Wrestling USA Magazine, Preseason Picks Utah Wrestlers of the Year

Outstanding Senior Wrestlers for 2005–2006

 

Talan Knox
Brighton High School, 160 lbs.
GPA: 3.8

School Classification: 5A (2,000 Enrolled)

Knox is a shoe-in for that elite list of three-time state champions. I’ve watched him develop from elementary school. He’s got a work ethic that’s rare; he really understands the sport and he loves it. It’s obvious when you watch him wrestle. He was dominant in the state both his sophomore and junior years, taking the state title in each, and taking second in state as a freshman in a tough weight class is nothing to sneeze at, either. He is continuing to knock heads and take home top places, both locally and on the national level. He’s won a Greco-Roman National Championship, and is a seven-time USA Wrestling All-American. In 2004, at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Duals, he went undefeated in Greco-Roman and lost one decision in freestyle, while taking a silver medal at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Championships with a one-point loss in overtime in 2004.  Knox is powerful and explodes into every action. Even better, while all that power and quickness is put into play, you can see the gears turning, planning out the next three or four moves in advance. Knox is most dangerous from his feet and a serious finisher. He will be something else in the NCAA.

2005 State Champion (160 lbs.), 2004 State Champion (145 lbs.), 2003 State Silver Medalist.  2004–2005 Record: 38-3.  2003–2004 Record: 39-2.  2002–2003 Record: 29-12.

High School Career Record: 106-17

Following is a summary of Talan's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• One-Time High School State Silver Medalist

• Two-Time Region II Champion

• 2005 Region II Outstanding Wrestler

• 2005 Champion, Rocky Mountain Junior Regional Championships, Greco-Roman (Laremie, WY)

• 2005 3rd Place, Rocky Mountain Junior Regional Championships, freestyle (Laramie, WY)

• 2005 Viewmont Invitational Outstanding Wrestler

• 2005 Deseret Morning News Prep of the Week

• 2004 Champion, Viewmont Invitational

• Three-Time Brighton High School Outstanding Wrestler

• 2005 Wrestling USA Magazine Utah Junior Wrestler of the Year

• 2004 Wrestling USA Magazine Utah Sophomore Wrestler of the Year

• 2004 2nd Place, USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman

• 2004 7th Place, USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in Freestyle

• 2003 5th Place, USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in Greco-Roman

• 2003 8th place, USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in Freestyle

• 2003 Champion, Kids Freestyle World Cup (Boise, ID)

• 2003 Champion, Flowing Wells (Ariz.)

• 2002 National Champion, USA Wrestling Kids Nationals, Greco-Roman

• Three-Time USA Wrestling Western Regionals Greco-Roman Champion

• Two-Time USA Wrestling Western Regionals Freestyle Champion

• Four-Time USA Wrestling Freestyle State Champion

• Three-Time USA Wrestling Greco-Roman State Champion

• Seven-Time USA Wrestling All-American

• Two-Time Wasatch Duals Champion

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Senior Rankings (160 lbs.): No. 17

Talan is an Academic Letterman.
 

Nathaniel Holt
Provo High School, 145 lbs.
GPA: 3.6

School Classification: 4A (1,400 enrolled)

I've watched Holt for some time now and, in the last year or so in particular, he has really developed into a fine wrestler.  He's skilled, he's fast, he's powerful.  But what really impressed me (and got my attention) was when he didn't leave anything on the mat when he fell short in the bronze-medal match at the Reno World Championships in April 2004.  Of course, he returned in 2005 to win that prestigious tournament.  I'm sure this is just one of many great things ahead of him, because he's a gifted wrestler.  The strong turnout at Reno was only one of his glowing performances supporting the expectations being laid by his second-place finish at the high school state championships, losing to senior powerhouse McKay Sanderson and dominant performance leading to a state title in 2005, beating solid opponents right up to his 5-3 decision over senior Anthony Elder of Skyview, who repeated as the silver medalist.  He also turned out strong finishes at the USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Junior Regionals last summer, taking 3rd in Greco-Roman and 4th in freestyle. 

2005 State Champion (140 lbs.), 2004 State Silver Medalist (130 lbs.).

2004–2005 Record: 37-3. 

Following is a summary of Nathaniel's wrestling career so far:

• One-Time High School State Champion

• One-Time High School State Silver Medalist

• One-Time USA Wrestling Cadet All-American

• 2005 Champion, Reno World Championships

• 2005 Champion, Region VI

• 2005 5th Place, Reno Tournament of Champions

• 2005 3rd Place, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Junior Regionals, Greco-Roman

• 2005 4th Place, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Junior Regionals, Freestyle

• 2005 2nd Place, Rocky Mountain Rumble

• 2005 Wrestling USA Magazine Utah Junior Wrestler of the Year

• 2004 Wrestling USA Magazine Utah Wrestler to Watch

• 2004 4A Duals Champion

• 2004 2nd Place, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regionals, Freestyle

• 2004 2nd Place, USA Wresting Rocky Mountain Regionals, Greco-Roman

• 2004 4th Place, Reno World Championships

• 2004 1st Place, Bear River Tournament

• 2004 Provo High School Outstanding Sophomore Wrestler

• 2003 USA Wrestling Utah State Champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman

• 2003 6th Place, USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in freestyle

• 2003 2nd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regionals in freestyle

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Senior Rankings (145 lbs.): No. 12

Jaren Day
Alta High School, 135 lbs.
GPA: 2.8

School Classification: 5A (2,500 Enrolled)

Jaren is a two-time State Champion in high school (in the 5A and 3A divisions), and carries that success onto the mat in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.  His championship in 2005 came in a weight that read like an all-star list.  His title match resulted from a tough 4-2 decision over Richard Winger of Viewmont, after decided victories over a rather distinguished list of studs including pinning Spencer Ito (Northridge) and trouncing 4A/5A All-Star Dual selection Aaron Ross (Weber) 9-5.  During the season, he also beat three-time state champion Michael Watts of Riverton, who went up from 119 lbs. to get some competition — and found it.

2005 State Champion (5A: 125 lbs.)  2004 State Champion (3A: 112 lbs.)

High School Career Record: 105-22 with 45 Pins.  2004–2005 Record: 36-2.  Freestyle Record: 65-11.

Following is a summary of Jaren's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• Region II Outstanding Wrestler

• 2005 Champion, Region II

• 2005 Champion, Warrior Duals

• 2005 3rd Place, Layton Invitational

• 2003 5th Place, High School State Championships

• State Champion, USA Wrestling Utah, Freestyle

• State Champion, USA Wrestling Utah, Greco-Roman

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Senior Rankings (135 lbs.): No. 26

Levi Mele
Uintah High School, 119 lbs.

School Classification: 3A

Mele is about as solid a wrestler as there is in the state.  He took state in 3A at 112 lbs. by beating a very tough Casey Smith (Wasatch) and at 103 lbs. the year before, also over Smith, recovering from a loss to the Wasatch stud for the Region 10 championship.  He followed that up with powerful performances at the Reno World Championships in April 2004, where he took the title at 105 lbs. in folkstyle, then finished 4th in freestyle at USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Fargo that same year.  He also won a national title in 2004 in the sophomore division at the BRUTE-adidas Nationals.  In 2006, it's a given that he'll join that elite list of three-time state champions.

2005 State Champion (112 lbs.)  2004 State Champion (103 lbs.)  2004–2005 Record: 42-2.

Following is a summary of Levi's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• 2005 Wrestling USA Magazine Utah Wrestler to Watch

• 2005 Champion, Region X

• 2005 Champion, Top of the Rockies (Denver, Colo.)

• 2005 Champion, Uintah Tournament of Champions

• 2005 3rd Place, Iron Man Tournament (Cleveland, OH)

• 2004 Champion, Reno World Championships

• 2004 National Champion, Sophomore Division, BRUTE-adidas Nationals

• 2004 4th Place, USA Wrestling Junior National Championships

• 2004 Champion, Top of the Rockies

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utah Senior in National Senior Rankings (119 lbs.): No. 9

Zane Taylor
Grand County High School, 275 lbs.
GPA: 3.65

School Classification: 2A (500 Enrolled)

It's not every day that a wrestler goes undefeated.  Zane did this in 2005, finishing 41-0, and winning his championship match with a 31-second fall.  This was a repeat of his 275-pound state title from the year before.  But that's not all — he has only been wrestling for two years.  He's about as athletic a heavyweight as I can remember (no surprise, since he's a three-time All-State football player).  Solid, solid athlete.

High School Career Record: 77-5.  2004–2005 Record: 41-0.  2003–224 Record: 36-5.

2005 State Champion (275 lbs.)  2004 State Champion (275 lbs.)

Following is a summary of Zane's wrestling career so far:

• Two-Time High School State Champion

• 2A State Duals Champion

• 2A State Duals Outstanding Wrestler

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utah Senior in National Senior Rankings (275 lbs.): No. 26

Zane is also a classic scholar-athlete, serving as the Senior Class President and a member of the National Honor Society.
 

Trent Steele
Delta High School, 215 lbs.

School Classification: 3A

Trent had about as dominant a state tournament as you can imagine.  He pinned every opponent until the championship match, where he still had a dominating match, beating senior teammate Ryan Nickle 8-2.  Strong performance, following a strong 2004 season, where he finished 3rd in state.

2005 State Champion (215 lbs.)  2004–2005 Record: 38-1.

Following is a summary of Trent's wrestling career so far:

• One-Time High School State Champion

• 2004 3rd Place, High School State Championships

• 2005 Champion, Region VIII

• 2005 Champion, Desert Storm Wrestling Classic

Wrestling USA Magazine Preseason Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utah Senior in National Senior Rankings (215 lbs.): No. 27