Wrestler of the Week – J.J. Krutsinger
Waterloo Columbus 125-pounder dumps Clark, runs streak to 48
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) High School won the team title in the 32nd annual Keith Young Tournament at Cedar Falls (Iowa) High Dec. 2.
The team race wasn’t bad, but the match everybody was talking about was the 125-pound final, where J.J. Krutsinger of Waterloo Columbus High squared off against two-time national champion Tyler Clark of Bettendorf High.
Clark, a three-time Class A state finalist at Orion (Ill.) High, was a Cadet National freestyle champion in 2005 and the NHSCA Junior Nationals champion last spring. Krutsinger was 44-0 last season, winning his first Class AA state title and is set to return at 125 for the third consecutive year.
Krutsinger was voted the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler after upending Clark, 4-2, for the championship.
He was in complete command throughout, scoring the match’s only takedown 26 seconds into the first period. Clark escaped to make it 2-1 after one period and added another in the second to tie the match at 2-2. But Krutsinger, starting on the bottom in the third period, reversed Clark 23 seconds into the period and rode him out to complete the victory.
“I was excited and pumped to wrestle him after I found out he was going 125 at this tournament,” Krustinger told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. “I just laid it all on the line and I wasn’t going to give it up. The Takedown early was huge. It gave me a big momentum boost.”
Unlike Clark, who has signed with Iowa State, Krutsinger hasn’t attracted much interest from Division 1 coaches. He hopes the victory over Clark will change that.
“I just want to show everyone out there — all the colleges — that I’m here and I can wrestle,” Krutsinger told the Courier.
It will probably be the last meeting between the two, since Clark will be headed to the 3A state meet, likely at 119.
Both wrestlers pinned all their opponents prior to the finals: Clark flattening three opponents and Krutsinger two after a first-round bye. Krutsinger’s two pins took just a combined 1 minute, 13 seconds.
Waverly-Shell Rock, the 2005 3A double champion and ranked No. 2 this season, trailed Bettendorf entering the final round. Krutsinger’s big win provided a little help, but for the most part the Go-Hawks didn’t need it. Waverly-Shell Rock went 5-for-5 in the finals, including two head-to-head victories over Bettendorf. The Bulldogs lost their first four championship bouts and didn’t get a win until Iowa recruit Jordan Johnson (Heavyweight), an Illinois Class AA champion last season at Naperville North High, scored a pin in the tournament’s final match. That just made the final count closer as Waverly-Shell Rock prevailed, 203-191.5. Defending Class A champion Gilbertville Don Bosco High, ranked No. 1 in that classification again this year, finished third with 152. The Dons were in the race until losing six of seven in the semifinals.
Nationally-ranked juniors Mark Ballweg (130) and Eric Thompson (215) were other Go-Hawks to win titles. So was Iowa recruit Brodie Ambrose (189) of Eldridge North Scott High, who pinned all three of his opponents. Johnson also accomplished the feat, racking up four falls.
Honorable mention…
Chase opens eyes at Ironman
Until last weekend, sophomore Jimmy Chase of Carol Stream (Ill.) Glenbard North High’s only real claim to fame was being the younger brother of multi-time girls Junior National champion Caitlyn Chase.
Under the radar as the stars shined brightly at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational last weekend, Chase finished third in one of the tournament’s toughest weight classes, 119 pounds. He started his run in the quarterfinals, beating Illinois’ top-ranked wrestler, Carson Beebe of Lombard Montini High, 5-1. Amazingly, Chase pinned Beebe in the sectional semifinals last season, but Beebe finished third in state the next week, while Chase lost in the first round at state and was eliminated after a 12-loss season. And Chase already had a loss this season as well, albeit up a weight at 125; losing 3-1 in overtime to Cadet National place-winner Izzy Montemayor of Fox Lake Grant High.
After a semifinal loss, Chase rebounded to win third place over a pair of wrestlers who had three state championships between them: Luis Burgos of Camden Wyoming (Del.) Caesar Rodney High (4-1) and two-time North Carolina 4A champion Travis Coffey of Boone Watauga High (7-4).
We know the likes of David Taylor, Kellen Russell, Cody Gardner, et. al. will be in the national spotlight all season. We don’t know whether Chase will even finish in his state’s top three – but last weekend he was top 3 in the nation.
Not bad.
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) High School won the team title in the 32nd annual Keith Young Tournament at Cedar Falls (Iowa) High Dec. 2.
The team race wasn’t bad, but the match everybody was talking about was the 125-pound final, where J.J. Krutsinger of Waterloo Columbus High squared off against two-time national champion Tyler Clark of Bettendorf High.
Clark, a three-time Class A state finalist at Orion (Ill.) High, was a Cadet National freestyle champion in 2005 and the NHSCA Junior Nationals champion last spring. Krutsinger was 44-0 last season, winning his first Class AA state title and is set to return at 125 for the third consecutive year.
Krutsinger was voted the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler after upending Clark, 4-2, for the championship.
He was in complete command throughout, scoring the match’s only takedown 26 seconds into the first period. Clark escaped to make it 2-1 after one period and added another in the second to tie the match at 2-2. But Krutsinger, starting on the bottom in the third period, reversed Clark 23 seconds into the period and rode him out to complete the victory.
“I was excited and pumped to wrestle him after I found out he was going 125 at this tournament,” Krustinger told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. “I just laid it all on the line and I wasn’t going to give it up. The Takedown early was huge. It gave me a big momentum boost.”
Unlike Clark, who has signed with Iowa State, Krutsinger hasn’t attracted much interest from Division 1 coaches. He hopes the victory over Clark will change that.
“I just want to show everyone out there — all the colleges — that I’m here and I can wrestle,” Krutsinger told the Courier.
It will probably be the last meeting between the two, since Clark will be headed to the 3A state meet, likely at 119.
Both wrestlers pinned all their opponents prior to the finals: Clark flattening three opponents and Krutsinger two after a first-round bye. Krutsinger’s two pins took just a combined 1 minute, 13 seconds.
Waverly-Shell Rock, the 2005 3A double champion and ranked No. 2 this season, trailed Bettendorf entering the final round. Krutsinger’s big win provided a little help, but for the most part the Go-Hawks didn’t need it. Waverly-Shell Rock went 5-for-5 in the finals, including two head-to-head victories over Bettendorf. The Bulldogs lost their first four championship bouts and didn’t get a win until Iowa recruit Jordan Johnson (Heavyweight), an Illinois Class AA champion last season at Naperville North High, scored a pin in the tournament’s final match. That just made the final count closer as Waverly-Shell Rock prevailed, 203-191.5. Defending Class A champion Gilbertville Don Bosco High, ranked No. 1 in that classification again this year, finished third with 152. The Dons were in the race until losing six of seven in the semifinals.
Nationally-ranked juniors Mark Ballweg (130) and Eric Thompson (215) were other Go-Hawks to win titles. So was Iowa recruit Brodie Ambrose (189) of Eldridge North Scott High, who pinned all three of his opponents. Johnson also accomplished the feat, racking up four falls.
Honorable mention…
Chase opens eyes at Ironman
Until last weekend, sophomore Jimmy Chase of Carol Stream (Ill.) Glenbard North High’s only real claim to fame was being the younger brother of multi-time girls Junior National champion Caitlyn Chase.
Under the radar as the stars shined brightly at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Invitational last weekend, Chase finished third in one of the tournament’s toughest weight classes, 119 pounds. He started his run in the quarterfinals, beating Illinois’ top-ranked wrestler, Carson Beebe of Lombard Montini High, 5-1. Amazingly, Chase pinned Beebe in the sectional semifinals last season, but Beebe finished third in state the next week, while Chase lost in the first round at state and was eliminated after a 12-loss season. And Chase already had a loss this season as well, albeit up a weight at 125; losing 3-1 in overtime to Cadet National place-winner Izzy Montemayor of Fox Lake Grant High.
After a semifinal loss, Chase rebounded to win third place over a pair of wrestlers who had three state championships between them: Luis Burgos of Camden Wyoming (Del.) Caesar Rodney High (4-1) and two-time North Carolina 4A champion Travis Coffey of Boone Watauga High (7-4).
We know the likes of David Taylor, Kellen Russell, Cody Gardner, et. al. will be in the national spotlight all season. We don’t know whether Chase will even finish in his state’s top three – but last weekend he was top 3 in the nation.
Not bad.