Wrestling coach lauds efforts of national team

!"Victories were scarce in North Dakota but improvement was abundant, Randy Steen said.

By Tom Glave

Posted: July 28, 2009 at 6:11 a.m.

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BENTONVILLE — BENTONVILLE - Arkansas' first national wrestling team gave a good showing last week in Fargo, N.D.

The team, made up of 21 wrestlers from central and northwest Arkansas, competed in the Junior Freestyle division of the ASICS/ Vaughan Junior & Cadet National Championships.

Little Rock Central junior Tanner Mann picked up the team's first national victory, beating a wrestler from Illinois by decision in the first round of the 119-pound class.

Little Rock Catholic senior Dexter Carter (160 pounds) won two matches at Fargo and Glen Becker (Little Rock Central, 125) and Stash Kuykendall (Fort Smith Southside, 160) also had wins during the double-elimination tournament.

"It went real good," state team and Heritage High coach Randy Steen said. "Of course we didn't fare real well but I think every one of our kids went up and wrestled hard. None of our kids gave up.

"We had some kids go up and won some periods. It's nothing to hang our heads about. Some of our kids are pretty excited about what they have to do to get to that level."

Eight members of the Heritage wrestling team qualified for the national tournament, and although none picked up wins, Steen said it was valuable experience.

"Without a doubt it's going to be very instrumental in how we dothis next year in the folkstyle (high school) season," he said.

"I saw tremendous improvement (this summer). We just had our shoes on a lot longer and that's going to help us. A year ago at this time, (a lot of ) kids didn't even own a pair of (wrestling) shoes."

Steen used Heritage junior Cole Bundy (130) as an example. Bundy went two-and-out at Fargo but won a period and scored more points than he had during this summer's Southern Plains Regional.

"(I told him) 'You did better at nationals than regionals,'" Steen said. "'That means you've been working hard and things are going to come around for you.'

"We had to get them (to nationals) for them to see what it's like. Some of them couldn't wait to get off the bus and get on a mat again and start training."

Heritage sophomore Paxon Fowler (119) and recent Bentonville graduate Christian Schuler (152) were both eliminated by eventual national champions.

The Arkansas team stayed through Saturday's championship matches to watch the nation's best competition.

The Junior Freestyle division is open to wrestlers from ninth grade through recent high school graduates, so most of the Arkansas team will be eligible again next year.

Sports, Pages 5 on 07/28/2009

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