Gary
Abbott/USA Wrestling
The
ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships
are considered the most prestigious youth wrestling
events in the nation. Dubbed the “world’s
largest wrestling tournament,” this competition
has helped develop numerous athletes who have
gone on to win World and Olympic medals for the
United States, as well as national titles on the
college level.
Up
to 4,500 wrestlers from 49 different states will
compete at the event, spread on over 20 mats on
the floor of the FargoDome on the campus of North
Dakota State. Two styles of wrestling will be
competed at both the Cadet and Junior levels:
Greco-Roman and freestyle. Women will compete
in freestyle only.
- Greco-Roman
competition will take place July 22-25,
- men’s
freestyle will compete July 26-29
- and
women’s action will be held July 24-26.
This
will be the 5th year that a women’s division
will be featured at the Junior Nationals. For
the 2nd time, USA Wrestling will host a Women’s
Junior National Dual Meet Championships.
Numerous
champions from 2005 are expected to return to
Fargo this year to seek more titles for their
trophy case. In each division, there are some
athletes who
are back defending their gold medals. In some
cases, athletes who were Cadet champions last
year have moved up to the Junior division to make
their name at a new level.
The
Junior Nationals include the nation’s best
athletes in grades 9-12 competing in both international
styles.
The
top 15- and 16-year old wrestlers in the United
States will battle in freestyle and Greco-Roman
for national titles and All-American honors at
the Cadet
National Championships.
To
be eligible for Junior competition for both men
and women, a wrestler must be born Sept. 1, 1986
or later and be enrolled in grades 9-12 during
the 2006 Spring semester. Only wrestlers born
in 1990 or 1991 are eligible to compete at the
Cadet level. |
