Jan.
2, 2005: The Salt Lake Tribune
All-Star Classic to Feature Familiar Faces
by Peter Richins
For Lehi's Tyson Thompson and Wasatch's
Dallin Norton, Wednesday's Utah All-Star Wrestling Classic
is familiar territory.
Both wrestlers will be in their third
straight All-Star Classic when the event gets under way at
Utah Valley State College in Orem at 7 p.m. But although
the pair have been there before, they still look forward
to their matchups.
"It's kind of nice being elected to do
that," Norton said. The heavyweight will face West
Jordan's Rio Stottler, someone he has been looking forward
to facing again since the Layton Invitational at the
beginning of the season.
"He's a tough kid, and I like wrestling
tough kids," Norton said.
Thompson, a senior, is just as excited for
the Classic as he was his sophomore year.
"It's always fun to be there," Thompson, a
152-pounder, said. "It's just like the state tournament
for me."
A two-time state champion, Thompson is
having his best year. After finishing the Reno Tournament
of Champions in fifth place the past two years, he won an
individual title in the event last month.
"I'm doing pretty good, better than any
other year," Thompson said. "This year is a lot more fun,
and I'm more competitive than I have been in the past."
Thompson will face Payson's Kelly Kelsey. Thompson
wrestled with Payson his freshman year, but has not faced
Kelsey since. Kelsey is a defending Class 4-A champion,
having won an individual title at 140 last February.
Another headline matchup is at 130 pounds.
Davis' Sean Porter, a defending champion who is having a
banner year, will face two-time champion Jake Swensen from
North Sanpete. Also, Spanish Fork's Spencer Dinkins will
be the latest to try for an upset against Wasatch's Cyler
Sanderson.
The Classic pits a team of the best
wrestlers from the 5-A and 4-A schools against a team of
standouts from 3-A, 2-A and 1-A. Last year, the small
schools won their first All-Star Classic since the event's
inception in 2001.
Other wrestlers with multiple appearances
in the Classic include Uintah's Phillip Keddy, Wasatch's
Sanderson, North Sanpete's Swensen and Lehi's Rodney
Sager.
All four earned their second invitations
this year.
Norton, Thompson, Sanderson, Swensen and
Sager each have won two state titles. Also, Riverton's
Michael Watts and Viewmont's Shay Lawrence have won two
titles. All together, the 34 wrestlers in the Classic have
won 23 state championships. Wasatch has the most wrestlers
(five) in the Classic. Fifteen of the 17 wrestlers on the
small-schools team are from 3-A. The large-schools team
has eight wrestlers from 5-A and nine from 4-A.
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