The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Find more in Sports
Hickman named LC8’s wrestler of the year following Keystone’s tournament win
For the duration of Keystone freshman Tristian Greene’s championship match at the Lorain County League tournament, Wildcats coach Christopher Vondruska wrestled next to him.
Unlike Greene, however, Vondruska opponent was imaginary. When Greene opened the match taking down Wellington’s Jeremiah McKee, Vondruska jumped out of his chair, mimicking the move Greene used for his own takedown. When Greene had to adjust his footing, Vondruska stretched his legs apart in the coaching corner while telling Greene how to adjust. And as the clock began to tick down the final seconds of Greene’s 8-4 win, Vondruska sat in his chair clapping, a smile under his face shield.
Vondruska spent most of Jan. 9 smiling, as the Wildcats won their first Lorain County League title on the backs of five conference winners.
Last year, the Wildcats finished the regular season dual schedule a perfect 8-0 but lost to Firelands in the conference tournament.
This year, the Wildcats led the conference from start to finish and were able to finish it with a team photo with the first-place trophy.
“We got some really good wins today,” Vondruska said. “It was a total team performance for sure. Tristian’s win was huge. He’s putting it all together.”
With three wins on the day, Greene finishes his freshman year 29-1, with his only loss coming in his season-opening match.
“I think the first match really shellshocked me,” Greene said. “After that I started training a lot harder and I just worked with coach and everyone else.”
Greene and McKee scrapped hard throughout the match, with neither wrestler seeming to get much on an advantage. Greene turned things around in the second period, however, getting McKee — a state qualifier last year at 126 pounds — on his back.
“It felt nice,” Green said of the win. I think I did really well, I came into the tournament feeling better than I usually do. I got anxious when I was down 3-2 but I ended up pulling through.”
Greene wasn’t the only freshman to have a career day at the conference tournament, as three newcomers who recorded first place finishes. Ironically enough, he was sandwiched between the other two, as Firelands’ freshmen Kevin Williams (126 pounds) and Kaden King (138 pounds) were the other first-place freshman.
Williams, who normally wrestles at 120 pounds, upset Columbia’s Josh Hickman with a first-period pin. Hickman entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed at 120 pounds.
“I worked hard this season,” Williams said. “We all worked hard, honestly.”
There wasn’t an upset on King’s end, as he entered as the No. 1 seed and showed why, defeating Keystone’s Diego Moralez with a 9-0 major decision.
“We all train like its college, we take it serious and it shows,” King said. “It’s been a fun first year. I love my coaches and teammates.”
Ruben Pina-Lorenzana (113 pounds) also picked up a first-place finish for the Falcons. They nearly recorded a third at 170 pounds, but Clearview senior David Fitzpatrick had other plans, as he defeated Fireland’s Conner Rogers 7-3 in one of the hardest fought matches of the night.
The win was a long time coming for Fitzpatrick, who suffered season-ending injuries in his freshman and sophomore year.
“Conner’s a great competitor,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s a heck of an athlete but I wanted to make my mark tonight.”
Much like Fitzpatrick, Columbia’s Hayden Garrow wrestled with injuries on his mind. Last season, Garrow put together a stellar season as a freshman before suffering a shoulder injury in the conference tournament that kept him out of the postseason.
He was able to put that in the rearview mirror Feb. 9, as he beat Keystone’s Conner Fitzgerald with a first period pin to win 195 pounds.
“It’s nice to know that I can go into sectionals with a chance of getting to the state tournament,” Garrow said. “Last year we were hesitant on calling the season and waited a week. It feels so good to know that everything’s in my control this year.”
Cole Schulke (106 pounds) also had a firstplace finish for the Raiders, who finished in second place in the team standings. The tournament was Columbia’s first competition in more than two weeks after being in quarantine.
“It’s nice being with the team more than anything, Garrow said. “It’s not like we’re the only team that had to quarantine. It’s just how you deal with it. We got workouts every day and that’s the good thing about this sports, it’s all about what you can control.”
The tournament ended like so many of Keystone’s duals this year — with a Luke Moore win. The Keystone heavyweight picked up his 25th win of the year with a 7-2 win over Black River’s Travis Owen in what was a battle of state-ranked heavyweights. Moore got the last laugh, however, avenging his 2-0 loss to Owen last week.
“I really hard to work for that win,” Moore said. “He was beating me last week, but I came back harder. It feels great getting the job done.”
Ryan Healy (160) and Nick Hickman (220) also picked up wins for Hickman. Hickman — who’s only match of the day came in the championship round — was named LC8’s wrestler of the year after the tournament. With the wins, both Moore and Hickman became three-time conference champions.
Now the Wildcats — like every team in the conference — have a 2 ½ week break before the sectional tournament.
“it’s going to give us some time to hit the weight room a little more,” Vondruska said. “We’re going to do some alternative training and have a couple days in a row where we’re having tough practices.
Hunter Yeaples (145) and Charlie Wells (182) picked up first place wins for Black River while Wellington’s Derrick Andolsek won at 152 pounds.