The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake wrestling team was in mid-season form at Saturday’s Lee Van Slyke Memorial Tournament.
Four Spartans won their weight classes, and four more reached the finals to help BH-BL cruise to the team title with 249.5 points. Corinth was a distant second with 162 points, and Guilderland finished third with 156 points.
We’re feeling positive about our results so far, said BH-BL coach Steve Jones, whose team has won two tournaments and two Suburban Council dual matches.
The key to the Spartans’ success has been a group of wrestlers who have been coming through the BH-BL Youth Wrestling Club, including lightweights Max Miller, Evan Burchhardt and Nick Thomas.
`It’s a bunch of young wrestlers who are getting involved in the community of wrestling early, so they are more prepared when they come up (to varsity),` said Jones.
Miller led the Spartans with an impressive performance in the 112-pound weight class. The freshman pinned all of his opponents, including Guilderland’s Travis Wolanski in the first period of their championship bout.
`As a youth wrestler, we were amazed with his attitude toward the sport,` Jones said of Miller, who won a Section II title as an eighth grader. `He’s just happy-go-lucky, and he’s fun to be around.`
Thomas also won his weight class by beating Guilderland’s Kevin Bates 9-6 for the 103-pound title. Middleweight Kyle Vuillaume beat Corinth’s Pat Marcel 9-4 to earn the 135-pound championship, and Ethan Wilson dominated Corinth’s Brian Mann 16-5 in the 152-pound final.
Dylan Clarke (140 pounds), Paul Martin (145), Mike Matrazzo (171) and Spencer Miller (215) placed second for BH-BL. Burchhardt (96) placed third after winning in the consolation finals, and Chester Haner (189) finished fourth.
BH-BL’s early dominance puts it in line to be Shenendehowa’s primary challenger for the Suburban Council title, but Jones said there is a lot to be done before the neighboring schools meet next month for their only head-to-head match.
`Shen’s always tough, but we’re not worrying about them now,` said Jones. `We’ve got Guilderland next. But when the time is right, we’ll get ready for (Shen).`
Shen continued its impressive run with a dominating performance at Saturday’s Thomas Chickanis Memorial Tournament in Hudson Falls. Operating as a split squad, Shen’s A team finished first with 278 points, and the Plainsmen’s B team ` made up of their younger wrestlers ` placed sixth with 110 points.
Two Shen wrestlers met for the 125-pound division title, with Seth Hazleton from the A team defeating B team member Zach Mulderry 2-0. Nick Kelley (96 pounds), Luke Popolizio (103), T.J. Popolizio (119), Austin Meys (171) and Hunter Meys (189) also won their weight classes for Shen’s A team, while Juliano Pabon (112), Dominic Fusco (130) and Dan Peyron (215) finished second after losing in the finals.
Saratoga Springs also brought two teams to the Chickanis Memorial Tournament. The A team placed fourth with 128.5 points, and the B team finished 11th with 10 points. LaMont Washington (135 pounds), Zach Mohan (160) and Ford Plowman (189) led the Blue Streaks with second-place performances.“