Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships set for Enid, Oklahoma

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(USA Wrestling)
07/02/2002


USA Wrestling Kids National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships set for Enid, Okla., July 2-6    Hundreds of the nation's best young wrestlers will compete in the Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships July 2-6 in hopes of capturing a coveted national title and All-American status.  The competition will be hosted at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in Enid, Okla.    Attracting athletes between the ages of 9 and 14, the Kids National Championships is one of the largest and most prestigious tournaments for youth wrestlers.  The featured competitions include the two Olympic styles of wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman) and will be held in three age divisions: Midget (9-10 years), Novice (11-12 years), and Schoolboy/girl (13-14 years).    In order to be eligible to compete, each wrestler must have participated in at least one style of wrestling in one of six USA Wrestling Kids Regional tournaments this spring.    In addition to the competitions, an athlete/coach training clinic for competitors conducted by Hall of Fame wrestler and Oklahoma State coach, John Smith, held on Tuesday, July 2 provides a valuable opportunity for the young athletes to learn and improve.    The Kids Nationals also serve as the final leg of the prestigious Kids Triple Crown, an award that recognizes athletes who win USA Wrestling national titles in all three styles-freestyle, Greco-Roman, and folkstyle-in one year.  The National Folkstyle Championships were held April 5-7 in Topeka, Kansas.    In 2001, 10 talented young athletes won the honorable Triple Crown including: R.J. Pena of Oregon, Jeff Olsen of Georgia, Riley Adamson of New Mexico, Eric Starks of Washington, Elijah Madison of Kansas, Jake Swenson of Utah, Daniel LeClere of Iowa, Angel Escobedo of Indiana, David Craig of Florida, and Joe Zlatnick of Kansas.    Last year, Riley Adamson became the first three-time winner of the Triple Crown in USA Wrestling history.  He claimed his first Triple Crown in 1999 as a Midget, earned another Midget-level Triple Crown in 2000, and added a third to his record in 2001 as a Novice.      After claiming a Kids National Folkstyle title earlier this year in Topeka, Adamson is the only Triple Crown winner from last year who is eligible to win again this year.    In the past, many of the champions from USA Wrestling's national youth events have gone on to find success on the college and international levels as.    Since the event's creation in 1997, Enid is the third city to host the Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships.  Previous host cities include Waterloo, Iowa and Fresno, Calif.    Enid is located in the North Central part of Oklahoma, approximately 80 miles north of Oklahoma City.  The Chisholm Trail Coliseum, which opened in 1998, has permanent seating for 6,000 fans, and is expected to be a spectacular venue for this event.  Last week, the annual USA Wrestling Junior National Duals were successfully hosted on Enid at the Chisholm Trail Coliseum.    KIDS FREESTYLE AND GRECO-ROMAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS  at Chisholm Trail Expo Center, Enid, Okla., July 2-6  Tuesday, July 2  1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.-Freestyle Clinic with John Smith, Olympic World Champion and OSU Head Coach  Wednesday, July 3   4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.-Session#1 Greco-Roman Preliminaries  Thursday, July 4   9:00a.m. - 1:30 p.m.-Session #2 Greco-Roman Preliminaries   2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.-Session #3 Greco-Roman Medal Matches  Friday, July 5   8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.-Opening Ceremonies   9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m-Session #1 Freestyle Preliminaries   3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.-Session #2 Freestyle Preliminaries  Saturday, July 6   9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.-Session #3 Freestyle Preliminaries   3:00 p.m. -  conclusion--Session #4 Freestyle Medal Matches/Award Ceremonies    For information, contact Katie Quatman of USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181.