Bucknavich on a hot streak for Middies

The end to last season still stings Midview junior Daniel Bucknavich. And for good reason. He had a dominant Division I sectional tournament taking third and placed fifth in the district tournament, just missing the cut for a state qualification. During that third place sectional match, he beat St. Edward’s Luca Santillo in a 3-2 decision. The following week, he lost to him in a 3-1 sudden victory, missing out on his chance to qualify for state. But Bucknavich has channeled that disappointment into a big season, starting off 27-0. “Of course it fueled me,” Bucknavich said. “I don’t want it to happen again this season and I’m going to keep working hard.” Bucknavich’s boldest win yet came at the Bill Dies Tournament when he pinned Southwestern Conference foe Jack Roesch (Avon) to claim the title. Bucknavich is ranked No. 3 in the state and Roesch No. 7, and they will likely see each other four more times. Being ranked No. 3 in the state doesn’t mean much to him, though. “You never know anything until you get on that podium at the end of the year,” he added. Besides Roesch, North Olmsted’s Tyler Jones is ranked No. 9 in the state and Lakewood’s Yusuf Awad is No. 10 among SWC heavyweights. If Bucknavich makes it to state, he will have to earn it. He has also claimed titles at Solon and Medina. The Middies won the SWC tournament last season and host the meet on Feb. 16. They’ve lost key seniors from last year’s team, and Bucknavich has provided the leadership role. “I like to lead by example,” he said. “Me and a couple guys get extra workouts in and we’re a young program. We’re trying to build up and be the best we can be.” Bucknavich didn’t start wrestling until the eighth grade—extremely unusual for someone who has become as dominant as he is.

He added it “just looked fun,” and he hasn’t stopped since. That’s one of the reasons that head coach Shawn Bristow is so fond of his junior. “He works his tail off,” Bristow said. “He gets extra workouts in on his own. He’s kind of like Spencer Berthold from a couple years back who was a state runner-up for us. He kind of has that attitude and he’s going to be confident with himself.” After missing out on state last year, it would be easy for Bucknavich to merely be satisfied with a state berth. But he wants more. “I want a state championship and get a scholarship for wrestling,” he added.

Bucknavich