Brad Bournival

The Gazette

LORAIN – When you have a well-oiled machine like Wadsworth’s wrestling team, you just rev the engine and listen to the purr.

The Grizzlies didn’t win the Lorain Division I District on Sunday. They didn’t last year either, but won state.

What the squad did, however, was continue a program rich in tradition by qualifying nine individuals to state, while finishing second to Lakewood St. Edward in the team race.

“It’s not hard when you have people like we do in the room,” Grizzlies 125-pounder Kagan Squire said. “They have no problem sacrificing for us. They know what it takes to make our life easier.”

Wadsworth’s life wasn’t easy, but the Grizzlies did crown Squire, Nate Ball (140), Clay Wenger (145) and Nick Tavanello (215) champions at Lorain, while seeing Alfredo Gray (2nd, 130), Jake Crowley (2nd, 285), Brandon Jones (3rd, 112), Sheldon Brandenburg (3rd, 160) and Aaron Warstler (4th, 119) qualify for state as well.

“It takes the parents and administration to get it done,” Wadsworth coach John Gramuglia said. “There are so many people involved. You can never imagine how much hard work goes into it. We’d love to get more than nine, but nine is pretty darn good. That’s a story in itself.”

That number could increase with state alternates Chris Baughman (135) and C.J. Edwards (152) ready to step in.

But make no mistake, the Grizzlies go because they’ve got a laundry list of state champions, state placers and state qualifiers before them.

“We wouldn’t be anything without our coaches,” Ball said. “They know how hard to push us. They know if they can break us in the room, we won’t do it on the mat. That flow comes from the work they put in.”

The Grizzlies aren’t the only team pushing forward in Medina County, however.

Medina increased its number of state qualifiers by one from last year when Ryan Hornack (2nd, 103), Mike Griffith (2nd, 135), Matt Hammer (3rd, 140) and Teddy Hammer (3rd, 152) joined Brunswick’s Caleb Curtis (4th, 189) at the state tournament as well.

For the Bees, it has been a study in improvement as coach Chad Gilmore continues to build a team that is getting better and better.

In the last five years, Medina has qualified 11 individuals to state and had four of those wrestlers place.

That number should increase this year with Hornack, Griffith and the Hammers heading to Columbus.

The four Bees competing at Value City Arena are the most state qualifiers Medina has ever had in a single year with Zach Getto (112) going as an alternate as well.

“There were days when we were just hoping to get a district qualifier and maybe get an individual to place,” Gilmore said. “Now, there’s a change in attitude.

“It just shows the kids have turned a corner. They’re going out and doing what they know they can do. We’re expecting to get there and not hoping to.”

LORAIN – Results Sunday from the Lorain Division I District at Lorain High

School.

Team standings: 1. St. Edward 265½; 2. Wadsworth 223; 3. Brecksville; 4. Oregon Clay 110; 5. Medina 99; 6. Elyria 86; 7. Copley 81; 8. Lakewood 62½; 9. Perrysburg 48; 10. Lorain 43; 11. Olmsted Falls 40½; 12. Springfield 38½; 13. Fremont Ross 38; 14. Midpark 37; 15. North Olmsted 29½; 16. Toledo Whitmer, Midview 26; 18. Amherst Steele 25½; 19. Cuyahoga Falls, Sandusky, Westlake 24; 22. Nordonia 23½; 23. Mansfield Senior 20; 24. Strongsville 19; 25. Sylvania Northview 18; 26. Brunswick 16; 27. Toledo St. Francis, Avon Lake 15; 29. North Ridgeville 12; 30. Toledo St. John’s 10; 31. Findlay 9; 32. Ashland 7; 33. Cloverleaf 6; 34. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 4; 35. John Marshall 3; 36. Sylvania Southview, Bowling Green 1.      

Individual results

(Top four advance to state tournament)

103 – Krumheuer (Midp) d. Hornack (Med), 6-3; Third: Mueller (OF) d. Davis (Cla), 10-5; Fifth: Diaz (Lor) by inj. def. Torres (Ely); 112 – Bright (SE) d. Screptock (Cla), 8-5; Third: Jones (Wad) d. DuPratt (OF), 1-0; Fifth: Getto (Med) m.d. Demio (Str), 14-0; 119 – Heil (SE); t.f. Y. Abdel-Salem (Lak), 17-1; Third: Matos (Ste) d. Warstler (Wad), 7-4; Fifth: Pruchinski (Bre) by inj. def. Elden (SN); 125 – Squire (Wad) d. Scheidel (SE), 5-3; Third: Garcia (Ely) d. Scholtz (Str), 3-1, OT; Fifth: Brunner (NO) m.d. Walker (Cop), 13-2; 130 – Baran (Bre) d. Gray (Wad), 6-4; Third: Amenta (Cla) p. W. Abdel-Salem (Lak), :45; Fifth: Heffernan (SE) m.d. Ayers (Midv), 17-4; 135 – Barber (SE) d. Griffith (Med), 8-4; Third: Ramsey (Lak) d. Taylor (CF), 4-3; Fifth: Baughman (Wad) d. Good (Bre), 10-7; 140 – Ball (Wad) d. Gupko (Nord), 7-4; Third: M. Hammer (Med) p. Hiles (Bre), 4:30; Fifth: Basinski (Ste) d. Feckley (Lak), 2-1; 145 – Wenger (Wad) d. Garrison (Cop), 10-5; Third: Wright (Ely) t.f. DeCavitch (Spr), 16-1; Fifth: Saridakis (Bre) d. Opial (Whi), 4-3; 152 – Martin (SE) p. Stuckart (Wes), 3:48; Third: T. Hammer (Med) m.d. Price (Ely), 15-2; Fifth: Edwards (Wad) d. Barr (Bre), 3-2.; 160 – Abounader (SE) by def. Roddy (Bre); Third: Brandenburg (Wad) t.f. Zayed (NO),16-0; Fifth: Davis (Midv) p. Koncek (Midp), 4:53; 171 – Willet (Bre) d. Davis (SE), 4-3; Third: Kohlhofer (Spr) d. Boff (Per), 3-2; Fifth: I. Cloyne (Cla) p. I. Wheeler (Cop), 3:40; 189 – Wheeler (Cop) m.d. Suvak (SE), 8-0; Third: Trautwein (FR) d. Curtis (Bru), 8-2; Fifth: Veler (Cla) d. Medina (Lor), 3-2; 215 – Tavanello (Wad) d. Walz (SE), 5-1; Third: Gott (Ely) p. Willis (Lor), 3:39; Fifth: Carter (Per) d. Gaghen (Cla), 3-1, OT;285 – Kuhar (SE) d. Crowley (Wad), 5-0; Third: Brown (San) d. Gray (Cla), 7-3; Fifth: Frank (AL) d. Hiss (Cop), 2-1, OT.

 

– 30 –

 

 

W – Kagan 1^st, Ball 1^st, Wenger 1^st, Tavanello 1^st, Alfredo 2^nd, Jones 3^rd, Brandenburg 3rd, Warstler 4th, Baughman 5th, C.J. Edwards 5th

M – Hornack 2nd (103), Griffith 2nd, M. Hammer 3rd, T. Hammer 3^rd, Getto 5,

B – Caleb Curtis 4^th.

C – Wheeler 1st, Garrison 2^nd, Hiss HVY

CF – Taylor fourth

Nord – Gupko 2nd

Mindset for Major Copmetitions

Dominant: Teams and individuals that win state and national touraments consistently.

Fade: Teams or individuals that want the season over.  They want to be the best, but settle on mediorcrity.  They have no plan in place to peak.  Their practice room and lifestyle habits are not conductive to consistent winning.  Improper weight management could be a problem, but the main factor is their mental state.  Fear carries more authority than belief.

Peak: Teams and individuals that understand a superior person is able to focus.  Fucus allows mastery of your environment.

Lack of belief is detrimental.  Wasting time looking ahead and overanalyzing the past is hurtful to consistent performance.  There are times when we question our readiness to compete by magnifying our opponents' abilities and minimizing our own.  Atheltes' often create imagined obstacles that hinder their potential.  Tournaments, ideally, are  what you look towards all season.  Use major competitions as a reward.  Let other copetitors work mental numbers on themselves.  Let the competition become filled with anxiety and doubt.  Let them compete with a mental parkig brake on.  let the competition deal with the weight of doubt.  Let the competition question and wear themselves out with non-stop mental games.  Much like physical training, there are mental training skills.  Improving your mental skills should be part of your overall program.  Many athletes experience mental struggles but do little to change their state of mind.  Many hope on game day everything will work itself out.  Our thoughts can be cunning, but they provide evidence that shows up in our performance.  Our thinking, a never ending internal conversation, will always be with us; it is how our minds work.  There is always something on our minds.  What occupies your mind is important.  Your can rehearse victory or you can court defeat.  Overcoming defeat is a battle you can win, but you have to challenge yourself and you must give up comfort.  the daily battle is always between what you should do and what you actually do.  Win these battles.  The more persistent the fight, the more likely the victory.  A plan of action makes a difference.  As major tournaments approach, many athletes tighten up, hold back, or shut down.  They refrain from what produced  past victories.  they stay safe, over analyze, and wait; waiting is a trap.  You are still competing under the same rules and the same principles.  Nothing has changed except your thinking.  Andy since you control your thinking, you hold the key.  What will you allow to speak loudest?  You have been good before, and you can be good again.  The athlete who deals with pressure will triumph.  A venue does not change you.  Nothing changes except what you allow.  it is responsibility on your part.  Responsibility is a choice and an opportunity to grow, not a burden.  It is natural to be nervous; you can perform with nerves.  Be in the moment.  Do not fear something you have done consistently well.  Relax, take a deep breath, and focus.  It is either you or your opponent.  Your responsibility is to tilt the odds in your favor through daily preparation.  Since your competition is training like you are, you have to invest more.  Maybe it is  working harder and longer, but maybe it is working smarter and understanding that you will function at an optimal level when the body and mind are in unison.  We create fear and doubt, but we also possess courage and belief.  Both exist in your mind.  They do not live in harmony, so you have to choose.  It takes work, but never confuse difficult with impossible.  Eliminating doubt is a battle you can win.  You will get what you think about consistently.  Hold nothing back, and compete to win.  Performance is not random; it is related to your thoughts and expectations.  Somebody who is not supposed to win will excel.  Someone who is suppoed to excel will falter.  The determining factor is focus and consistency. 

How to grow confiedence and have a focused tournament mind

-Awareness of your thoughts.  Identify situations where negative self-talk occurs.

-Interrupt the negative and replace with positive

-Manage your self-talk, you can manage your performance

-Make a decision that you are going to be committed to building your confidence

- Focus is crucial

- Body language indicates attitude and attitude dictates behavior.  Maintain strong and positive body language.

-Only concern yourself with the controllable.

- Build success into your training.

- Set  practice room goals that focus on specific behaviors

- Manage your breathing.  By slowing your breathing you conserve energy, in control of your movements and functions at a higher level take a deep breath; breathe in confidence and strength; breath out doubt and fatique.

-Play your strengths. Train your weakness.

-Basic wins

- Analyze during practice and training.  Simplicity during competition.

-Consistent pre-competition behaviors provide consistent performance results.

- A win in never certain and a loss is never final.  Stay focused!

Districts Itinerary

Friday 2-24-11

ü     11:00am get out of class

ü     11:30-12:00 leave for Lorain

ü     1:30- skin check

ü     2:00- weigh-in

ü     4:00- wrestling begins- 2 championship and 1 consolation round

ü     Head back to Medina after wrestling

Saturday 2-25-11

ü     7:00am meet at wrestling room and leave for Lorain

ü     9:00am wrestling begins

ü     3:00pm- break – going out to eat paid by the school

ü     6:00pm Finals begin

ü     head back to Medina at the conclusion of the finals

what to bring

ü     All singlet, headgear, bag, mouth piece, wrestling shoes

ü     Change of clothes

ü     Shower supplies

ü     Money for souvenirs

ü     ***pack an overnight bag just incase we get snowed in and have to stay***

Lorain High School

2600 Ashland Ave, Lorain Ohio 44025

Power of Positive Attitude

POSITIVE ATTITUDE = POSITIVE ATHLETIC SUCCESS!

Christopher Stankovich, Ph.D.

Positive Attitude & Why It’s Important!

The attitude you choose each day (and it is a choice of yours 100% of the time) will make all the difference in the world when it comes to life success. Choose a positive attitude and your overall mood state will increase, as will your confidence level and ability to successfully interact with other people. On the other hand, choosing a negative attitude will put your mind in a depressed emotional state, often leading to poor motivation, poor communication skills with others, and in sports, this type of attitude usually results in a terrible disruption to the entire team.

While you don’t have much choice when it comes to how tall you will grow or how big your hands will become (or other biological traits), you do have a choice when it comes to attitude! Choose wisely each day and success will follow; on the other hand, keeping a negative attitude will push people away from you and prevent golden opportunities from ever developing.

Try to wake up each day and find at least one thing to be thankful for – then carry that positive attitude throughout the day and especially into your practices and games. When you develop a positive attitude, it will also spread to others as emotion is contagious, and a healthy team climate is always a good thing when it comes to team success!

Why a Positive Attitude Works

Today, we hear so much about negative “chemical imbalances” through television commercials pushing various anti-depressant medications. Interestingly, rarely do we hear about positive chemical exchanges in the brain that come as a result of having a positive attitude! When you decide to develop a positive attitude, neurotransmitters fire in the brain and send off various endorphins and other chemical reactions in your body that lead to many great things, including better confidence and self-esteem. What is so amazing about this is that attitude is always under your control, so when you think of it, so much of your personal wellness is really under your personal control. Get your mind and body in synchrony by making a promise to harness the power of positive thinking and take your game to a new level!

How to Develop a Positive Attitude

• Remember, attitude is a choice that only you can make. Positive attitude leads to a host of wonderful things for your mind and body, while a negative attitude will bring you down in every aspect of your life. Needless to say, choose wisely!

• While keeping a positive attitude may be challenging (what good things in life aren’t?), remember that you can always look to see the glass “half-full” instead of “half-empty.” There is usually a silver lining to most things in life if you look hard enough. For example, after a loss there are always important things you can learn in order to be better the next time you play.

• Your positive attitude will positively impact everyone on your team and allow your team to reach its highest levels. Unfortunately, your negative attitude can lead to the opposite occurring.

• Keeping a positive attitude does not mean you need to act “corny” and always get in your teammates faces about them being overly-positive. Just be yourself, smile, be friendly to others, and show interest in their endeavors and it is very likely your attitude will quickly rub off on them in a healthy and positive way.

Dr. Chris Stankovich is a national expert in the field of sport & performance psychology and has assisted thousands of athletes reach their full athletic potential. He is the Founder of Advanced Human Performance Systems, and is known as “The Sports Doc” for his weekly segment on Ohio News Network (ONN). Please visit www.drstankovich.com for exciting, easy-to-understand Peak Performance videos, audios, assessments, and feature articles! Enjoy today’s article? For a more detailed, downloadable mp3 audio file on this topic please visit www.drstankovich to learn more!

Wrestling – End of the Year Tournaments

 "Success: The ability to compete while you're up or down is the secret to success"

It’s back to a good old-fashioned wrestling post, and I figured this would be the perfect time.  I’m not even going to try to relate it to anything else, this is just pure wrestling stuff, but you still may find it interesting…

Finally, all the hard work put in during the long season that started around Thanksgiving is finally culminating to what really matters…the “post season” of wrestling. It’s “playoff time,” this is what you’ve been preparing for all season, and there’s a couple of things you need to remember along the way:

1. It’s been a long season – At this point every wrestler is thinking about being done for the year, not cutting weight anymore, and so on. You can use this to your advantage in two ways.   First, not giving in to these thoughts.  Like I said, every wrestler experiences some of it, even the best, but don’t let it overcome you.  My own mistake with this was during the state tournament my senior year, when I told my coach that if I qualified for Senior Nationals that I wouldn’t go because I didn’t want to make weight again.  I didn’t have to worry about it, because I didn’t qualify even though I probably should have.  Did this affect the outcome?  One will never know.  Second, wanting it more than the other guy. I can’t say records are thrown out the window at this point because there’s no way a 30-0 wrestler is going to lose to the guy that’s 5-20 in the first round of the tournaments, but it’s time to avenge losses from earlier in the year, and you can, if you want it more.  It’s time to beat a wrestler with a better record, and you can, if you want it more.  It’s time to shock the entiregym with a major upset, and you can,…IF…YOU…WANT IT…MORE!
2. Don’t let failure lead to more failure- No matter what stage of the game you’re in, Freshman thru Senior, a set back isgoing to fuel you to achieve more in the future. Don’t let setbacks get you down and lead to future failure.  As an underclassman, getting knocked out will fuel you through the off-season and lead to more success in subsequent years. Even if you’re a senior, setbacks will help motivate you in other ways and it may take years for you to realize what that even is.  Setbacks are sure to come, but see them for what they truly are…opportunities for growth and future success, don’t let them drag you down.
3. Get to the podium – My Junior year, I was just happy to have qualified for the State Tournament. After having come up short my first two years, I found myself wrestling a returning 3rd place finisher from the year before. I wasn’t afraid or intimidated, but I was fully prepared to be satisfied with just the qualification. Luckily I still went out to wrestle my match and after a major decision win in that opening round, I knew I could compete with anyone. Don’t let ranking, records, or previous place stand in your way. The opponent is just as worried about you as you are about them, wrestle your match and get to the podium now that you’ve made it this far.
4. It’s time to reflect on what wrestling has given to you - We are all blessed to be a part of this sport and we learn so much about ourselves that others won’t. You belong to a fraternity that will be with you always…ask any ex-wrestler what happens when they meet another person who says they wrestled in high school and there is an immediate connection. This will help lead to a network of people you’ll be able to leverage and benefit from in the future.  Especially if this is your senior year and last go around, make sure you take some time to reflect and realize all you’ve gotten out of this wonderful sport.

That’s it, those are my thoughts on the end of the year tournaments.  It’s a whole new ball game and you’ve got to make the most out of every opportunity.  One slip up now ends your season or possibly your career.  Make every minute count

Bees continue march to top

Photo by JUSTINA SAXBY
Zach Getto was one of three Medina wrestlers to win Northeast Ohio Conference championships Saturday at Garfield Heights. The Bees won the River Division championship for the second consecutive year.

By TODD STUMPF
The Post sports editor



GARFIELD HEIGHTS - Medina's rise toward the top of Ohio's wrestling scene has been nothing short of meteoric and beyond remarkable. The Bees took a few more steps up over the weekend.
Medina left the fourth annual Northeast Ohio Conference tournament as River Division champions for the third year in a row. The Bees, who had but one conference champ in their first three years in the NOC, saw three crowned on Saturday night.
Winners were Zach Getto at 112 pounds, Teddy Hammer at 152 and Joe Gigliotti at 189. Matt Hammer and Mike Griffith were runners-up at 145 and 140, respectively.
"The kids are believing in the system, working hard, believing what we're teaching and getting stronger and more confident," Medina coach Chad Gilmore said. "These guys are real confident right now."
Medina finished with 144.5 team points, trailing Valley Division champ Elyria (171.5) and runner-up Twinsburg (157.5) in the overall standings. Normandy was second-among River teams, placing fifth with 122.5.
How far have the Bees come? At the first NOC tourney, in 2008, Medina finished 15th overall, fifth in the River and had nobody placer higher than third. A third-place finish by 103-pounder Ryan Hornack gave Medina six placers at the NOC this year.
"It kind of looked like a rebuilding year this year because we graduated six or seven kids, but our core guys kept together and have been battling throughout the year," Gilmore said. "That paid off today and hopefully it's going to pay off in March."
March is when the state tournament will take place. Medina is tabbed by wrestling analyst Brian Brakeman as a top 10 team. No Bees team has ever finished in the top 10 at the state tournament.
This group is made for such a run. With a half-dozen potential state qualifiers with the potential to rack up points in Columbus, it's very possible the Bees could be near the top of the leaderboard.
"It means a lot," said Gigliotti, who beat Nordonia's Brian Yurko 9-4 to win his championship. "We're a close-knit group. We all hang out and in the offseason we all wrestle together. It feels good when the whole team does good."
Gigliotti credited Gilmore and his staff with the resurgence of the program. When the current seniors were freshmen, Medina wrestling was almost an afterthought - even at wrestling tournaments.
Gilmore volleyed the compliment back. Coaches can inspire all they want, but athletes have to buy in. The Bees not only have bought in, but have a contagious form of success pushing them.
"They guys are just feeding off each other." Gilmore says.
Griffith, who last year was Medina's first NOC champ, the Hammers and Gigliotti all have experienced varying levels of success. That's not as true of Getto, who won a tournament for the first time.
"All week I knew I could win this," Getto said. "I just wanted to come out and go my hardest and I did.
"I felt great. All my wins were pretty big. I felt pretty good on the mat. I didn't die at all. I've got good confidence. I'm not going to stop with this. It's definitely a stepping stone for the next few weeks."

The Grind

It’s the time in the season every wrestler knows too well…the time when you realize just how long a wrestling season is. Perhaps its the months of careful eating that make it seem to go on forever, perhaps it’s because it’s in the dead of winter, or maybe it’s the fact it lasts from November until March, but no matter what way you look at it…it’s a long season.
It’s at this point that every practice is a struggle and dragging your butt to practice becomes a chore.  The point where you get into the locker room to change and you just aren’t sure how you’ll make it through another day.  The point where you start your pre-practice warm-ups and your legs feel so weak that you doubt you’ll be able to compete…but this is it…this ,my friends, is what training is all about.  Don’t feel bad about it, it happens to everyone, but how you respond to these feelings are what separate mediocre wrestlers from the great ones.
Mediocre wrestlers may find ways to get out of a workout here or there by being “sick”, “injured”, or “busy” with whatever excuse may be convenient to catch a break.  Attending practice doesn’t make much difference because by midseason they are coasting and might as well have taken the day off…just going through the motions.  It’s not that a special workout is needed or to practice any special moves, it’s just that they need to grind it out like the great wrestler who although the grind is just as hard, still finds a way to get quality work in day after day.
Now that I’ve become a “runner”, I am seeing parallels everywhere between the 2 sports.  My latest read, “Once a Runner” by John L Parker, refers to this concept as “The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.”  It describes the cumulative effect that disciplined training has.  Not a single workout pushed the runners to the brink, but day after day, week after week, mile after mile, the fatigue added up…both physically and mentally.  It is the discipline to push through this rough patch that truly breeds champions.  To stay focused and put in the time both mentally and physically.  To push your body even when you aren’t up for it and take the extra time to recover properly (ice, streching, etc.) for the next workout.
The parallel is easy to apply across all sports and competitions, but it transcends sports into life in general.  It may be your career, an entrepreneurial endeavor, a relationship, or even your faith, but it’s the discipline to work at each of these over time and overcome the down times that creates success.  It’s easy to put in the work when you feel like, but it takes true commitment and self discipline to put in the work even when you don’t.
My running training is just beginning for the year, so I’m not at this point yet.  It’s a long season however (all year) and I know I’ll have to endure the grind at some point.  For wrestlers, however, that time is now, and those that find a way to stay focused and grind through this tough part of the season will be the one’s on the podium come March.  The point is to realize this and the next time you feel like you aren’t up for the task, just know that pushing through will be the difference between you and the next guy.

Mental Toughness Wins in Wrestling By Steve Fraser

 

Mental Toughness Wins in Wrestling
November 19, 2010
By Steve Fraser

Toughness as defined in the dictionary:

1. Able to withstand great strain without breaking. 2. Physically hardy; rugged. 3. Severe; harsh. 4. Aggressive. 5. Demanding. 6. Strong-minded; resolute.

What is ‘toughness’ in the sport of wrestling? What does it mean to be mentally tough? How can mental toughness help us to overcome obstacles?

These questions - when answered and mastered - can catapult us and our team to the top of the wrestling world.

The reason Rulon Gardner, Olympic Champion, beat the Russian superstar; Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games was because of Rulon’s toughness. Karelin had not been beaten in 13 years. The reason Matt Lindland won the 2000 Olympic and 2001 World silver medals is because of toughness. The reason our U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team won the World Championships in 2007 in Baku, Azerbaijan was because of our team’s toughness.

I contend that the main reason wrestlers make it to the top in this game is because they learn to master their mental, physical and emotional toughness.

In my mind there is no doubt. Toughness in wrestling is the key to becoming one of the best! We can be brilliant technicians. We can be as quick as cats. We can be extremely talented. We can be strong as a freight train. But without exceptional toughness our road to the highest podium step will probably be very bumpy.

Bill Zadick won the World Championships in 2006 and is currently the national freestyle development coach for USA Wrestling. He summed it up this way when I asked him to give me his example of what toughness looks like in the practice room.

“I would find the toughest training partner on a day that I was beginning practice already tired. I used to grab Ramico Blackmon (Olympic Training Center resident teammate) on an occasion like this. I went with Ramico because I knew I would have to ‘step it up’ or Ramico would crush me.”

What this did for Bill was, it would get him in a groove and force him to rise up and meet Ramico’s strength and intensity. Most often Bill would end up having one of his best workouts that day.

Coach Zadick says; “To be totally tough and the best in this sport it requires one thing… full bore commitment! 100% IN!!! There is no other way to become the best!”

Bill says that the single and biggest factor in being ‘tough’ can be summed up with one word; Consistency! Whether you are consistent at challenging your training partners or challenging your own areas of weakness; the key for toughness is becoming consistent on a daily basis.

When I ask Terry Steiner, who is USA Wrestling’s national women’s coach, what he thinks toughness is in the practice room he states the following:

“I learned that trying to break my practice partner in every practice was the key to my success. At the University of Iowa this is what we did! This is what we did almost everyday!”

I think sometimes too many people are just trying to ‘out point’ their practice opponent instead of beating them down. We must have the attitude in the practice room that we want to destroy our practice partner. We must try and crush them. Everyday we must try to make someone quit. Break them mentally and physically. This is how one develops his or her fierce tenacity and ferocious attitude. We must remember, becoming the best means we have to be outrageous and courageous.

“Learning how to break someone in practice where you make your practice partner want to take a break or stop to get a drink means you are on your way to greatness.” says Coach Steiner.

And please… do not expect to feel good everyday. We have got to be training hard enough where we hurt and are totally exhausted. And then we must train even more!

Coach Steiner doesn't care how you feel early in the season. Dang, this is when we SHOULD be tired, sore and hurting. This is where we are building our resistance. It’s at this time we still need to fight hard and wrestle hard even when we are exhausted. We have got to train our bodies to wrestling when we are beat up.

This grueling time period (early – mid season) allows for a stronger and higher peak performance when it counts most (State, National and World Championships). During the peaking time period is when we need to be focused more on feeling fresh, hungry and powerful.

To bottom line it: We have got to be crazy! To be best in the world (or State/Nation) we have got to be crazy! Crazy training! Crazy attitude! Crazy strong! Maybe just plain crazy!

Still to this day my most favorite feeling I have is when I am done with practice, totally drenched in sweat, sore, tired and beat up a bit. There is no better feeling for me. Am I crazy? Yes! And proud of it!

If you have a dream or desire to be the best wrestler you can be - then each and everyday (in practice and competition) don't just try and out score your opponents, try and break them. Try and break their will to fight. Try and make them quit. Have the goal of getting them so tired that they give up everything to you. Do this and we will see you at the top, for sure!

As always, expect to win!

February 7, 2011

WWE Star Dolph Ziggler and Two High School Duals to be a Part of Kent State vs. Ohio Friday

KENT, Ohio - Kent State wrestling fans know him as Nick Nemeth (1999-2003), but to much of the world he is WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler, and Friday night (Feb. 11) he makes his return to the M.A.C. Center. The three-time Mid-American Conference champion and former career win leader will serve as an honorary captain for his alma mater when it takes on rival Ohio.

Ziggler will be signing autographs following the Flashes' dual with the Bobcats that is slated to begin at 7:05 p.m. He will also be recognized with a video tribute midway through the dual.

Friday night's M.A.C. Center events will begin at 5 p.m., featuring two high school dual meets. Area schools Cuyahoga Falls and Medina will be in action along with Gahanna Lincoln and Delaware Hayes. KSU will also welcome back former three-year captain Kyle Bentley (1993-97), who serves as head coach at Gahanna Lincoln.

"We're expecting a great atmosphere Friday night," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said. "You're going to see some quality wrestling at both the high school and college levels, a WWE superstar and we're going to have the pep band, cheerleaders and promotions so we'll have something for everyone."

Ranked No. 15 in last week's NWCA Coaches Poll, the Golden Flashes (12-5, 2-0 MAC) will be recognizing its four seniors Friday night. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $1 for kids.

SportsTime Ohio will be airing the meet Saturday at 9:30 p.m.

Twinsburg, Medina shine at NOC wrestling tournament

 

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio – Last year was the year to shine, and this was supposed to be the year for respectability.
Somebody forgot to tell that to the wrestling teams from Twinsburg and Medina.
Both fared incredibly well at the Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament on Saturday to finish second and third, respectively, behind Elyria at the star-studded affair.
For the Tigers, who graduated eight seniors last season, it was a lesson in earning some much-deserved rewards as Del Vinas (119 pounds), Mike Labry (125) and Mike Baker (171) grabbed first-place finishes.
“I’m a low-key guy,” Twinsburg coach Dave Mariola, Sr., said. “I like to bring them along slower, but in reading the newspapers, everyone was saying Solon, Mayfield and Elyria.
“No one was giving us respect. When it comes to tournaments, it’s all about team points. To win here and place as many as we did (nine), it makes me feel like we’re making progress.”
So is a team like Medina. While Teddy Hammer (1st, 152), Mike Griffith (2nd, 135) and Matt Hammer (2nd, 140) were expected to get to the finals, wrestlers like Zach Getto (112) and Joe Gigliotti (189) pushed through the wall with their first career varsity tournament wins.
That, along with Ryan Hornack’s third-place finish at 103, wrapped up the River Division for the Bees for the third time in the four-year history of the event as the team looks to finish in the top 10 at state for the first time.
“This was definitely a big step,” Bees coach Chad Gilmore said. “We’ve got them believing in the system.
“They’re starting to see what can happen, and it’s paying off. When they get in the big matches, they’re starting to see what it does.”
Getto might have reaped the biggest reward of all. A district qualifier last year, the junior isn’t even ranked but has made a strong case to be among the mix as soon as this year.
“He’s believing in himself,” Gilmore said. “It started two weeks ago at Austintown Fitch (the Josh Hephner Memorial). He said he got sick of losing. He figured out his style and is building off it.”
That style turned into an incredible 19-4 semifinal win over Tim Duran of Solon.
Duran was a fourth-place finisher at state in New Hampshire before coming to the Comets.
Getto took his technical fall win in the semifinals and turned it into a 12-4 major decision over Normandy’s Marco Lugo in the finals.
“It’s exciting,” Getto said of his first varsity tournament win. “I came into this tournament thinking I could win.
“I picked up some great confidence moving forward. It’s a stepping stone. After the MIT, I knew I had to pick it up. Now, you’re seeing it on the mat.”
So is Stow’s Connor McMahon (145), who exacted his regular season one-point loss to projected state finalist Devon Range of Brush by winning 3-1 at the NOC Tournament.
“States is all that matters,” McMahon said. “Personally, I know he’s beatable now. I’ll have to go for it again, but now I know I can catch him.
“Now, he’s got something to prove. He got me in front of my team the first time, I got him here. Now, it’s going to come down to states. The first time I was nervous. This was big.”
GARFIELD HEIGHTS – Results Saturday from the fourth annual Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament at Garfield Heights High School.
Team standings: 1. Elyria 171.5; 2. Twinsburg 157.5; 3. Medina 144.5; 4. Solon 137; 5. Normandy 122.5; 5. Normandy 122.5; 6. Brush 114.5; 7. Mayfield 114; 8. Lakewood 94; 9. Cuyahoga Falls, Strongsville 88; 11. Stow 84; 12. Nordonia 61; 13. Brunswick, Hudson 57; 15. Parma 56.5; 16. Garfield Heights 56; 17. North Royalton 35; 18. Valley Forge 11.     
Individual results
103: Thompson (Sol) m.d. Torres (Ely), 13-2; Third: Hornack (Med) m. d. Bartinelli (NR), 11-2; Fifth: Taylor (Brun) d. Maund (Norm), 6-2;
112: Getto (Med) m.d. Lugo (Norm), 12-4; Third: Hartwig (Sto) d. Duran (Sol), 4-3; Fifth: Demio (Stro) d. Arrelano (GH), 7-0;
119: Vinas (Twi) d. Abdel Salam (Lak), 3-1; Third: Canon (Ely) d. Levtsky (Par), 4-3; Fifth: Peskar (Norm) by def. Birr (May);
125: Labry (Twi) d. Yurkovich (NR), 5-3; Third: D. McNulty (May) p. W. Abdel-Salem (Lak), 3:44; Fifth: Schoitz (Str) p. Jastal (Brun), :57;
130: Collica (Sol) d. Carlone (May), 5-3; Third: Mickovic (Twi) d. Webber (Ely), 6-4; Fifth: McLelland (Hud) by def. Perri (Str);
135: Ramsey (Lak) d. Griffith (Med), 5-2; Third: Taylor (CF) d. McIntosh (Bru), 3-2 Fifth: Kamczyc (Ely) by def. T. McNulty (May);
140: Claxton (Brus) d. M. Hammer (Med), 7-1; Third: Feckley (Lak) d. Gupko (Nord), 2-1; Fifth: Blumenthal (Twi) by def. Hysell (CF);
145: McMahon (Sto) d. Range (Brus), 3-1; Third: Wright (Ely) p. McGuinea (Twi), 2:19; Fifth: Goddard (Lak) d. Wilson (CF), 4-2;
152: T. Hammer (Med) t.f. Price (Ely), 15-0; Third: Haumesser (Norm) d. Peacock (Hud), 11-8; Fifth: Lebrun (Str) d. Gilchrist (May), 4-1;
160: Coleman (May) p. Jones (Brus), 3:46; Third: Swan (Str) d. Hebble (Ely), 9-4; Fifth: Berg (Hud) d. Anderson (Norm), 12-7;
171: Baker (Twi) m.d. Shepard (GH), 14-1; Third: Peterson (Sol) d. Glasko (Norm), 6-5; Fifth:; Finegan (Sto) d. Straus (VF), 8-1;
189: Gigliotti (Med) d. Yurko (Nord), 9-4; Third: Curtis (Brun) d. Archacki (Norm), 7-3; Fifth: Campbell (Twi) d. Meade (CF), 5-2;
215: Gott (Med) d. Howard (Brus), 15-10 Third: Asriyan (Str) d. Ware (CF), 10-3; Fifth: Lee (Twi) by ff Garner (Sto);
285: Hoff (Sol) p. Rhodes (CF), 2:18; Third: Benson (GH) p. Reagan (Brun), 3:08; Fifth: Wylie (Norm) p. Sims (Twi), 2:02

Northeast Ohio Conference wrestlers throwing down to find out where they stand

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Twinsburg's Mike Labry (125), top, is in control on his way to a victory over B.J. Rhodes of Cuyahoga Falls. - (Lisa DeJong l PD)

Devon Range understands the residual effect the Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament has on a wrestler.
A year ago, the Brush senior parlayed a runner-up finish at the league tournament with a state-placing a month later.
He wasn't the only one as 29 other NOC wrestlers found their way to Columbus after placing at the league tournament. Of those 29, 15 made their way to the podium at Value City Arena in Division I, including a state champion and runner-up.
"This [tournament] is great," Range said. "You usually don't see this kind of competition until districts. It kind of lets you know what you're going to do down the road."
Range opened his tournament Friday with a pin of Parma's Pat Juhn in 1:59 and reached the 145-pound semifinals with a 17-3 major decision over Cuyahoga Falls' Austyn Wilson.
"You know if you win this tournament, you're going to do something special down in Columbus," Range said.
Last year, Medina junior Mike Griffith upset Solon's Anthony Collica in the NOC Tournament finals and went on to finish eighth at the state tournament.
While pointing to last year's NOC success, Griffith (135) has since exploded onto the scene.
Griffith's day Friday began with a 96-second, first-round pin of Stow's Braxton Hornick. He then beat Elyria's Connor Kamczyc, 9-5, to pass former state champion Mark Balog as Medina's all-time career win leader with 132.
"This is where I really found out what my potential was last year," Griffith said. "It was a real confidence booster.
"You might not have as many kids here as you do at places like the Top Gun, but they're good kids. You run into guys ranked by [Brian] Brakeman and Bucksman [Josh Lowe]. It's the guys you'll see at sectionals and districts."
Success at the NOC Tournament isn't just limited to individuals. Two years ago, Elyria won the event and then placed sixth at state.
That's the best the Pioneers have done in Columbus since 1987, according to the team's coaching staff.
Elyria, which stands atop the standings with 81 1/2 points, has Armondo Torres (103), Matt Canon (119), Myles Wright (145), Devan Price (152), Jake Hebble (160) and Jason Gott (215) wrestling in today's semifinals. Twelve of the Pioneers' 13 wrestlers will be competing today as Elyria looks to become the first team to win the NOC Tournament twice.
Solon is second with 66 points and is followed by Medina (58), Brush (56 1/2) and Mayfield (55).
"This conference is awesome," Elyria coach Erik Burnett said. "There are real exciting dual meets and it all culminates into a fantastic tournament with great individual wrestling.
"Some kids come here and feel like they've had a good season. Then they have success and it turns into a great postseason. Suddenly, those kids are wrestling with confidence. If you do something here in conference, you should feel like you're going to place at state."
Today's semifinals begin at 12:30 p.m. and the finals are scheduled to start at 6.

Day 1 at the NOC tournament

The Bees started the day a little short handed due to a couple of unexpected injuries. The guys came out motivated and ready to wrestle, winning 14 of 22 matches. 6 battling Bees are 2-0 on the day and will be wrestling in the semi-finals tomorrow at 12:30. Ryan Hornack, Zach Getto, Mike Griffith, Matt Hammer, Teddy Hammer and Joe Gigliotti have all guaranteed themselves All-Conference honors,and will be fighting for championships tomorrow. Zach Priebe and JJ Koenig both lost their first round matches and had big wins in the second round. They will both be battling for placement honors tomorrow. In Mike Griffith's second win on the day he tied Mark Balog's career win record with 131.

NOC Itinerary

Friday 2/4/11

ü      11:40 Released from class

ü      12:15- leave for Garfield Heights

ü      2:00- Weigh-ins

ü      4:00- Wrestling begins ( Rattails, 2 champ, rattail consolation, 1 consolation)

ü      Head back to Medina at conclusion of wrestling

Saturday-2/5/11

ü      7:00- Meet at the wrestling room

ü      7:15- Leave for Garfield Heights

ü      9:00- weigh-ins

ü      11:00- wrestling begins

ü      3:00- dinner (funded by the school)

ü      6:00- Finals

ü      9:00- Head back to Medina

What to bring

ü      All singlets, warm-up, bag, head gear, wrestling shoes, mouth piece

ü      Change of Clothes

ü      Shower Supplies

ü      Money for food at tournament



Wrestling: NOC has no shortage of top talent

There’s a very strong argument that state placers and state champions are actually born this weekend at the Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament.
A hotbed of wrestling, the NOC has churned out some pretty impressive names as it gets ready for its fourth installment Friday and Saturday at Garfield Heights High School.
“I think it’s definitely a great tournament,” Twinsburg coach Dave Mariola Sr. said. “It preps us for the sectional and district.
“I think it’s harder than our sectionals. It’s 18 teams and the leaders from each division are very good.”
One of those leaders would be Medina, which had the lead after Day 1 last year only to fall to the Tigers, who had six finalists and four champions.
“We have to be on our game every match,” Bees coach Chad Gilmore said. “You look at this as your big finale of the season. You’ll be gunning for those people that will be standing on the podium (in Columbus).
“It gives you a better idea of where you are. Traditionally, Northeast Ohio is one of the strongest parts of the state in terms of wrestling. We’re taking the best teams and putting them in the same conference. These teams produce state placers every year.”
They also produce great team races as the NOCT has been won by Mayfield, Elyria and Twinsburg the last three years, proving how pliable it is.
“If you have 12 good kids in a weight class, you’ll have some battles there,” Mariola said. “Traditionally the kids that come out first or second have a real good shot at going to district.”
Medina, Elyria, Solon and Twinsburg look to be the favorites this year.
The one thing that remains constant is the confidence that grows from succeeding at the NOC.
While Medina proved it can come back in tournaments this season —it went from 17th- to third-place in a day at the Josh Hephner Memorial —the league tournament is more about boosting the confidence of individuals.
“From here forward, it is all about individual honors and pushing forward as a team,” Gilmore said. “It was a great confidence boost last year for Mike Griffith (the Bees’ only returning champion) when he beat (Solon’s) Anthony Collica in the finals. We were probably the underdog going in. Sometimes it takes that one match to move you along. It did for him.”

Contact Brad Bournival at sports@medina-gazette.com.

Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament

When: Friday 4 p.m./Saturday 11 a.m./6 p.m.
Teams: Brunswick, Brush, Cuyahoga Falls, Elyria, Garfield Heights, Hudson, Lakewood, Mayfield, Medina, Nordonia, Normandy, North Royalton, Parma, Solon, Strongsville, Stow, Twinsburg, Valley Forge
Returning team champion: Twinsburg
Returning individual champions: Brandon Thompson (Sol), Mike Griffith (Med), Mike Labry (Twi), Tywan Claxton (Brus), Dan Yurkovich (NR), Tylan Coleman (May)
Outlook: There’s no doubt the Bees have festered over this one for a year. After holding a slim lead over the Tigers following Day 1 action, Twinsburg pulled away to win the tournament with six finalists and four champions. A good portion of that team graduated, leaving Medina right there in the mix this season. The onus falls on wrestlers like returning champion Mike Griffith, Matt and Teddy Hammer as well as Joe Gigliotti to pick up the slack. It should be a tight race again, but the Bees have the makings of putting it all together.

NOC Wrestling Tournament a precursor to state event

 

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By BRAD BOURNIVAL 

Anyone wishing to get a sneak peak of what the state wrestling tournament will look like might want to head to Garfield Heights High School this weekend.
At least that’s what the record books tell us as the Northeast Ohio Conference Tournament takes place for the fourth time.
History proves that if you fare well at the NOCT, a trip to Columbus is pretty much in the bag.
Last year, 29 individuals qualified for state and 15 placed in a banner year for the conference.
That’s just par for the course in the three-year history of the NOC.
“I think it’s definitely a great tournament,” Twinsburg coach Dave Mariola Sr. said. “It preps us for the sectional and district.
“I think it’s harder than our sectionals. It’s 18 teams, and the leaders from each division are very good.”
One of those leaders would be Medina.
A year ago, the Bees held the lead after Day 1, but the resurgent Tigers came back with six finalists and four champions to claim the title.
While Twinsburg graduated eight seniors from last year’s squad, it is looking to join the likes of pre-tournament favorites Solon, Elyria and Medina in what could be an epic battle this season.
“We have to be on our game every match,” Bees coach Chad Gilmore said. “You look at this as your big finale of the season. You’ll be gunning for those people that will be standing on the podium (in Columbus).
“It gives you a better idea of where you are. Traditionally, Northeast Ohio is one of the strongest parts of the state in terms of wrestling. We’re taking the best teams and putting them in the same conference. These teams produce state placers every year.”
No one has won the NOCT twice, as Mayfield captured the title the first year with Elyria and Twinsburg falling in line after that.
“If you have 12 good kids in a weight class, you’ll have some battles there,” Mariola said. “Traditionally, the kids that come out first or second have a real good shot at going to district.”
Returning individual champions are Solon’s Brandon Thompson, Medina’s Mike Griffith, Twinsburg’s Mike Labry, Lyndhurst Brush’s Tywan Claxton, North Royalton’s Dan Yurkovich and Mayfield’s Tylan Coleman.