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Wrestling USA Magazine and IntermatWrestle.com, Utah Editor's Preseason
Picks
Outstanding Freshman Wrestlers for 2011–2012
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Joe Mondragon
Desert HillsHigh School, 106 lbs.
School Classification: 3A
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I've been
coaching against Joe and his brothers since they were little kids. He comes from a great wrestling family made up of great people. Joe is a slick technician, with a toolbox full of moves that would make many coaches envious. He's fast and slick. One minute he's in front of you, the next he's in on a leg or giving someone flying lessons. He's won 14 state titles according to my records, including three junior-high state championships, four titles in both freestyle and folkstyle, and three in Greco-Roman. Last summer, he traveled to Fargo and placed seventh in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Championships. Also in 2001, he finished fifth at the Reno World Championships, probably the biggest folkstyle tournament in the country. He's also been crowned champion three times at the Beehive Brawl. He is a very smart wrestler, with a solid grasp of
strategy on the mat. Moreover, I can't think of a single time that I've seen him lose his head during a match. He's been on the mat for a
very long time and done well at some of the biggest
national tournaments, as well as locally and regionally.
And many of those titles have come over some of the state's top young talent, like Bingham's Jordan McRae, Fremont's Jaydon Rogers and Wayne's Preston Stephenson. This kids got the stuff.
Joe will absolutely do well as a freshman.
Following is a
summary of Joe's wrestling career so far:
- Four-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle (2008-2011)
- Three-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman (2009-2011)
- Four-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle (2008-2011)
- Three-Time Junior High State Champion, 1A/2A/3A and 4A/5a Junior High State Championships (2009-2011)
- 2011 7th Place, USA Wrestling Cadet National Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 Runner Up, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Folkstyle
- 2011 5th Place, Reno World Championships
- 2011 Champion, Beehive Brawl
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Freestyle
- 2010 Champion, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Freestyle
- 2010 Champion, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Folkstyle
- 2010 Champion, Jacob's Challenge, Folkstyle
- 2010 Champion, Beehive Brawl
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2009 5th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2009 7th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Freestyle
- 2009 6th Place, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Folkstyle
- 2009 Champion, Beehive Brawl
- 2009 4th Place, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2008 6th Place, USA Wrestling Kids National Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Folkstyle
- 2008 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Freestyle
- 2008 5th Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships
- 2008 Bronze Medalist, Beehive Brawl
- 2008 Champion, Utah Summer Games, Greco-Roman
- 2008 Champion, Utah Summer Games, Folkstyle
- 2005 5th Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2010 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2009 Youth Wrestling Ranking
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Cole Eldredge
Monticello High School, 145 lbs.
School Classification: 1A
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I've coached and coached against Cole over the years, and it's a pleasure in either case. He's a gifted athlete with an excellent work ethic who just doesn't quit. No matter what he's running into, he keeps coming and coming and coming. He's eager to learn anything he can to improve and always seems to do it with a smile on his face. Not only that, he's always one of the first to offer to help his teammates or others, whether it's helping learn a new technique or simply to carry something out to the car. He comes from a brood of wrestlers and he's carrying on their winning tradition. He's a two-time state champ in junior high (one of those wins coming over Johnny O'Hearon), and has won seven state titles between freestyle and Greco-Roman. He's strong and fast and, when he's in the zone, he's fascinating to watch, as he looks for openings. If he doesn't find one, he's also more than happy to make his own, pounding down his opponent's defenses if he has to. He's been at the top of the talent pool in Utah for quite some time, and he will continue to do so in high school, even as a 145-pound freshman.
Following is a
summary of Cole's wrestling career so far:
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2011 4th Place, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 Bronze Medalist, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships
- 2011 Runner Up, Beehive Brawl
- 2010 Champion, State Games of the West, Freestyle
- 2010 Champion, State Games of the West, Greco-Roman
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle
- 2010 State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, Beehive Brawl
- 2009 State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships
- 2008 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2008 State Champion, AAU Wrestling Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2008 State Champion, AAU Wrestling Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2007 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking
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Brandon Musselman
Monticello High School, 132 lbs.
School Classification: 1A |
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Brandon first got my attention at the Utah Summer Games a few years ago, when this skinny kid from nowhere gave Cole Eldredge (now a teammate) a real run for his money. I thought, at first, that it must have been a fluke; then, as I watched Brandon through the other two styles, I could not help but admire the kid's guts and technique. He executes with confidence, hitting moves hard, no matter who seems to be facing him. He has spent the last couple years hitting some of the big tournaments, expanding his repertoire with freestyle and Greco-Roman, and just seems to get better every time I see him on the mat. In fact, in his first year of real freestyle and Greco-Roman competition, he lost only one match at the state championships, finishing first in freestyle and second in Greco, and making it to fifth place at the USA Wrestling West Regional Championships. (His one loss at state was to Jordan's Tayler Johnson.) He's a two-time junior high state champ, losing only one match in three trips to the finals, and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament in 2008. He finished sixth at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Denver each of the last two years, and has won the Beehive Brawl. He's going to be the one to beat, even when wrestling 132 as a freshman.
Brandon
is absolutely a very promising freshman.
Following is a
summary of Brandon's wrestling career so far:
- Two-Time State Champion, 1A/2A/3A State Championships (2008, 2010)
- 2011 5th Place, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 6th Place, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Folkstyle
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 6th Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals
- 2011 Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah Super State, Folkstyle
- 2011 Champion, New Mexico Showdown, Folkstyle
- 2011 Outstanding Wrestler, ARL Classic, Folkstyle
- 2010 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle
- 2010 Champion, Jacob's Challenge, Folkstyle
- 2010 Champion, Beehive Brawl, Folkstyle
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2010 Runner Up, Who's Bad National Classic, Folkstyle
- 2010 5th Place, Bighorn Nationals, Folkstyle
- 2010 6th Place, Rocky Mountain Nationals
- 2010 Runner Up, State Games of the West, Folkstyle
- 2009 Runner Up, 1A/2A/3A State Championships
- 2009 Runner Up, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2009 Bronze Medalist, Beehive Brawl, Folkstyle
- 2008 Outstanding Wrestler, 1A/2A/3A State Championships
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2010 Youth Wrestling Ranking
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Dillon Gurr
Union High School, 152 lbs.
GPA: 3.3
School Classification: 3A |
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I first met Dillon when he arrived at the AAU Wrestling Utah State Championships without anyone from his team, no coach, just he and his mom, wanting to get more wrestling in. Then they learned that it was the qualifier for AAU Grand Nationals and were even more excited to have the opportunity to compete at the national level. I coached him at both those tournaments, and was really impressed with his knowledge of the sport, his ability to take instruction, even when different, unfamiliar terminology was being used, and putting it into practice. Not only did he take state in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, but he marches his way to the finals in Greco-Roman in Montana. He's a powerful kid, capable to blending his great strength with a high level of execution. And the kid's as scrappy as they come. In one match in Montana, he was just being beat to the punch. It was the third day of hard wrestling and he was a bit banged up, pretty worn out, and came to the corner with his hands on his knees. I told him, "Make sure that guy knows he's had a match today." He smiled, and went back out to do just that — and almost pulled it out. He has competed at quite a few national-level tournaments now, and has performed well, including this past summer, he finished second at the USA Wrestling West Regional Championships in Pocatello in all three styles, and represented Utah at the USA Wrestling Schoolboy National Duals. Dillon is a pleasure to coach and a great kid. Dillon is an extremely promising freshman.
Following is a
summary of Dillon's wrestling career so far:
- 2011 Runner Up, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 Runner Up, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 Runner Up, USA Wrestling West Regional Championships, Folkstyle
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah Super State, Folkstyle
- 2011 State Champion, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships
- 2011 Runner Up, Beehive Brawl
- 2011 4th Place, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2010 Runner Up, AAU Grand Nationals, Greco-Roman
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, AAU Grand Nationals, Freestyle
- 2010 4th Place, AAU Grand Nationals, Folkstyle
- 2010 State Champion, AAU Wrestling Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2010 State Champion, AAU Wrestling Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2010 4th Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships
- 2009 Bronze Medalist, Beehive Brawl
- 2009 5th Place, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
- 2008 6th Place, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships
- 2007 4th Place, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2010 Youth Wrestling Ranking
Dillion is also a two-time Coast to Coast Baseball Alumnus. |
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