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Jan.
4, 2008: Wrestling USA
Magazine
Mountain Top Wrestling Club Opens 2008 Season Feb. 4
(Sandy, Utah) Jan. 4, 2008 — Mountain Top Wrestling
Club will open the 2008 freestyle and Greco-Roman
wrestling season on Feb. 4, 2008, at Jordan High School.
Returning to coach the team are Bill Kilpack (III), a
national AAU wrestling champion and alternate for the
Greco-Roman Pan-Am team; his father, Bill Kilpack (Jr.),
one of the original coaches of the much lauded Sundance
Wrestling Club; Derek Jensen, a two-time member of the
All-Marine wrestling team; and Mike Johnson, a former
youth wrestler who successfully coaches kids in a number
of sports. “Last year was a really great year,” said
Kilpack (III). “We took state in both freestyle and
Greco-Roman and had some really dominant wrestlers. We had
more kids at the local tournaments than any previous year,
took home 71 medals, 28 state titles and four outstanding
wrestler trophies at the USA Wrestling-Utah state
tournament; had three of the seven Intermountain
Champions, 15 national championship finishes and 47
All-American finishes. We hosted the Mountain Top Classic
again, which was a leg in the Intermountain Champion
series, and hosted wrestlers from seven states. We have as
strong a core group as ever, with more parental support
than ever, coming down from as far as Clearfield and up
from as far as Spanish Fork. Last year was just amazing,
and we want to just pick right up where we left off,
building and continuing to improve our members both as
athletes and individuals.” The team's three
Intermountain Champions, 15 national championships, 47
All-American finishes were tallied between the three main
styles of wrestling: freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle.
In addition to the 28 state championships, team members
earned 16 state runner-up finishes, 18 state bronze
finishes. At the USA Wrestling Western Regional
Championships, there were eight who placed, including four
championships. Members also earned eight Outstanding
Wrestler awards and two Fastest Pin awards in 2007. In
addition to the two team state championships, Mountain Top
Wrestling earned a team championship at the USA Wrestling
Salt Lake Slam and the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, and two
2nd place team trophies.
Mountain Top Wrestling Club will compete in open
tournaments throughout Utah and will supplement the
in-state schedule with tournaments in Idaho, Wyoming,
Colorado, California and Nevada. In addition, the team
will return to compete in the Western Regional
Championships, return to the Reno World Championships and
Rocky Mountain Nationals, and return to the USA Wrestling
Kids Nationals. Kilpack (III) said, "The traveling is
important to the development of the athletes. It allows
them to get more mat time during the season, provides them
folkstyle experience before reaching high school, and
provides new opponents who they have not met week after
week. Just as importantly, the travel provides a reward
for the wrestlers’ hard work and the support of their
families." Kilpack (Jr.) said, “The wrestling trips make
the season fun. The kids wrestle, then stay in a hotel
after and hit the pool. The trips are not only a reward
for the kids, but for their families. Wrestling is a
family sport. Every successful wrestler has strong family
support. It takes dedication from the kids as well as
their parents. Traveling gives the kids something that
they'll remember all their lives.” This year’s coaching
staff has a long and successful wrestling history.
Kilpack (III) of West Jordan was an original member of the
Sundance Wrestling Club, arguably the finest
freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling team in Utah history. As a
competitor, he garnered an AAU national championship,
seven national silver medals, seven more national medals,
and was a member of the Pan-Am team in Greco-Roman
wrestling holding an alternate position. In addition, he
was named All-American 15 times by AAU, the US Wrestling
Federation or USA Wrestling in freestyle and Greco-Roman
wrestling; was a seven-time Zone/Western Regional
champion; and a six-time state champion in freestyle and
Greco-Roman wrestling. He also spent many years helping
coach Sundance teammates. Kilpack (Jr.) of West Jordan
was one of the two original coaches of the Sundance
Wrestling Club, and a member of the University of Utah
wrestling team. Sundance was arguably the finest
freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling team in Utah history,
producing the first two world champions from Utah, and
dozens of other international and national honors. He was
also a member of the University of Utah wrestling team.
Jensen of West Valley City was a varsity letterman all
three years of high school at Hunter High School, was a
Utah Summer Games champion, a Region champion, a two-time
freestyle state champ, and competed at nationals as a
senior in high school. Following high school, he was a
member of the wrestling team at Palo Mar College in
California before joining the military, where he was twice
named to the All-Marine Wrestling Team. Johnson of
Draper wrestled as a child, but had to choose between
wrestling and basketball. As a result, he was a varsity
letterman in both basketball and football all three years
of high school, and a member of the All-Regional All-Star
team in basketball. His love of the sport and passion for
helping kids as a coach now continues through several
sports. Mountain Top Wrestling Club is a
nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to providing a
venue for individuals to learn, develop and refine their
athletic skills and abilities; and teaching the rules and
regulations of freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman
wrestling. It is open to male and female athletes ages
four and older who live anywhere in the State of Utah.
Practices are held three days a week at Jordan High
School. For more information, call 641-9832, e-mail
coach@mountaintopwrestling.com or visit them on the
Worldwide Web at
www.mountaintopwrestling.com. |
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