Three local wrestlers competed last week in the Cadet Freestyle national championships at Fargo, N.D.
Brock Crocker went 2-2 in the 130-pound class, winning his first match 5-0, 3-1, losing his second 1-7, 5-12, winning his third 3-3, 6-0, 3-0, then losing his fourth match 4-6, 1-4.
In the 119-pound division, Kris Newport won his first match by a fall (1:21), then lost the next two on decisions.
Taylor Tagle, at 105 pounds, lost both his matches .
“I think it’s very important that people know this is no vacation,” said Sweet Home Wrestling Coach Steve Thorpe. “They trained to get there. They earned their spot in April and spent June and July training, wrestling against some of the best wrestlers in the country.
“I’m very proud of how they competed and how they represented us,” he added. “It goes without saying that this will only make them better for next year.”
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In the women’s Junior Nationals at Fargo, Laura Gourley, who will be a junior next year at Sweet Home High School, won her first two matches and lost by one point in the third round to the wrestler who took third place in the nation. She finished sixth after losing in overtime in the fifth/sixth match.
Gourley earned All-American honors for the fourth time in two years.