Utah Wrestlers Earn High Honors at Reno World Championships, Sandy Athlete Outstanding Wrestler

More than 150 Utah Wrestlers traveled out to Reno, Nev., to compete in the Reno World Championships in folkstyle wrestling.  This is the largest folkstyle wrestling tournament in the country, with almost 3,000 competitors, and Utahns seized 31 awards, including the first Outstanding Wrestler award earned by a Utah wrestler.  That recipient was 13-year-old William Kilpack of Sandy. 

"Utah was very well represented overall," said USA Wrestling-Utah President Craig LaMont.  "Each year we go to this tournament, I am impressed over and over again by the high level of wrestling in the state of Utah."

More than 30 states had competitors in the tournament, and nine Utah athletes made it to the finals, although only one came out victorious.  Finalists included Jaxon Cole of Coalville-based North Summit at 8 and Under 49 lbs.; Cole Moody of Murray-based Pride Wrestling, 8 and Under 58 lbs.; Matt Lee of Pride Wrestling, 10 and Under 55 lbs.; Jesse Carlisle of Springville-based Champions, 12 and Under 110 lbs.; Brandon George of Champions, 15 and Under 75 lbs.; Koleton Hardy of Brigham City-based Stingers, 15 and Under 125 lbs.; Colton Cannon of Payson, 15 and Under 145 lbs.; and Matt Finger of Kaysville-based Elite, 18 and Under 119 lbs. 

The one Utah wrestler who emerged from the finals with a victory was William Kilpack of Sandy-based Mountain Top Wrestling Club, who won his championship match by a 9-6 decision, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the 12 and Under division with four pins in a combined time of three minutes and 45 seconds.  Up until the finals, not a single opponent had even scored a point on him.

"This was really a long time coming for William,” said his father and coach, Bill Kilpack. “He's been beaten out of the tournament one round short of placing so many times. Now it all just seems worth it."

Young Kilpack, who was seeded third in the tournament, said, "I was most nervous before my quarterfinal match. If I won that, I was guaranteed a place. And, although my championship match went the whole time, I think that match to get into the medals was my toughest." He pinned that opponent, an athlete from Nebraska, in 2 minutes. He also pinned a wrestler from Nevada (26 seconds), California (30 seconds, who eventually went on to take third) and New Jersey (49 seconds, the second-place seed who finished sixth). He faced an Illinois wrestler in the finals.

Redena Dalton of the World of Wrestling, the organization that runs the Reno World Championships, said, "I have looked back to 1998 (first year for Reno Worlds) and have not found that anyone in any age group has won OW from Utah! William, congratulations for winning! It's not an easy task, but all his hard work has paid off!"

The rest of the Utah wrestlers placing at this highly competitive tournament are as follows

• 5th Easton Keck, Payson, 6 and Under 60 lbs.

• 2nd Jaxon Cole, North Summit, 8 and Under 49 lbs.

• 2nd Cole Moody, Pride Wrestling, 8 and Under 49 lbs.

• 3rd Brandyn Van Tassell, Spanish Fork-based Diamondbacks, 8 and Under 64 lbs.

• 6th Jace Anderson, North Summit, 8 and Under 70 lbs.

• 5th Helaman Suesue, Pride Wrestling, 8 and Under 75 lbs.

• 2nd Matt Lee, Pride Wrestling, 10 and Under 55 lbs.

• 4th Taylor LaMont, Champions,10 and Under 61 lbs.

• 6th Jordan McRae, West Jordan-based Vandit, 10 and Under 67 lbs.

• 3rd Rylee Foy, Altamont-based Basin Wrestling Club, 10 and Under 100 lbs.

• 4th Jacob Biesinger, Elite, 10 and Under 130 lbs.

• 4th Chazz Haveron, Payson, 10 and Under HVY

• 4th Caleb Williams, Champions, 12 and Under 64 lbs.

• 6th Kyler Machan, Lehi-based Pioneers of Wrestling, 12 and Under 70 lbs.

• 4th Grant LaMont, Champions, 12 and Under 96 lbs.

• 5th Rasten Yeates, Stingers, 12 and Under 100 lbs.

• 4th Jake Fassold, Heber City-based Wasatch, 12 and Under 105 lbs.

• 3rd Jesse Carlisle, Champions, 12 and Under 110 lbs.

• 5th Nick Sorenson, Stingers, 12 and Under 110 lbs.

• 2nd Brandon George, Champions, 15 and Under 75 lbs.

• 6th Brock Rose, Bountiful-based Northside, 15 and Under 101 lbs.

• 6th Michael Viphongsay, Kearns-based Pride Wrestling, 15 and Under 108 lbs.

• 2nd Koleton Hardy, Stingers, 15 and Under 125 lbs.

• 5th Jonsen Crandall, Kamas-based South Summit, 15 and Under 125 lbs.

• 6th Brock Brown, Payson, 15 and Under 125 lbs.

• 2nd Colton Cannon, Payson, 15 and Under 145 lbs.

• 5th Mitchell Rasmussen, Northside, 15 and Under 145 lbs.

• 4th Jake Fredrickson, Elite, 18 and Under 112 lbs.

• 2nd Matthew Finger, Elite, 18 and Under 119 lbs.

• 5th Chase Burns, Wasatch, 18 and Under 135 lbs.

"Considering the scale of this tournament, we took a relatively small group of wrestlers," said LaMont.  "We had about one in five place.  I think that's something to be proud of."