2003 Kids and Cadet Triple Crown series kicks off with a successful Folkstyle National Championships
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Janessa Pierce (USA Wrestling)
04/09/2003
As the 2003 Kids and Cadet Folkstyle National Championships wrapped up, young wrestlers walked away with national honors and their sights set on the prestigious Triple Crown title. This event, held in the Topeka Expocentre in Topeka, Kan. April 4-6, was the first of three events for Triple Crown and continues to grow into one of the most successful youth wrestling events in the nation each year. With the addition of a Cadet age division, this year's event set the record for the highest number of participants. Over 1,600 wrestlers competed and 69 gold medals were awarded to top wrestlers from all across the nation, putting those individuals in contention for Triple Crown titles. In order to win this coveted award, gold medalists from the Folkstyle National Championships must go on to win both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships in their age division. Included in the group of gold medalists is 85-pound Schoolboy Riley Adamson from Albuquerque, N.M. who is the most successful wrestler since USA Wrestling started hosting national championships on the Kids level. He is the only wrestler to win more than two consecutive Triple Crowns and is now in the running for his fifth straight title. Adamson is the only 2002 Triple Crown winner to take home gold from Folkstyle Nationals this year. Two wrestlers who were Triple Crown winners in 2001 came back to win the Kids Folkstyle national crown in 2003, setting themselves up for another possible run at the Triple Crown. Jeff Olsen of Georgia, the Novice 95-pound champion, and David Craig of Florida, the Cadet 160-pound titlist, will have a chance to win the Triple Crown again this summer. The Triple Crown Series will wrap up with the Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships in Enid, Okla. July 2-5 and the Cadet Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, N.D. July 19-26. Adamson was among three wrestlers who were national folkstyle champions last year, and were able to win again this season in Topeka. The other two returning champions were Fred Santaite of New Jersey (Schoolboy 75) and Shane Nay of Missouri (Schoolboy 115). At the 2003 Kids Folkstyle Nationals, individual champions represented 21 different states. Neighboring Missouri had the most champions with 12, followed by host Kansas with 11. Iowa, Illinois and Oklahoma each had five individual champions. Kansas USA Wrestling once again provided an outstanding Kids Folkstyle National Championships, and continues to be a leader in the development of youth wrestling in the United States.