Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament to test area's best: Wrestling Insider

Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer, December 10, 2009 6:52 p.m.

St. Edward's Jamie Clark is among seven wrestlers ranked No. 1 nationally who are competing in this week's Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament.

St. Edward wrestling coach Greg Urbas describes the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament, which starts today at 1 p.m., as "the place where state champs go to die."

Urbas didn't mean it literally, of course, but this event -- rated the toughest high school tournament in the nation by Sports Illustrated -- brings even the best wrestlers back to the reality that anyone can lose.

Sophomore and two-time Division III state champ Chris Phillips (171 pounds) of Monroeville suffered his first loss ever at last year's Ironman.

This year's Ironman promises to be as tough as any. Tournament director Bob Preusse said six of the nation's top eight teams are competing, including No. 8 St. Edward and No. 3 St. Paris Graham, winners of last season's Division I and II state tournaments, respectively. No. 13 Wadsworth is also in the field.

Seven wrestlers ranked No. 1 individually nationally are also competing, including St. Edward senior and two-time state champ Jamie Clark (130), and three-time state winner Logan Stieber (125) of Monroeville.

The 119-pound class is so strong that two-time Division II state champ Ty Mitch of Aurora, a junior national freestyle champ, was seeded fourth. The top seed is Logan Stieber's junior brother Hunter, a two-time state champ, and the No. 2 seed is Division I state champ Jerome Robinson of St. Ignatius, bound for Old Dominion in the fall.

Mitch was also seeded behind No. 3 Kagan Squire, a Wadsworth sophomore. Preusse said Squire has beaten Mitch twice head-to-head.

"The team race should be exciting because nobody this year is as good as they were in the past," Preusse said. "That includes [defending champ] Blair Academy (N.J.) and St. Paris Graham. They have holes in the lineups. St. Edward is improved, Wadsworth has strong upperweights, it'll be interesting to see who wins this year."

Saturday's quarterfinals begin at 10 a.m., the semifinals at 1 p.m., and the sold out finals at 6:30 p.m.

Speaking of Mitch: Mitch, a Virginia Tech recruit, won the Aurora Invitational last Saturday by pinning a good opponent, West Geauga senior Dennis Leonetti, in 11 seconds in the finals at 119.

State duals: The State Dual Meet Championships are set for Jan. 10 at noon. Division I will be held at Wadsworth, with area schools St. Edward, Wadsworth, Mentor and Twinsburg competing.

Division II will be at St. Paris Graham, with area schools University School and Padua among the eight teams competing. The Division III site is Metamora Evergreen, and Cuyahoga Heights is the lone area representative.

Congrats: To Olmsted Falls wrestlers for sweeping the Findlay Duals with victories over Napoleon (63-15), Sherwood Fairview (76-0), Wapakoneta (42-23), Eaton (34-27) and New Haven, Ind., (33-31) in the finals.

Going undefeated were seniors Chaz McGrain (152) and Shane Gareau (171), freshman Chase DuPratt (112), sophomore Nick Asadorian (103) and junior Jerimiah Roig (189).