2003 Men’s FILA Junior World National Championships set for April 4-6 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
03/28/2003


The 2003 Men's FILA Junior World National Championships will provide a showcase of many of the top high school, college and military wrestlers in the nation April 4-6 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The event will be held at Camp Jordan Arena.    This is the second straight season that Chattanooga will host this popular USA Wrestling event.    Only wrestlers born 1983-1985 are eligible to compete in this event. These athletes will be competing in the Olympic styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.    The champion in each weight class qualifies for the 2003 Junior World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, August 22-29. Wrestlers who are the champions in both freestyle and Greco-Roman will be asked to choose one style to compete at the Junior World Championships.    In freestyle, Ben Kjar (Bountiful, Utah./Sunkist Kids), Shawn Bunch (Leavenworth, Kan./Dave Schultz WC) and Zack Esposito (Three Rivers, N.J./Gator WC) are all eligible to defend their titles.    Bunch wrestles at Edinboro Univ., Esposito currently competes at Oklahoma State Univ. and Kjar attends the Univ. of Oklahoma.    Last year, Kjar won both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at 50 kg/110 lbs. Bunch won his title at 58 kg/127.75 lbs. and Esposito won at 69 kg/152 lbs.    Greco-Roman champions eligible to return include Kjar, Darin Harris (West Valley City, Utah/Dave Schultz WC) at 76 kg/167.25 lbs. and Joe Hennis (Mims, Fla./Titusville PAL) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    Hennis competes at Edinboro Univ.    Wrestlers will compete in eight weight classes: 46-50 kg/101.25-110 lbs., 55 kg/121 lbs., 60 kg/132 lbs., 66 kg/145.5 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs., 84 kg/185 lbs., 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and 120 kg/264.5 lbs. There is no weight allowance given.    For more information on this event, contact tournament director Merrill Eckstein at (423) 756-8689.    The Women's FILA Junior World National Championships will not be held in conjunction with the men's event this season. Instead, the women's event will be held in St. Joseph, Minn., April 11-13.    2003 Men's FILA Junior World National Championships  Thursday, April 3  7:00 p.m. - Greco-Roman Weigh-Ins    Friday, April 4  9:00 a.m. - Greco-Roman preliminaries through finals  7:30 p.m. - Freestyle Weigh-Ins    Saturday, April 5  10:00 a.m. - Freestyle preliminaries  3:00 p.m. - Freestyle preliminaries  7:00 p.m. - Freestyle preliminaries    Sunday, April 6  9:00 a.m. - Freestyle preliminaries through finals