Five four-time state champions named to 2003 ASICS Tiger High School All-America First Team

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Rob Sherrill (Center Mat Press)
06/15/2003


Five four-time state champions, Brandon Tucker (112 pounds) of Broken Arrow (Okla.) High, Daniel Frishkorn (130) of Chesapeake (Va.) Great Bridge High, Ryan Lang (135) of Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward High, C.P. Schlatter (152) of St. Paris (Ohio) Graham High, and Roger Kish (189) of Lapeer (Mich.) West High headlined the selections to the 18th annual ASICS Tiger All-America Wrestling Team, which was announced today.    The ASICS Tiger All-America Team, selected by a nationwide panel of wrestling experts, is the only national all-star team for which wrestlers completing all four high-school grades are eligible. ASICS is the title sponsor of USA Wrestling's Junior National Championships and is a major benefactor of the sport at all levels.    "This team represents the best of the best in our schools today," said Neil Duncan of TW Promotions. "We are proud to have these young men, with their talent and work ethic, representing us. They are clearly the world and Olympic champions of the future."    Members of the First Team, as well as the ASICS Tiger Wrestler of the Year, will be honored prior to the finals of the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Freestyle Championships July 26 at Fargo, N.D.    The five four-time champions were among 12 seniors selected to the First Team. The Asics Tiger All-America Team includes eight wrestlers at each of the 14 high school weight classes - the First, Second, and Third Teams and five Honorable Mention selections. Wrestlers are considered at the weight class at which they competed in their state tournament or the National Prep Championships this year.    Powerful Blair Academy, recognized as the nation's top high school team again this past year, placed three wrestlers on the First Team for the third consecutive year. They were seniors Rob Preston (125), Ryan Davis (145), and Mark Perry (160), who have combined for eight National Prep titles. With Travis Blasco earning an Honorable Mention selection at 103, the Bucs had four overall selections to lead all schools. St. Edward, Graham, and Northampton (Pa.) High each had three.    Three Ohio wrestlers also were named to the First Team, three-time state champion Matt Koz (215) of St. Edward joining Lang and Schlatter. Illinois and Pennsylvania each placed two wrestlers on the First Team. Junior Michael Poeta (140) of Highland Park High and senior Grant Miller (275) of Rockton Hononegah High were Illinois' selections, while seniors Mark McKnight (119) of Bridgeville Chartiers Valley High and Jake Herbert (171) of Wexford North Allegheny High were selected from Pennsylvania.    Poeta and sophomore Nick Gallick (103) of Tucson (Ariz.) Sunnyside High were the only underclassmen selected to this year's First Team. There were no repeat selections from a year ago.    The 14 First Team members combined to post 38 state high school or National Prep championships, along with three Junior National and 11 Cadet National titles. The Second and Third Teams are not far behind. The Second Team boasts 27 state titles, including four three-time champions, to go one Junior National title and six Cadet National titles. Led by four-time champion Matt Easter (130) of Nitro (W.Va.) High, the Third Team boasts 28 combined titles and eight Cadet National crowns. Five-time Minnesota champion Eric Sanders (119) of Wabasha-Kellogg High headlines an Honorable Mention group that also features seven four-time champions and 14 three-time champions.    Pennsylvania placed 16 wrestlers on the overall squad to lead all states for the second consecutive year, followed by Ohio (15) and New Jersey (13). Ohio's nine top-three selections led all states. Also well represented were Minnesota (eight), New York (six), and Illinois and Oklahoma (five). The 112 wrestlers selected come from 32 states.    2003 Asics Tiger High School All-American Team    First Team  103 - Nick Gallick, sophomore, Sunnyside HS, Tucson, AZ  112 - Brandon Tucker, senior, Broken Arrow HS, Broken Arrow, OK*  119 - Mark McKnight, senior, Chartiers Valley HS, Bridgeville, PA  125 - Rob Preston, senior, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ  130 - Daniel Frishkorn, senior Great Bridge HS, Chesapeake, VA*  135 - Ryan Lang, senior, St. Edward HS, Lakewood, OH  140 - Michael Poeta, junior, Highland Park HS, Highland Park, IL  145 - Ryan Davis, senior, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ*  152 - C.P. Schlatter, senior, Graham HS, St. Paris, OH*  160 - Mark Perry, senior, Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ*  171 - Jake Herbert, senior, North Allegheny HS, Wexford, PA  189 - Roger Kish, senior, Lapeer West HS, Lapeer, MI*  215 - Matt Koz, senior, St. Edward HS, Lakewood, OH*  HWT - Grant Miller, senior, Hononegah HS, Rockton, IL*    Second Team  103 - Mike Grey, freshman, Delbarton HS, Morristown, NJ  112 - Troy Nickerson, sophomore, Chenango Forks HS, Binghamton, NY*  119 - Mike Sees, senior, Shikellamy HS, Sunbury, PA  125 - Nathan Morgan, junior, Bakersfield HS, Bakersfield, CA*  130 - Troy Tirapelle, junior, Clovis HS, Clovis, CA  135 - Alex Tsirtsis, junior, Griffith HS, Griffith, IN*  140 - Brent Metcalf, sophomore, Davison HS, Davison, MI*  145 - Jeff Ecklof, senior, Northampton HS, Northampton, PA*  152 - Eric Tannenbaum, senior, Naperville North HS, Naperville, IL*  160 - Zac Fryling, senior, North Penn HS, Lansdale, PA*  171 - Jason Hackett, senior, Hamilton Twp. HS, Columbus, OH  189 - J.D. Bergman, senior, Oak Harbor HS, Oak Harbor, OH  215 - Chad Espinoza, senior, Earl Wooster HS, Reno, NV*  HWT - Adam Cooney, senior, Holy Cross HS, Delran, NJ    Third Team  103 - Lance Palmer, freshman, St. Edward HS, Lakewood, OH  112 - Coleman Scott, junior, Waynesburg HS, Waynesburg, PA*  119 - Cameron Doggett, sophomore, Graham HS, St. Paris, OH  125 - Dustin Schlatter, sophomore, Graham HS, St. Paris, OH*  130 - Matt Easter, senior, Nitro HS, Nitro, WV  135 - Angel Cejudo, junior, Maryvale HS, Phoenix, AZ  140 - Ryan Needle, senior, Newfane HS, Newfane, NY*  145 - Tyler Williams, senior, Glenbard North HS, Carol Stream, IL  152 - Mitch Kuhlman, senior, Medford HS, Medford, MN  160 - Steve Luke, junior, Perry HS, Massillon, OH  171 - Josh Weitzel, senior, Oxford HS, Oxford, PA  189 - Joe Williams, senior, Calvary Chapel HS, Santa Ana, CA*  215 - Jared Villers, senior, St. Vincent-St. Mary HS, Akron, OH  HWT - Ryan Kotzea, senior, Aberdeen Central HS, Aberdeen, SD    * Member of the 2002 Asics Tiger High School All-American Team    Honorable Mention (listed in alphabetical order)    103: Ben Ashmore, freshman, Bishop Lynch HS, Dallas, TX; Travis Blasco, freshman, Blair Academy. Blairstown, NJ; Henry Cejudo, freshman, Maryvale HS, Phoenix, AZ; Patrick Feeley, sophomore, Johnston HS, Johnston, RI; Levi Wyant, junior, Triad HS, North Lewisburg, OH    112: Obenson Blanc, senior, Lely HS, Naples, FL; Gabriel Mooney, junior, Greenbush/Middle River-Badger HS, Greenbush, MN*; Jayson Ness, sophomore, Kennedy HS, Bloomington, MN; Tony Pretto, senior, Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, IL; David Tomasette, senior, Washington Township HS, Sewell, NJ    119: Josh Crass, junior, Medford HS, Medford, WI; Charlie Falck, junior, Apple Valley HS, Apple Valley, MN*; Andrew Hochstrasser, junior, Tooele HS, Tooele, UT; Beau Malia, junior, Skyview HS, Billings, MT; Eric Sanders, senior, Wabasha-Kellogg HS, Wabasha, MN*    125: Gabriel Flores, senior, Clovis HS, Clovis, CA; Brandon Hardy, senior, Western Branch HS, Chesapeake, VA*; Tim Kephart, senior, Francis Howell HS, St. Charles, MO; Travis Lang, junior, Bismarck HS, Bismarck, ND; Mack Reiter, senior, Don Bosco HS, Gilbertville, IA*    130: Ryan Bridge, senior, Absegami HS, Absecon, NJ; Keith Dickey, senior, Oak Grove HS, Oak Grove, MO; T.J. Enright, senior, Westland HS, Galloway, OH; Jeff Jaggers, junior, St. Peter Chanel HS, Bedford, OH; Donnie Jones, sophomore, Greensburg-Salem HS, Greensburg, PA    135: Isaiah Britton, junior, Loyalsock HS, Williamsport, PA; Trevor Chinn, junior, Canandaigua HS, Canandaigua, NY; Josh Churella, senior, Novi HS, Novi, MI; C.J. Ettelson, senior, Hudson HS, Hudson, IA; Don Fisch, senior, Delsea HS, Franklinville, NJ    140: Stewart Bogart, senior, Shawnee Mission South HS, Shawnee Mission, KS; Cal