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Show bbHKUAlU lb, 1984 Continued from page Tennis Hopeful 84 Showing Les Rientjes Was Worred For A Time About Rodney Begins Some Solid Tradition By KEITH coaches. He basically said, if anyone wants me at 19. then come and get me. At 19 he ate normal meals and did away ith his dieting. But at the same time, he worked awfully hard to burn off anything he'd eaten as soon as he could. I believe he worked twice as hard this year over last. w DUNCAN Journal Sports CLEARFIELD--Ther- SHADD RAGAN was a fourth place finalist last year and repeated the same feat again this year, despite a nagging shoulder injury. As is meaning, in fuel e colors when you look at all the problems he's that places fourth SCOTT TENNIS in his reign as the coach had to overcome. Anyone ; take your hat off have to two straight years you : here, has had teams finish higher than ninth. to." ; hut he claims this ninth place ranking might be berth by beating Shadd earned a semi-finsomething that will turn the program around Mike Spidham of Hillcrest (10-0- ) and Jody for good. Tucker Nipko Bodero of Woods Cross, Gosh. I hope it means something. Tennis ; Alta knocked him out of the championship of : said as he sat back to watch the championship bracket with a 0 win. Danny Montoya of : round last Saturday night at the Dee Events in the last 0 defeated Ragan A lot of returning lettermen have Bingham : Center. for third and fourth places, but Ragan match : been a part of this thing and hopefully we've never gave in with a shoulder that was killing begun to build some solid tradition." him. r: SOME OF THOSE young wrestlers that PERHAPS the talk of the Clearfield team Tennis aluded to were kids like sophomore was the effort of sophomore Todd Kopecky JT ;Todd Kopecky who surprised a lot of Clear-fiel- d who ended up finishing fourth at 132. Kopecky followers and ended up finishing fourth in won some close and tough matches through the the 132 pound class. Another was junior Merentire three-da- y event. I suppose the real way rill Johnson who gutted his way to a fifth place to judge Todd's improvement is to look at his showing at 138. And there were others that scores with kids last week compared to the didn't place, people like Mark Martinez. De- results earlier in the season. A good example nnis Langford. Gene Smith, and Scott Ferrin would be his very last match for third and who in Tennis' eyes are the bright future of fourth where he lost by a referee's decision to Clearfield wrestling. Jay Simon. Earlier in the year, Grangers But as Tennis thinks about the future, he Kopecky was beaten by that same kid, also bids farewell to a solid group of seniors Tennis said. Kopecky. the younger brother to who helped to turn around the fortunes of e state Doug Kopecky who was a Clearfield wrestling in a fashionable manner. Diedrich Phil Cottonwood beat both of champ, Besides the two underclassmen that placed, and Mike Gerrard of Davis to gain the semithe Falcons saw Wayne Estep grab third at 98. final round. Shad Ragan get a fourth place finish for the The apple of Tennis eye has to be the effort second straight year at 19 and Mike Sorenson that junior Merrill Johnson put forth. It was stake out a fourth place finish at 167. last year as a sophomore that Tennis took IN ALL, Tennis had five wrestlers place at Johnson to a wrestling camp at Alta and said he the coveted state meet. Prior to that, the most got literally embarrassed with Johnson. But he'd ever had was just three. As a team the since that. Merrill has worked, and worked and Falcons chalked up 831: points which was worked. The guy just never gives up. just love r good enough for ninth place but only W: points kids like that, said the coach. Johnson iz:. :out of fifth place. Prior to state, Clearfield fell finished the tournament with a fifth place medzl only once in a dual meet and that came at the al. Johnson was beaten in the opening match y hands of a powerful Hillcrest team who by Russ Perry of Alta but came back to stay finished third in the state title hunt. Then alive with a win over Darren Hammer of Bountiful. z: add a second place in region to that. And outside Estep, Ragan and Sorenson. MIKE SORENSON finished sixth at state a Clearfield will also bid farewell to some more year ago and this season ended up fourth. Had ;H - seniors that did a ton to build the program this it not been for a controversial semi-finmatch include additional seniors Those Dusty year. against Rob Hill of Hillcrest in which Sorenson he could have been in the state finals. ; McMullin, Randy Shelley, Tom Wood and lost Rick Herdt. Hill was the defending state champion and who later defended his state title. WAYNE ESTEP, the fiesty Falcon It could have gone either way, said Ten- had his hopes for a state champion-- z in nis West looking back, But Mike a super leader Jordan ship end when Quito Atwood of : pinned him in the semi-finmatch. Despite the and overcame it to come back and take fourth. fact that Estep had beaten Atwood 1 earlier, He's been the sparkplug of the team all year." : - this time Atwood was in full control. I STILL don t know what happened, said Til : admit," said Estep, "When he took me down Sorenson. I looked on the clock and we were the last time I just gave up. Both Estep and tied 8 but the next thing I know is that they've i his coach felt that he should have been put in an taken a point away from me." Sorenson had opposite bracket than Atwood since Box beaten both Mike Kochevar of Bingham and Elders Ken Smoot came through the other Golden Meier of Cottonwood to gain the semi- side to eventually face Atwood for the title. finalsTennis biggest disappointments in the tour- .. Estep had never lost to Smoot. berth by beating nament were Tom Wood. Rick Herdt and Dus- Estep earned the semi-finKearn's Darren Miller 1 and Cottonwood's ty McMullin not doing better than they did. Eventually Estep came Wood won his first match but was beaten by ;rTed Perryman to take third Mark Romine of Brighton in the second one. bet to ,'back Perryman again, Romine did go on to win the state title. place. 1 BUT RIENTJES' toughest match on the road battle with to the state title was his semi-fina- l Danny Montoya of Brigham. It was there that he claimed a slim 5 win that vaulted him into the finals. "Danny is the toughest guv I've ever gone against. We've tied this ear and I've beat him by two points once and this time bv I." said Rod. Rodney's first two wins were a pin over Rod v iclorv over Simmons of West Jordan and a Jell' Olson of Bountiful. 6-- "AND ILL ADMIT I was worried at times that it wouldn't work. told him before the match that he had to go for the gusto and if "ROD HAS shown a lot of confidence this anything he had to beat his old man's record and he did." said Mr. Rientjes. year," said his father. "When it's conic right down to the wire, he's been mentally readv. I In the tense and close match with Nipko. He was his took and time suppose the only regret I've got is that Rodney Rientjes patient. scored the first takedow n with 48 seconds into is my last boy. He's made my life so enjoyable the first period. 1 took my time and didn't to this point and I believe I'm really going to make a stupid move like I did last year in the miss not having another wrestler in the semis." said Rodney. family." Coach Mike Hansen, proud as a peacock of THE REMAINDER of Rientjes' points came his state champion too. pointed out. "Rodin the second round where he scored an ney's main asset is his competitive drive. When he gets mad at himself it just fuels that escape, another takedown and an escape. Nipko had cut weight and dropped from 126 w here drive ten times more. he competed the year before. "ITS NICE too to have another state chamAfter the victory Rodney was in a daze and pion for our school. It proves to the other kids admitted that it might take 30 years before he that despite the fact that wrestling is getting could start bragging about this one. "For then. much tougher these days, a guy. from our I was just glad it was all over. he said. ranks can still get the job done." 6-- 0 1 1 6-- 12-1- 15-0- ." two-tim- Clearfield's Wayne Estep gave the Falcon's their highest individual place, a third at 98 pounds. But four others placed within the top 6. 1 Recreation Dept. Sponsors Freestyle Wrestling Club 1 even-tuall- al 8-- ' Come and join the Clearfield Freestyle Wrestling Club sponsored by the Clearfield Recreation Department. The program is designed for the more experienced wrestlers in grades one through adult, Wrestling coach. Parents are needed as volunteer referees, pairers and for assisting with transportation. For further information call Roger Thomas, Clearfield Recreation Director at 773-330- Tucker Rodney Rientjes gets a tip from Coach Mike Hansen during title match against Nipko of Alta. al 2-- 8-- - 8-- PRACTICES will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays start- jng Feb. 14 from 4:30-- 6 p.m. at the Clearfield High School wrestling room. Tournaments w held each Saturday at Xf r'?u.s ,a!ng he r'te,s r .$' N1C7T " 9le, lo. 934 S. 1000 E. through fr Feb ,7 Head instructor the program will be Scott Tennis, Clearfield High School vr:-We'- - . wilTCeSo with an additional $2.50 tour- nament entry fee assessed for each tournament entered, Registration will be taken at 3-- 3-- 2. 2 Je? boy ,ga: 1 "''AMake You7 Bake Pre-Sprin- Specials g MtiMli MliMtin) Coupon Coupon Coupon Monday Night Tues., Wed., Thurs. 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