Gallick, Schlatter, Sanderson repeat as champions at Western Junior Greco-Roman Regionals

<< Back to Articles
Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/07/2004


Three wrestlers repeated as champions at the 2003 Western Junior Greco-Roman Regional Championships, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., April 7.    Winning this event for the third straight year was Nick Gallick of Tucson, Ariz., who defeated 2003 Junior National champion Mike Rodriguez of Kennewick, Wash. 8-7 in the finals at 119 pounds.    Winning the Western Juniors for the second straight year were Cyler Sanderson of Heber City, Utah at 135 pounds and Dustin Schlatter of Massillon, Ohio at 145 pounds.    Sanderson stopped Tony Kubec of Everett, Wash. with a 10-0 technical fall in the finals.    Schlatter defeated Tyler Scherfey of Kennewick, Wash., 7-0.  Schlatter was a Junior National double champion in 2003, and was also a Western Junior Regional double champion.     Named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament was the 152-pound champion Nate Matousek of Glencoe, Minn., who stopped Nick Fallico of Park Ridge, Ill. in the finals, 5-3.    2003 Junior National champion Dustin Fox of Galion, Ohio won the 275-pound title, defeating Brandon Rupp of Pocatello, Idaho, 10-1.    2003 Cadet National Greco-Roman champions who won Western Junior titles this year included Dallas Seavey of Sterling, Alaska at 130 pounds, Matthew Lopez of Tucson, Ariz. at 140 pounds and Erik Nye of Red Bluff, Calif. at 215 pounds.    Seavey scored a technical fall over Vance Beeson of Eagle, Idaho, 14-4. Lopez also had a techncial fall win in the finals, stopping Tom Daniels of Great Falls, Montana, 10-0. Nye scored a fall in his finals match, stopping John Bates of Oregon City, Ore. in 38 seconds.    At 98 pounds, Marty Eng of Newburg, Ore. pinned Bo Beckman of Orem, Utah in the finals in 2:09. Last year, Eng was a Western Junior freestyle runner-up.    Gabriel Burak of Colorado Springs, Colo. won the 105-pound title, defeating 2003 Western Junior  Regional champion Seth Metzler of Newton, Kan, 3-0    At 112 pounds, Franklin Gomez of Brandon, Fla. scored a 10-0 technical fall over Tony Mustari of Greeley, Colo.    Corey Harnitz of Mankato, Minn. defeated 2003 Cadet National champion Louis Caputo of Blue Springs, Minn. 5-0 in the finals at 189 pounds.    Other individual champions were Brett Land of Bakersfield at 125 pounds, Alton Lucas of W. Babylon, N.Y. at 160 pounds and Billy Malone of Aurora, Ill. at 171 pounds. Land scored an 11-0 technical fall over Kip Watson of Caldwell, Idaho. Lucas received an injury default over 2003 Junior Nationals champion Rocky Cozart of Brandon, Fla. Malone edged Louis Socier of Bay City, Mich., 6-0