2008-2009 News
WRESTLERS PLACE SECOND IN STATE PREP CHAMPIONSHIPS
National Championships up next
February 14, 2009
St. Benedict’s wrestled with a vengeance in Saturday’s New Jersey Prep Championships.
And, although Turtgotkh Luvsandorj was the lone champion, a number of his Gray Bees teammates came out with a determined moxie that could possibly lead them to All-America status when the National Prep tournament begins this upcoming weekend.
The Gray Bees, aside from Luvsandorj’s title, had six runner-up finishes chiefly because of the performance of Blair Academy. The No. 1 ranked school in the nation won all but one weight class and claimed the team title with a resounding 255 1/2 points. St. Benedict’s placed second with 147 1/2 points.
 Luvsandorj used revenge as the ultimate motivator for the second time this season and kept Blair from sweeping all 14 weight classes. He used a deadly accurate and swift ankle pick to take down Blair’s top-seeded Jesse Shanaman, 5-2, for the 160-pound championship to reverse an overtime setback in last year’s National Prep Championships. He also avenged another loss from a year ago when he beat Brian Broderick of Southern Regional in last month’s New Jersey Coaches All-Star Invitational.
"I was upset about what happened in National’s,” said Luvsandorj, who placed seventh in the country last year to earn All-America status.”I trained hard since last summer knowing I’d have another chance against him.”
Shanaman, who finished fifth in National’s last year, had no answer for Luvsandorj’s ankle pick. The St. Benedict’s senior used it twice in the opening period, scoring the first takedown and nearly converting another that was ruled out of bounds.
He used the patented move twice more in the second period. The first one took both wrestlers out of bounds again before the second led to the points that all but sealed the outcome. Luvsandorj went for the ankle and then spun around Shanaman to score another takedown as the buzzer sounded to end the period and give the Gray Bees wrestler a 4-2 cushion. An escape by Luvsandorj completed the scoring in the third.
"Luvsandorj is on a mission right now,” said St. Benedict’s coach Mike DiPiano Jr. of his 45-1 wrestler.”He is working hard, has his weight under control and is calm in all aspects of his wrestling. He wants to win it all and he is working hard to achieve that goal.”
Luvsandorj will be in the running for the top-seed for the National Prep Championships, which will be staged this Friday and Saturday at Lehigh University.
 Zach Jacobs, who was wrestling with a protective mask to shield the 12 stitches he received over his left eye during practice two days before, also had revenge on his mind when he stepped on the mat to face Scott Stevens of Peddie in the semifinals, the same wrestler he lost to by a major decision earlier this year. But Jacobs, who felt disrespected by his opponent before the match, proved he is not the same wrestler by throwing Stevens to his back for a fall in 1:59 at 119 pounds.
"He was sitting around laughing and talking and just didn’t look prepared for the match,” admitted Jacobs (31-16), who lost in the finals, but is still gunning to place in the top eight of his weight class next weekend to earn All-America status.” I beat the kid who I needed to and now I’m focused as ever in trying to become an All-American.”
 Xavier Vassell (37-12) and Naeem Boucher (39-9) have joined Jacobs as wrestlers who have made tremendous strides this year and throughout their careers in a Gray Bees singlet.
Vassell gave Blair’s Ben Krakower all he could handle before dropping a 4-2 decision in the final at 215 pounds. Krakower placed second in the nationally-renowned Ironman and Beast of East tournaments. Said DiPiano,”His goal is to be an All-American and I think that is attainable if he wrestles the way he did today.”
 Boucher, despite losing, 13-3, to Blair’s Austin Ormsbee in the championship at 135 pounds, nearly pulled off a huge upset. Boucher, who picked up his 100th career victory in the semifinals, nearly caught Ormsbee in a headlock off one of their many scrambles during the match.
"I felt like I had him but I was just a little late and didn’t reach back far enough,” said Boucher of his attempted headlock.”Ever since I was a freshman, I wanted to wrestle a Blair wrestler. I finally got my chance and nearly got it done. I’ll just have to make it happen next time.”
Notes: Also placing second for the Gray Bees were Rob Ranalli (125 pounds), Isaiah Cromwell (189) and Riad Abu-Amail (Hwt.). Picking up third-place medals were Matt Aaron (112), Chris Dowdy (130), Ochibat Bayanjargal (140) and Bobby Bah (152).
"I am very proud of this team and what they have done so far,” said DiPiano,”but (this) is the start of a new season and we are going to work extra hard this week in preparation for Nationals.”
— By Ron Jandoli
— Photos by Mike Scanlan |
