No one owned the mat like Hunter Meys.
The Shenendehowa junior needed less than seven minutes to pin all four of his opponents on his way to winning the division 1 171-pound title at last weekend’s New York State High School Wrestling Championships at Albany’s TU Center.
He’s pinned everybody since Eastern States, said Shen coach Rob Weeks. `He’s ferocious.`
Meys not only left with his first state title in three tries, but he also earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors in division 1 (large schools).
`This is a great honor,` said Meys, who placed third at 112 pounds in 2004 and fifth at 130 pounds in 2005. `My goal coming in was to win (the state title). I didn’t expect this to happen.`
It’s a safe bet Meys’ competitors didn’t expect to be pinned so quickly. Canandaigua Academy’s Ryan Macomber fell in 1:16 in the opening round. In the quarterfinals, MacArthur’s Dan Mahoney was on his back in 3:09. Niskayuna’s Jake Newcomb actually had Meys on his back for a split second during their semifinal match before Meys reversed him and pinned the junior in 1:07.
Then came Saturday’s championship bout with last year’s runner-up, Niagara Wheatfield’s Jake Koshinski. It took Meys 49 seconds to take down Koshinski and another 34 seconds to get the senior’s shoulders on the mat, mainly because Koshinski battled every moment.
`It was tough for a while before that (takedown),` said Meys. `He’s got good technique, and that usually eliminates moves that other wrestlers like to make.`
Meys’ four pins raises his career total to 174 ` the second highest number of career falls in state high school wrestling history. More importantly, it gives him what his grandfather, his father and his brother Austin already have ` a state title.
`It’s a great feeling,` said Meys. `I’ve been working at this for a few years now, and it’s nice to have it finally pay off.`
Meys wasn’t the only Section II wrestler celebrating his first state title. Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk’s Nate Graham claimed the division 2 171-pound title with a thrilling 8-5 overtime victory over two-time state champion Colin McDonald of Waverly.
`It feels good,` said Graham, who became R-C-S’s first state wrestling champion. `I get my name on the mat.`
Graham’s ability to score reversals helped him in the finals. He used one toward the end of the second period to pull within a point of McDonald, and then he opened the third period with another reversal to take a 4-3 lead. Only a McDonald escape with 34 seconds left prevented Graham from winning the state title in regulation.
`The last time I wrestled him, I reversed him, so I knew I could do it again,` said Graham, who lost to McDonald in two previous bouts.
After a scoreless one-minute overtime period, Graham and McDonald went to two 30-seconds overtime periods. Graham won the coin flip and elected to start in the defensive position, but he didn’t stay there long as he scored his third reversal to take a 6-4 lead.
`The (overtime) reversal was outstanding,` said R-C-S coach Henry Mormile III. `How many times do you see kids settle for one point (for an escape), and he kept working until he got the reversal.`
McDonald, who won the last two 152-pound division titles, barely had enough energy to fight back. He scored an escape early in the second 30-second overtime period to pull within a point, but his last-ditch takedown attempt turned into a two-point takedown for Graham that sealed the state title.
`He’s been training hard since September, working five days a week and working harder than anyone else,` said Mormile. `You could see it in this tournament.`
Christian Brothers Academy’s Michael Chaires also needed overtime to win a state title. The University of Virginia-bound senior battled Spencerport’s Bryan Bourne for more than six minutes before scoring a takedown and two back points to pull out a 5-1 victory.
Chaires controlled the action against Bourne, but had a hard time recording a takedown in regulation. Every time Chaires took a shot, Bourne either slipped out of Chaires’ grip or dragged him out of bounds.
`He’s a defensive wrestler, and I knew that from the beginning,` said Chaires. `I just stuck to my game plan.`
Escapes by Chaires and Bourne sent the bout into overtime, where Chaires finally tripped up Bourne and got him on his back for the takedown and two back points.
`I got in about four or five shots (during regulation), so I knew I could get in on him. I just had to finish,` said Chaires.
The victory made Chaires only the eighth Section II wrestler to win at least two state titles. That list also includes Voorheesville’s Jeff Clark (1983-84), Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake’s Jason Morris (1984-85), Salem’s Carl Fronhofer (1997-98), LaSalle’s Matt Herrington (2001-02) and Duanesburg’s Jim Almy (2005-06). BH-BL’s Joe Cardi (1981-83) and Salem’s Frank Fronhofer (1987-89) won three state titles.
`I’m just happy to win two,` said Chaires. `To win two is a great accomplishment for me, and I’m glad I did it here in Albany.`
The state titles won by Meys, Graham and Chaires highlighted a successful weekend for Section II wrestlers. The division 1 team placed third to state powers Section V (Rochester) and Section XI (Suffolk County), and eight wrestlers placed second through sixth. The division 2 team placed fifth, and six wrestlers finished anywhere from third to sixth place including R-C-S’s Donnie Mc-Bride, who placed fifth in the 275-pound division.“