Jordan Junior Wrestling Marches
Into 2009–2010 Season

(Sandy, Utah) Oct. 30, 2009 — Jordan Junior Wrestling marches into the 2009–2010 junior high/middle school wrestling season with its fourth year under coach Bill Kilpack (III), a national AAU wrestling champion and alternate for the Greco-Roman Pan-Am team and a staff of knowledgeable and enthusiastic coaches.

"This is going to be an exciting season," Kilpack said.  "We are coming off our best year at state since the program began, and I fully expect this to be the best year yet."

Coaching this year are Mike Christiansen of Riverton, Dusty Fisher of Lindon, Andrew Lukanich of Cottonwood Heights, Toby Orton of Sandy and Todd Schwendiman of South Jordan.

Last season, the team had its best overall finish at the 4A/5A Junior High State Championships, finishing fourth in the Junior High Division and sixth in the Middle School Division with only 19 scoring wrestlers.  "We had a good state tournament last year, but suffered a few upsets.  We learned from those experiences and I feel very confident that we will do even better this year."

Practices are slated to begin on Nov. 9 at Jordan High School, and will be held three days a week from 7–8:30 p.m.  With the Middle School and Junior High Divisions now available, athletes from fifth to ninth grades (so long as they are not wrestling on a high-school wrestling team) are eligible.

This year’s coaching staff has a long and successful wrestling history.

Kilpack (III) of West Jordan was an original member of the Sundance Wrestling Club, arguably the finest freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling team in Utah history. As a competitor, he garnered an AAU national championship, seven national silver medals, seven more national medals, and was a member of the Pan-Am team in Greco-Roman wrestling holding an alternate position. In addition, he was named All-American 15 times by AAU, the US Wrestling Federation or USA Wrestling in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling; was a seven-time Zone/Western Regional champion; and a six-time state champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. He is the head coach of Mountain Top Wrestling Club which, in 2007, was the Team State Champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

Christiansen was a varsity wrestler at Bingham High School. It was during this time that he came to appreciate the competitive nature of wrestling and other sports, culminating in being ranked number two in the state as a senior in wrestling, and playing on a baseball team that won six straight state titles, starting prior to and continuing on into high school. 
As an adult, he has coached community sports such as wrestling, baseball and girls softball.

Fisher wrestled for 11 years, starting at a young age, focusing on folkstyle and freestyle wrestling. During that time, he wrestled the likes of a young Cael Sanderson, and was never once pinned by any opponent. His wrestling career culminated in his varsity position at Orem High School, where he beat two two-time state champions before an elbow injury ended his competitive career.

Lukanich started wrestling when he was six years old in the state of Illinois. He went on to wrestle for Lyons Township High School, where he earned state runner-up honors his senior year and was ranked twelfth in the country at 135 lbs. In freestyle and Greco-Roman, he earned multiple state championships and was a member of the Illinois national teams, where he competed in USA Wrestling Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, as well as the FILA Cadet Nationals, where he finished fourth at 63 kilos. Following high school, he spent two years wrestling in college under Olympic bronze medalist Terry Brands before transferring to the University of Illinois, where he competed in the Big 10.

Orton of Sandy was a varsity wrestler at Anacortes High School in Fidalgo Island, Washington.  It was during this time that he came to appreciate the competitive nature of wrestling and other sports.  As an adult, he has coached wrestling for more than 10 years, and he has coached community sports such as wrestling, soccer and a championship baseball team.

Schwendiman was a varsity wrestler at Woods Cross High School for four years, culminating in a second-in-state ranking his senior year. It was during this time that he came to love the sport and everything about it, including its value in teaching kids real life lessons and preparing them for adulthood. As an adult, he has coached community sports such as baseball and soccer, and served for many years in Boy Scouts as a Scout Master.

Jordan Junior Wrestling is a folkstyle wrestling program offered through Salt Lake County Recreation, operating out or Jordan High School in Sandy.  For more information, go to www.jordanjuniorwrestling.com or email jordanjuniors@aol.com.

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