Wade named to national all-star squad

Earlier this month Jed Wade concluded his prep wrestling career in historic fashion. The Wasilla High School senior defeated Keenan Chirhart of Dimond High School 9-3 in the 189-pound final of the 4A state wrestling championships and became just the third wrestler in the state of Alaska to win four high school state titles.

Though Wade's prep career in Alaska is done, he is not finished wrestling this spring. Wade has been invited to represent the United States in the 30th annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.

Wade will start at the 189-pound class for the USA All-Stars. The national all-star team will compete in a dual against an all-star team from Pennsylvania on March 13 at the University of Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.

Wade, the first Alaskan to compete in the wrestling classic, will join a group of wrestlers from states with strong wrestling traditions such as Iowa, Ohio and Minnesota.

In January Wade chose to attend Columbia University next fall and will wrestle for the Division I squad next season. Each of the 13 wrestlers on the national squad have signed national letters of intent and will represent such noted wrestling powers as Iowa and Oklahoma State.

Wade finished his prep career with a 169-11 career record. He was 41-0 his senior year and 51-1 during his junior campaign. Wade's only loss in the last two seasons came in the semifinals of the 2002 Reno Tournament of Champions, a tournament in which he placed third. Wade won the 189-pound class at the 2003 Reno Tourney.

Wade finished his sophomore season 42-4 and was 36-6 as a freshman.

Wade has also been a nationally ranked wrestler for most of his prep career.

The Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic has been dubbed the "Rose Bowl of Wrestling." The dual, presented by UPMC Health Systems, UPMC Health Plan and Irwin Industrial Tools is known to be the premier wrestling dual in the country.

All proceeds from the event go to support a wrestling program for underprivileged children through the Dapper Dan Sports League and the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania.