Wrestling USA Magazine and IntermatWrestle.com, Utah Editor's Preseason Picks

Outstanding Sophomore Wrestlers for 2008–2009
 

Koleton Hardy
Box Elder High School, 135 lbs.
GPA: 3.9

School Classification: 4A (1,600 enrolled)

Koleton Hardy comes from a prominent wrestling family in Utah, with enough kin on the mat to make up his own wrestling team.  But Koleton is a formidable wrestler in his own right.  He is a very skilled technician who, when the chips are down, also has the toughness to make it through the toughest matches.  He's a very smart wrestler who, if he knows that something will work, isn't afraid to tell his coach that he's going with something of his own design.  As a freshman, he finished third in state, after losing a decision to Wyatt Ray of Roy (who went on to finish as the state runner-up).  In April, he finished second at the Reno World Championships, placing ahead of South Summit's Jonsen Crandall and Payson's Brock Brown.  In June, he was the folkstyle and Greco-Roman champion at the USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships and runner-up in freestyle.  He followed that with a fourth place finish in Greco-Roman at USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in Fargo.  Koleton is a champion in all three styles of wrestling (folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman), with a resume that anyone should respect.  He has represented Utah twice on the Utah All-Star Team against the Ohio All-Stars and dominated his opponent July 2007.

2008 3rd in State as a freshman (125 lbs.).  Career Interscholastic Record: 38-15.

Following is a summary of Koleton's wrestling career so far:

• 2008 3rd Place, High School State Championships

• Five-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle (2002, 2004, 2006–2008)

• Five-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman (2002, 2004–2006, 2008)

• 2008 4th Place, USA Wrestling Cadet National Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 Champion, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 Champion, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Folkstyle

• 2008 2nd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2008 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2008 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 3rd Place, Region 5 Championships

• 2007 5th Place, Layton Invitational

• Two-Time Junior High State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2007 Outstanding Wrestler, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2007 4th Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 5th Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 2nd Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 Team Member, Utah All-Star Team vs. Ohio All-Stars

• 2006 Champion, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2006 Champion, USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2006 2nd Place, USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2006 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2006 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2006 Team Member, Utah All-Star Team vs. Ohio All-Stars

• 2005 2nd Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2005 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2005 3rd Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2004 3rd Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2004 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2004 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2003 3rd Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2003 4th Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2002 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2002 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Sophomore/Freshman Rankings (135 lbs.): No. 14

UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 3rd Cadet Division

• 5th Overall Elite Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2007 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 9th Cadet Division

• 16th Overall Elite Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2006 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 2nd Schoolboy Division

• 10th Overall Kids Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2005 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 10th Schoolboy Division

UtahWrestling.org 2004 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 4th Novice Division

• 19th Overall Kids Divisions

Jacob Falk
West Jordan High School, 112 lbs.
GPA: 3.7

School Classification: 5A
 

Jacob Falk is a stud, plain and simple.  He's been on the mat for years, going to a lot of the big tournaments, and coming out on top most of the time, particularly in the last couple years.  And I tell you what: this year, he'll be the only one to contend with Alta's Carson Kuhn.  He is a slick, extremely skilled technician.  He is smart, level-headed, and rarely loses his cool.  As a freshman, he finished third in state, after losing a decision to Brett Naylor of Davis, then went on to avenge the loss in his match for third, beating Naylor soundly with an 8-1 decision.  He placed in both styles at the USA Wrestling Junior Western Regionals in Las Vegas last year, and was the runner-up in Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling National Championships in Greco-Roman in Fargo.  He was the 2008 Intermountain Champion for the lower weights in the Cadet Division and the Outstanding Wrestler for the Cadet Division when he won the 2008 title in freestyle with USA Wrestling-Utah.  He was the first Intermountain Champion in the Schoolboy division 2007, pulling it out ahead of some other very talented Schoolboys, like Jake Ribald (now at West Jordan).  He's a two-time Junior High State Champ, and a four-time state champ in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, placing ahead of Skyline's Bret Clapier in that process.  He finished second at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals in 2007, but won it in 2006.  He's a two-time USA Wrestling Rocky Mountain Regionals Champ (once each in freestyle and Greco-Roman), and has place at USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships five times in the last three years between the two styles, including a title in Greco.

2008 3rd in State as a freshman (103 lbs.).  Career Interscholastic Record: 34-8.

Following is a summary of Jacob's wrestling career so far:

• 3rd Place, High School State Championships

• Four-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle(2005–2008)

• Four-Time State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Greco-Roman (2005–2008)

• Two-Time Intermountain Champion

• 2008 Runner Up, USA Wrestling Cadet National Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 4th Place, USA Wrestling Junior Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2008 5th Place, USA Wrestling Junior Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2008 Intermountain Champion, Cadet Division: Lower Weights

• 2008 Champion, Region III Championships

• 2007 Runner Up, Layton Invitational

• Two-Time Junior High State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships (2006–2007)

• 2007 3rd Place, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals

• 2007 Intermountain Champion, Schoolboy Division

• 2007 Runner Up, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2007 Champion, USA Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 Champion, USA Western Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 Champion, USA Western Rocky Mountain Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2007 3rd Place, USA Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 Outstanding Wrestler, Schoolboy Division, Mountain Top Classic, Greco-Roman

• 2006 National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals

• 2006 4th Place, USA Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2005 4th Place, USA Western Regional Championships, Greco-Roman

• 2005 6th Place, USA Western Regional Championships, Freestyle

• 2005 3rd Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

Wrestling USA Magazine Picks

• Nationally Ranked Utahn in National Sophomore/Freshman Rankings (112 lbs.): No. 17

UtahWrestling.org 2008 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 2nd Cadet Division

• 3rd Overall Elite Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2007 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 3rd Schoolboy Division

• 8th Overall Kids Divisions

UtahWrestling.org 2006 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 11th Schoolboy Division

UtahWrestling.org 2005 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 18th Novice Division

Jacob was on the High Honor Roll at Jefferson Junior High while wrestling for West Jordan High School as a freshman.

Courtney Orgill
North Summit High School, 140 lbs.
GPA: 4.0

School Classification: 2A

Courtney is a tough kid who just doesn't stop. He's got good technique, but what impresses me most about him, is his mental toughness.  No matter what the score, he keeps coming at you and, most times, that allows him to pull it out in the end.  That's how he beat Springville's Austin Frazier at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals in the semi-finals (Courtney went on to win it), and that's how he won his match in the dual against the Ohio All-Stars in July 2007.  He finished third in state as a freshman, losing only to North Sevier's Wyatt Mason (who went on to finish second behind South Summit's JT Adlard, who finished ahead of Courtney in Division B).  He went on to take state in folkstyle at the USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, and finished third in freestyle.  Courtney has twice finished third in junior high state (behind Uintah's Taylor Merkley and Altamont's Zach Hatch in 2007; behind that same Merkley and Enterprise's Colby Barlocker in 2006).  So, as you can see, he is in the mix of things with some major Utah talent. 

2008 3rd in State as a freshman (130 lbs.).  Career Interscholastic Record: 31-11.

Following is a summary of Courtney's wrestling career so far:

• 3rd Place, High School State Championships

• 2008 2nd Place, Division B Championships

• 2008 State Champion, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Folkstyle

• 2008 3rd Place, USA Wrestling-Utah State Championships, Freestyle

• 2007 Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals, Folkstyle

• 2007 3rd Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2006 3rd Place, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2007 Team Member, Utah All-Star Team vs. Ohio All-Stars

UtahWrestling.org 2007 Youth Wrestling Ranking

• 14th Cadet Division

Brady Loveless
Payson High School, 160 lbs.
GPA: 3.3

School Classification: 4A (1,100 enrolled)

Brady Loveless is an outstanding athlete.  He's from a prominent wrestling family in Utah, but doesn't live off that name: Brady is tough as nails.  As a freshman wrestling 152 lbs., he placed at four tough tournaments, finished third in Region and fourth at high-school state.  At that state tournament, his only losses were to Tooele's Monte Schmalhaus (who went on to win it), in an overtime decision, 6-4; and to Zack Colton of Olympus, a senior and returning state placer.  Important to note is that every one of Brady's wins at state was by fall.  Brady was a superstar in junior high, but I think had trouble adjusting to the new level of competition in high school.  (He was a four-time junior-high state champion and was the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2007 4A/5A Junior High State Championships.)  Now that adjustment is over and he will undoubtedly be wiping up the mat with some people.  He certainly has the background to do it, too, having won the Reno World Championships, and twice taken third at that very tough tournament.  He has also won the Rocky Mountain Nationals.  In 2007, won a title at the U.S. Folkstyle Nationals.  Brady is a very exciting wrestler to watch.

2008 4th in State (152 lbs.).  Career Interscholastic Record: 45-13.

Following is a summary of Brady's wrestling career so far:

• 2008 4th Place, High School State Championships

• 2008 Bronze Medalist, Region VII Championships

• 2008 5th Place, Rocky Mountain Rumble

• 2008 Wrestler to Watch, UtahWrestling.org

• 2007 Champion, 4A Duals

• 2007 Bronze Medalist, Viewmont Invitational

• 2007 Bronze Medalist, Uintah Tournament of Champions

• Four-Time Junior High State Champion, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2007 Outstanding Wrestler, 4A/5A Junior High State Championships

• 2007 National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals

• 2006 National Champion, U.S. Folkstyle Nationals

• 2006 Bronze Medalist, Reno World Championships

• 2004 Bronze Medalist, Reno World Championships

• 2002 National Champion, Reno World Championships

• 2002 National Champion, Rocky Mountain Nationals