Bath on a mission to get to Columbus

Vermilion senior Tyler Bath remembers losing every match in his first tournament at 5 years old, and it was miserable for him.

Now, the 220-pounder is making life miserable for his opponents.

The reigning Division II state qualifier has started 11-0 — with all pins and two tournament titles at the Avon Lake Knights of Columbus and Clear Fork Invitational.

Coming off a grueling football season, the defensive end has had no problems stepping into the wrestling season and showing his dominance.

“It just shows how much hard work I put in throughout the year,” Bath said. “With Coach (Brandon) Gilbert pushing me and it just pushed me to my limits to get the most of me.”

It’s one thing to start 11-0 — there are a few area wrestlers who have done so. But to do so with all pins? That’s even more special.

“It’s a mentality,” Bath said. “I go out there to pin to win — and that’s the goal. It’s always a goal for me.”

One of the reasons for his suc-

cess is obvious. Sailors football coach Matt Kobal died suddenly Nov. 17, and the relationship Bath had with Kobal went beyond football. Kobal was a teacher and mentor at the school, impacting the lives of every student he worked with. His death only added extra fuel to Bath’s fire to work hard for his coach and role model.

“Before Coach Kobal passed, his big thing was going hard all the time,” Bath said. “It translates very well into wrestling, and you’ve got to put all that effort all the time to get positive results.

“When he passed, as strange as it sounds, it was kind of motivating. He was a huge influence on Vermilion as a whole and not just me. He was always pushing kids in the classroom and on the field. And what better way to do it than to have a successful season in honor of him.”

Bath has improved on his feet and on top, adding different moves to his arsenal, and his confidence level has risen. He went 0-2 in Columbus at 195 pounds last season, and the memories of that trip still stick with the senior.

“Tyler is on a mission to

reach the podium in Columbus this March,” Gilbert said.

The last Sailor to place was in 2014 when Mike Repko, a current assistant coach, was a state tournament runner-up.

“You’ve got to go out there with your head on straight,” Bath said. “It’s a real mind-boggling experience being in a huge arena and seeing all the people, wrestlers. You’ve really got to focus and remember it’s still a tournament and you have to go out there and wrestle. I think I got kind of caught up in the big lights and wasn’t ready for my matches. Hopefully I do better this year.”

Bath is a No. 8 stateranked grappler at 220, according to Intermat, and will decide later in the season whether to stick with this weight or drop down to 195. He’ll make the decision with Gilbert — a coach Bath speaks glowingly about.

“I could speak to Coach Gilbert for hours,” he said. “He’s such a great, great human being. Not only is he a great coach, but he’s able to talk with you oneon-one and have adult conversations. He makes everything so fluid, and he’s a great role model for me and the team. Everyone looks up to him.”

Whatever decision Bath ends up making, it’s a safe

bet that barring injury, he will find himself back in front of those big, scary lights in Columbus.

This time, though, he’ll be ready.

“I definitely want to place,” he said. “I want to be on that podium. I want to be higher on the podium than I think I deserve and have to push myself. I want to exceed my own expectations.”