Utah Wrestlers Shine at Kuna Classic, Intermountain Champion Series

Utah Wrestlers traveled up to Kuna, Ida., to compete in the Kuna Classic freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling tournament, the second leg of the Intermountah Champion Series.  Those athletes represented Utah well, 46 placements and winning Outstanding Wrestler awards in every division where a Utah wrestler competed in Greco-Roman, and only one fewer Outstanding Wrestlers in freestyle. 

Utah wrestlers earned 46 placements between the two styles: 25 awards freestyle and 21 in Greco-Roman.  Six Utah wrestling clubs represented also earned seven Outstanding Wrestler awards and one Fastest Pin award.  Bill Kilpack, coach of Sandy-based Mountain Top Wrestling Club and co-founder of the Intermountain Champion Series, said, "It's really something else that Utah was so well represented, particularly in the Outstanding Wrestler categories.  In Greco-Roman, specifically, to be recognized in every age division where there was a Utah wrestler — that's just amazing."

Those Outstanding Wrestler award recipients in Greco-Roman were Conner Wengreen of Hyrum-based Pony Express, who wrestled in the Midget (ages 9 and 10) 65-pound division; Matt Lee of Murray-based Pride, Novice (ages 11 and 12) 60 lbs.; William Kilpack of Sandy-based Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Schoolboy (ages 13 and 14) 105 lbs.; and Jacob Falk of West Jordan-based Vandit, Cadet (ages 15 and 16) 112 lbs.

Being named Outstanding Wrestlers in freestyle were Jed Lee of Pride, Bantam (ages 7 and 8) 45 lbs.; Conner Wengreen of Pony Express, Midget 65 lbs.; and Jake Ribald of Vandit, Schoolboy 120 lbs.

Wengreen was the only wrestler in the tournament to be named Outstanding Wrestler in both styles, and Ribald also received the Fastest Pin award for the freestyle tournament, with a six-second fall, edging out another Utah wrestler, Kilpack, who had an eight-second fall.

Just as remarkable, of the 46 awards, exactly half of those earned were championships: 13 gold-medal finishes in freestyle and 10 gold-medal finishes in Greco-Roman.  Winning gold medals in both styles were Cole Moody of Pride, Midget 60 lbs.; Conner Wengreen, Midget 65 lbs.; Helaman Suesue of Pride, Midget 75 lbs.; Matt Lee of Pride, Novice 60 lbs.; Chris Wengreen of Pony Express, Novice 75 lbs.; Jake Ribald of Vandit, Schoolboy 120 lbs.; and Jacob Falk of Vandit, Cadet 112 lbs. 

Winning gold in freestyle were Cooper Cox of Lehi-based Pioneers of Wrestling, Flyweight (ages 6 and Under) 40 lbs.; Jed Lee of Pride, Bantam 45 lbs. (Bracket A); Garrick Kilpack of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Bantam 45 lbs. (Bracket B); Justyn Ribald of Vandit, Bantam 65 lbs. (Bracket B); Derek Fisher of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Midget 50 lbs.; Derek Spachman of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Novice 90 lbs.; and Carson Kuhn of Vandit, Cadet 105 lbs.

Winning gold in Greco-Roman were Jake Holbrook of Brigham City-based Stingers, Midget 55 lbs.; Chandler Strand of Vandit, Novice 80 lbs.; and William Kilpack of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Schoolboy 105 lbs.

Finishing second were Sean Johnson of Pride, Midget 80 lbs. (both styles); Tyler Schwendiman of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Novice 70 lbs. (Greco-Roman); Jake Holbrook of Stingers, Midget 55 lbs. (freestyle); and Chandler Strand, Vandit, Novice 80 lbs.

Earning bronze medals were Derek Fisher, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Midget 55 lbs.; Tyler Schwendiman, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Novice 70 lbs. (freestyle); MacKelti Kilpack, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Novice 80 lbs.; Tyler Jensen, Vandit, Schoolboy 70 lbs. (both styles); William Kilpack, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Schoolboy 105 lbs. (freestyle); and Ella-Maereen Kilpack, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Cadet 112 lbs. (Greco-Roman).

Finishing fourth were Siondileigh Kilpack, Midget 55 lbs. (Greco-Roman); Tanner Cox, Pioneers of Wrestling, Novice 65 lbs. (freestyle); Derek Spachman, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Novice 90 lbs.; Justin Schwendiman, Mountain Top Wrestling Club, Schoolboy 70 lbs. (both styles); and Jordan Wengreen, Pony Express, Schoolboy 91 lbs. (freestyle)

Finishing fifth were Allison Spachman, Bantam 55 lbs. (freestyle); Tanner Cox, Pioneers of Wrestling, Novice 65 lbs. (Greco-Roman); Jordan Wengreen, Pony Express, Schoolboy 91 lbs. (Greco-Roman); and Ella-Maereen Kilpack, Cadet 112 lbs. (freestyle). 

"This tournament really showed what a high level of wrestling there is in Utah," said Kilpack.  "We took a relatively small group of wrestlers, some only one or two representing on of the six clubs present, and every one of them showed how powerful Utah is in the Intermountain West.  I think that this goes to show that last year was just the start of a strong tradition, when six of the seven Intermountain Champion awards went to Utah wrestlers.  This year, there will be 14 Intermountain Champions named, and I anticipate that Utah will be very well represented in those final awards again."

The Intermountain Champion Series was created to recognized the finest wrestlers in the Intermountain West.  The goal is to give freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers similar opportunities through USA Wrestling-sanctioned tournaments as are offered in a lot of big private folkstyle tournaments held around the country.

All tournaments in the Intermountain Champion Series are sanctioned through USA Wrestling, and offer both freestyle and Greco-Roman competition.  For more information, go to www.IntermountainChampion.com or call (801) 641-9832.