The combined ASICS Junior and Cadet Nationals sets the record as the largest Greco-Roman wrestling e

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
07/22/2002


A new record has been established as 1,925 athletes have entered the combined ASICS Junior and Cadet National Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling, July 19-22 at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D. This is the largest Greco-Roman wrestling event ever held in the United States, and perhaps one of the largest in world history.    A total of 1,011 athletes entered the Cadet National Greco-Roman Championships and 914 athletes entered the Junior National Greco-Roman Championships, both entry records for the age division.    Cadets are athletes who are 15 and 16 years old. Juniors are athletes who are enrolled in grades 9-12. The participants at the ASICS Junior and Cadet Nationals qualify to compete in Fargo through their USA Wrestling state association programs.    "As the national coach, I am excited to see continued growth in participation at the biggest wrestling event in the world," stated Steve Fraser, USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach. "It's fun for us to come here and see our future World and Olympic champions compete."    The combined 1,925 athletes in Greco-Roman this year in Fargo, N.D.  was a tremendous jump from the previous high of 1,654 Greco-Roman participants in the combined 1997 Junior and Cadet Nationals. USA Wrestling has only been holding the Cadet and Junior Nationals side-by-side since 1996.    The 1,011 Cadet Greco-Roman participants shattered the previous Cadet Greco-Roman mark of 829 athletes in 1995.    The 914 Junior Greco-Roman wrestlers was a big increase from the previous Junior Greco-Roman entry record of 839 athletes set in 1997.    "USA Wrestling is excited that the Greco-Roman competition this year has set records in each age group and in overall entries," said Mark Scott, Director of State Services. "We are proud of our state associations' efforts in attracting so many athletes to the Greco-Roman style of wrestling."    Scott credits the increase in the number of weight classes in both the Cadet Nationals and the Junior Nationals as being one of the major reasons for the increase in entries. This season, USA Wrestling changed its weight class structure in the Cadet and Junior Divisions to more closely mirror the weight divisions in scholastic wrestling, as well as to provide additional opportunities for young athletes to compete.    Based upon the trends established in the Greco-Roman divisions, event organizers expect additional records to be set later this week when the freestyle competition is held. As in other years, there will be a boys freestyle nationals competition held on both the Cadet and Junior levels. In addition, for the first time in USA Wrestling history, the Junior Nationals will feature a girls freestyle division. The Cadet Freestyle Nationals begins on Wednesday, the Junior Freestyle Nationals begin on Thursday, and the Girls Junior Freestyle Nationals begin on Friday.    Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the two styles contested at the Olympic Games. Participants may not use or touch the legs in execution of holds in a Greco-Roman match. The Greco-Roman style is very popular in Europe and other parts of the world, and is considered the most ancient style of wrestling competition. Freestyle, which is similar to the American folkstyle of wrestling, is the other international wrestling style. In freestyle, athletes may use the entire body in executing techniques.    The United States has become a world power in international Greco-Roman wrestling in recent years. The USA placed third at the 2001 World Greco-Roman Championships, its highest finish in history. At the 2000 Olympic Games, the USA won three medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, placing third in the medal count and the unofficial team standings, its best Olympic performance to date.