Esposito Voted Outstanding Wrestler in FILA Junior National Freestyle
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Rob Sherrill (TheMat.com)
05/19/2002
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Zach Esposito (69 kg/152 pounds) of Blairstown, N.J. was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler in the FILA Junior Freestyle National Championships today at Camp Jordan Arena. The tournament is normally the qualifying tournament for the United States FILA Junior World Teams. The FILA Junior World Championships are not being contested this year. However, the champions and selected additional placewinners qualify for a reduced rate to compete in Tour de Monde trips later in the year. Esposito, a three-time National Prep champion for Blair Academy who will attend Oklahoma State University next year, won five matches en route to his title, rallied from a 4-1 deficit to beat Israel Martinez of Aurora, Ill., 5-4 in overtime. Esposito scored the only takedown of the first period and led 1-0 at intermission. But Martinez was awarded a point for improper starting position in the referee's position against Esposito, then scored a three-point takedown midway through the period to lead 4-1. Esposito scored a takedown and added a two-point gut wrench with 30 seconds remaining to force overtime. He then won the match with a single-leg takedown 22 seconds into the extra session. Esposito also defeated the tournament's only returning champion, James Woodall of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, by an 11-0 technical fall in the semifinals. In prior rounds, Esposito scored decisions of 5-1 over Ty Eustice of Blue Earth, Minn. in the quarterfinals and 7-1 over David Bolyard of Central Michigan in the second round after opening with a pin of Kyle Bernholz of the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club in 1:41. Woodall finished fourth. Ben Kjar of Bountiful, Utah, a four-time state champion at Viewmont High, beat Mike Compton of Willard, Ohio 9-4 in a rematch of Friday's Greco-Roman final at 50 kg/110 pounds, making him the only wrestler to win a double title. Kjar also joined Esposito as the only wrestlers still in high school to earn titles. In another wild finals match at 63 kg/138.75 pounds, Tommy Owen of Minneapolis, Minn. scored the winning takedown with just five seconds remaining to beat his former University of Minnesota teammate, Cory Cooperman of Springfield, N.J., 9-8. The two wrestlers traded escapes and tilts throughout before Cooperman, who now attends Lehigh, had to take a lengthy injury time with 18 seconds remaining. Owen scored the winning takedown seconds later. Sean Stender of the Cat Club, who attends the University of Northern Iowa, pinned four of his five opponents, including Chris Skretkowicz of Hardyston, N.J. at 3:28 of the final, to win the 97 kg/187.25-pound title and the tournament's Most Falls award with 4 pins in a combined 16:43. The Dave Schultz Wrestling Club, with a pair of champions in Shawn Bunch of Leavenworth, Kan. (58 kg/127.75 pounds) and Jacob Klein (76 kg/167.5 pounds), claimed the team title with 44 points, comfortably ahead of second-place Lehigh (28 points), the Minnesota Storm (13), and the Orange Crush (7). Other champions were Kyle Ott of Huber Heights, Ohio (54 kg/119 pounds), Jake Rosholt of Sandpoint, Idaho (85 kg/187 pounds), and Cain Velasquez of Yuma, Ariz. (120 kg/264 pounds).