Warriors dominate on senior night
Staff writer
The 2009-10 season has been strikingly different for each of the four Marion senior wrestlers.
On the one hand, Cody and Dillon Wildin have been dominant. Cody Wildin has amassed a record of 16-2 in the 140-pound class, with his two losses coming in the championship match of two separate tournaments. Dillon Wildin is 20-1 in the 145-pound class with his only loss being a 2-point defeat to Nick Hockett of Cherryvale in the championship match of the Halstead Invitational.
The season has been more difficult for Tylor Neil and Joe Richmond.
Richmond began the season with an injury that kept him from wrestling until the new year. When he returned to the mat, he has struggled. Richmond is an undersized heavy weight — 285 pounds — giving an opponent an advantage of as much as 50 pounds. Heavy weights are rare in the Mid-Central Activities Association and Richmond’s opportunities have normally come against tough competition at invitational tournaments.
Neil started his wrestling campaign recovering from an injury. Neil wore a protective brace on his right shoulder in his first few matches before Christmas. Neil separated his shoulder while playing linebacker for the Warrior football team.
“I’m just glad it’s off,” Neil said of wearing the brace. “It’s a whole different wrestling style with a shoulder brace.”
Neil said he likes to wrestle more with his upper body because he lacks the lateral quickness of the Wildin brothers. Neil is at his best when he can throw his opponent to the mat.
Being hindered by the shoulder brace, Neil struggled early this season, but has started to live up to his potential as one of Marion’s most accomplished wrestlers; he placed at state last year in the 152-pound class.
Neil won his only match of the night Thursday by pinning Ben Green of Remington. He also placed second in consecutive tournaments at Halstead and Eureka. He is now 18-6 on the season.
“You’ve got to peak at the right time,” Neil said.
Marion head coach Chad Adkins glowed with praise for this year’s group of seniors. Adkins believes that this is his most talented team of wrestlers in 10 years of coaching at Marion. It’s a unique accomplishment considering the Warriors only feature four seniors among wrestlers representing 12 weight classes.
Adkins said that the seniors drive the other members of the team to work hard to match their commitment. The hard work of wrestlers like Neil and the Wildins has manifested itself in success throughout the program.
“They don’t have an option. If they don’t work hard, they’re going to get whooped on a lot,” Adkins said of his other wrestlers. “We have 27 kids out for middle school. You get a little individual success and then you get team success and then everybody wants to be a part of it.”
Friday
Marion won the Onaga Dual tournament Friday.
The Warriors defeated Burlington, 60-42; Horton, 52-21; Rock Creek, 60-23; host team Onaga, 43-26; and Pleasant Ridge, 53-30.
Five Warrior wrestlers went 5-0 in the tournament to place first in their weight divisions: Brody Carroll (130 pounds), Cody Wildin (140), Dillon Wildin (145), Neil (152), and Colten Johnson (160).
Eric (112) and Randy (119) Regnier both finished second with 3-1 and 4-1 records respectively.
Thursday
The Warriors overwhelmed two undermanned teams senior night on Thursday at Marion.
The Warriors scored six consecutive pins against Remington even though most of the Marion wrestlers were wrestling up a weight class to win that dual, 60-18.
Marion then defeated Eureka, 42-21. Eureka only brought eight wrestlers to Marion; so, even though Cody Wildin was the only Marion wrestler to win against Eureka, the Warriors still bested the Cyclones through attrition.