2008 Intermountain Champions Announced

 

In its second year, the Intermountain Champion Series doubled in size, adding two more tournaments in Idaho and Utah, and recognizing outstanding athletes two per age division.

 

"It's been an exciting year, with a lot more people showing interest in the Intermountain Champion Series," said series co-founder Bill Kilpack of Sandy, Utah-based Mountain Top Wrestling Club.  "I love having the wrestlers come up and tell me how bad they want one of those eagle trophies and asking me when the points will be updated again."

 

The two new tournaments added in 2008 were the Box Elder tournament in Brigham City, Utah., and the Kuna Classic in Idaho.  The Intermountain Champion awards were also awarded two per age division: upper weights and lower weights.

 

"We're continuing with our plan to start small and build each year," said co-founder Lani Wall of Meridian, Idaho-based Idaho Express Wrestling Club.  "Last year, we recognized one Intermountain Champion in each age division.  This year, we're recognizing two, breaking up each age division into upper and lower weights.  In one division, we had a couple ties, so we recognized both."

 

The 2008 Intermountain Champions are

• Flyweight/Pre-Bantam Division (ages 6 and Under)

  • Lower Weights

    • Cooper Cox of Bluffdale, Uta., wrestling with Pioneers of Wrestling

  • Upper Weights

    • Christopher Smith of Murray, Uta., wrestling with Mountain Top Wrestling Club

• Bantam Division (ages 7 and 8)

  • Lower Weights

    • Jed Lee of Draper, Uta., wrestling with Pride Wrestling

  • Upper Weights

    • Justyn Ribald of West Jordan, Uta., wrestling with Vandit

• Midget Division (ages 9 and 10)

  • Lower Weights

    • Cole Moody of West Jordan, Uta., wrestling with Pride Wrestling

  • Upper Weights

    • Helaman Suesue of Salt Lake City, Uta., wrestling with Pride Wrestling

• Novice Division (ages 11 and 12)

  • Lower Weights

    • Matt Lee of Draper, Uta., wrestling with Pride Wrestling

    • Chris Wengreen of Hyrum, Uta., wrestling with Pony Express

  • Upper Weights

    • Payton Henry of Pleasant Grove, Uta., wrestling with TUG

    • Tristan Jarboe of Boise, Ida., wrestling with Idaho Gold

• Schoolboy Division (ages 13 and 14)

  • Lower Weights

    • William Kilpack of Sandy, Uta., wrestling with Mountain Top Wrestling Club

  • Upper Weights

    • Jacob Ribald of West Jordan, Uta., wrestling with Vandit

• Cadet Division (ages 15 and 16)

  • Lower Weights

    • Jacob Falk of West Jordan, Uta., wrestling with Vandit

  • Upper Weights

    • Clint Jacob of Pleasant Grove, Uta., wrestling with Elite

• Junior Division (ages 17 and 18)

  • Lower Weights

    • Trae Bennett of Plain City, Uta., wrestling with Elite

  • Uppwer Weights

    • Alex Nicholes of Pleasant Grove, Uta., wrestling with TUG

Of note is that four of the recipients are repeats from the first year of the series.  Jed and Matt Lee were both Intermountain Champions for their age divisions in 2007, as was William Kilpack and Jacob Falk.

 

To be eligible for the Intermountain Champion Series awards, athletes must participate in at least two of the four tournaments.  Points are awarded for placing first through sixth, as well as being named an Outstanding Wrestler or receiving an award for Fastest Pin.

 

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.

Intermountain Champion Series • P.O. Box 1418 • West Jordan, UT 84084 • (801) 641-9832 • E-Mail