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Park’s Nash looks to repeat

By KIM NORTH

Times Leader Sports Writer

WHEELING — Wheeling Park is a very well respected wrestling program, both in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference and the state of West Virginia.

The Patriots will be seeking their seventh overall title and second Class 5A championship when the 64th annual Ron Mauck OVAC Tournament gets under way Thursday for a three-day stay inside downtown Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena.

However, second-year head coach Clay Tucker, a Martins Ferry graduate and one of only seven, four-time tournament titlists, is well aware of what it takes to be an individual champion, as well as a member of a winning squad.

“We have a good group of of guys this year, guys that really put the time and effort in physically and mentally, so I want to see all of our guys wrestle above their potential this weekend,” Tucker said. “Being an OVAC champion and placer is something that is earned through months of hard work.

“From the bottom to the top of our lineup all of our guys have put the necessary time in and now we just have to wrestle hard and smart for three full days,” he continued. “As a coach, we prepare our guys to wrestle their best at OVACs, regionals and states.”

Wheeling Park has seven individuals who are ranked among the top of their respective weight classes by ovaec.org, including returning champion John Nash, who has bumped up from 152 to 160 and ranked No. 1, as well as No. 1 in W.Va. The junior is a sparkling 21-3 thus far this winter and finished seventh as a freshman.

“John is one of the hardest working young men I have been around,” Tucker revealed. “He wrestles all year round and really buys into what it takes to be a great wrestler and a great leader for our team.”

Classmate Kaleb Simpkins, who placed fifth at 160 a year ago, is ranked No. 2 at 170 and is currently 18-5. He is also ranked third in W.Va.

“He is excited for this tournament,” Tucker said. “As the year has gone on he has been getting better each match. He is really improved in positions that he needs to improve, and it’s fun, as a coach, to watch him get better each time he wrestles.”

Freshman Cannon Welker (113) and sophomore Dylan Wood (220) are both ranked No. 9 by ovaec.org, while freshman Isaak Murphy (106) and junior Austin Loew (195) are both 10th. Junior Mason Miklas (182) is 11th.

Welker, who is also sixth in W.Va., is 14-6 thus far.

“Cannon is one of our younger guys that we can count on to win matches for us,” Tucker said. “He puts in tons of extra time to get better each match and it shows.”

Wood, who won a pair of consolation matches last year as a heavyweight, is currently 18-7 and is entered a weight class lower this year.

“Moving down a weight has really helped Dylan because he was probably the smallest heavyweight in the OVAC last year and he won a lot of matches for us,” Tucker noted. “Now he is wrestling guys his own size and he is finding much more success.”

Murphy, currently 12-5, has been a pleasant surprise.

“He just finds ways to win matches,” Tucker described. “He is very fun to watch. He is a smart kid and a smart wrestler.”

Loew is 10-8 thus far.

“Austin is a very tough wrestler who goes out there each match wrestling 100 percent,” Tucker allowed. “He has become a great leader with his work ethic this year. He has goals to climb high on that podium, as well.”

Miklas has compiled a 16-6 mark to date.

“Mason has turned into one of the guys that we can count on to win matches for us this year,” Tucker continued. “Just like Kaleb, he gets better with each match. He is a kid who believes he can place pretty high in the tournament, and us coaches believe that as well.”

Sophomore Maison Richardson placed eighth as a freshman and is currently 10-8.

“He has a rough start to this season, but he has won 8 of his last nine matches leading into the tournament,” Tucker noted. “It should be fun to see him, hopefully, carry on that momentum into this weekend.”

Sophomore Tino Kayafas is penciled in at 126 after promising freshman Andrew Shelek suffered an injury. Kayafas is 5-8, while Shelek was 12-3 and ranked No. 6 in W.Va.

Senior Charles Mirandy (132); sophomore Jeremiah Timberlake (138); senior Bobby Pettingill (145); sophomore Daniel Skelton (152); and junior Calvin McGaha (285) round out the Patriots’ entrants.

The Patriots lost a pair of seniors to graduation. They were James Webb and Isaiah Myers, who placed fourth at 220 before earning a W.Va. state championship.

Tucker is assisted by Jack Doyle, Justin Goneau, Brian Arbes and Todd Shelek.

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