Varsity Wrestling
Grapplers Place
3rd at States;
Highest Finish
in History
Cohe Ties Wins
Record with 36, Sets Pin Record with 20
By Mac Cohe (March 8, 2004)
For the first time ever, the wrestling
team placed third in the Group A State Championships and capped off what
one competitor called "a truly remarkable season."
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On Friday and Saturday,
March 5th and 6th, the Mustang wrestling team competed
at the State Wrestling Championships in Salem, VA. The Mustangs, qualifying
only six wrestlers out of the 14 possible weight classes, started the tournament
with that handicap and despite it fought all the way to take home the third
place trophy for Virginia Group A schools.
The tournament began with a bang
with all six wrestlers winning their first round matches including three
pins and a major decision and five of the six winning their second-round
matches. These five wrestlers advanced to the semifinals and are the most
wrestlers Mason has ever put into the semifinals. This impressive showing
alone was enough to rocket the Mustangs to third place at the end of the
first day.
The second day was a long-fought
battle for the third place slot between the Mustangs and Mathews. The final
team placement came down to the very last finals match where the Mathews
heavyweight was pinned thus completing the Mustangs hold on the third place
trophy, beating Mathews by a mere 4.5 points. Placing first in the tournament
was Bull Run District rival Manassas Park and placing second was Region
C power Parry McCluer. Four Bull Run District and 6 Region B teams placed
Top 10. |
Sophomore Nick Pitas lost to
Manassas Park's Matt Chustz
in the final round match claiming
the second place medal.
(photo By: Kory Lloyd) |
The outstanding individual performances
were led by senior Mac Cohe (171 lbs.) and sophomore Nick Pitas (112 lbs.)
who both won their first three matches earning finals berths and both placed
second. Cohe completed the season by tying the GMHS season wins record
of 36 to be a co-holder of it with his brother Joey Cohe and former teammate
Dominic Clark who set the record in 2002. Cohe also completes his career
with the GMHS season pin record, which is now 20 having broken the previous
record of 16, held by assistant coach John Henry Pitas. Nick Pitas was
right on Cohe’s heels chasing both of these records with 34 wins and 19
pins this season.
| Seniors Devlan Melancon
(145 lbs.) and Colin Ehmer (140 lbs.) both lost 1 point decisions in the
semifinals and then wrestled back for third and fourth place medals respectively.
Melancon finished his season with 31 wins and was named Bull Run District
Wrestler of the Year earlier this season. Ehmer finished with 24 wins and
Bull Run District and Region B Championship titles.
Junior John Sullivan (160 lbs.) upset
the number one seed from Mathews in the quarterfinals with a come from
behind pin to earn his semi-finals berth. This act not only advanced him
to the medal round where he took the fifth place medal, but it also took
as many as 10 points away from Mathews which had a huge effect on final
team placement. The Mustangs sixth wrestler was sophomore Mike Coleman
(125 lbs.) who in the first round upset a region champion, then lost in
the next round but won another match before being eliminated. Without this
great effort, the Mustangs would have finished behind Mathews.
This third place team finish is the
best the Mustang wrestlers have done in school history and is a huge and
fitting close to this record breaking season for the Mustangs. |
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Senior Mac Cohe took
home the 2nd place medal
last Saturday at the 2004
Wrestling State Championship.
(Photo By: Kory Lloyd) |
Tell us what you think.
E-mail lassogmhs@hotmail.com
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