Day One Wrap-up Asics/Vaughn Junior National Freestyle Championships

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
07/27/2000


There are 1,031 entries in the 2000 Asics/Vaughan Junior Nationals Freestyle Championships    98 - This weight went just one round. Returning Junior National freestyle All-American Sterling Oglesby of Wyoming, who placed seventh last year, was defeated in his first match, 11-7, by Chad Hakkenson of Colorado. Winning their first matches were Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans Roberto Martinez of California, Brock Zollinger of Idaho, Willy Holst of Wisconsin and Sammy Vigil of Colorado. Greco-Roman All-American J.W. Bykowski of New Jersey lost in round one, as did Women's Cadet World Champion  Mary Kelly of Illinois.    105.5 - Returning Junior National freestyle silver medallist Robert Araiza of Arizona opened with a technical fall win. Returning All-Americans Nathan Kendjorsky of Ohio, Rich White of New York and Leif Gilsdorf of Ohio won their first matches. Junior National Greco-Roman All-Americans with opening wins include Mike Wilding of Idaho,  Eric Stevenson of Oregon and Luke Metzler of Kansas.    114.5 - This weight features a pair of 119 pound Junior National champions: 98-pound titlist Leo Bugaj of Oklahoma and 105.5 pound champion Nick Simmons of Michigan. Bugaj had a pin and a victory by injury default. Simmons opened with a pin and a technical fall.  Returning Junior freestyle placewinners who won two straight include Austin DeVoe of Kansas and  Justin Pearch of  Oregon. Returning All-Americans Nick Minard of Oregon and Nick Leon of California were beaten twice and eliminated.     123 - Returning champion Chris Rodrigues of Georgia opened with two technical falls. Chris Fleeger of Pennsylvania, who placed seventh at the U.S. Senior Nationals this year, had a technical fall and a pin. Junior National All-Americans in freestyle from last year who opened with two impressive wins include Brandon Lauer of Maryland, Daniel Green of Oklahoma, John Bedford of Ohio and Rocky Anderson of Pennsylvania.    132 - Three returning freestyle All-American won their first three matches: Matt Shankey of Minnesota, Mark Jayne of Ohio and Dusty Spaulding of Kansas. Harry Lester of Ohio, the Cadet World freestyle champion last year, won three matches, but by slim margins. Lester had a 13-11 win in round one, a pin in round two and a 4-3 win in round three. Andy Simmons of Michigan, a freestyle All-American last year, went 2-1 during the first day, but is alive in the double elimination format.    143 - Four of the five returning freestyle All-Americans opened with three dominant wins: Jesse Jantzen of New York, Marcus Levesseur of Minnesota, Israel Martinez of Illinois, David Bolyard of  Ohio and Mike Pirozolla of Pennsylvania. Eric Keith of Indiana, a freestyle All-American last year, went 2-1 during the first session.    154 - The two returning freestyle All-Americans in the field, Nate Baker of Minnesota and Troy Letters of Pennsylvania, both had two pins and a technical fall to open the tournament. 2000 Junior National Greco-Roman champion Kenny Cook of California opened with two pins and a technical fall.    165 - This weight went just once today. Returning All-Americans Wes Roberts of Oklahoma, James Woodall of Pennsylvania and Zachariah Doll of Pennsylvania all won their bouts. Roberts won 9-3, Woodall won by technical fall and Doll won by pin. Returning Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans who won include Dan Pitsch of Washington, Mitch Hancock of Michigan, Josh McLay of Minnesota, Luke Larwin of Oregon, Darin Harris of Utah and Chris Lopez of California.     178 - The two returning Junior All-Americans are Travis Pascoe of Idaho, who was third at 165 pounds and Juan Pena of Puerto Rico, who was fifth last year at 165 pounds, won in their first matches by technical fall.  Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans who won opening matches include Drew Hageman of Oregon, George Kirgan of Illinois, Ryan Halsey of California, Lee Kraemer of Wisconsin, and Gabe Harry of Wyoming.     191.5 -  Three returning Junior freestyle All-Americans opened with victories: Quint Swanberg of Arizona, Matt Madden of Oklahoma and Chris Skretkowicz of New Jersey. Skretkowicz won by pin, Swanberg scored a 10-6 decision and Madden won by technical fall.    220 -  Two returning freestyle All-Americans opened with victories: Marcio Botelho of California (third at 220) and David Tyner of Oklahoma (sixth at 191.5). However, returning All-American Mike Little of Oklahoma lost a 3-1 decision to Duncan Ianuzzi of New York in his opening match. 2000 Junior National Greco-Roman champion Mike Faust of Maryland opened with a convincing win.     275 - Returning Junior National champion Stephen Mocco of New Jersey pinned his first opponent in just 15 seconds. Other returning All-Americans with first-round wins include Wade McLeod of Iowa, Matt Hasbrook of Indiana and Dan Howe of California. Jeremiah Beltran of Kansas, an All-American in freestyle in 1999 and the champion in Greco-Roman this year, was injured in this first match and was unable to finish the bout.