Time to dress up the tournaments

Another reflection by BG Sentinel Tribune sports writer and former Elmwood coach Joe Szymczak. This time it's on making tournament's better...

A long time ago, about 20 years, University of Michigan coach Dale Bahr told me the Ohio High School wrestling tournament was the best in the country and this was before it was at the Schott. The only better one in the U.S was the NCAA nationals. After what I saw last weekend he was right. The NCAAs were very similar to the OHSAA tourney. It was very fan friendly.

Their announcers were the best. They would announce who was on deck.
They would bring attention to and exciting match going on at the time so spectators could refocus on that match, and they would read the results of each weight class after it was completed so you could complete your brackets. These additions would make the Ohio tourney much better.

This brings me to a critique of local high school wrestling. Many of the local tourneys are not fan friendly. I went to the Van Buren tourney this season and I was impressed at how well it was run and Dave Lee’s dual meet tourney is also pretty fan friendly, but for the most part the duals tourneys are run like cock fights. Many have score boards (most of the times not in the line of sight of all spectators) for the individuals matches, but not posting the teams score. They often lack the weight class. As the duals wind down during a round the other wresters use the open mats to warm up. Often this obscures the vision of the spectators. They gather around the one remaining mat to make it look like a cock fight. Better score boards and better security would help spectators in the traditional tourneys also.

Wrestling need to dress-up tourneys and cut down the number of dual meet events, because they are just too long, if they want to attract more spectators. Wresting is a great sport and we as avid supporters need to do things to attract the casual fan not just the zealots.

-- Joe Szymczak

UF Roughnecks are all-academic

Four University of Findlay wrestlers earned honors as the NCAA Division II wrestling coaches released its all-academic teams for the 2007-07 season.
As a team, the Roughnecks ranked fifth in the country with a team 3.197 grade point average. Truman State led the
way with a 3.443 grade point average.
Findlay senior Andy Uhl was a first team all-academic selection for the fourth straight year. UF’s first NCAA four-time All-American has a 111-35 career record and a 3.117 GPA in hostpitality management.
Sophomore Travis Clark, a Hoytville native and 285-pound All-American, made the second team with a 3.81 GPA in criminal justice. Sophomore 197-pounder Andy Zalaiskalns also made the second team. He has a 3.87 GPA as a physical education major.
Bluffton native Justin Shannon made the honorable mention list for the Roughnecks. UF’s 165-pound reshirt freshman is a mathematics major with a 3.70 GPA.

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NCAA Division I Tourney

How ‘about some college wrestling reflections by none other than Joe Szymczak former Elmwood coach who now writes about wrestling for the BG Sentinel Tribune.
Here’s Joe’s take on the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament held over the weekend at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Just back from the real madness in March, the 2007 Division National Championships in Auburn Hills Michigan, the home grown talent did rather well. The state of Ohio was represented with 12 All-Americans.

Here’s my take on what I observed. Let’s start with the Buckeye home boys. Take it from me I think coach Ryan is going to it make much better for OSU fans. (and this is coming from a Michigan Fan). J.D. Bergman of Oak Harbor at 197 lost in the first round to Jared Villars of Akron but rolled on to place fourth. He did a great job against Davis of Penn State in the consi semis. After he lost his first round match he was really smooth on his feet and on top until the finals. Lance Palmer of St EDs at 149 Lost to Dustin Schlatter of er …well name a school 1-0 for fourth. He dropped his semifinal match to Ryan Churella of Michigan at 5-2. Churella took him down twice. I think he has his number. Palmer was really aggressive on his feet and wrestled well. We’ll talk about the Schlatters later. Jeff Jaggers at 141 may have done his best wrestling of the year in this tourney. He did well against Morgan of Okie State losing 3-2 and the rolled off three in a row in the consis. Lost in the consi semifinals and then took seventh place. It was quite a performance for a guy that came in at 16-8. Mike Pucillo of Strongsville at 184 dropped to the consolation after the second round then he really dominated his next four opponents, but lost a last second thriller to Kish of Minnesota in the consi semis. He was pinned by Tyrell Todd of Michigan in the fifth place match when it looked like he was going to take the Wolverine down. TJ Enright Galloway (133) won one and Chris Vondruska of Bay was two and out.

Speaking of Michigan Steve Luke (174) of Massillon Perry had a great tourney he took fifth but lost three matches one by a point and two in overtime. He executed a great stand up all tourney but got stoned in the second period by Mason of Okie State, who used his legs and rode him like a Cowboy. Ryan Lang (133) of St. Eds and Northwestern charged in to the tourney undefeated and was a juggernaut on his feet at 141 all the way to the finals. Derek Moore of UC Davis turned him while riding with a cross body and laid a few near fall points on Lang, enough to tech fall him in the finals and win the outstanding wrestler. If you are expecting to wrestle DI in college your better learn to wrestle on the mat, and you better learn to get out. I didn’t see a lot of double boots just cross body and hip riding. The refs are slow in calling stalling on the mat in college. I didn’t see as much kick ‘em out and takedown. Luke and Lang learned that lesson. Northwestern’s and Galion’s Dustin Fox finished third. He looks bigger and stronger than ever and he took third. His only loss was to Watterson, who also beat for third. With Konrad the champ form Minnesota moving on he could be the guy next year at 285.

About the Schlatters of er…. You know, they are great wrestlers and are very talented, but the wrestling style they have developed at Minnesota is successful, boring and bad for the sport. People like to see talent shown to them, but the score and then play defense style of match is what makes most 285 pound matches a little less exciting than the other weight classes. It came back to bite them in the butt. When they needed a takedown late they couldn’t get it. I realize one of them was wrestling injured and I believe they are talented I would just like to see it. Josh Zupancic of Stanford and Akron lost to 1-0 to CP in the consi semis and then finished seventh. At 165 Deonte Penn of Edinboro and Solon beat freshman Mike Miller of Central Michigan and Uniontown for seventh.

As a side bar and pet peeve of mine I didn’t see one coach in jeans or tee shirts on the floor of the tourney unlike the Ohio state tourney. It must be something about professionalism. I could never imagine going to a state basketball tourney and see jeans and tees on the coaches. It’s a good way to tell who the coaches are, but that’s for another day (if Baker ever let’s me again)
— Joe Szymczak

NOTE: To readers with Joe's wrestling background he's always welcome here!