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Club sends 21 to nationals

BRANDON -- After another week of grueling wrestling, 21 members of the Brandon Wrestling Club qualified for the national championships this summer in two states. They qualified last week at Southeast region tournaments in Jacksonville and New Orleans. Seven members of the Brandon High varsity, or half of the Eagles' starting lineup, earned national tournament berths.

"The kids do not earn team points at the region, but if they had, our club would have won the kids division in Jacksonville, because we had the most winners," assistant club coach Cesar Grajales Sr. said.

"Everyone wrestled well and we were fortunate enough to have no one injured. It was a tough tournament, but the nationals are very tough."

Leading the qualifying run for the cadets (15- and 16-year-olds) and juniors (17-18) in New Orleans were Eagles high school state champions Matt Juncal, Khalid Andwele and Cesar Grajales Jr. State runner-up Rocky Cozart also advanced, along with state qualifiers David Craig and Tommy and Eddie Hutchinson.

The juniors division USA National Tournament is July 15-18 in Fargo, N.D. Grajales Jr. is the only defending juniors national champion, but all of the Brandon wrestlers could place in the top six to earn All-America status.

"There is no easy match at the junior nationals," Grajales Sr. said. "All of them are capable of placing high and even challenging for the national championship. In any event, it will be another great experience for our kids and I am confident they will all do well."

The kids national tournament is July 4-7 in Enid, Okla.

Qualifying with both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles in the Jacksonville region meet last weekend were Joe Cozart, Daniel Bennett, Eric Grajales, Sean Joyce, Kevin Norsterm, Anthony Jorge, Clark Glass and Andwele.

The kids age groups are 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

Winning individual championships in freestyle for the kids divisions were Sammy Seldat and Brent Jorge. Capturing Greco-Roman titles in the same divisions were Nathan Gates and Brandon Jorge.

Also qualifying for the kids nationals by placing in the top six were Nic Hutchinson, Austin Figari and Chasity Mathers.

Eric Grajales, 12, will be competing for his second consecutive kids national championship. Counting Amateur Athletic Union and other national tournaments, he has won 16 national belts.

Cesar Grajales Jr. also earned a berth on the USA Junior National Team that will compete in Germany and France on June 25-July 5.

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