Wrestling Regionals: Recapping the Competition
February 18, 2016
Day 1 Recap:
The day started with a three hour drive to Lamar, the team left school at 9:00 to make weigh ins which were at 12:30. When the team finally reached Lamar their first priority was to make weight at the weigh-ins. Most of the team had “byes” in the first round, meaning there was no one in their weight class for them to wrestle and they got to move on. Out of the five wrestlers that actually wrestled, four lost, our only winner being Atticus Fredrickson (11).
With more than half of the team moving forward in the bracket most of the wrestlers were ecstatic. The wrestlers that had lost in the first round were excited for the rest of the team, but somewhat discouraged about losing their first match even though they still had a chance to qualify for state.
Out of those who moved on to the second, non consolation, round two won, without byes. Those three were Jacob Rider (11), Atticus Fredrickson (11), and Julian Sanchez (11). Sanchez and Fredrickson both pinned their opponent in under a minute. All of the matches were very intense for the entire team, those that weren’t wrestling watched from beyond the rope and cheered their teammate on. The next day those who lost would have a chance to wrestle for third or fourth, in the Semi-finals.
After a very long day at Regionals everyone took the bus to the hotel to check in. Later, after settling in the wrestlers had a team meeting in which the coaches discussed how the team was meant to behave and to remind them what they came to regionals* for.
Day 2 Recap:
The wrestlers had a rough wake up because their coach, Mr. Borkowski, aggressively rang their doorbells early in the morning. The first trip to Lamar’s Community Building was only to weigh-in, but the second was the start of the first consolation round. The consolation rounds in a double elimination tournament are for those who have lost once already, these round still give them a chance to qualify for state.
Manitou had seven wrestlers compete in the first consolation round; four won, two with byes. Noah Sobeck (10) and Andrew Uveges (9) won, both went on to the second consolation round, only to lose. In fact, the only person to win their consolation match was Jonathan Nagel (12), who moved on the the Semi-finals of the consolation rounds.
In between the second consolation round and the consolation Semi-finals, was the Semi-finals. All of our wrestlers that had moved forward in the bracket that far lost, but went to the Semi-finals consolation round and won. Those wrestlers were Jacob Rider (12), Atticus Fredrickson (11), Christian Navarro (12), and Julian Sanchez (11). Winning that round meant that they moved on to Finals, to see who would qualify for state. Nagel had moved on tothe Semi-final consolation round lost in Semi-finals, but placed 6th in his weight class because of how far he was in the tournament.
With four of their team moving on to finals the entire team was overjoyed, which only made them cheer harderduring the final matches. First was Rider, who had been sick the entire weekend but still wanted to wrestle. Rider won his match and placed third in his weight class. Then Fredrickson won by points, he was ahead by 11. Next was Navarro, he also won by points but he almost pinned in the last seconds. Sanchez was last and like the others didn’t have time for a pin, but was ahead in points.
When asked about how they won their final matches Fredrickson, Navarro, and Sanchez agreed that they left it all on the mat, and tried their hardest. Navarro especially because that could’ve been his last high school match, and the end of his high school wrestling career. They also all agreed that the tightly knit team and their encouragement helped them wrestle their best.
