Hochstrasser, Clark and Salazar Show Their Mettle at Senior Nationals

Three Utahns received All-American honors at the high-school Senior Nationals held recently in Cleveland, Ohio.  Placing third were Andrew Hochstrasser, Tooele High School, and Jeb Clark, Spanish Fork High School.  Placing fourth was Coloton Salazar, Wasatch High School.  As a team, the 22 Utahns competing came in 10th with 117 team points.

Hochstrasser, 125 lbs., won his bronze-medal match by decision, with a score of 8-6 over Travis Lang of North Dakota. 

Clark, 145 lbs., won his bronze-medal match by decision, with a score of 3-0 over Greg Hagel of New Jersey.

Salazar, 152 lbs., placed fourth, losing Seth Garvin of Alabama.

Utah’s 10th-place finish was only a half-point behind 9th-place New York. 

“This pretigous tournament is an annual event that features the top high school wrestlers in the country,” said Cole Kelley, president of the Utah Wrestling Coaches Association.  “We had the strongest senior class Utah has seen in a number of years.”

Wrestlers must meet two criteria to qualify for the tournament: 1) must be a senior in high school; and 2) must place 1st or 2nd at their high-school state tournament at some point in their high school career.

In addition, many Utah wrestlers gained attention as top point scorers in their individual weight classes, as follows:

• 112 — Mykel Walsh, Panguitch High School, Top Point Scorer at 112

• 119 — Flint Ray, Roy High School, Top Point Scorer at 119

• 125 — Andrew Hochstrasser, Tooele High School, Top Point Scorer 125

• 130 — Cade Christensen, Uintah High School, Top Point Scorer at 130

• 135 — Robert Sanders, San Juan High School, Top Point Scorer at 135

• 140 — Cody Sweat, Wasatch High School, Top Point Scorer at 140

• 145 — Jeb Clark, Spanish Fork, Top Point Scorer at 145

• 152 — Colton Salazar, Wasatch High School, Top Point Scorer at 152

• 160 — Randy Callicoat, Timpanogos High School, Top Point Scorer at 160

• 171 — Craig Mock, Weber High School, Top Point Scorer at 171

• 189 — Luke Lofthouse, Mountain Crest High School, Top Point Scorer at 189

• 275 — Mark Freeman, Orem High School, Top Point Scorer at 275

Kelley said, “At times throughout the tournament Utah was as high as sixth in the team standings. We had a couple of rough rounds that caused us to drop.  Utah has finished in the top 10 frequently; it is nice to see Utah back in those ranks. Utah is recognized by wrestling fans around the country as one of the top wrestling states in the country.”

Other Utah wrestlers who competed in the Senior Nationals included 119, Tanner Purser, Jordan High School, and Dave Beagley, Spanish Fork High School; 125, Josh Burnett, Mountain Crest High School, and Kalen Wilson, West Jordan High School; 130, McKay Sanderson, Timpanogos High School; 140, Casey Fehlberg, Orem High School; 145, Peter Rose, Wasatch High School; 152, Justin Jacob, Pleasant Grove High School; 152,  Chase Walker, Timpanogos High School; 160, Casen Eldredge, Monticello High School; 215, Jeff Linzey, Hunter High School, Garrett Elliott, Spanish Fork High School; and 275, Spencer Bowles, Riverton High School.