Home is Where Henry's Heart is
U.S. national champ Cejudo still unsure about college
PITTSBURGH, PA. — In a season when Henry Cejudo dealt with wrestling in foreign lands, the native of Arizona and current resident of Colorado may have also felt unfamiliar in his home country — or at least on the mat at the University of Pittsburgh Field House — for the Dapper Dan Classic, March 26.
For when Cejudo defeated Brian Polashuk, Pa., 6-4, in the 32nd annual event between all-stars of the United States and the top preps from the state of Pennsylvania, it marked just the 24th time Cejudo has wrestled folkstyle over the past five months.
“This stuff (high school folkstyle) is new to me. I wrestled high school but I spent half the season wrestling in international tournaments,” said Cejudo, who moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., and the USA Wrestling Training Facility last summer after earning a spot on the
national team that toured Europe this winter. “I kept on improving and ended up being the Junior world champ and was doing good on the senior level so (USA Wrestling) decided to take me.” So before Cejudo won a fourth state championship — his second for Coronado High School this year after capturing two Arizona titles for Maryvale High School in Phoenix — the senior also traveled to Russia, where he split two matches: one in the Junior Worlds where he lost to the eventual champ and in a dual meet with the home country, which Cejudo won.
Going into the recent U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, Cejudo was ranked fifth at 121 pounds, which also means that USA Wrestling’s gain appears to be college wrestling’s loss.
Cejudo, who lives with his older brother Angel — ranked ninth at 132 pounds — at the training center, is considering bypassing college wrestling to focus on freestyle.
“I take it one year at a time, but if I want to be the best, I have to stick to the Olympic style of wrestling,” said Henry, who captured the 121-pound U.S. National freestyle title in Las Vegas, April 15. (See page 45 for complete story on his victory over Matt Azevedo.)
The younger Cejudo moved to Colorado Springs at the request of Olympic medalist Patricia Miranda.
“Patricia went down to Phoenix to train there for a couple days and Townsend Saunders asked me to come in and work out with her,” said Henry, who is also a member of the Sunkist Wrestling Club. “The next thing I knew is that I got a phone call from her asking me to come (to Colorado Springs).
“I actually went down there to train with Patricia Miranda because I was so small and fast and because I wrestle like the Japanese.”
Henry said he will count on recommendations from his family and USA coach Terry Brands on whether he chooses to wrestle in college.
“I’m working out with nothing but the best; the best coaches, the best training partners. It pushes you to the next three levels,” Henry said. “There is high school and there is college and then there is freestyle. Right now I’m on the freestyle open level.”
Regarding the Dapper Dan, the U.S. won 10 of 13 matches.
One of the Pennsylvania victories came at 140 pounds where Garrett Scott pinned Curtis Salazar.
Scott, a three-time state champion from Juanita Valley High School, was suspended from his team this year for disciplinary reasons and did not compete at the state tournament.
“Not being able to wrestle in Hershey [at the PIAA] was an incentive for me to come out here to make a statement,” Scott told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“I just went in there and wrestled like I knew I could. I figured it would be nice to finish out my senior season with a win like I wanted to at the state tournament.”
(You can also read this article by subscribing to W.I.N. Magazine. Either contact our office at 1-888-305-0606 or subscribe through this website by selecting the “Subscribe” section on our front page.)