Wisconsin's Jesse Thielke wins Ultimate Dominator Award to cap final day of ASICS/USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
04/01/2007
Kids, Cadet, Junior Folkstyle Special Section
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – It was the biggest turnout in the history of the ASICS/USA Wrestling Folkstyle National Championships.
And as the last mats were rolled up early Sunday afternoon, the three-day event had to be considered nothing short of a success.
There were a total of 113 national champions crowned in seven different age divisions over the weekend as a busy and entertaining tournament of wrestling concluded Sunday at the UNI-Dome. A record 2,145 contestants strapped on singlets and competed in the event.
The tournament finished Sunday with the final Kids champions being crowned in the Bantam, Midget, Novice and Schoolboy divisions.
The tournament concluded with Wisconsin’s Jesse Thielke winning the Ultimate Dominator Award as the top point scorer in USA Wrestling’s ASICS Ultimate Challenge Series.
The popular youth folkstyle series, in its 5th season, includes ten quality events. It culminates each year with USA Wrestling’s Folkstyle National Championships in Cedar Falls. The Ultimate Challenge Series runs from October through April.
Thielke, a Triple Crown winner last year in the Schoolboy division, won the first nine events of the Ultimate Challenge Series this season. He then placed second to double Cadets National champion Ryan Mango of Missouri on Saturday afternoon at the Folkstyle Nationals. Mango edged Thielke 11-9 in a thrilling finals match in the Cadet class at 98 pounds.
Thielke won the Ultimate Dominator Award with 16,800 points. Thielke also won Division 4 of the Ultimate Challenge Series with his total of 16,800. Ryne Cokeley of Kansas was second in Division 4 with 12,000 points and Hunter Weber of Wisconsin was third with 11,900.
Blake Glogouski of Indiana won Division I with 9,800 points, followed by Nathan Walton of Indiana with 8,800 and Brayton Lee of Indiana with 8,700. In Division 2, Michael Johnson Jr. of Illinois was first with 15,000 points, James Rothwell of Colorado was second with 10,400 and Austin Reynolds of California third with 8,600. Johnson won the Ultimate Dominator Award in 2006.
Noah Teaney of Missouri won Division 3 of the Ultimate Challenge Series with 11,600 points. Jordan Wigger of South Carolina was second with 8,500 and Travis Hasselbeck of Louisiana was third with 5,500