Several Chagrin Valley Conference wrestlers were among the best at their weight classes at the 2018 North Coast Classic over the weekend at Independence.
The host Blue Devils had two wrestlers place among the top eight on the way to finishing 20th overall as a team. Hawken finished 23rd and also had two place winners. Three Perry wrestlers earned a spot on the podium as the Pirates finished 25th and Orange placed 28th as a team.
Independence 160-pounder Nick Rossi finished third with an 8-1 record and seven pins.
“I was happy with my finish,” Rossi said. “My strategy was to go out and take control of the match.”
Rossi’s only loss came in the final round of pool wrestling. He bounced back with three straight pins to finish third.
“I didn’t go out and shoot and I didn’t do my thing and I lost,” Rossi said of his lone setback.
Michael Kucera finished fifth at 126 pounds with a 6-2 record and five pins.
Hawken 120-pound Jackson Reineke finished fifth with a 6-2 record and six pins and Williams Lindsey placed third at 285 pounds.
Lindsey finished the tournament with a 9-1 record and five pins.
“I am, of course, happy to have placed highly but I was aiming to do a little bit better,” Lindsey said. “My goal was to win it but I fell short of that due to my 1-0 loss.”
That one-point loss to Greensburg-Salem (PA) freshman Billy McChesney in the championship semifinals.
Lindsey won his next two matches to finish third.
“I lost that match because I need to further develop my offense in (the neutral position),” Lindsey said. “That is what will set me apart from other heavyweights. I have been working a lot on my feet and think I am well on my way to where I need to be to win those matches.”
Lindsey also failed to earn an escape when he was in the down position.
“He was the first person I haven’t escaped off bottom from this year,” Lindsey said. “That tells me that despite the progress I have made on bottom, I definitely need to keep working, which isn’t new information. There is always progress to be made but that just pointed out some weaknesses to me. I need to work on continuous movement and transition between moves and then I will be able to win those close matches.”
Perry’s Zach Bellissimo finished seventh at 106 with a 5-2 record and three pins, Calvin Rowan was seventh at 113 with a 5-2 record and two pins and Colin Koenig placed third at 126 with a 7-1 record and five pins.
“I was pretty satisfied with my performance,” Koenig said. “I feel like I wrestled very well and I’m very confident on this year.”
Koenig’s only loss was to two-time state placer and Cleveland State University recruit Logan Heil in the semifinals, 7-1.
“It was a tough loss but to a very tough kid,” Koenig said. “I came off the mat knowing I put in 100-percent effort and it just motivates me to get better and work harder. There is still plenty of room for improvement.”
