WHEELING — The UHS wrestling team competed in the Ron Mauck OVAC Wrestling Championship meet last week at Wesbanco Arena in Wheeling. Overall, Coach Ken Maisel and the Hawks placed 2nd out of 45 total teams, with a team score of 228.50, finishing behind Wheeling Park.
UHS had nine wrestlers that placed in the tournament, including five that wrestled in the championship match for their weight class.
Maisel has high praises for his sophomore OVAC champion, Luca Felix, saying that his confidence will be key to his success on the mat.
“On the mat, he’s just special, he does things at such a high level that most high school kids just can’t keep up. He sets a good example in the room with his work ethic,” Maisel said of Felix.
Maisel and the UHS wrestling team have put together an impressive resume so far this season, but are far from done with tournaments like the WSAZ’s in Huntington to look forward to, as well as regionals and states. Coming into this season, Maisel knew his team had the chance to be special.
“We knew going into this year that we were going to have a pretty good team but you’re just never know for sure how it is going to pan out,” he said.
So far for the Hawks, it has panned-out in their favor. As a team, UHS won 11 of the 12 tournaments it has wrestled at this season, the lone one being last week at OVAC behind Wheeling Park. The only other time they finished second this season was the Wheeling Park Duals, where it was second to Wheeling Park again. Maisel embraces the challenge of having someone for your team to look forward to beating in the future.
“It’s kind of funny that all of our ‘shortcomings’ this year are to Wheeling Park (2nd OVAC to the Patriots, 2nd Park Duals, as well),” Maisel said. “We will see Wheeling Park two more times this year in regionals and states, and that’s when it really counts. Make no mistake, they are a great team so it is going to take some work.”
UHS is led by a core group of seniors who have all done well this season both for the team, and for themselves.
Five of their six seniors placed in the OVAC meet and their coach is confident in the tone and example they set for the UHS program.
“They know what it takes from our 6 a.m. lifts, extra practices and all the other stuff it takes to compete at a high level,” Maisel said.
However, what could be the best thing Maisel and his team have is the talent of the younger wrestlers. Two freshmen earned a second-place and third-place finish at the OVAC meet, including the first-place finish for Felix, and Maisel expects his younger group is just getting started. Maisel feels with hard work, multiple wrestlers could have state titles at season’s end.
“We really have a nice mix of old and young in our room. We have six guys in our starting lineup (out of 14 weight classes) that are freshman or sophomores, so the future looks great,” Maisel said.
The UHS wrestling team has one goal: Win UHS’s first wrestling team state title since 1956 (65 years). In order to help his team achieve its goal(s), Maisel likes to live by the rule of 3-5, 5-3.
“What I mean by that is 3 p.m.-5 p.m. is practice time — that is obviously important but 5 p.m.-3 p.m. is just as important,” Maisel said. “How are you sleeping, what are you putting in your body, how is your mental state, who are you hanging around? The 5-3 can be just as important.”
UHS will host senior night as the Hawks welcome Morgantown and Buckhannon-Upshur at 6 p.m. Thursday.
OVAC results:
Senior — Hezekiah Taylor — 7th place, 182
Senior — Colin McBee — 5th place, 220 lbs.
Senior — Mason Pauley — 4th place, 138 lbs.
Freshman — Carter Pauley — 3rd place, 120 lbs.
SECOND PLACE/RUNNER-UP:
Senior — Elijah Wellings-Osha — 170 lbs.
Junior — Dakota Hagedorn — 160 lbs.
Freshman — Brock Kehler — 195 lbs
Senior — Corbin Turney — 285 lbs.
FIRST PLACE/CHAMPION:
Sophomore — Luca Felix — 145 lbs.
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