Youth Wrestler of the Year Named for 2006

UtahWrestling.org has named Brandon George of Woods Cross the 2006 Youth Wrestler of the Year.

George, a 12-year-old student in the seventh grade at Millcreek Junior High, has had an excellent year on the mat, compiling a season record of 87-8, three state championships, a national title, and an Western Regional championship.  He is a member of the Elite Wrestling Club, based in Kaysville.

Bill Kilpack, editor of UtahWrestling.org and Utah editor for Wrestling USA Magazine, said, "Brandon is a genuinely tough kid.  I've had the chance to watch him develop for some time now, because he and my son spent a number of years butting heads every weekend, and his growth as an athlete and as a young man had been remarkable to see."

George's first big accomplishment in the season was finishing second at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals this past January.  But he didn't let that loss in the finals shake him as he went out the next weekend and took state at the 4A/5A Junior High State Championships.  Several months later, he won the state titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, rounding out his place at the top in the state with titles in all three styles.  He took fifth at the Reno World Championships, one of the toughest folkstyle tournaments in the country, took the gold in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships (11-state championship tournament) held in Klamath Falls, Ore., and won a national title in Greco-Roman at the AAU Grand Nationals held in Omaha, Neb.  At that same tournament, he took runner-up honors in both freestyle and folkstyle.  He wrapped up the season as a selection for the Utah All-Star team, winning one of the five matches that Utahns rose victorious against the Ohio All-Star team this past July.

He has been a prominent athlete in Utah wrestling for several years.  In 2006, he was ranked no. 1 in the Novice division (ages 11 and 12), as well as for all Kids divisions (ages 4 to 14), outscoring the no. 2 ranked overall, William Kilpack of Sandy (the 2005 Youth Wrestler of the Year, 74-70 (third came in with 66 points).  In 2005, George was the no. 3 ranked Novice in Utah, and no. 9 overall.  In 2004, he was the no. 1 ranked Midget division (ages 9 and 10) wrestler, and no. 4 ranked overall.

Over his young career, George has won five state championships, three national titles, and nine All-American finishes.  In 2003, he won the World Cup tournament, held in Boise.

Another young Utah wrestler who really shined was Caleb Williams of Wellington.  He finished out 2006 as the no. 1 ranked Midget division wrestler, and no. 5 overall, but was the first Utahn to win a Triple Crown, then a Golden Gear Award in the Rocky Mountain Nationals series of tournaments.  This series includes six national tournaments.  To win a Triple Crown, a wrestler must take first in three; to win the Golden Gear Award, a wrestler must win four championships.

Nine-year-old Williams is a student at Wellington Elementary School in Wellington, Utah, where he is in the fourth grade.  In this series, which started in Orem, with the Gladiator World Championships in October 2005, Williams took gold, then followed with a championship at the Monster Match Nationals in Denver in November 2005, then the Who's Bad National Classic (also in Denver) in January 2006, winning the Triple Crown, and wrapped up the series by taking first at the most prestigious of the series, the Rocky Mountain National Championships in Denver in March 2006, also earning him the Golden Gear Award.

Williams is an nine-time Utah state champion (between freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman).  He has won seven national titles in folkstyle wrestling.

This is the third year that UtahWrestling.org has named a Youth Wrestler of the Year.

In 2005, the Youth Wrestler of the Year was William Kilpack of Sandy.  At that time, he was a 10-year-old fourth grader at Sunrise Elementary, with an excellent season on the mat, winning a national title in each of the three styles (freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle), a state title in Greco-Roman wrestling, a fourth-place finish at the USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships in Greco-Roman, and a total of seven All-American finishes.  In February of 2005, he was recognized by Utah Sports magazine as one of Utah's Finest.  He is a member of the Mountain Top Wrestling Club, based in Sandy.

In 2004, the Youth Wrestler of the Year was Carson Kuhn of Sandy.  At that time, he was a 12-year-old seventh grader.  That year, he won a national title in freestyle, was the runner-up in Greco-Roman, and earned two championships at USA Wrestling Western Regionals (freestyle and Greco-Roman).  This came after taking state in all three styles.

WrestlingUSA Magazine has been the voice of national high school wrestling since 1965. For more information, see www.wrestlingusa.com.

Kilpack is editor of UtahWrestling.org, an AAU national champion and seven-time national silver medalist, a 15-time AAU/USA Wrestling All-American, and earned an alternate position on the U.S. Pan-Am Team in Greco-Roman. He coaches an independent freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling program through Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, Mountain Top Wrestling Club.