Cael Sanderson(Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) has been named the winner of the 2003 John Smith Award as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that Sanderson has won this prestigious award.    Sanderson won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling held in New York City, N.Y., competing at 84 kg/185 pounds.     Sanderson fell 4-3 to Russian star Sajid Sajidov in the gold-medal finals. He won four straight matches to reach the finals, including a 4-2 decision over eventual bronze-medalist Revaz Mindorashvili of Georgia in the semifinals. Sanderson's other victories included a 4-0 decision over Tero Perkkio of Finland, an 8-2 win over Majid Khodaei of Iran and a 3-0 shutout over Mamed Agaev of Armenia.    It was Sanderson's first appearance at the World Championships, after missing the 2001 and 2002 World Championships due to factors beyond his control. In 2001, the World Championships in New York were postponed after the Sept. 11 attack on the United States, and moved to Bulgaria during the college season. Sanderson did not attend to concentrate on his college responsibilities. In 2002, the entire U.S. team did not compete at the World Championships in Iran, after USA Wrestling received information about a credible threat of violence to the team if it attended.    Sanderson swept the major U.S. domestic events, winning the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials for the third straight years. In the gold-medal finals of both events, he defeated Lee Fullhart of the Gator WC.    He placed second at the 2003 World Cup, held in Boise, Idaho, and third at the 2003 Pan American Games, hosted in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His other international events included the Titan Games, where he had a 1-1 record, as well as the FILA Manitoba Open in Canada, where he captured the individual gold medal.    Sanderson attended Iowa State Univ., where he became the first wrestler to go undefeated (157-0) and win four NCAA Div. I titles. He is originally from Wasatch High School in Heber City, Utah, where he won four state high school titles.     USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.    PAST JOHN SMITH AWARD WINNERS AS FREESTYLE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR  2003 - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids  2002 - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Sunkist Kids  2001 - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Sunkist Kids  2000 - Brandon Slay, Amarillo, Texas, Dave Schultz WC  1999 - Stephen Neal, Bakerfield, Calif., Dave Schultz WC  1998 - Sammie Henson, Norman, Okla., Sunkist Kids  1997 - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore., Sunkist Kids  1996 - Kendall Cross, Raleigh, N.C., Sunkist Kids  1995 - Kevin Jackson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids  1994 - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz., Sunkist Kids  1993 - Terry and Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Team Foxcatcher  1992 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids