Mountain Top Wrestling Club Hosting Tournament — 5th Annual Mountain Top Classic

(Sandy, Utah) Feb. 20, 2009 ¾ Mountain Top Wrestling Club is hosting the fifth annual Mountain Top Classic freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling tournament March 6–7, 2009, at Jordan High School.  Greco-Roman competition will be on Friday, March 6, and freestyle competition will be on Saturday, March 7.  Athletes from all around Utah and past competitors have come from as many as eight states. 

“We're very excited about the Mountain Top Classic,” said Coach Bill Kilpack (III), the tournament director.  “It has really grown from the first year we held it to being one of the biggest freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments in the Intermountain West.  I'm looking forward to packing the place with high-caliber wrestlers."

That is why the Mountain Top Classic is part of the Intermountain Champion Series.  The Intermountain Champion Series was created to recognized the finest wrestlers in the Intermountain West.  The goal is to give freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers similar opportunities through USA Wrestling-sanctioned tournaments as are offered in a lot of big private folkstyle tournaments held around the country.  Kilpack, who co-founded the series, said, "We have a very high caliber of wrestler in the Intermountain West.  The series was created to give them the recognition they deserve for their excellence in the international styles of wrestling, freestyle and Greco-Roman."

Of the Mountain Top Classic, Kilpack said, "Being a wrestling parent, as well as a coach, I got to hear what my kids thought was cool at other tournaments we attended around the country.  In the end, we figured that we'd see if we could run a tournament with all the best stuff we learned from those years of competition."

The Mountain Top Classic will award the top three teams in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments based on a 10-man team roster.  The tournament will also award the top six athletes in each weight class in eight age groups.  Outstanding Wrestlers will be named for each age division in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, and a Fastest Pin Award will also be awarded in each style.

The tournament will also offer a Women's Division, allowing female athletes to compete in both the men's division and the women's division at no additional charge.  Kilpack said, "I've had female athletes in my club for many years now, so we've seen how some of the national women's tournaments have run in conjunction with the main tournament.  There are at least a dozen colleges with women's wrestling programs now.  It's in the Olympics.  It will continue to progress."

The Mountain Top Classic is an open tournament.  Weigh-ins for the Greco-Roman tournament are from 4–6 p.m. on Friday, March 6.  Wrestling will begin at 7 p.m.  Athletes competing in the Greco-Roman tournament will not have to weigh in again for the freestyle tournament the next day.  Unlike other states, athletes of any age are eligible to compete in Greco-Roman in Utah.  Weigh-ins for the freestyle tournament are from 6:30–8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 7.  Wrestling will begin at 9:30 a.m.  Entry fees are $10 per style and preregistration is now open. 

"A cool little feature with preregistration is our tournament t-shirts," Kilpack said.  "With preregistration, we can have the names of those preregistered on the shirts.  Not only can the wrestlers buy a cool tournament shirt, but they can show that they were actually there, with their names on the back."

All athletes must have a current USA Wrestling Card and copy of his or her birth certificate.  Rosters for the team competition must be submitted by 6:45 p.m. on Friday evening and at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday morning in order to pursue team trophies.  Teams must also provide two certified mat officials with proof of 2009 USWOA certification in order to be eligible for team competition. 

Wrestlers must have a red and a blue singlet or a red-blue reversible singlet.  They must also have a handkerchief and bound shoe laces.  Coaches must have a current USA Wrestling Coaches Card.

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 from 5:30–7 p.m. 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.

For more tournament information, go to www.MountainTopClassic.com.

For more information about the Intermountain Champion series, go to www.IntermountainChampion.com.

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