Wrestling USA Magazine: July 13, 2007

Kilpack Utah's USA Wrestling Freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American

(Sandy, Utah) July 13, 2007 — Twelve-year-old William Kilpack of Sandy was named All-American by USA Wrestling in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the Kids National Championships held in Green Bay, Wis., July 6-7, 2007. He was the only Utahn to be so named in the tournament.

Kilpack, who just completed his sixth-grade year at Sunrise Elementary School, was the runner-up in freestyle in the 90-pound weight class in the Novice Division (11 and 12 year olds) at the USA Wrestling Kids Nationals, and placed fourth in the Greco-Roman tournament. The top eight placers received All-American honors.

Kilpack said, "It was a tough tournament with tough competition. I had a couple quick pins, but most of them were really tough matches."

Earlier in the season, Kilpack was crowned champion in both styles in the 90-pound weight class at the USA Wrestling Western Regional Championships held in Klamath Falls, Ore., in June. In Oregon, he wrestled 15 matches, and won 14 of them by fall or technical fall (gaining a six-point lead in two of three rounds). This followed taking gold medals in freestyle and Greco-Roman at both the USA Wrestling-Utah and AAU Wrestling Utah state championships in April and early May.

Kilpack said, "I'm very excited to have placed so high at nationals. It means that I'm one of the best in the country and I'm very proud of that. It just goes to show how much I've grown and improved since two years ago."

In 2005, he placed sixth in both styles in the Midget division (ages 9 and 10). That year, he was Utah's only USA Wrestling All-American, also. He did not compete at USA Wrestling Kids Nationals in 2006 because he was in England and Scotland, representing Utah and the United States as a Student Ambassador.

Kilpack is a member of Mountain Top Wrestling Club, a nonprofit organization operating through Salt Lake County Rec, practicing at Jordan High School. Coach and father Bill Kilpack (III) said, "William has all the potential in the world and, despite all that he's done already, is really just starting to take off as an athlete. He was the only one to win a round by technical superiority against the freestyle champion, and pinned or teched every other opponent. In Greco-Roman, he opened the tournament with an eight-second fall (his fastest ever), then came out in his second match with a seven-second fall. He has been really good for a long time but, this year, I think he's looked better than ever. He got to pay back the kid who kept him out of the finals in Greco by beating him by technical fall in freestyle, 6-0, 7-0, then got to pay back a kid who beat him twice in Green Bay two years ago, teching him 8-2, 6-0. He had an amazing tournament."

Kilpack has been recognized by the club coaching staff as one of the team's Outstanding Wrestlers each of the past seven years. He is currently ranked as the top Novice-division wrestler in Utah (regardless of weight) and the top Kids-division wrestler in the state (ages four to 14, regardless of weight). He is already a five-time national champion (the fifth earned in June in folkstyle at the AAU Grand Nationals in Butte, Mont.), a five-time national runner-up (two of those also at Butte, in freestyle and Greco-Roman), an eight-time state champion and a seven-time silver medalist at state. He has won nine championships at the Utah Summer Games. He was also named the Intermountain Champion for the Novice division in the first ever Intermountain Champion Series, the award to be presented at the Utah All-Stars dual against the Ohio All-Stars next week, where he will be representing Utah for the second time. In February 2005, Utah Sports Magazine recognized him as one of Utah's Best. At the age of 12, he has wrestled more than 640 matches, winning 515 of them.

He said, "Wrestling is a tough sport, but I love it. You need to be able to withstand hard contact and keep going. It takes a lot of effort in practice to be able to keep going without running out of gas."

Kilpack will be competing at the State Games of America in Colorado Springs, Colo., in early August, a biannual national tournament where those competing had to place at their state's respective summer games. He won national titles in both freestyle and folkstyle at this tournament two years ago.

Kilpack will be a seventh-grader at Indian Hills Middle School in the new school year. He said he wants to one day wrestle in the Olympics and wrestle the Pan-Am Games. He said, "Doing well at wrestling can open up lots of things for me, like college scholarships, and going to a good college can make sure I have a good job when I don't wrestle anymore." He said he wants to grow up to be a surgeon.

Kilpack is also a skilled gymnast and football player. Last year, in his first year playing football, he earned his place on a division championship team, starting at halfback and linebacker, and returning punts and kicks. He was the team's leading scorer on offense, and the team's leading tackler on defense. Kilpack also plays piano and cello.

Mountain Top Wrestling Club is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to providing a venue for individuals to learn, develop and refine their athletic skills and abilities; and teaching the rules and regulations of freestyle, folkstyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. It is open to male and female athletes ages four and older who live anywhere in the State of Utah. Practices are held three days a week at Jordan High School. For more information, call 641-9832, e-mail coach@mountaintopwrestling.com or visit them on the Worldwide Web at www.mountaintopwrestling.com.

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