Minnesota junior Zach Sanders and Arizona State senior Anthony Robles will reacquaint themselves with one another on November 21 at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif.
Robles, a Mesa, Ariz., native is one of the best stories in all sports. He came on the scene as a high school senior, winning the high school nationals at 112 pounds. His win wasn’t the remarkable thing, but born without a right leg, Robles excelled in a sport where it’s tough enough for wrestlers with both of their lower extremities.
Robles, a fan favorite nearly every place he competes, has placed twice at the NCAA Division I championships and most wrestling fans love to watch his style of wrestling.
Sanders, a five-time high school state champion from tiny Wabasha, Minn., is one of the most active wrestlers in the country at the weight. The two will each be the second representatives of their programs in the 45th annual wrestling event.
Sanders joins teammate Sonny Yohn, wrestling at 197 pounds, while Robles joins teammate Bubba Jenkins, who is wrestling at 157 pounds.
Robles went 32-4 last season en route to a seventh-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Division I Championships. Sanders went 29-7 and finished fifth. The two did not meet last season, but split matches in 2009.
Sanders beat Robles at the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2008, while Robles earned a 19-10 victory in the consolation semifinals in the 2009 NCAA Division I Championships.
Robles’ inclusion pushes the total numbers of Pac-10 Conference wrestlers to six, with Jenkins, Boise State’s Andrew Hochstrasser, Adam Hall, Kirk Smith and Stanford’s Nick Amuchastegui also competing.
By contrast, Minnesota’s pair comprises two-thirds of the Big Ten entries. Illinois’ Jordan Blanton is the only other Big Ten wrestler competing in the 2010 event.
The 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines will be held at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California on Sunday, November 21, 2010. The doors open at 2:00 p.m. The All-Star Classic follows a weekend of fundraising events. For more information about the tournament, purchasing tickets and the fundraising events, visit the www.nwcaonline.com's event page.
To donate to the effort to save collegiate wrestling programs, visit http://nwca.ticketleap.net.
2010 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Marines
Rankings by W.I.N. Magazine
125- #3 Zach Sanders, Jr. (Minnesota) vs. #5 Anthony Robles, Sr. (Arizona State)
133- #1 Jordan Oliver, So. (Oklahoma St.) vs. #2 Andrew Hochstrasser, Sr. (Boise St.)
141- #3 Zack Bailey, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. #5 Germane Lindsey, Sr. (Ohio)
149- #4 Torsten Gillespie, Jr. (Edinboro) vs. #5 Kevin LeValley, Sr. (Bucknell)
157- #1 Adam Hall, Sr. (Boise State) vs. #4 Bubba Jenkins, Sr. (Arizona State)
165- #5 Josh Asper, So. (Maryland) vs. #11 Shane Onufer, Jr. (Wyoming)
174- #3 Jordan Blanton, Sr. (Illinois) vs. #6 Nick Amuchastegui, Jr. (Stanford)
184- #1 Kirk Smith, Sr. (Boise St.) vs. #2 Joe LeBlanc, Jr. (Wyoming)
197- #3 Sonny Yohn, Jr. (Minnesota) vs. #4 Clayton Foster, Sr. (Oklahoma St.)
285- #2 Jarod Trice, Jr. (Central Michigan) vs. #4 Alan Gelogaev, Jr. (Oklahoma St.)
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About California USA Wrestling
California USA Wrestling is a non-profit organization committed to the success and health of their athletes and dedicated to the promotion and preservation of collegiate and international styles of amateur wrestling. As the official California affiliate of USA Wrestling, the national governing board for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States, the club is responsible for the organization and execution of sanctioned USA Wrestling events in the state. California USA Wrestling educates the community about the styles of wrestling and the value of being involved in the sport. They strive to provide fun, exciting and well-planned events and improve the quality of California wrestling at the competitive level. For more information, visit www.ca-usaw.org.
About NWCA
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to supporting and elevating the sport of amateur wrestling. NWCA provides leadership and guidance primarily to scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs, but is an advocate to all levels of wrestling. The NWCA promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as a resource for education and information pertaining to the sport of wrestling. Additionally, The NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of any competitive sport. For more information, visit http://www.nwcaonline.com.
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