Lawrence named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Sandpoint High School graduate Jared Lawrence has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of Feb. 1-7.

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the senior level.

Wrestling for Minnesota Storm, Lawrence won four matches on his way to being named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the men's freestyle portion of the Dave Schultz Memorial International last weekend. Lawrence won the gold medal at 145.5 pounds.

In the finals, Lawrence defeated Sushil Kumar of India, a 2004 Olympian and fourth at the 2003 World Championships, 3-0, 9-3.

"I am staying in position and seeing what happens. I ended up with a trapped arm gut wrench in the finals, and said let's finish it here," Lawrence said after his finals win. It is early in the season. It's good. Everything is on track. There is still a long way to go and a lot to learn."

That was the second win for Lawrence over an Olympian in the tournament, as he also downed Evan MacDonald of Canada, 2-0, 6-1 in the semifinals. That avenged an earlier loss for Lawrence to MacDonald in the finals of the Clansman International in November.

Lawrence pinned his first opponent, Chris Harada of Canada, in just one minute and five seconds, and defeated Scott Owen of the New York AC, 1-0, 5-1 in the quarterfinals.

Last year, Lawrence placed fifth at the U.S. Nationals and second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, taking the best-of-three series with Olympic silver medalist Jamill Kelly to a third match.

As a collegian at the University of Minnesota, Lawrence was a 2002 NCAA champion and 2003 NCAA runner-up. He was also a four-time NCAA All-American, helping Minnesota to capture two NCAA team titles.