MADISON, Wis. – High school wrestler Mark Hall moved to Colorado Springs looking to “get whipped.”

Taking on 2012 Olympic champ Jordan Burroughs and other senior national team athletes in practice the past two months certainly provided that.

“I need the guys there to put the hurt on me so I can get better,” Hall said. “I need that so I can excel in what I do.”

It was the new Olympic Training Center resident-athlete from Apple Valley, Minn., who dished out the punishment at the U.S. junior world team trials at the Alliant Energy Center on Friday.

Hall defeated 163-pound challenger Chance Marsteller by technical fall in the opening match of the best-of-three championship series and won the second by reversing Marsteller and pinning him in 3 minutes, 44 seconds to qualify for his first junior worlds championships.

The incoming high school senior will return to Colorado Springs in a few days to resume his training in preparation for the junior worlds in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, Aug. 11-16.

“I’ve definitely gotten better,” the cadet-level world champion said. “I have good guys to wrestle against in Apple Valley but you don’t get better by just standing still. (Wrestling) Burroughs has taught me a lot about overcoming fear.”

It’s that attitude that has national developmental coach Brandon Slay excited about the former Coronado High School student’s potential.

“I have two little girls and another on the way but if I had a son I would like him to be like Mark,” Slay said of Hall, who completed his freshman year at Coronado during a short stint at age 15 at the OTC. “I mean that. He is respectful, works hard and is very coachable. All these attributes are what you look for in an athlete.”

He is not alone. He is one of several high school-age junior champions to spend time with Slay at the OTC.

Hall, Spencer Lee (110 pounds) and Stevan Micic (121) are all reigning cadet world champions who won titles Friday. Repeat junior 145 champion Aaron Pico placed second at worlds last summer. All eight qualifiers will be in Colorado Springs for training camps this summer before leaving for Brazil.

Hall will return to the OTC after traveling to the senior world championships in Las Vegas in September to practice against the men. He will stay for at least another year, finishing high school online, while soaking up experience and technical know-how from the U.S. men.

“Getting these guys in to practice against our senior team in practice makes them better,” Slay said. “Our Olympic champions all went up through the ranks starting in cadets, juniors and then senior. They followed in the footsteps of a pretty special group today.”