The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Sabin sets Mentor record with 150th career victory
Nick Sabin’s wrestling career started with an indifferent shrug of the shoulders.
It will end with a record. A decade or so ago, while driving around Mentor with his father, Shawn, the topic of giving wrestling a try came up in conversation.
“Sure. I’ll give it a try,” 7-year-old Nick said with a shrug of his shoulders. What a suggestion was.
With a second-period pin of Mayfield’s Anthony White in the semifinal round of the Division I sectional wrestling tournament at South on Feb. 29, Sabin recorded his 150th career victory — a record for the Mentor program, eclipsing the former record of 149 wins held by 2010 graduate and state runner-up Jack Young.
Sabin went on to win his fourth sectional championship later in the day, earning win No. 151 by pinning Maple Heights’ Justin Bencie in 43 seconds in the 126-pound championship match. The placement puts him one step away from the Division I state tournament.
Sabin and 42 other area wrestlers from the South Sectional will wrestle next weekend for a crack at qualifying for the state tournament March 10, 11 and 12 in Columbus.
“It’s absolutely insane,” Sabin said after his record-setting win. “I never thought in a million years I’d have the most wins in Mentor history.”
Who would have? After all, prior to him, there was no history of wrestling in the Sabin family. Basketball and baseball? Yes. Wrestling?
No.
But then came that one day the conversation came up when he was 7. “I remember me and my dad talking in the car, and he asked about giving wrestling a shot,” Sabin said. “We went to Mentor (youth wrestling) and tried it. I loved it. I knew right them it would be my thing.” Sabin grew through Mentor Youth Wrestling and through junior high. it
Mentor senior wrestler Nick Sabin, with his father Shawn, after Sabin won his 150th career match at the Division I sectional tournament at South on Feb. 29.
He and his family made a decision to transfer to Lake Catholic prior to his freshman year.
The move long.
A month in, he transferred back to Mentor before his Lake Catholic wrestling career even began.
“I just felt like I didn’t belong. All my friends were at Mentor,” Sabin said. “I live right next to the school. I had all these memories from elementary and middle school. Going to Lake just threw me off a little bit. I wasn’t with it as much as I thought I’d be.”
Lake’s loss was Mentor’s gain.
As a freshman 106, Sabin went 40-10 and was a Division I state alternate.
As a sophomore 113, he went 38-11, was a district runner-up and advanced to the state tournament.
Then last season, he went 39-11, but was denied a return trip to the state tournament.
Sabin (34-5 this year) hopes to atone for that next weekend at the Mentor Meatgrinder.
“I want to place at the state tournament this year,” Sabin said. “I want to get on the podium.”
Because when this season is over, so is his wrestling career. He plans on entering the work field as an electrician.
It’s been a great ride — one he never would have imagined when he and his father had that conversation a decade or so ago while cruising around Mentor. It started with a crazy idea and a shrug didn’t last
of the shoulders — and it will end with a record that might stand for a long while.
If the ultimate dream comes to fruition — a topeight finish at the state tournament — comes to fruition, that would be the proverbial icing on the cake.
“It’s absolutely insane to have this record,” he said. “It’s crazy, coming from the background of no wrestling in my family to having it be such a big part of my family’s lives. It’s insane.
“I’m going to miss this, a lot, but it’s been great. It really has.”
• In the team race at South on Feb. 29, Maple Heights squeaked past Mayfield for the team championship, 221-212.
Mayfield led the area with 11 district qualifiers, anchored by sectional champs Vinnie D’Alessandro (106), Dom Gerome (113), Evan Schmidt (195) and Marco Tramontano (285). Mentor was third in the team race with 166.5 points. Sabin was the Cardinals’ only sectional champ, but nine Cardinals are headed to the district tournament they host.
Riverside is sending seven to the Mentor District, including sectional champs Tyler Wittreich (1332) and Danny Martich (152).
The only other local champion was Euclid’s La’Ron Parks (220).
South (6), Madison (5), Brush (3), North (1) and Euclid (1) will be represented at next week’s district tourney.