WRESTLERS PUSH ITS DUAL MEET RECORD ABOVE THE .500 MARK
Gray Bees win two of three in Baltimore

January 22, 2011

The wrestling team took their lumps last season against Germantown Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon.

A year later, coach Solomon Fleckman’s team proved the gap is closing.

The Gray Bees hung right with Germantown before upending Northfield Mount Hermon while placing third in the Gilman Duals on Saturday in Baltimore.

“Last year weren’t even competitive with them,” said Fleckman, “and now we are right there. We were within the realm of getting past Germantown if a bout of two could have gone our way and we beat Mount Hermon. I saw some positive things out there.”

The Gray Bees opened the Duals with a 41-25 victory over Woodbury Forest for the second victory in as many years over the school from Virginia.

Fleckman’s club then took the mat against Germantown, a rival from Pennsylvania that handled the Gray Bees twice last year, winning both matches by more than 30 points. This time, SBP hung tough and dropped a hard-fought, 39-31, decision.

The Gray Bees then took on Northfield Mount Hermon for third-place and it all came down the final bout. Jawan Jones, the standout 103-pounder for the Gray Bees, was sent out up a weight class with SBP trailing, 31-30.

Jones battled his much bigger opponent and went into the final period all tied up at 4-4. Jones decided to cut his opponent to open the third period and fell behind by one point.

Knowing he needed the win to pull off the victory for his team, Jones got caught in a scramble, but managed to secure a headlock that went for a pin and lifted St. Benedict’s to a 36-31 decision.

The victory, couple with triumphs over Pennsylvania’s Academy New Church and the Hill School on Friday night, gave the Gray Bees three successes in their last four matches. Fleckman’s team now has a dual meet record of 9-8 on the year.