Twice as nice: Copley's Javaan Yarbrough wins a national title again, Fockler places
State wrestling titles are lost in March.
They’re won in Fargo, N.D., in July.
How?
Ask those who participated in the 16U and Junior National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships this last week.
In all, 6,645 participants from 47 states competed in 13,101 matches over the course of seven days to stand taller than anyone else in the country.
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It concluded Friday with the Junior Greco tournament. Copley’s Javaan Yarbrough won the title at 100 pounds.
Perry’s Aidan Fockler (285) walked out an All-American as well after finishing seventh.
It’s the fourth All-America honor for Yarbrough and the third for Fockler.
Yarbrough also has two national titles at the high school after winning the 16U Freestyle title last season.
“This pumps me up, especially when you have a team on the side,” Yarbrough said. “It helps me out. Kids come out here and beat me up. I beat them up. It helps you learn.”
Success goes well beyond just the state level.
In the past 16 seasons, 83.3 percent of NCAA champions competed in Fargo at some point and 79 percent of the All-Americans did as well.
Yarbrough has seen plenty like Perry’s David Carr win a national title at Iowa State. Fockler grew up watching Carr, so he knows just how important it is as well.
Yarbrough showed just how much can change in a few days in his semifinal match with Maryland’s Tyler Garvin, who got the better of Yarbrough in the Junior Freestyle finals in a 9-6 win.
Fast forward to Friday and it was all Yarbrough in a 9-0 technical fall.
When you’ve been to the finals in Fargo four times, you know what it takes.
Yarbrough never let up on All-American and regional champion Isaac Stewart of Montana. It added up to a 9-1 technical fall win.
Javaan Yarbrough back on top
It was the fourth tech in five matches for the star and put him back on top.
“Man, at first I was down bad after losing in freestyle,” Yarbrough said. “Coming back here, my coaches told me to clear my mind and do a good job. Trust them and you’ll get payback for last year [Yarbrough was second in Greco as a sophomore].”
With another successful summer under his belt, Yarbrough now returns to the Suburban League where he hopes to roll through the conference en route to adding a state title to his two national crowns.
Don’t ever discount the four stop sign trophies he has. Wrestling different styles against competition with different tactics will only help when folkstyle season starts in November.
“I’m way better,” Yarbrough said. “My competition helped me battle all the stuff I was going through from freestyle. You have to listen. You have to listen hard. Listen to your coaches. Listen to your friends. They help you get through things.”
Aidan Fockler comes back strong
Fockler knows just how tough this tournament makes you. He’s gone through the gauntlet in four tournaments the last two years and has felt the grind.
“It’s a nitty, gritty hard place that makes you dig deep,” Fockler said. “You have to really work for everything out here. There’s excellent competition and excellent opportunities to grow in wrestling out here.”
Fockler opened the morning in a tough consolation semifinal with two-time Idaho state placer Shilo Jones. Jones, who was a state and regional runner-up this year, controlled the majority of the match and ended it with 1:09 left in a 17-6 technical fall.
That pushed the Perry junior to the fifth-place match where another teammate, Bruce Wagers of Wyoming High School, waited.
Fockler had to beat Shaker Heights’ Mustafa Woodi to get to the medal rounds, so a second match with someone from the Buckeye state wasn’t new.
Wagers came in as a regional champion, so it was more than just wrestling Team Ohio again.
Fockler kept his cool and won 10-2.
Now, his attention turns to the high school season and a chance to win a state title.
“It’s definitely an advantage to wrestle out here,” Fockler said. “You have a bunch of different styles from the best kids in the country. It’s a lot of great experience in wrestling.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Copley's Javaan Yarbrough is a Junior Greco-Roman national champ
