Shane Young is hoping the third time is a charm as he prepares for his third trip to Fargo, N.D., for the USA Wrestling National Championships.

"I qualified the past two summers, but didn't place either time," said Young, who recently completed his junior year at Penn-Trafford High School.

Young wrestled in the 98-pound weight class in the Cadet Division in his Fargo debut.

"I had a 3-2 record and both of my losses were to kids who became All-Americans," Young said. "Last summer, I moved up to the Junior Division and was two and out in the 105-pound weight class. I was very disappointed with my performance. That's why I'm back this year."

Young is now competing in the Junior Division and will make his final appearance at 112.

"I'm cutting to 112 for Junior Nationals, but will move up to 119 for the high school season," he said. "It shouldn't be a problem. I'm only cutting seven pounds."

Most members of Pennsylvania's contingent going to Fargo will be wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman. Young is an exception.

"I don't like Greco-Roman," said Young, who is known for his lightning-quick takedown moves. "My specialty is going for the legs. Greco is all upper body moves.

"My ultimate goal is to win a national title, but that will not be easy. I will be up against the best wrestlers in the country. I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Young tuned up for his trip to Fargo by going to Oklahoma City for the Junior National Duals.

"I wrestled on a Pennsylvania all-star team," he said. "We finished eighth in the team standings, but I had a 9-0 record. One of my wins was against a kid from Indiana who placed fifth at Fargo last year. Winning all nine matches was a real confidence builder."

Young is the most successful wrestler in Penn-Trafford history and has won consecutive WPIAL and PIAA titles.

He broke into the Warriors' varsity lineup as a 103-pound freshman, but never reached that weight.

"I weighed in at 95 to 97 pounds for most of the season," said Young, who posted a 21-18 record despite giving up at least five pounds in almost every match. "It was very tough wrestling kids that much bigger than me, but I used it as a learning experience."

Young was a true 103-pounder as a sophomore. He dominated the weight class by winning Section 1-AAA, WPIAL and PIAA titles en route to a 46-0 record. His PIAA title was the first in Penn-Trafford history.

Young turned in a repeat performance his junior season. He defended his title in all three postseason tournaments and finished with a 44-0 record.

"The key to staying on top is to work harder than everybody else," said Young, who enters his senior season with a 111-18 career record and a 90-match victory streak.

Young has been working out at least three times a week to prepare for his trip to Fargo.

"I've been training with the Quest Wrestling Club Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays," he said. "I've also been attending some conditioning sessions at Penn-Trafford."

With his senior year approaching, Young is considering his athletic and academic future.

"I would like to continue my wrestling career in college," he said. "A strong performance at Fargo would certainly help my chances of earning a college scholarship."

Young has been in contact with West Virginia, Edinboro, Virginia Tech, Nebraska and Minnesota. That list could change with a strong performance at Fargo.

"My hope is to make a decision before the high school season begins," he said.

Young will be joined at Fargo by Penn-Trafford teammate Brandon Grainy, who started at 119 pounds during the high school season. Grainy has qualified in Greco-Roman at 119 pounds in the Junior Division.

"Brandon didn't start wrestling until he was in eighth grade," said Young of Grainy, who recently completed his junior year. "He got a late start, but has worked very hard to make up for it. This will be his first trip to nationals."