JUNIOR AND CADET NATIONALS
5 wrestlers capture USAW Triple Crowns
By Craig Sesker FARGO, N.D. – It is the biggest wrestling tournament in the
world.
There were more than 4,000 entries for the 2012 ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals on July 13-21. The massive, eight-day tournament produced its share of dra- matic moments, including the addition of five more members to the Triple Crown club. Wrestlers who captured national titles in Folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman earned Triple Crowns.
The Folkstyle Nationals were held in Cedar Falls, Iowa in April with the final two legs completed under the spotlighted center mat at the Fargo Dome. Here is a recap of how the Triple Crowns were won in Fargo. CADETS
Just nine wrestlers had won prestigious USA Wrestling Triple Crowns in the Cadet division entering this season. That number jumped considerably this year. Wisconsin’s Hunter Marko (94 pounds), California’s Aaron Pico (132), Texas’ Bo Nickal (160) and Minnesota’s Lance Benick (195) completed Triple Crowns by winning Cadet Nationals freestyle titles at the Fargo Dome. Those wrestlers won Cadet Nationals titles in Folkstyle and Greco-Roman wrestling earlier this year.
Prior to this season, only nine wrestlers had won a combined
10 Triple Crowns in Cadets. Michigan’s Taylor Massa won the Triple Crown twice. Marko swept Nick Lukanich of Illinois 1-0, 4-0 in the champi- onship match. “Winning a Triple Crown was a really big goal of mine,” Marko said. “I’ve been working for this for a long time. It’s great to win this, but you can’t be satisfied. I need to keep striving for excel- lence.”
Pico looked dominant in defeating Indiana’s Cody LeCount 4- 0, 4-0 in the finals.
“My mindset going into every tournament is to win it,” Pico said. “I wrestle to win and I try to dominate my opponent. It feels great to win a Triple Crown. That’s why I went to Iowa for the Folkstyle Nationals. It was worth it.” Nickal finished his Triple Crown by downing Utah’s Kimball Bastian 1-1, 1-0 in the finals at 160. Nickal won Cadet Nationals in Greco at 152 while Bastian won a Cadet Greco title at 160 earlier this week.
Nickal was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Cadet freestyle tournament.
“I didn’t want to drag my body down too much with all the weigh-ins, so I moved up a weight for freestyle,” Nickal said. “I knew I could do well here if I wrestled to my potential. I enjoy wrestling all three styles – they all mix together and it helps me
18 USA Wrestler
Michigan’s Adam Coon won a Triple Crown in Juniors in July in Fargo, N.D. At right: California’s Aaron Pico won a Triple Crown in Cadets. John Sachs photos.
a lot.”
Benick swept Michigan’s Landon Pelham 7-0, 6-0 in a rematch of the Cadet Greco finals.
“I just went out there and did what I had to do,” Benick said. “It feels great to win a Triple Crown. I need to build on this. I’m picking out things I don’t do well and trying to get better at those things.”
JUNIORS
Michigan’s Adam Coon captured a Junior Triple Crown after sweeping Indiana’s Donte Winfield 1-0, 1-0 in the 285 finals. Coon became the fourth Junior wrestler to capture a Triple
Crown.
Juniors became eligible for that honor in 2007, when the Junior division was added to the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
“There were so many tough guys on both sides of the brack- et,” said Coon, who won a FILA Cadet World freestyle title in 2011. “I just had to take it one match at a time and keep my focus. It’s a great honor to win a Triple Crown. It’s fantastic to be able to accomplish it with so many great wrestlers in my weight class.”
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