breese, junior, McGuffey HS, Claysville, PA  119 - Darrell Vasquez, junior, Bakersfield HS, Bakersfield, CA*  125 - Burke Barnes, junior, Lake Stevens HS, Lake Stevens, WA  130 - C.P. Schlatter, sophomore, De Sales HS, Columbus, OH  135 - Phillip Simpson, senior Montgomery Bell Academy, Nashville, TN  140 - Josh Lamano, senior, Layton HS, Layton, UT  145 - Ty Eustice, senior, Blue Earth Area HS, Blue Earth, MN  152 - Matt Nagel, senior, Frazee HS, Frazee, MN*  160 - Greg Smith, senior, Rim of the World HS, Lake Arrowhead, CA  171 - Ryan Halsey, senior, Rancho Buena Vista HS, Vista, CA  189 - Kyle Cathcart, junior, Clarion HS, Clarion, PA  215 - Mike Behnke, junior, Willowbrook HS, Villa Park, IL  HWT - Joe Hennis, senior, Astronaut HS, Titusville, FL*    * - Member of the 2000 Asics Tiger High School All-American Team    Honorable Mention (listed in alphabetical order)    103: Sam Gray, senior, Essex Junction HS, Essex Junction, VT; Willy Holst, junior, Prescott HS, Prescott, WI; Gabriel Mooney, freshman, Greenbush-Middle River/Badger HS, Greenbush, MN; Brandon Tucker, sophomore, Broken Arrow HS, Broken Arrow, OK*; Brock Zollinger, junior, Sugar-Salem HS, Sugar City, ID    112: Ashley Gandee, senior, Ravenswood HS, Ravenswood, WV; Mike Mormile, senior, Monroe-Woodbury HS, Central Valley, NY; Josh Rave, senior, Washington HS, Sioux Falls, SD; Lucas Smith, junior, Chippewa Falls HS, Chippewa Falls, WI*; Eric Stevenson, junior, Newberg HS, Newberg, OR*    119: Matt Ciasulli, junior, Easton HS, Easton, PA; Joe Dubuque, senior, Glen Ridge HS, Glen Ridge, NJ; Derrick Fleenor, junior, El Reno HS, El Reno, OK; Jacob Palomino, senior, Independence HS, San Jose, CA*; Jesse Sundell, senior, Ogden HS, Ogden, IA    125: Shawn Bunch, senior, Leavenworth HS, Leavenworth, KS; Tom Clum, senior, Pomona HS, Arvada, CO; Jeff Ecklof, sophomore, Northampton HS, Northampton, PA; Nate Gallick, senior, Sunnyside HS, Tucson, AZ; Ricky LaForge, senior, Indian Hills HS, Oakland, NJ    130: Steve Esparza, senior, Calvary Chapel HS, Santa Ana, CA; Travis Lee, senior, St. Louis HS, Honolulu, HI; Todd Meneely, junior, Skutt Catholic HS, Omaha, NE; Joe Pflug, junior, Maple Heights HS, Maple Heights, OH; Skyler Woods, senior, Virgin Valley HS, Mesquite, NV    135: