There are currently two other divisions which are contested at this annual competition: Kids (ages 9-14) and Cadet (ages 15-16). The Junior division is for wrestlers who are currently enrolled in grades 9-12, and features the best high school wrestlers in the nation.
"USA Wrestling strives to provide quality wrestling opportunities for America's youth and the Junior Folkstyle Nationals is sure to be just that," stated USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender on the addition of this event. "We are proud to add this event to our National Events Program."
Folkstyle is the American-style of wrestling, also known as scholastic or collegiate style. This form of wrestling is only practiced in the United States.
With the addition of a USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle National Championships, USA Wrestling will now institute a Triple Crown award for the Junior division. Any wrestler who wins USA Wrestling national titles in all three styles (folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman) during the same year will receive this outstanding honor.
2004 Olympic gold medalist and Iowa State Univ. assistant coach Cael Sanderson will be in Cedar Falls to hand out awards to the placewinners. While a competitor at Iowa State, Sanderson became the first collegiate wrestler to finish his career undefeated (159-0) with four NCAA titles.
The final two legs of the Junior Triple Crown, the 2006 ASICS/Vaughan Junior Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships, will be held in Fargo, N.D., July 23-29.
Currently, USA Wrestling recognizes Triple Crown winners in the Kids and Cadet age levels. The USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals is the first leg of the Triple Crown in these three age divisions. This is one of the most sought-after awards within USA Wrestling.
The USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals has developed into one of the most important events on the annual Kids wrestling calendar.
The tournament marks the conclusion of USA Wrestling's Ultimate Challenge Series of Folkstyle Wrestling, an 11-event series of major youth competitions around the nation. At the conclusion of the USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals, nine "Dominator Belts" as well as the prestigious "Ultimate Dominator" award are presented to the most successful athletes in this program.
USA Wrestling now annually recognizes all champions from each Kids National Championship as members of USA Wrestling's Kids National Team at the conclusion of each events season.
For more information on the Folkstyle National Championships for the Kids, Cadet or Junior levels, contact USA Wrestling Director of National Events Pete Isais at (719) 598-8181 or by e-mail at pisais@usawrestling.org.
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