GRAY BEES WRESTLERS NOTCH FIRST VICTORY UNDER FLECKMAN
Coach sees team walk away with title in Kearny Invitational

December 19, 2009

After coming close the previous two weekends, the St. Benedict’s wrestling team can finally call themselves champions.

The Gray Bees wrapped up the team title in the Kearny Invitational on Saturday by crowning five individual champions and gave first-year coach Solomon Fleckman the first of what he hopes to be many championships.

“We will now be able to move forward instead of being stuck in the second place shadow,” said St. Benedict’s 119-pounder Zach Jacobs. “Coach Fleckman is pushing us so hard because he knows what we are capable of as individuals and as a family. He has a lot of knowledge about the sport and is giving as much as he can to us and that’s all anyone can ask for in a coach.”

The Gray Bees followed runner-up finishes in their own Caruso Invitational two weeks ago and again last week in the Staten Island Duals. And, unlike the Caruso where Fleckman saw a great number of his wrestlers get thrown to their backs, this time his wrestlers stepped up in the finals.

It all started at 103 pounds where Andrew Plaugic took home the gold. Jacobs followed with a second place finish at 119 pounds before first-time varsity starter, freshman Don-Tai Garner, placed third at 125 pounds and picked up bonus points with falls in all three of his victories.

Rob Ranalli (130 pounds) and Chris Dowdy (140) sandwiched a pair of gold medal efforts around Matt Aaron’s runner-up finish at 135. Ranalli backed up a 7-0 mark in last week’s Staten Island Duals with a 3-0 ledger this weekend, while he and Dowdy beat Kearny wrestlers in the finals.

Bobby Bah was crowned champion at 160 pounds, while Riad Abu-Smail rolled to the 215-pound crown by pinning his way through the bracket. Terrell Forbes (145) and Ochirbat Bayanjargal (152) each had third-places finishes, while Daniel Lundy (171) and Greg Casimir (189) each took fourth.

“We accomplished a great deal of what we set out to do earlier this week,” said Fleckman. “We wrestled with more poise in the finals and, as a team, we began to rely upon each other in a more meaningful way.

“I do not think anyone was totally satisfied with our performance; however, there is little doubt that our performance was an improvement over the past two weeks.”

Notes: To view more pictures of the Kearny Invitational or other wrestling action, please visit Mike Scanlan’s website.

– Ron Jandoli