FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2005
Contact: Justine K. Mitchell, Public Relations Manager, (561) 233-3189, jmitchell@palmbeachsports.com

Team Florida Wrestling Brings Home Numerous Titles at
ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Team Florida competed at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships held July 23-30 in Fargo, North Dakota at the Fargodome, on the campus of North Dakota State. The event is considered the most prestigious youth wrestling event in the nation. Up to 4,500 wrestlers representing 49 states competed in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling, at both the Cadet and Junior levels.

Palm Beach County Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) Manager and Wrestling Administrator, Shawn Sheldon, was one of the Team Florida coaches. The team competed exceptionally well during the competitions and finished with the National Team Championship for Junior Greco-Roman, 7 National Champions, 14 All-Americans and 2 Top Ten finishers. Palm Beach County CODP wrestler George Bancroft earned All-American status, placing in the top eight in both the Cadet National Greco-Roman and Freestyle Championships. Bancroft’s CODP teammate, Fran O’Brien, placed tenth in the Cadet National Freestyle Championship.

In the Junior National Greco-Roman Team competition Team Florida edged out Pennsylvania 58 to 56 to take first place. Team Florida had five wrestlers in the finals for their weight class, two in the same class. Three of those wrestlers won their final bout to become the reigning 2005 National Champion at the Junior level.

In the Junior National Freestyle Championships Team Florida had two wrestlers named National Champions and three wrestlers named All-Americans. David Craig became a double champion, winning of both Greco-Roman and Freestyle this year at 171 pounds. Craig stopped Michael Moore, 4-2 in the finals to capture the Greco-Roman title. Rocky Cozart stopped Ryan Patrovich of New York, 3-0, to win the National Championship at 160 pounds. Cozart was also a runner-up in Greco-Roman. Team Florida’s All-Americans include Cesar Grajales, placing third at 135 pounds; Tommy Bennett, placing fourth at 98 pounds; and Kenny Lester, placing fourth at 275 pounds.

In the Cadet National Greco-Roman Championships, Team Florida had one National Champion and three All-Americans (placing in the top eight of the country). Eric Grajales won the Cadet National Greco-Roman title at 98 pounds for the second year in a row. Grajales defeated the same wrestler he faced in the 2004 Cadet National finals, Nathan Furches of Kansas, this year by a 13-2 technical fall in 6:00. George Bancroft, a Palm Beach County CODP athlete, earned a silver medal at 145 pounds, while Rodrigo Baez placed third at 125 pounds and Shakendrick Sanders placed fourth at 119 pounds.

In the Cadet National Freestyle Championships, Team Florida had two wrestlers place in the top 10 at 145 pounds. George Bancroft earned All-American status by placing fifth, while Fran O’Brien placed tenth in the division; both Bancroft and O’Brien are part of the Palm Beach County CODP.

In the Junior National Women’s Championships Team Florida had one National Champion, two All-Americans, and one Top Ten finisher. At 220 pounds, Lakia Henderson of Florida won a three athlete round-robin for the title. Each of the athletes had a 1-1 record in the round-robin, but Henderson won the gold on the strength of a victory over the runner-up. Team Florida’s All-Americans include Vanity Vazquez, placing third at 95 pounds and Leila Maloff, placing eight at 148 pounds. Breisja Gallo, at 128 pounds, was one match away from being named All-American, Gallo was undefeated in the dual tournament and lost two matches in overtime.

Here are the results for weight classes in which Team Florida wrestlers became National Champions, All-Americans (top eight in the country), or Top Ten finishers:

Junior National Greco-Roman Championships

112 pounds
1st – Matthew Kyler (PA) dec. Tony Mustari (CO), 8-6, ot, 8:12
3rd – Bill Chamberlain (PA) tech. fall Ian Aguirre (TX), 10-0, 0:54
5th – Zachary Sanders (MN) tech. fall Matt McNaughton (IL), 10-0, 4:59
7th - Kendall Mowery (NC) tech. fall Anthony Jorge (FL), 16-5. 5:54

135 pounds
1st – Reece Humphrey (IN) dec. Cesar Grajales (FL), 4-3, ot, 8:59
3rd – T.J. Moen (IA) pin Kevin LeValley (CO), 5:51
5th – Cam Watkins (MD) dec. Joe Breen (MD), 8-0
7th - Rudy Moures (MD) dec. Rocco DePaolo (CO), 10-5

152 pounds
1st – Marco Toledo (FL) dec. Matt Dragon (PA), 3-2
3rd – Jon Reader (MI) dec. Paul Paddock (NY), 10-0, 1:51
5th – Scott Glasser (ND) pin Tony Bradberry (OH), 2:22
7th - Jake Kerr (IA) won by inj dft over Braden Lamaroux (MI)

160 pounds
1st – Jesse Robbins (FL) dec. Rocky Cozart (FL), 6-4
3rd – Kyle Bounds (WA) dec. Landis Wright (PA), 11-9
5th – Colby Covington (OR) tech fall over Aaron Denson (NE), 10-0, 2:11
7th - Jake Grygelko (MN) dec. Tim Matheson (MN), 10-5

171 pounds
1st – David Craig (FL) dec. Jeff James (OK), 3-1
3rd – Clayton Foster (ID) pin Rick Loera (IL), 4:00
5th – Duke Burk (IL) dec. Kaleb Young (MN), 5-0
7th - Zach Giesen (OR) dec. Travis Edwards (CA), 13-7

189 pounds
1st – Louis Caputo (MO) dec. Trevor Perry (MI), 3-0
3rd – Kyle Bergstedt (CA) dec. Kevin Harrington (NY), 9-3
5th – David Green (FL) dec. Scott Penny (IL), 10-8
7th - Cody Reitmeier (OH) dec. Matthew Pasenevich (PA), 12-1, 1:42

275 pounds
1st – Justin Wren (TX) dec. Eric Nye (CA), 5-0
3rd – Kenny Lester (FL) dec. Drake McCoy (GA), 8-4
5th – Nathan Fernandez (OK) dec. Bryant Dienhardt (NY), 7-4
7th - Brady Wilson (MN) dec. Charlie Alexander (OR), 3-0

Junior National Freestyle Championships

98 lbs.
1st - Boris Novachkov (CA) dec. Jake Quinten (PA). 9-7
3rd - Nico Cortese (PA) tech. fall Tommy Bennett (FL), 10-0
5th - Justin Forrest (MO) tech. fall Clark Morgan (CA), 14-4
7th - Bryan Rickard (MI) dec. Nick Outumuro (CA), 13-6

135 lbs.
1st - Mitch Mueller (IA) dec. Reece Humphrey (IN), 6-0
3rd - Cesar Grajales (FL) dec. Darrion Caldwell (NJ), 10-1
5th - Matt Vacanti (NE) tech. fall Cam Watkins (MD), 13-2
7th - Max Shanaman (NJ) tech. fall Willie Saxton (OH), 14-4

160 lbs.
1st - Rocky Cozart (FL) dec. Ryan Patrovich (NY), 3-0
3rd - David Rella (OH) inj dft. over Travis Hammons (IL)
5th - Kyle Bounds (WA) tech. fall Ben Fiacco (GA), 10-0
7th - Neil Erisman (KS) dec. Landis Wright (PA), 10-0

171 lbs.
1st - David Craig (FL) dec. Michael Moore (MO), 4-2
3rd - Brent Chriswell (WA) tech. fall Jeff James (OK), 12-2
5th - Clayton Foster (ID) dec. Duke Burk (IL), 5-3
7th - Mike Miller (OH) dec. Michael Cuthbertson (AL), 7-3

275 lbs.
1st - Erik Nye (CA) dec. Jared Rosholt (OK), 3-2, ot, 9:00
3rd - Drake McCoy (GA) dec. Kenny Lester (FL), 9-2
5th - Bill Lundblad (MN) pin Andrew Blume (CA), 2:53
7th - Nathan Fernandez (OK) pin Peter Reid (NJ), 2:25

Cadet National Greco-Roman Championships

98 lbs.
1st – Eric Grajales (FL) tech. fall Nathan Furches (KS), 13-2, 6:00
3rd – Ian Paddock (NY) tech. fall Eric Luna (OR), 10-0, 3:55
5th – Jake Love (MT) dec. Heath Jackson (OK), 10-6
7th - Cole Von Ohlen (MN) dec. Seth Moe (WI), 6-1

119 lbs.
1st – Michael Mangrum (WA) tech fall Trenton Washington (NE), 11-1, 2:46
3rd – Ben Provisor (WI) dec. Shakendrick Sanders (FL), 9-4
5th – Jason Chamberlain (UT) tech. fall Josh Roberts (ND), 11-0, 1:13
7th - Nick Turpin (GA) dec. Tyler Holloway (MO), 7-4

125 lbs.
1st – DeVaughan Perkins (NE) dec. Dak Adamson (NM), 6-2
3rd – Rodrigo Baez (FL) dec. Jaron Hathaway (ID), 10-6
5th – Avery Garner (ID) dec. Derek Ellis (CA), 6-4
7th - Michael Robinson (PA) dec. Brandon Bucher (PA), 6-0

145 lbs.
1st – Eren Civan (MD) dec. George Bancroft (FL), 6-1
3rd –Brent Haynes (MO) dec. Josh Stalcup (OR), 6-1
5th - Noah Hatten (WA) tech. fall Brad Sweet (WA), 11-0, 2:25
7th - Matt Mauseth (MN) tech. fall Mikey Swigart (CO), 11-0, 1:36

Cadet National Freestyle Championships

145 pounds
1st – Eren Civan (MD) dec. Josh Stalcup (OR), 3-2, ot, 4:18
3rd – Eric Medina (NJ)dec. Brent Haynes (MO), 9-0
5th – George Bancroft (FL) dec. Matt Mauseth (MN), 5-2
7th – Brian Letters (PA) dec. Brad Sweet (WA), 6-1

Junior National Women’s Championship

95 lbs.
1st - Nicole Woody (MD) by tech. fall over Amy Whitbeck (NY), 12-0
3rd - Vanity Vasquez (FL) by fall over Lene Wood (TX), 5:18
5th - Helen Timmons (TX) by fall over Deanie Panganoran (CA), 2:49
7th - Shelby Stevens (MI)

148 lbs.
1st - Vanessa Oswalt (OH) dec.Amberlee Ebert (WI), 3-2
3rd - Elena Pirozhkov (CT) dec. Paige Rife (MI), 5-0
5th - Lindsey Brooks (TX) pin Ashlee Evan-Smith (CA), 1:23
7th - Shelia McCabe (CA) dec. Leila Maloff (FL), 12-9

220 lbs.
1st – Lakia Henderson (FL)
2nd- Paloma Basulto (CA)
3rd - Lauren Birks (TX)

About the Palm Beach County CODP

The Palm Beach County Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) is a community outreach collaboration between the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), national governing bodies and the Palm Beach County Sports Institute in which young athletes are introduced to Olympic sports through community-based initiatives. Through this collaboration, motivated and talented athletes receive high quality training, coaching and competitive opportunities they otherwise would not receive. For further information regarding the CODP please visit www.pbccodp.com or contact Teneka James-Phillips at (561) 233-3121, tphillips@palmbeachsports.com.

###