Six wrestlers win double titles after winning freestyle golds at the Western Junior Regionals

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/26/2002


Six wrestlers claimed double titles, winning both styles of international wrestling, at the Western Regional Junior Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., April 24-26. The freestyle finals were held on Friday, April 26, with champions determined in 15 weight divisions.    The double champions included Nick Gallick of Tucson, Ariz. (98), Bradley Pataky of Clearfield, Pa. (105), Ben Kjar of Centerville, Utah (112), Eric Stevenson of Newberg, Ore. (119), Patrick Pitsch of Tacoma,Wash. (152) and Arturo Basulto of Arroyo Grande, Calif. (275).    Stevenson was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after an exciting 7-6 overtime win over Mack Reiter of Jesup, Iowa. The weight class was one of the most competitive of the tournament, with a number of nationally respected athletes in the field.    The lightweights were impressive, as Gallick, Pataky and Kjar were dominant in their freestyle victories, all three scoring technical falls. Gallick defeated Rob Tate of Lowell, N.C., 12-1; Pataky stopped Troy Brugger of Newburg, Ore., 27-15; and Kjar dominated Micah Ferguson of Loomis, Calif., 10-0.    The other two double champions were also in control of their bouts. Pitsch pinned Michael Felling of Bellgrade, Minn. in 2:41, while Basulto stopped Jon May of Hutchinson, Minn., 8-0. For Pitsch, it was his third Western title in two years, as he was also a Greco-Roman champion in 2001.    There were no returning champions from last year who were able to claim titles this year.    The finals at 130 pounds went into overtime, as Angel Cejudo of Phoenix, Ariz. edged Daniel Frishkorn of Chesapeake, Va. 5-4.    Other individual champions were Luke Metzler of Newton, Kan.(125), Cody Burdett of Providence, Utah (135), Bobby Ginerich of Lowell, Mich. (140), C.P. Schlatter of Urbana, Ohio (145), Nathan Galloway of Boalsburg, Pa. (160), Ben Askren of Hartland, Wis. (171), J.D. Bergman of Oak Harbor, Ohio (189) and Andy Patrick of Boise, Idaho (215).