Friday, January 28, 2011

Mike Griffith is nearing Medina win mark

 

 
Griffith
BRUNSWICK — A week from today, something will likely happen in Medina’s wrestling room that Mike Griffith never saw coming.
As a freshman, the senior stared at the board proclaiming Mark Balog as the school’s all-time win leader with 131 victories and dared to dream.
After Griffith’s win Thursday, the 135-pound senior needs just two more victories to pass Balog, thus etching his own legacy at Medina as the school’s winningest wrestler.
“I never thought I’d be there,” Griffith said after the Bees’ 52-20 Northeast Ohio Conference win over Brunswick. “I used to watch Jake Brown wrestle and think about what it would be like.
“But I never thought I’d have this many wins. It’s nice to know I’ll be leaving something for the kids to look up to and maybe beat.”
The Medina youth program wrestled on the adjoining mat in Brunswick’s gym and saw the Bees wrap up their 19th River Division match in the last four years.
Medina (8-3, 5-0) did it with force, as Ryan Hornack (103), Zach Getto (112), Griffith, Alex Albert (145) and Teddy Hammer (152) all picked up bonus points.
The victory extended the Bees’ league win streak to 15 matches, as Medina avenged its only loss in conference history against a Blue Devils squad that was hurting. Brunswick (8-7, 1-4) was without Joe Schmidt, Dean Warchak and Andy Jastal.
Still, the Bees continued their romp through the River and that wasn’t lost on coach Chad Gilmore.
“We view things season by season, but when you look at the big picture, this is nice,” he said. “It’s pretty special that the seniors only lost one conference match.
“The juniors haven’t lost in the league yet. I was on the first Wadsworth squad to do that. It was nice. It would be great to see it happen here.”
Not everything went Medina’s way, as Dan Perstin (130), Mark Fontana (171), Caleb Curtis (189) and Tim Reagan (215) won for the Blue Devils.
The featured match of the night was between Curtis and Joe Gigliotti. Both predicted to be state qualifiers in the Brakeman Report, the two waged a battle that should likely happen at least three more times this season. Brunswick and Medina will see each other next week at the NOC and will lock horns the rest of the postseason.
Round 1 went to Curtis in an epic 5-4 victory. The returning state qualifier for Brunswick trailed 4-1 to start the third period, but picked up an escape and stalling point to draw to within one before taking Gigliotti down with 11 seconds left.
“Once you beat someone, it’s in their head,” Curtis said. “I know that because it happens to me when I lose. But it’s also in his head that he wants to beat me more, so he’ll work hard because he wants to beat me. I have to work twice as hard because he’ll be coming after me.”
Gigliotti agreed with those thoughts. While he had a four-point lead after reversing Curtis to his back in the second period, he knows it’s just the first of many bouts with his Medina County counterpart.
“It makes me more focused,” Gigliotti said. “It did more to open my eyes and make me work hard. I’ve got to come out more determined.”
Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Medina County is poised for a run to state championship

The ruby edition of the Brakeman Report is out and Medina’s wrestling team finds itself in rare air.
The 40th annual report came out late Wednesday night and the Bees were ranked eighth as a team in Division I.
The program has never been ranked in the top 10 before, according to Medina coach Chad Gilmore, and it’s a tribute the Bees don’t take lightly.
“It’s a big honor,” Gilmore said. “It’s hopefully a good motivator for guys to push through.
“You can’t judge a season on rankings because there are a lot of teams that haven’t been ranked that overachieve. But it’s nice to see that others are looking at our team and seeing good things.”
Brian Brakeman, who ranks individuals in each weight class for all three divisions, likes what he sees out of Medina County.
The prognosticator has 27 individuals ranked in his report and expects 22 state qualifiers and 16 placers.
Among them are predicted D-I state champions in Kagan Squire (125) and Nick Tavanello (215) of Wadsworth and runners-up in Highland’s Dan Mirman (135, D-II) and Medina’s Teddy Hammer (152, D-I).
As they have in the past, the Grizzlies lead the way with 11 ranked individuals, nine of which Brakeman expects to get to state and eight of which he expects to place.
The reigning D-I state champions are picked to finish third behind St. Edward and Massillon Perry and are ranked in the top 10 for the fifth year in a row.
Also making their presence known are the Hornets, who are projected to finish fourth as a team.
Highland has six individuals listed on the report and is expected to place four.
The squad has been ranked in the top 10 three of the last four years.
“I think it’s great that there’s enthusiasm for the report,” Hornets coach Paul Casey said. “For the guys that he has listed, it’s nice to have that.
“As we move through the season, these guys are looking for motivation to keep going. For someone like Lazar Vilimonovic (ranked 24th), I’m not sure it helps, but someone like Daniel, who wants to be No. 1, that shows that he has been recognized.”
Last year, Brakeman correctly predicted the Wadsworth trio of Brad Squire, Tavanello and Ben Buzzelli to walk away with individual championships, as well as correctly seeing the Grizzlies winning a state title.
This year, he has Squire and Tavanello joining teammates Clay Wenger (3rd, 145), Sheldon Brandenburg (3rd, 160), Alfredo Gray (4th, 130) and Nate Ball (6th, 140) on the podium.
In addition to Mirman, Highland’s Tyler Bloniak (3rd, 152), Adam Kluk (6th, 171) and Colin Rininger (7th, 140) are also predicted to place.
Caleb Curtis (4th, 189) is the lone representative for Brunswick, while the Bees are forecast to have Mike Griffith (3rd, 135) and Matt Hammer (7th, 140) join Teddy Hammer as placers.
“I don’t pay much attention to the rankings,” Gilmore said. “I look at it more as an opportunity to see the individuals we need to beat to move on.
“It gives you an idea of who is out there as your competition. It doesn’t mean the No. 3 will always win when he faces the fourth-ranked kid. But it’s definitely a good feeling to be on the list. We know what we do in the room. It’s nice to see we’ve been recognized.”
Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Brunswick's Curtis wins, but Medina wrestling takes match

 
SPORTSINK.COM PHOTO
Medina senior Mike Griffith (135) registered a second-period pin and the Bees rolled to a 54-20 win over Brunswick to clinch the NOC River Division title.

BRUNSWICK, Ohio – If the upcoming battles play out like Round 1, then wrestling fans are in for a treat.
Brunswick’s Caleb Curtis (189 pounds) and Medina’s Joe Gigliotti met for the first time on Thursday night during the Bees’ 52-20 Northeast Ohio Conference win over the Blue Devils.
With the NOC Tournament next week and the postseason to follow, the two seniors waged a battle that will carry them through the upcoming weeks.
Round 1 went to Curtis.
“Once you beat someone, it’s in their head,” Curtis said. “I know that because it happens to me when I lose.
“But it’s also in his head that he wants to beat me more, so he’ll work hard because he wants to beat me. I have to work twice as hard because he’ll be coming after me.”
That’s not a stretch considering Gigliotti, who is ranked 16th in the Brakeman Report, took his fourth-place projected foe to the limit in a 5-4 defeat.
To make matters worse for Gigliotti, he had a 4-0 lead after reversing Curtis to his back in the second period.
But Curtis picked up an escape in the second and third periods and grabbed another point on a stalling call to make it a one-point match.
With time winding down and the two dangerously close to going out of bounds, Curtis took down his foe with 11 seconds remaining.
“It makes me more focused,” Gigliotti said. “It did more to open my eyes and make me work hard. I’ve got to come out more determined.”
That determination showed in Medina (8-3, 5-0), which has won 19 of 20 NOC River Division matches.
Ryan Hornack (103), Zach Getto (112), Mike Griffith (135), Alex Albert (145) and Teddy Hammer (152) all picked up bonus points for their team.
For Griffith, it was a night to remember.
One more win will tie the returning state placer with Mark Balog (131 victories) as the school’s career win leader.
“I never thought I’d be there,” Griffith said. “I used to watch Jake Brown wrestle and think about what it would be like.
“But I never thought I’d have this many wins. It’s nice to know I’ll be leaving something for the kids to look up to and maybe beat.”
The junior class will try to one-up what this year’s seniors have done for the Bees by going undefeated in the league.
That’s a big mountain to climb at a school that has rose from mediocrity to a state power under coach Chad Gilmore’s tutelage.
“We view things season by season, but when you look at the big picture, this is nice,” he said. “It’s pretty special that the seniors lost only one conference match.
“The juniors haven’t lost in the league yet. I was on the first Wadsworth squad to do that. It was nice. It would be great to see it happen here.”
Dan Perstin (130), Mark Fontana (171), Curtis (189) and Tim Reagan (215) won matches for the Blue Devils.

Medina 52, Brunswick 20
103: Ryan Hornack (M) m.d. Zack Taylor, 18-7.
112: Zach Getto (M) p. Brady Young, :24.
119: Matt Hogue (M) by ff.
125: Zach Priebe (M) by ff.
130: Dan Perstin (B) d. Jake Spelic, 4-3.
135: Mike Griffith (M) p. Brian Fontana, 2:57.
140: Matt Hammer (M) by ff.
145: Alex Albert (M) p. Darryl Taylor; :51.
152: Teddy Hammer (M) p. Clay Vild, :14.
160: Josh Quesenberry (M) by ff.
171: Mark Fontana (B) t.f. Julian Lee, 16-0.
189: Caleb Curtis (B) d. Joe Gigliotti, 5-4.
215: Tim Reagan (B) d. Mike Kopacz, 10-3.
285: John Bruketa (B) by ff.
Records -- Medina (8-3, 5-0), Brunswick (8-7, 1-4)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Mindset and Tactics of a Champion


This is one of the most exciting times of the year because the season ending tournaments are upon us. Every high school athlete is striving to have a peak performance at the regional and state tournaments, while the college guys are looking to turn it up a notch for the Conference and NCAA Championships. I have been attending the NCAA Championships annually since 1982 and the competition is intense.

State tournaments are also very exciting! I will be following the success of my summer camp students by attending six different state high school tournaments between February 16 and March 10. The High School Nationals, National Open, World Cup and World Team Trials will be held in consecutive months. I will attend weekend tournaments with my youth club between these events making for a very busy spring. I will share some of my observations from these national tournaments with you in my upcoming AWN columns.

My most vivid memories from my wrestling career are undoubtedly state, national and Olympic competition. Of course, in order to excel in those events I was wrestling in hundreds of tournaments over two decades. Over 90% of what I remember is from the season-ending events. Winning my first State Championship is one of the most intensely satisfying experiences I have ever had on the mats. I was 15 years old and it was the culmination of a boyhood dream. When I made the Olympic Team I was already an adult. It was definitely very fulfilling, but different from winning my first state championship. I have boxes of memorabilia in my basement, but all I display in my office are the few with the most significant meaning from the season-ending tournaments.

Towards the end of the season I tell the high school athletes that I work with "What you achieve at the state tournament will become memories of a lifetime". Over time, no one will remember exactly what your regular season record was. Throughout your life people will ask, did you get to state? Did you place? Did you get to NCAA’s? Did you place? These season’s ending tournaments are your chance to shine. Make the most of your opportunities! Do not walk off the mat feeling you held anything back. If you give it your all, you will have no regrets regardless of the outcome. Seize the moment! RISE TO THE OCCASION!

So how do you "Rise to the Occasion" in your biggest matches? Few athletes perform at the same level in major competition as they do during the season. Unfortunately, many athletes tighten up and hold back. Great champions are able to get the most out of themselves when it counts! Champions perform at their "optimal level of emotional arousal" and do the little things necessary to win the close matches. Below are some simple suggestions, in no particular order, which will help you win your big matches when it counts the most.

Intense drilling will help you perform instinctively in the heat of battle. Fight for every point in the practice room. This scrambling instinct will help you in matches. Always think positively, particularly during the weeks and days leading up to major competition.  Visualize yourself executing your game plan, winning against your toughest competition, and having your hand raised in the championship venue as your cheering section cheers.

Study videotape of some of your best matches. This will help you visualize and think positively. Study video of your toughest potential opponents and picture yourself implementing the game plan you need to defeat these adversaries will also help you.

Get proper rest and nutrition. Control your weight so that you can focus on your performance.

Warm up properly before matches. This helps prepare your body for battle, while helping reduce anxiety.

Be intense, yet relaxed, when you step on the mat to do battle! Allow me to elaborate on this key point. Over time, champions learn to develop a routine that allows them to consistently get to their optimal level of mental arousal level prior to matches. This mindset is different for everyone and can change over time. Each athlete is different. Coaches must help athletes identify when they were performing their best and what their mindset was going into the match. Personally, I performed at my best early in high school when I was totally psyched up and attacked my opponent relentlessly. As I matured and faced better competition on national level, I found that I could perform better when I was a little more relaxed. Don’t get me wrong; to be at my best I still had to be intense and focused, but not wound so tight that I did not react quickly or made mistakes.

Control the tempo and ties. The late, great Dave Schultz passed on this little pearl of wisdom to me. I specifically asked Dave when visiting his home in 1986, "Dave, you look so poised out there in competition. What are you thinking?" His response was simply, "I am looking to control tempo of match and control the ties".
Dave was a master of the 2 on 1 and front headlock (along with about every other hold for that matter). When Dave controlled a tie, he could score quickly in a variety of fashions depending on how his opponent reacted.

Use motion and body fakes to control the tempo and/or close the gap. Never stand around. Use body fakes to put your opponent on the defense so you can get a hold of him to control ties. If you like to shoot from the open, use body fakes to set-up low ankle single or double. Too many athletes stand around and then dive in. No one has executed the low ankle single as well as John Smith. This is because few athletes have trained and conditioned themselves to create the motion that he had. Precise technique, quick level change, and unorthodox flexibility were undoubtedly some of the keys to John’s success too. One thing many athletes are lacking is the motion he created. I trained with John at every Olympic & World Team Training Camp from 1984-1992. I speak from personal experience. When he was not moving well, I could stop him with a front headlock. When he was moving intensely, he was practically unstoppable. If you want to get more effective with low single, create more motion and body fakes.

Keep wrestling through the end of every period. It disgusts me to see wrestlers rest at end of periods. This is a great time to score, or at very least, work your opponent’s head and wear him down. Never get caught on your heels and scored upon at the end of a period. My athletes often score with the blast double, low single, or snap down during final 15 seconds of period.

Strive to finish every period on top and definitely not on bottom! I wonder how many wrestlers who get ridden out to the end of a period come back to win? Usually it is far less than 50 percent.

Never relax on the edge. Too many athletes get knocked on their butt on the edge and give up quick points. This is a critical error. I encourage my athletes to wrestle in the center and to know where the edge is. You are much better off if you can see the edge as opposed to having your back to it and being vulnerable. Wrestlers should circle in immediately when pushed near the edge.

Stay focused no matter what happens. Too many athletes get visibly frustrated if they make a mistake or get a bad call. Do not do this! Get right back in there and keep plugging away to score and win.

Believe in yourself no matter what happens. You must believe you can win when you step on the mat as well as when you fall behind. Never doubt yourself. Remember McIlravy’s comeback victory in NCAA Finals his freshman year.

Be tough when you are tired! I tell my athletes this often. We can talk technique and tactics, but when it comes down to it, you must execute your technique and tactics during the final moments and seconds of close matches if you are going to reach your highest goals. Learning and understanding the game will only benefit you if you have pushed yourself to higher mental and physical thresholds daily throughout the season.

Once your season is over, assess what you need to do to improve. Make and follow a training plan that will allow you to live your dreams.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Brad Bournival's Top 10 SportsInk.com wrestling teams
HARWELLPHOTO.COM
Senior Alex Utley (above) and sophomore Nathan Tomasello give CVCA a powerful 1-2 punch when it comes to ranking area wrestling teams.

With a month left in wrestling’s regular season, eyes start turning toward team races in both conference and postseason action.
Much like it did a year ago, SportsInk.com will get in on the action by ranking the top 10 in our area.
The rankings are a listing of the 46 teams represented on the Website and come regardless of divisions.
The area is loaded with great talent – from an individual and team standpoint – making the decisions to pare the list down is very difficult.
Until the Ohio High School Athletic Association introduces the dual meet tournament in 2012-13, a hybrid way of looking at teams is the answer.
SportsInk.com will take into account head-to-head matchups, but ultimately the state tournament wins out in the rankings.
So, without further ado, here’s the first installment:
The Top 10
Rank/School                LW      This week                                  Up next/This weekend
1. Wadsworth                 –         Beat Copley, Green                 at No. 6 Barberton, Thursday
Note: The defending state champions seem destined to win their 19th consecutive Suburban League crown.
2. Walsh Jesuit               –         8th, Final 4 of Wrestling         Ohio/Pa. Duals, Saturday
Note: With four projected state finalists in the Bucksman Report, the Warriors are a virtual lock at No. 2.
3. CVCA                            –          Off                                               Dual vs. Kenston, Wednesday
Note: The Royals lost to Crestwood, but have more potential state scorers than the Red Devils.
4. Crestwood                   –          Beat Canfield, Howland         Triangular at Willoughby South, Friday
Note: It’s hard to ignore wins against three top 10 teams in the state coaches poll.
5. Highland                       –          5th, Hephner Tournament     at Cloverleaf, Thursday
Note: The Hornets probably finish second at the Dies with state qualifier James Kunzler in the lineup.
6. Barberton                      –          Beat Copley, Green                 vs. No. 1 Wadsworth, Thursday
Note: The Magics’ road to state is very difficult. That said, very little separates No. 5 from No. 7.
7. Copley                           –          Lost to Wadsworth, Barberton  2nd at Hephner Tournament
Note: Sam Wheeler is a projected state champion and Jon Garrison should make it on the podium.
8. Medina                           –         3rd, Hephner Tournament       at Brunswick, Thursday
Note: With point scorers in Matt and Teddy Hammer and Mike Griffith, the Bees are a player in the rankings.
9. Twinsburg                      –          Off                                               vs. Strongsville, Thursday
Note: The Tigers have the opportunity to score big points with at least four primetime wrestlers.
10. Cuyahoga Falls          –          Off                                               vs. Nordonia, Thursday
Note: The Black Tigers were nipping on the heels of Twinsburg at the Dies. They’re doing it in the polls as well.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Matt, Teddy lay down the Hammer with golds


Matt Hammer Teddy Hammer
AUSTINTOWN — Medina’s wrestling team didn’t repeat its championship at the Josh Hephner Memorial Tournament, but the Bees certainly made a statement on Saturday.
Sitting in 17th place after the first round of the two-day event, Medina battled back to finish third as a team behind Uniontown Lake and Copley.
Speaking of battling, Zach Getto (112 pounds) sustained an injury after his first match Friday, but had the wherewithal to keep going and finish second.
He joined champions Matt and Teddy Hammer (140 and 152, respectively), as well as runner-up Mike Griffith (135) in the finals for the Bees.
“It was a big step,” Medina coach Chad Gilmore said. “Matt, Teddy and Mike have been getting to the final round or close to it pretty regularly, but for Zach Getto to step up after a slow starting season was a huge accomplishment for him. He did a great job. We’re starting to peak at the right part of the season.”
Ryan Hornack (3rd, 103), Joe Gigliotti (3rd, 189) and Jake Spelic (8th, 130) joined the quartet on the podium, as the Bees look to finish the season strong with a dual at Brunswick before the Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament.
“It’s definitely a big stepping stone toward the postseason,” Gilmore said. “You have to wrestle consecutive days and having a dual Thursday (against Parma) and then a two-day tournament was just like state.”
Highland impressed as well with a fifth-place finish.
The squad finished 19 points out of third despite the fact it was missing state placer Tyler Bloniak, Shane Bloniak, Lazar Vilimonovic, Zach Holowecky, Zach Blessing and Tanner Adair, who had to sit out of the tournament because of scheduling points.
Still, Dan Mirman (135) finished first with runner-ups Colin Rininger (140) and Adam Kluk (171) making the finals as well.
Collin Vozar (4th, 285), Tom Gabyak (5th, 160), Brendan Hall (6th, 130) and James Kunzler (7th, 119) also placed for the Hornets.
“I was really overwhelmed with the effort from the guys that were wrestling,” Highland coach Paul Casey said. “Our varsity B guys that wrestled really had a great weekend. It was a little frustrating missing those weights, but we had seven guys place in the top eight.
“These guys were pinning guys left and right. I was really impressed with how they worked. When we fire on all cylinders, we’ll be on top.”
There were two All-Medina County finals as Mirman and Griffith met up for the third time this season — they wrestled at the Battle of Route 18 and Medina Invitational Tournament. Mirman is now 3-0 after eking out a one-point win at the Hephner.
Matt Hammer met up with Rininger for the first time this year and walked away with an impressive 9-2 decision.
Lake won the tournament based on a strong first day. The Blue Streaks won 39 matches on Friday with 30 pins, two technical falls and two major decisions.
Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Friday, January 21, 2011

hephner memorial tournament

Medina had a good day at fitch. After 3 rounds of wrestling Medina is in 5th place. Ryan Hornack Zach Getto, mike Griffith, Matt hammer, Teddy Hammer, and Joe Gigliotti are all undefeated. While Zach Priebe, Jake Spelic, Alex Albert, Josh Quesenberry, Julian lee,and mike Kopacz have all won matches . Wrestling begins at 9 tomorrow. We will start with 2more rounds of pool wrestling before starting to top 8 bracket tournament.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Josh Hephner Memorial Tournament
@
Austintown Fitch HS


Friday -1/21/11
ü      get out of class
ü      leave for tournament
ü      - Check into hotel
ü      1:30- Arrive @ Fitch and check in
ü      - Weigh-in
ü      4:00- Wrestling begins
ü      Head back to hotel, team meeting and lights out

Saturday- 1/22/11
ü      –Wake-up call
ü      6:30- Leave for Fitch High School
ü      7:00- Weigh-ins
ü      9:00- 2nd day of wrestling begins
ü      3:00- session break- team will go out to eat @ bw3
ü      6:00- Finals start
ü      Should be home around

What to bring
ü      All singlets, warm-ups, bags, wrestling shoes, head gear, ect
ü      Change of clothes
ü      Shower supplies
ü      Extra money for food or t-shirts

Friday, January 14, 2011

top gun tournament day 1 results

After the 1st day of the top gun tournament 6 battling bees are still alive. Mike Griffith and Teddy hammer are 3-0and have advance to the semifinals. Ryan Hornack Zach Getto Matt hammer and Joe gigliotti are all 2-1 and are fighting their way back through the consolation bracket. Jj Koenig, Josh Quesenberry and mike kopacz also won a match today. Teddy hammer broke the county nearfall record in his 1st match today. Tomorrow's action starts at 10:00am

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What to eat During a Tournament

- Night Before- 2/3 Carbs, 1/3 Protein. Pasta with marinara and Chicken Caesar Salad
and water.

- Post Scale- (9:00)-Heavy Carbs-Bagel, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Hash Browns, Orange or Apple Juice. (Stop eating before your full…you want to wrestle hungry).

- Pre-Matches- (20-30 minutes)- Fruit and Gatorade (Not a Lot). Stay hydrated and carb up.  ”Graze“ during the duration of the tournament…carbs.

In Between Matches
- Post Matches- Eat/Drink immediately following your match/sprint. Carb-Bagel/Fruit.

- Post Tournament- ½ Carbs and ½ Protein. Chicken Parm. over Linguine & chocolate milk.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

1/14/11-1/15/11


Top Gun Tournament

Friday 1/14/11
ü       Meet at the wrestling room at
ü       Vans leave
ü       Weigh-in are at
ü       Wrestling begins at
ü       After wrestling we will go to our hotel- Holiday Inn Canton
o        If you can eat – bring money Friday night you are on your own.
ü       Team Meeting
ü       Lights out

Saturday 1/15/11
ü       Wake-up call at
ü       Leave the hotel at
ü       Weigh-ins at
ü       Wrestling begins at
ü       Break for dinner at
o        We will go to cici’s Pizza for Dinner, the school will pay for dinner.
ü       Finals  start at
ü       Should be back to Medina around

What to bring

ü       Wrestling singlets, warm-up, bag, shoes, headgear, workout clothes, shower supplies
ü       Cooler of food and drinks
ü       Extra money for food
ü       Change of clothes