Seven Utah Wrestlers Place at Cadet and Junior Nationals

Seven Utahns earned 11 places in the top eight at the USA Wrestling Cadet and Junior National Championships in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling held recently in Fargo, North Dakota. Among those 11 were three runner-up finishes.

Taking silver medals in Greco-Roman in the Cadet (ages 15 and 16) division were Jacob Salazar of Heber City, 125 lbs.; and Talan Knox of Sandy, 152 lbs. In the championship match, Knox lost a wrenching decision, with a score of 5-4 in overtime. In freestyle, Knox took a seventh-place bronze, winning his seventh-place match by decision with a score of 9-6.

Taking a silver medal in Greco-Roman in the Junior (ages 17 and 18) division was Cyler Sanderson of Heber City, 135 lbs. In freestyle, Sanderson took a third-place bronze, winning his third-place match by decision with a score of 7-5.

Joining Knox and Sanderson as the only other Utah wrestler to place in both styles was Chase Walker of Orem, Junior 152 lbs. He took a third-place bronze in Greco-Roman, winning his bronze-medal match in an overtime decision with a score of 3-2. In freestyle, Walker took a fourth-place bronze.

Other Utahns placing in freestyle were Casey Smith of Heber City, Cadet 105 lbs., finishing fifth; Levi Mele of Vernal, Junior 105 lbs., finishing fourth; Andrew Hochstrasser of Tooele, Junior 130 lbs., finishing sixth; and Colton Salazar of Heber City, Junior 152 lbs., finishing seventh.

For more information about wrestling in Utah, go to UtahWrestling.org or call (801) 641-9832.