LAS VEGAS – Utah Valley alum and 2011 NCAA All-American Ben Kjar took home two titles at the 2023 US Open in late April. He won the master's B Division in both the Freestyle and Greco competitions.
 
He finished a storied UVU career with a 129-35 career record and is the all-time school record holder in wins. He is now a local entrepreneur,  motivational speaker, and was the keynote speaker for UVU's Summer University. A summary of his speech can be found on the link above.
 
"I hadn't wrestled in about two years or been in a wrestling room. You never know what tomorrow holds, and if I wait much longer, my kids can only hear me on the sidelines, and they never see me in action on the mat. I wanted my kids to see me reach my goals," said Kjar.
 
Kjar rolled through the five rounds of competition in the Freestyle master's B Division, beating his four opponents by a combined score of 45-2. The 4-0 record earned him the championship.
 
In the Greco tournament, Kjar once again showed to be a dominant force, winning the title by a 19-0 combined score. He defeated Gerrard Contreras in his first match before picking up a 10-0 victory over Josias Rivera.
 
He was the only wrestler in the master's division to claim championships in both freestyle and Greco. Kjar explained that if he is feeling good mentally and physically, he hopes to compete in the World Championships this October in Greece.
 
Kjar will be working on a book and a documentary that will share his inspirational life story. He hopes to have both completed in the next 12-18 months. You can learn more about his story online at benkjar.com.