The 2010 Brute Adidas Nationals (BAN) was another successful event for tournament participants, coaches, family members and fans. Over 1400 competitors came to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City during the 7th annual event April 2-4 for over 2800 matches. “The event was a huge success for us with growth in every area including participants, coaches, attendees, fan fest, clinics and interactive ability including a new mobile site,” said Mary Mallis, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Henson Group, event partner of the Brute Adidas Nationals. “What a great weekend of wrestling and events for the entire family.”

Here are some of the results, highlights and accomplishments from the weekend:

Ninth Grade
One thing is certain about those in the 9th grade 106 and 115 pound brackets – the wrestlers earning All-American honors and championships had their work cut out for them. These were two of the biggest brackets in the entire tournament, with 27 kids entered at 106 and 28 at 115. Emerging as champions from the masses in these deep and talented weight classes were Zac Gentzler of Kansas at 106 and Barlow McGhee of Illinois at 115. Gentzler went 5-0 on the weekend and won the title by defeating Brandon Ireland of Illinois with a pin at 1:01. In his first four matches Gentzler outscored his opponents 49-5 before earning the pin in the finals.  McGhee also went 5-0 in his bracket and won the title with a 14-9 win over Baldwin Fox of Florida. Also competing in this bracket was Kevin Bonilla of Texas, Bonilla is the nephew of the president of Honduras and was featured in an interview on Takedown radio prior to the tournament. Bonilla won his first two matches before losing to the runner-up Fox. Nick Georgean of Illinois won the 148 pound title one year after winning the 2009 141 pound title. Georgean earned the title with a 5-4 win over Aaron Puckett of Kansas in the finals. Winning the 155 pound title was Oliver Pierce of Texas. Pierce has had success on the national level for some time and is one of the most talented young wrestlers in the state of Texas. Winning titles in the upper weights in this age group were Nick Cobb of Texas at 192, Carter Shipley of Florida at 218 and Jarin Brown of Kansas at 288.

10th Grade
In 2009, Jared Brooks of Indiana earned All-American honors by finishing 4th at 106 pounds. In 2010, he took it even farther, earning a title in the 10th grade division at 106, after defeating Seth Nehls of Nebraska  21-6 in the finals.  Brooks was an offensive machine during the tournament. He won his first match by fall, then scored 26 points in his next match before scoring 21 in the finals.

Another repeat champion was Connor Bolling of Nebraska. Bolling won the ninth grade 106 pound title last year and repeated at the same weight class in the 10th grade division at 106. Bolling won the title with a 13-7 win over Morgan Engbrecht of South Dakota.

Ky Biddle of Kansas won the 122 pound title as a ninth-grader last year and won the 133 pound title this year with a win over Jarrod Trotter of Texas.

Another repeat titlist was Alex Bontz of Kansas. Bontz finished first at 133 last year and earned a title at 143 this year. He defeated Colton Duhr of Kansas 1-0 in the finals. Bontz proved he could defend and win the close match, as he advanced to the finals with a 1-0 win over Landon Stroud of South Dakota.

Winning titles in the middleweights of the tenth grade division were Drake Holland of Illinois at 148, Travis Lang of Missouri at 155 and Keegan Davis of Iowa at 163. Lang went 4-0 and earned three pins before winning the title with a 10-2 win over Skylar Caldwell of Ohio in the finals.

11^th grade
Justyn Martinez of Kansas earned All-American honors last year with a third place finish in the 10th grade division at 115. He earned a spot on the top of the podium this year, defeating Kendall Kermick of Tennessee  11-5 in the finals to earn the 11th grade 115 pound title.

Brady White of Indiana was a fifth-place finisher at 128 pounds in the 10th grade division this year and won a title at 138 pounds in the 11th grade division this year. White defeated Colton Eck of Kansas 5-4 in the finals. Esk had an impressive tournament leading up to the finals, winning all three of matches by pin before losing to White.

Trey Houlden of Kansas was a runner-up at 143 pounds last year, but emerged as the champion this year, defeating Kale Newell of Kansas 4-3 in the finals.

Curtis Anderson of Indiana won the 155 pound title one year after finishing fourth at 143 last season. Anderson defeated John Sims  in the finals. Houlden was 4-0 in the tournament and won 14-12, 3-0 and by pin prior to the finals match.

Tim Weber of South Dakota added another BAN title to his resume, winning the 163 pound title with a 4-0 win over Dylan Penka of Kansas in the finals. Weber was the champion at 155 pounds in the 10th grade division last year.

Gage Knudson of Kansas won a second straight 218 pound title. After winning at the same weight in the 10th grade finals last year, Knudson won the title in the 11th grade division this year with a win by fall over Taylor Kettler of Kansas in the finals. Knudson fought off Nic Wittu of Missouri for a tough 6-5 win in the opening round, and then pinned his next three opponents on the way to the BAN title.

Willie Henson of Indiana earned a title at 288 one year after finishing runner-up in the same weight class in the 10th grade division.

12^th Grade
Josh Coulter earned the title that he just missed in 2009. Coulter, from Ohio, finished second at 128 pounds last year, losing to Joey Vogelsberg of Texas in the finals. This year though, Coulter emerged as the 128 pound champion with a 13-7 win over Logan Welch of Missouri. It was one of the feature matches of the event that put Coulter, a 2009 runner-up, against Welch, a 2009 122 pound champion.

Other lower weight champions included Duane Richardson of Iowa at 133, Kyle Borders of Illinois at 138 and Kash Biddle of Kansas at 143. Biddle won the title with a 3-2 win over Derrick Weller of Kansas.

Parker Swanson of South Dakota, a 143 pound All-American last year (5th place), earned the 148 pound championship this year with a 9-1 win over Vance Oliver of Kansas.

Zeb Spicer of Missouri won the 155 pound title with a win over Josh Syverson of Missouri. Spicer finished fifth last year before winning the title this year.

Evon Royal of Kansas finished 5th as an 11th grader at 163 but won the title this year with a 11-8 win over Marvin Lawrence of Georgia

Joe Naig of Iowa won another BAN title. The 2009 163 pound champion won the 174 pound title this year, defeating Chris Mart of South Dakota 7-6 in the finals.

Dylan Matheny of Kansas finished third at 192 last year, but emerged as the 218 pound champion in the senior division this year. Matheny defeated Kyle Rich of Illinois 12-5 in the finals.

Jake Gegg of Missouri went 4-0 on his way to the 288 pound title, defeating Cody Kasprick of North Dakota 4-3 in the championship match.