10 Triple Crown winners awarded at the Kids National Championships in Enid, Okla.

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
07/06/2003


Many of the top youth wrestlers from across the nation competed in Enid, Okla. this past weekend for the title of Kids national champion along with vying for USA Wrestling's coveted Triple Crown. When the dust settled, 10 wrestlers from seven different states came away with the coveted Triple Crown award.    In the Midget division, John Sims of Evansville, Ind. captured his first Triple Crown with three wins at 87 lbs. All of Sims' wins came in pool competition, and he did not surrender a point in the tournament.    Five wrestlers won Triple Crowns in the Novice division.    Sharky Slyter of Paola, Kan. dominated David Irwin of Amber, Pa. 13-2 in the freestyle finals at 65 lbs. to come away with the coveted award.    At 75 lbs., Ben Morgan of Catoosa, Okla. had to score a come-from-behind win over Tony Ramos of Johnsburg, Ill. to win the Triple Crown. Trailing 4-3 late in the match, Morgan was able to counter a shot by Ramos with a crotch lift for two points, giving him the victory.    Shawn Thomas of Tulsa, Okla. pinned Derek Garcia of Mount Vernon, Wash. in the second period at 90 lbs. to win his first Triple Crown.    Capturing his second Triple Crown was Jeff Olsen of Marietta, Ga., who survived with a 10-8 win over Lance Arendt of Luxemburg, Wis. at 100 lbs. Olsen also won the Triple Crown as a Midget in 2001.    At 105 lbs., Mark Myers of Crown Point, Ind. easily came away with the Triple Crown after his 10-0 technical superiority win over Connor Griffin of Marietta, Ga.    In the Schoolboy division, Riley Adamson of Albuquerque, N.M. led the charge by winning his fifth consecutive Triple Crown. Adamson wasted no time in defeating Eric Galka of Hobart, Ind. at 85 lbs. with a 12-2 technical superiority win.    Shane Nay of Kansas City, Mo. had to erase a two-point deficit at 125 lbs., defeating Kenneth Ashmore of Greenville, Texas 8-7 for his first Triple Crown award. Nay, who came back from a 9-0 deficit in his final pool match, was able to score two takedowns and two gut wrenches in the final period to secure his win.    Deron Winn of Liberty, Mo. captured the gold medal at 160 lbs. along with the Triple Crown after a second-period pin over Tyler Steffy of Lititz, Pa.    At 160++++ lbs., Matthew Campos of Chula Vista, Calif. captured the Triple Crown without wrestling a single match in folkstyle, freestyle or Greco-Roman.    Last year, six Triple Crowns were awarded to wrestlers from around the nation. To win USA Wrestling's Triple Crown, a wrestler must win the Kids National Championships in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman competition.