|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Wrestling USA Magazine and IntermatWrestle.com, Utah Editor's Preseason
Picks
Outstanding Senior Wrestlers for 2011–2012
|
|
|
Mitch Brown
Payson High School, 120 lbs.
School Classification: 3A |
|
|
Mitch is a
great wrestler and a great kid. The first time he
really got my attention was when he beat my son in
overtime at a local junior-high tournament, then I learned
that he comes from a prominent wrestling family in
Utah, his dad making a mark against international
competition. He is a very skilled technician who
makes very few mistakes. As a junior, he lost only two matches on the season, cleaning up with his third state title, beating Uintah standout Beau Blackham in the finals 5-1. He won the 4A Southern Divisional Championships, where he got to repay Blackham for handing him a loss in the finals at the Region VIII Championships. At the All-Star Duals, he beat Carbon stud Bryce Jackman 7-1. As a sophomore, Mitch won his
second state title, beating Mountain Crest's Zabinadi Smethurst
(himself a state champion) in a devastating 17-3 decision
after pinning every opponent to get to that point.
But that's not surprising. As a freshman, he pinned
his way through state, including pinning Wasatch's Gerritt
Bradley (then at Springville) in the first round.
He followed that by finishing 5th in Greco-Roman at the
USA Wrestling Junior Nationals in Fargo. In 2009, he
finished with a bronze at the USA Wrestling Cadet National
Championships in Greco. He has twice represented 4A
at the All-Star Duals, beating Hurricane's Drew Mills by
fall in 2009, but falling short against Fremont's Ronnie
Wardleigh in 2010 in the upset of the tournament.
Mitch
is well on his way to joining that very exclusive
list of four-time state champions.
2011 State
Champion (119 lbs.). 2010 State
Champion (112 lbs.). 2009 State Champion as a
freshman (103 lbs.).
Interscholastic Record: 141-9. 2010–2011
Record: 47-2. 2009–2010
Record: 46-4. 2008–2009 Record: 48-3.
Following is a
summary of Mitch's wrestling career so far:
Wrestling
USA Magazine Picks
UtahWrestling.org 2010 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2009 Youth Wrestling Ranking
|
Jory Owens
Panguitch High School, 106 lbs.
GPA: 3.8
School Classification: 1A
|
|
Jory Owens is
solid. In three state tournaments, he's lost only one match, when he finished with a bronze medal as a freshman (losing to Duchesne's Tyler Harper, who won it that year). Last season, he pinned his way to the finals, where he beat Monticello freshman standout Hunter Bowring 10-2. His sophomore year, he pinned his way to the finals, where he had a much more dramatic finish, eding out Rich's Dyson Barker 7-6. He's won the Region XX Championships each year, as well as winning tournaments in Milford (three times) and Parowan, as well as the Panguitch Invitational, and going undefeated two years running at the Manti Duals. Not only that, but he was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Milford Invitational in both 2009 and 2010, the Panguitch Invitational in 2010, and the Regional Championships in 2010. In 2011, he was selected for the 1A/2A All-Star Duals team, where he faced West Jordan star Kyler Machan (now at Jordan). Owens is definitely on the road to his third state title, and one of the top senior wrestlers in Utah.
2011 State
Champion (103 lbs.). 2010 State
Champion (103 lbs.). 2009 Bronze Medalist (103 lbs.). Interscholastic Record: 108-17. 2010–2011
Record: 47-1. 2009–2010
Record: 37-6. 2008–2009 Record: 24-10.
Following is a
brief summary of Owens' wrestling career so far:
Wrestling
USA Magazine Picks
Jory was also a member of the Baseball All-Region Team and was selected for Academic All-State.
|
|
Zac Loveless
Payson High School, 132 lbs.
GPA: 4.0
School Classification: 3A
|
|
|
Zac Loveless is a
stud. The first time he really got my attention was
in the finals at the 4A/5A Junior High State
Championships, when he and my son had both pinned every
opponent to get there, and he finished strong. He's been on the mat for
years and has placed well a lot of the big folkstyle tournaments.
He is a skilled technician who knows how to work the mat
to his advantage, always knowing where he's at, and what
needs to be done to score or prevent a score against him. On top of all that, he rarely loses his cool.
Once the match is over, the emotions come out but, when
it's time to wrestle, he's all business. As a junior, he had an outstanding state tournament, destroying every opponent until the finals, where he lost 7-5 in overtime to Box Elder's Rasten Yeates (who was named OW for the Lower Weights). This followed winning the Region VIII Championships and 4A Southern Divisionals, where he beat Maple Mountain star Jesse Carlise in the finals at both tournaments. As a
sophomore, he dominated the 4A High School State
Championships, winning the title after beating standouts
like Lehi's Dallin Rice and, in the finals, Box Elder's
Zach Harris, 12-2. This followed his impressive win
at the All-Star Duals, where he represented 4A and beat
South Summit's Colton Thornton 8-7. As a freshman,
he totally destroyed anyone who went out on the mat with
him, pinning every opponent but one, and that one he beat
15-0. To win his first state title, he pinned
Mountain Crest's Zabinadi Smethurst (a returning state
runner up) in the first round. His nemesis that year
was the very respectable Millard star Kamron DayHe
consistently places at the Reno World Championships, the
largest folkstyle tournament in the country (6th in 2010,
5th in 2009, 4th in 2007). In 2008, he
won the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships in folkstyle and finished fourth at the Beehive Brawl.
In 2007, he won the USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam. In
both 2006 and 2007, he finished third at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals.
Zac
is going to continue his march toward that very exclusive
list of four-timers.
2011 State
Runner Up (135 lbs.). 2010 State
Champion (125 lbs.). 2009 State Champion as a
freshman (112 lbs.).
Interscholastic Record: 137-17. 2010–2011
Record: 50-5. 2009–2010
Record: 42-4. 2008–2009 Record: 45-8.
Following is a
summary of Zac's wrestling career so far:
-
Two-Time State Champion, 4A High School State
Championships
- Two-Time Champion, Region VII Championships (2009 –2010)
- 2011 Junior Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
- 2011 Runner Up, 4A High School State Championships
- 2011 Champion, 4A Southern Divisional Championships
- 2011 Champion, Region VIII Championships
- 2011 4A All-Star Duals Team Member
- 2011 Champion, Rocky Mountain Rumble
- 2010 Bronze Medalist, Viewmont Invitational
- 2010 Sophomore Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
-
2010 6th Place, Reno World Championships, Folkstyle
-
2010 Champion, South Super Region Championships
-
2010
4A All-Star Duals Team Member
-
2010 4th Place, Rocky Mountain Rumble
-
2009 Champion, Viewmont Invitational
-
2009 Undefeated, Winter Classic Duals
-
2009 5th Place, Reno World Championships, Folkstyle
-
2009 Freshman Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
-
2009 Champion, Region VII Championships
-
2009
4A All-Star Duals Team Member
-
2009 Runner Up, Pine View Invitational
-
2009 Champion, Uintah Tournament of Champions
-
Two-Time State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High
State Championships (2007–2008)
-
2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Folkstyle
-
2008 Runner Up, Viewmont Invitational
-
2008 4th Place, Beehive Brawl, Folkstyle
-
2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Folkstyle
-
2007 4th Place, Reno World Championships, Folkstyle
-
2007 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
-
2006 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
Wrestling
USA Magazine Picks
UtahWrestling.org 2009 Youth Wrestling Ranking
|
|
Bryce Jackman
North Sevier High School, 120 lbs.
School Classification: 2A |
|
|
Bryce is from a
wrestling family, and upholding the tradition, as the
third generation to win a state title in Utah. As a junior, he won his second state title, pinning every opponent except Desert Hills' Devon Webb in the semis, who he beat 12-3. He finished strong, with a first-round pin against Richfield's Andy Erickson in the finals. This followed his inclusion (finally) in the All-Star Duals, and winning the 3A Northern Divisional Championships, where he beat Bear River's Dominic Kunder in the finals. As a sophomore,
he went 46-2, and walked through the 3A State
Championships, pinning everyone until the finals, where he
soundly beat Wasatch's Moran Sweat 9-2. (Among those
he pinned was Park City's Brandon Woolstenhume and Juab's
Corey Lynn). He is tough and skilled and, although
he didn't lose many this year, you can just see it in his
eyes that, when he loses a match, the gears are turning,
figuring out how to improve in the next meeting.
Every time I coached against him, he was always a threat,
both when he wrestled my son and others on my team. He's got more grit and determination than a lot of the
kids I've ever seen, and it's a tribute to his parents,
also, who have gone above and beyond supporting him in his
goals. He is a national champion with three trips to
the finals in national championship tournaments. He
was a three junior-high
state champ (including Outstanding Wrestler honors in 2008)
and has six state titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman
through USA Wrestling-Utah (he got OW honors in 2008 in
Greco, as well). He has made it to the finals at the
USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships in
Greco-Roman, not one, but twice. He represented Utah in the dual
against the Ohio All-Stars. He's got the skills, the grit and the
drive. Bryce is certainly one of the top Junior
wrestlers in Utah.
2011 State
Champion (119 lbs.). 2010 State
Champion (112 lbs.). 2009 5th in State (112 lbs.).
Interscholastic Record: 116-14. 2009–2010
Record: 41-5. 2009–2010
Record: 46-2 with 29 Pins. 2008–2009 Record: 29-7
with 19 Pins.
Following is a
summary of Bryce's wrestling career so far:
- Two-Time State Champion, 3A
High School State Championships
- Five-Time State
Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Greco-Roman (2004–2006, 2008, 2011)
- Three-Time State
Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Freestyle (2004, 2006, 2011)
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2011 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2011 Junior
Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
- 2011 3A All-Star Duals Team Member
- 2011 Champion, 3A Northern Divisional Championships
- 2011 Champion, Best of the West
- 2011 6th Place, Rocky Mountain Rumble
- 2010 Champion, Desert Storm
- 2010 8th Place, Las Vegas Holiday Classic
- 2010 Sophomore
Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
- 2010 Champion, North
Super Region Championships
- 2010 Champion, Region
Championships
- 2010 Champion, Best of
the West
- 2010 Outstanding
Wrestler, Best of the West
- 2010 Most Pins in
Least Time, Best of the West
- 2010 Champion, Desert
Storm
- 2010 Champion, Carbon
Duals
- 2010 Bronze Medalist,
Rocky Mountain Rumble
- 2009 5th Place, 3A
High School State Championships
- 2008 Runner Up, USA
Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2008 8th Place, Las
Vegas Holiday Classic, Folkstyle
- Three-Time State
Champion, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships
(2006–2008)
- Three-Time State
Champion, Bantam State Championships (2004–2006)
- 2008 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
- 2008 Outstanding
Wrestler, 1A/2A/3A Junior High State Championships
- 2008 Outstanding
Wrestler, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Greco-Roman
- 2008 Runner Up, USA
Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2008 Runner Up, USA
Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle
- 2007 Bronze Medalist, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
- 2006 Runner Up,
Gladiator World Championships, Folkstyle
- 2006 Member,
Utah All-Star Team
- 2005 National
Champion, Gladiator World Championships, Folkstyle
- 2005 Runner Up,
Monster Match Nationals, Folkstyle
- 2005 Runner Up, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
- 2005 5th Place, USA
Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
- 2005 Runner Up, 1A/2A/3A
Junior High State Championships
- 2005 Runner Up, USA
Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle
- 2004 5th Place, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals
- 2004 6th Place,
Monster Match Nationals, Folkstyle
- 2004 Runner Up, USA
Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2007 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2006 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2005 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2004 Youth Wrestling Ranking
Bryce is also
a member of his school Tennis Team.
|
|
Korbin Levin
Pleasant Grove High School, 120 lbs.
School Classification: 5A |
|
|
I've been
coaching against Korbin since he was about 5 years old and
had the pleasure of watching him grow and develop into a fine young man
and exceptional athlete over those many years.
He is a solid technician with a good grasp of
strategy on the mat. He can be very technical,
sometimes picking apart an opponent even while facing him;
you can see the gears spinning. And it dates back to
kindergarten, when I watched in amazement as his dad
taught him how to do a head throw — during the
match — not even during a break between rounds — and
Korbin did it! Not once, but three times!
(He was the first kid to throw my son.) And that's
just one example of how this kid's mind works, of which
there are many. His high-school career is bearing
out that proof. As a junior, he won his second state title, beating Fremont star Ronnie Wardleigh in the finals, in a hard fought chess match, 2-0 decision, after pinning Syracuse's Kalin Gray and Cottonwood's Morgan Scharmann on that winning road. This was his second time having to brawl his way to the title with Wardleigh. His
sophomore year, his season
record was an outstanding 46-3, and it culminated in Korbin gave
state champion Brayden Humphreys of Layton a sound 10-2 beating in the semis to go on to beat Wardleigh in the finals, 10-8 in overtime. As a freshman, he went an
impressive 41-12, winning Region IV, and pinning his way
to the semis at state, where he lost 4-3 to Layton's
Brayden Humphreys, who went on to take state. Korbin
finished fourth as a freshman.
He has twice marched through the Rocky Mountain
Rumble, only to fall short in the finals. At the last All-Star Dual, he soundly defeated Grand Couty's Akekasith Kasavadhana, 11-3. He followed winning his second high-school state title by winning the USA Wrestling-Utah
State Championships in Greco-Roman, beating Payson's Mitch Brown in the finals. He
is a two-time freestyle state champion and a three-time Greco-Roman
state champion. Korbin is
frequently ranked in the Top 25 in his age
division, and that will only continue.
2011 State
Champion (119 lbs.). 2010 State
Champion (112 lbs.). 2009 4th in
State as a freshman (103 lbs.). Career Interscholastic Record:
139-20 2010–2011 Record: 49-5. 2009–2010 Record: 46-3. 2008–2009
Record: 41-12.
Following is a
summary of Korbin's wrestling career so far:
-
Two-Time State Champion, 5A High School State Championships
-
2009 4th Place, 5A High School State Championships as a
freshman
-
Three-Time Champion, Region IV Championships
- 2011 Junior Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
- 2011 5A All-Star Duals Team Member
- 2011 Runner Up, Rocky Mountain Rumble
- 2010 Sophomore Wrestler of the Year, UtahWrestling.org
-
Two-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State
Championships, Greco-Roman (2008, 2010)
- Two-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State
Championships, Freestyle (2008, 2011)
- 2010 Champion, High Country Classic
-
2010 Runner Up, Rocky Mountain Rumble
-
2010 Runner Up, Viewmont Invitational
-
2009 Champion, USA Wrestling Western Regional
Championships, Freestyle
-
2009 Runner Up, USA Wrestling Junior Western Regional
Championships, Greco-Roman
-
2009 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Junior Western
Regional Championships, Freestyle
-
2009 5th Place, Viewmont Invitational
-
2009 8th Place, Rocky Mountain Rumble
-
2008 6th Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional
Championships, Freestyle
-
2008 Runner Up, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships
-
2007 Runner Up, USA Wrestling Salt Lake Slam, Folkstyle
-
2007 Bronze Medalist, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain
Regionals, Freestyle
-
2007 Bronze Medalist, 4A/5A Junior High State
Championships
-
2007 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Freestyle
-
2007 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Greco-Roman
-
2006 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Freestyle
-
2006 Runner Up, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Greco-Roman
-
2006 Bronze Medalist, 4A/5A Junior High State
Championships
-
2005 4th Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships
-
2005 4th Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Freestyle
-
2005 4th Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships,
Greco-Roman
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2010 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2009 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking
UtahWrestling.org 2006 Youth Wrestling Ranking
|
|
|
Brandon McBride
Olympus High School, 182 lbs.
School Classification: 4A |
|
|
Brandon McBride is
a stud, plain and simple. I've watched him grow as an athlete since he was a kid in freestyle and Greco-Roman, and he has never ceased to impress me. Not only does he have incredible skills, but he is incredibly explosive, executing with the kind of confidence that comes only through absolute certainty that what he is going to do will work. He is also very smart on the mat, knowing when to take a move big, when to play it safe and get the points, when to move in for the kill, when to wait for the opening. The perfect example was in the finals last year, where he was facing Payson star Brady Loveless. It was a very close match, there was an opening, and he was in on it like a predator, hitting it hard. (Just as impressive was Loveless not giving up the fall for almost an entire round, despite injury.) It's important to note that his one loss on the season came in the finals at the Viewmont Invitational, against Loveless. McBride came away as the Outstanding Wrestler for the Upper Weights. Prior to state, in the All-Star Dual, he manhandled Delta's Jaxon Singlton, handing him a 17-5 defeat, then won the Region VI title, and beat Box Elder's Breckin Gunter to win the 4A Northern Divisional. He has been in the finals at USA Wrestling Kids Nationals five times in freestyle, winning two of them, and five times in Greco-Roman, winning three national titles, as well as coming away with a title at the Reno World Championships. McBride has won three high school state titles in three states, and he will undoubledly improve on his junior year, where he came away with only a single loss. McBride
is definitely one of the top senior wrestlers in Utah.
2011 State
Champion (171 lbs.). 2010 State
Champion (160 lbs.). 2009 State
Champion (152 lbs.). 2010–2011 Record: 49-1.
Following is a
brief summary of McBride's wrestling career so far:
Wrestling
USA Magazine Picks
UtahWrestling.org 2011 Youth Wrestling Ranking
|
 |
|
 |
|
