Congratulations to Viking junior Anthony Bratcher who got a taste of the Tacoma Dome and the State Wrestling Championships!
The 135 pound bracket was dominated by Region 3 (Southwest) & Region 4 (Eastern), with our own Region 2 Champion from Graham-Kapowsin only managing an 8th place.
In Anthony’s first match he lost first to eventual 7th place finisher Jordan Higa (Tahoma-Sr.) 12-2, before being eliminated by Michael Milat (Tahoma-Sr.) 12-3.
Anthony had an outstanding season. Especially considering he missed an entire month with a freak rib injury sustained after earning a pin the first match of the season vs. Lk. Washington (Dec. 10th). He worked hard to get himself in shape to return and secured a critical pin for a close team win over Bellevue (34-32) on January 11th.
After placing 3rd in District, he again won 3rd in a huge Regionals match, to earn his first berth to MAT CLASSIC XXII.
Senior Co-Captain, Rob Zsignmondovics was an alternate and unfortunately, did not get into the tournament. Congratulations to The Scorpian also, for an excellent season!
BRACKETS & MORE
Bothell/Kenmore Reporter News Article
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For Vikings that want to place in state or have the fortitude to push themselves to win a title, they need to understand there is a difference between ” a guy who wrestles” and “a guy who is a wrestler”. It’s very hard for a part-time wrestler–the guy who only does it from November to February, to even get a sniff at the Tacoma Dome. If you are a Wrestler (capital ‘W’), you love to wrestle and can’t get enough of it. You don’t need “a break” after the season and, given your choice of a family vacation or competition, you’re fighting for a way to get on the mat. You live in the weight room, not in front of the XBOX. You make sacrifices and choose the ‘hard’ path because you know it’s going to make you better. If you can’t get a ride to practice, you ride your bike, catch the bus, or run. You MAKE it happen. You don’t care if your parents can’t take you to a tournament, or your coach isn’t going– you don’t need them for YOU to compete–you FIND a way to get to the tournament. Social networking isn’t only FaceBook & MySpace….you’re ingenious and plan ahead. You’re systematic in making sure you hit every tournament because they’re the only ones between now and next year and you want to get every second of mat time possible!
Why? Because you’re from KingCo and being a KingCo wrestler puts you at a disadvantage. One that can ONLY be over come by doing more then the next guy and getting extra training.
UNDERSTAND, only 18 KingCo wrestlers made it out of Regionals this year to even go to State. Out of 112 placers (14 weights x 8 places = 112), only FIVE KingCo wrestlers placed in state: DeMatteo (Skyline -215 4th), McCanta (Newport- 152 5th), Ullery (LW – 140 6th), Chrysanthou (LW – 145 8th), Christenson (Skyline- 152 8th).
If YOU want to be a State placer (not just “go”) YOU NEED TO START NOW!!
Step One: Get in the weight room and PowerLift NOW.
Working-out at home is NOT going to do it. Guys need to be in a weight room or gym doing heavy squats, power cleans, deadlifts, rows, and bench— compound exercises. This is more weight then anyone can safely lift at home and frankly I get tired of hearing from guys that “they’re lifting weights at home”, when there are no noticeable results.
Build overall body strength. Get bigger. Get stronger. This takes TIME and most of all CONSISTENCY. It doesn’t occur in the week before practice starts. It occurs 3 to 4 times a week, EVERY week from now until next season.
The harsh reality is that we were smaller then every single one of our competitors. Undersized and under-gunned is no way to go into a combative arena.
Step Two: if you’re a “wrestler”….WRESTLE
Club wrestling & tournament competition is the way to get yourself better. The more you do it, the better you’re going to become. If you’re sitting around, you need to know your competition ISN’T.
99.9% of the wrestlers we see at state are the same ones we see all summer at freestyle/greco tournaments–that is NOT a mistake. [learn about the concept of 10,000 times to mastery]
Going to state doesn’t just “happen” you have to get used to wrestling in tournaments, in the heat of tough matches, & under the fire of competition. You have to get used to the routine of travel and waking-up early; You need to become desensitized to being nervous, wrestling, sitting, and wrestling late into the day–because that is how tournament’s are wrestled and the END of the day is where tournaments are WON.
If you’re too busy or too tired now, you will be too busy or too tired when it’s time to win the championship later. Condition yourself now! 363 days until State 2010-2011
Every day, you either get better, or you get worse–what’s it going to be?
Freestyle/Greco-Roman Club: SABOTAGE SPORTS – http://www.SabotageSports.com
Tournament Schedule: http://www.washingtonstatewrestling.com
FIND A WAY or MAKE A WAY- YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!
