Whirlwhind tour
Tom Fasano
Miles Lowe can't get enough of wrestling.
Last weekend the junior-to-be at Eaton High School was in Topeka, Kan., where he placed third in Greco-Roman and Freestyle at the Southern Plains Regionals.
Before that, Lowe, 16, placed second at 186 pounds at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Denver in March. In February, Lowe completed a 28-11 season on varsity, losing 4-2 to eventual state champion Tom
Kutzner of Olathe in the Class 3A high school wrestling state quarterfinals at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
In July, Lowe will wrestle in the Fargo Asics Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
Lowe and about 800 other wrestlers are calling the University of Northern Colorado's Butler-Hancock Hall their home this week. The competition started with Greco-Roman matches Tuesday and today and continues with Freestyle competition Thursday through Saturday in the five-day 2004 USA Wrestling Pepsi National Cadet Dual Meet Championships.
The 5-foot-11, 184-pound Lowe, who won his first match against a Florida wrestler on a forfeit, loves to be on the mat. He was 4-0 on the day with two technical falls and two forfeits.
"I enjoy the sport. This is what I do. The more I practice at it, the better I get," said Lowe, who also lettered on the offensive line for the 2A state runners-up Reds last season.
"I love football and wrestling because they're high-contact sports. The more velocity in the sport, the more I like it."
Lowe said the atmosphere of wrestling in the offseason is a lot more relaxed than during the prep season.
"High school puts a lot more pressure on you. Here you just go out and do the best you can," said Lowe, who wants to be a nuclear physicist. "As long as you can come off the mat saying you did the best, then you're all right."
Lowe, who is wrestling Greco-Roman for the Colorado Gold team and Freestyle for Colorado Silver during the tournament, can see the change in his wrestling skills from last year at this time to this summer.
"There is a total difference between myself at the beginning of the season and the end of this season," Lowe said. "You just get faster, and you know your moves better."
Lowe enjoys socializing with wrestlers from other states at these kind of tournaments.
"I've got a friend from Florida who I always talk to. Wrestlers have a great environment, and we're friends with everybody," Lowe said. "I talk to kids from Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas. I talk to them all. I'll ask, 'How's the weather out in Montana?' You always see them at the next tournament."
UNC wrestling coach Jack Maughan said USA Wrestling really brings wrestlers closer together.
"Kids who wrestle a lot of these events become good friends," Maughan said. "They're talking on the Internet, and some decide they want to go to school together."
Lowe has set high expectations for the upcoming high school season at Eaton.
"I expect to be in the state championships and take state," said Lowe without hesitation. "That is my goal."
UNC's Maughan said setting up for a five-day, national tournament is the hardest part. Maughan said the 60-plus teams from 23 states total more than 800 wrestlers. Add 200 to 250 coaches and officials, 500 to 600 fans per day and UNC is one hopping place.
"Most of the work has been done before it gets started," said Maughan, who said this is the third straight year UNC has played host to the tournament. "It used to be right during the Stampede. It makes it a lot better that we're not overlapping."
Maughan said half the teams are staying in Greeley hotels and half stay on the UNC campus.
"It's all out-of-town money," Maughan said.
When Florida's Devin Todd stepped off the plane Monday, the 15-year-old who lives 30 minutes from Orlando, Fla., expected to see sunshine. He couldn't believe it when he saw it raining.
"This is my first time here. (Monday) it was all rainy and stuff," Todd said. "It's turned out pretty good today. It's a little cool for me being in Florida. I normally like the warmer weather."
All wrestlers in the 15-16 age group tournament must qualify for their respective teams. The tournament is held in conjunction with Colorado USA Wrestling and is being sponsored by Pepsi.
"We're getting the best kids in each state, and they all had to qualify to get on these teams in every state," Maughan said.
Northridge sophomore-to-be Terence Salazar, who went 17-14 for the Grizzlies at 130 pounds last season, is trying to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Derrick. Derrick placed second at state in 4A for the Grizzlies at 130 pounds his junior year before transferring and placing fifth in 3A at 135 pounds for Valley in February. Derrick will walk on and wrestle at UNC.
Terence, wrestling for Colorado Gold in Greco-Roman, lost his first match in a 10-0 technical fall to Todd of Florida.
"Right off the bat I was after him. Once I had the feel of him, I knew what I could hit and what I couldn't hit. It just fell all into place," Todd said of his 152-pound match with Terence.
Terence said he had his head up too high the entire match.
"I just needed to watch out for the headlock," Terence said. "He caught me twice and teched me."
Fifteen-year-old Jacob Steffens (91 pounds) of Greeley is also competing in the tournament. Steffens, who will be an eighth-grader at Heath Middle School, lost his first match on a technical fall by a Florida 152-pounder.
Collegiate style wrestling is used during the high school season. Terence Salazar likes the difference between Greco-Roman and Freestyle.
"Freestyle is good with your takedowns, and Greco is good with your upper body because you can't touch the legs or use them," Salazar said.
Wrestlers from Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Oregon, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, New Jersey, Idaho, Florida and Utah are competing in the tournament.
2004 USA Wrestling Pepsi National Cadet Dual Meet Championships (Ages 15-16)
Butler-Hancock Hall on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado
The Greco-Roman part of the tournament ends tonight at 9:30.
Freestyle competition begins at noon Thursday and continues until 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
(Adults) All-tournament prices are $35. All-session Greco-Roman ($15). All-session Freestyle ($20). Single-day ($5). Evening only ($2). (Students) All-tournament prices are $20. All-session Greco-Roman ($10). All-session Freestyle ($10). Single day ($5). Evening only ($2). Children 10 and under get in for free.