WRESTLING | JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Griffith's Angel Escobedo has been out of the country one time, and that was to see family in Mexico.

His next trip to China will be all business. Wrestling first class.

This past Saturday, Escobedo earned a spot on the Junior World Championship Team that will compete in Beijing from Aug. 21-26.

Escobedo, who just finished his redshirt freshman season at Indiana, earned the 60-kilogram (132-pound) freestyle title at the FILA Junior World Team trials at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Only eight wrestlers in the country made the team, with the four-time state champion from Griffith being one who will wrestle for the chance to become a world champion.

"It's a huge accomplishment," Escobedo said. "It's basically the guys, 20 and under, who right now are not set to make the Olympic Team, but will be in the future."

Escobedo began the event by beating Oklahoma wrestler Henry Roman 5-0 and 7-0, and followed with 3-1 and 8-0 victories over Harvard signee Corey Jantzen.

Escobedo also faced the Olympic Training Center's own Pat McCaffrey and beat the two-time Junior World bronze medalist with a pair of 1-0 victories to take first place in the challenge.

In Saturday's final, Escobedo lost 1-0 to Northwestern's Brandon Precin in the first period of round one, but then took the next two periods, 3-0 and 2-0, to win the round. He went on to sweep round two, 3-0 and 1-0, to win the championship.

"I think this is a step from making it to the Olympics," Escobedo said. "The whole month of August I'll be in Colorado Springs training with the Olympic team members. I think this will really improve my career tremendously."

Escobedo, a redshirt freshman this past season, went 39-7 with 14 pins and was fourth in the nation at 125 pounds, earning All-America honors. His 39 wins were the most ever by an IU freshman.