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Crace joins Team Montana for event in Iowa

by Western News
| March 23, 2010 12:00 AM

With Iowa developing a reputation as the center of the wrestling universe, qualifying for a tournament within its borders carries with it a high degree of prestige.

Zach Crace, a seventh-grader at Libby Middle School, has accomplished just that by qualifying with Team Montana to appear in the AAU Middle School Duals at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

Vic Crace, his father and a coach with the Libby Wrestling Club, said Zach is the first local grappler to ever qualify for the tournament. He accomplished that feat out of results from a tournament a couple of weekends ago in Great Falls.

“This is my ninth year of wrestling,” Zach said, while preparing for this past weekend’s Inter Valley tourney in Libby. “I was about 5 years old when I started.”

Team Montana includes three wrestlers that will make an appearance at the April 9-11 event. The competition is limited to sixth- through eighth-graders who are no older than age 15.

Zach will see a minimum of seven matches in the folkstyle tournament, which is sanctioned by the Amateur Athletic Union.

Zach is undefeated in Little Guy tournaments this season. Most recently, he took first in the Junior 105-pound class at the Inter-Valley Tournament in Libby.