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Aug.
11, 2004: Vernal Express
Local Wrestling Talent has Impressive Showing Nationally
by Michael J. Bjornson, Express
sports writer
Although football season is just getting
underway, Uintah High School head wrestling coach Greg
Stensgard, is excited about the upcoming wrestling season,
and for good reason. He has an impressive and talented
returning team that is ranked 26th in the nation. Over the
spring and summer months, several of his team members have
been busy making their mark on a national level. The
Uintah High School team features three All American
Wrestlers in Levi Mele, Jared McCurdy and Phillip Keddy.
Levi, entering his junior year, placed first in the
sophomore class at the National Championships in the 103
pound weight division. In July, he demonstrated tenacity
with several comebacks to capture fourth place at the
Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. This is the
biggest tournament in the world according to Coach
Stensgard. “Levi has really matured into a great
wrestler,” stated Stensgard.
Jared McCurdy, also entering his junior
year, earned All American honors by taking first in the
189 pound Sophomore Class, National Championships in
Lincoln, Nebraska this past March. McCurdy placed third in
the Utah State Meet, despite competing in a heavier weight
division. Phillip Keddy earned All American honors by
capturing fourth in the junior class National
Championships this past spring. Keddy lost in overtime to
the number two ranked — “overall” wrestler in the country.
Phillip is a Utah state champion, who had an impressive 39
wins and one-loss record this past season.
This past summer, Coach Stensgard was a
coach for Team Utah at the National High School Coaches
Association Meet. Local wrestlers included Levi Mele, Shon
Gurr, Phillip Keddy, Jared McCurdy, and Nate Curtice,
along with wrestlers from the Salt Lake City All-Stars. As
a team, they came away with a 3-2 record in duals, losing
to a perennial powerhouse from Pennsylvania, who has
captured three national championships.
During the summer, several wrestlers
attended the Camp of Champs in Flagstaff, Ariz., amassing
an extraordinary fourteen win and only one-loss record.
This team included Ryan Young, Levi Mele, Shon Gurr, Kade
Abplanalp, Chanse Rinderknecht, Dez Pitt, Czyz Woody,
Chant Caldwell, Colton Tracy, Jared Ruppe, Jared McCurdy,
Phillip Keddy, L.J. Jackson, and thirteen-year-old female,
Candace Workman.
Vernal has become widely known for the
All-American Wrestling Camp, which Coach Stensgard plays
an active role in. This camp featured top wrestlers and
coaches in the United States and world. This included
two-time Olympic team member and 2000 Olympic Bronze
medalist, Garrett Lowney, as well as Vernal’s Ryan Lewis,
a Uintah High School graduate and recent graduate of the
University of Minnesota. Lewis’s national accomplishments
include eighteen All-American honors, three time national
champion, and two time NCAA Division 1 runner-up. In June
he placed fourth at the Olympic trials, barely missing a
spot on the 2004 Olympic Team.
Four Uintah High School wrestlers recently
returned from a 28 day high-intensity camp. Jared McCurdy,
Jared Ruppe, Chanse Rinderknecht, and Shon Gurr attended
the J. Robbison Camp. This renowned camp at the University
of Minnesota at Minneapolis is centered around developing
mental and physical toughness, while incorporating several
important life lessons. One such lesson emphasizes the
notion that anything worthwhile in life does not come
easy. As an example of the physical toughness and stamina
needed, according to Coach Stensgard, they had just one
break in a four week period, which was an outing to a
water park that they had to run four miles to and from to
“enjoy”! Coach Stensgard expressed appreciation for what
each of these wrestlers and their parents did to make this
experience possible.
The Uintah High School wrestling program
is steeped in winning tradition. Coach Stensgard believes
in motivating and pushing his athletes to get to college
and be successful in life. His teams have produced six
college All-Americans. Pat Sharp is one of these
All-Americans who took second in the Junior College
Nationals and is now attending the University of Northern
Iowa. There are three recent graduates who are going on to
compete on the collegiate level this fall. This includes
Cade Christiansen, Western Wyoming Junior College, Trevor
Collett, Northwestern Junior College, and Kyle Bentley,
who will attend Dana College in Nebraska.
Coach Stensgard is impressed with the
determination and talent of the wrestlers on his team and
stated that this year’s team could be the best team ever.
He is looking forward to a tremendous and fun upcoming
year. Stay tuned this fall when the action begins and the
mats heat up..
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