The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Big Reds looking good after solid 2007
Despite loss of seven seniors, Reds only one win shy of 2006 total
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 8, 2007
Last year, the Milan varsity wrestling team won a record 25 dual matches.
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This year, the Big Reds emerged at season end with one win shy of last year's high, posting 24 victories.
Here's why that's remarkable: Last year's team had seven seniors and a junior to bring the squad experience and veteran leadership, whereas this year's team was populated with freshmen and sophomores.
The Big Reds were young this year.
Coach Gary Jonseck knew that going in.
But he also knows what a difference a year can make.
Take this year, for example.
Two of the Milan wrestlers who advanced to regionals, Jacob Hill (285) and Josh Pegouskie (171), were juniors who improved their records dramatically over last year. Hill was 6-8 last season but more than tripled his number of victories this year with a 19-8 record. Pegouskie went 8-17 his sophomore year, but emerged this year as one of the Big Reds' more reliable wrestlers, producing a stunning win-loss reversal with a 35-15 record.
David Box (285), the lone sophomore to make it to regionals, hovered just above the .500 mark his first year on the varsity team with a 22-18 record. This year, despite missing five weeks because of an injury, Box went 23-9.
As a freshman, Dan Vivian (119) went 33-17 and delivered this year on that promise of potential, leading the team with wins at 37-9.
And consider Jacob Nelson (140), who in his freshman year went 12-20, but this year led the team in pins and went 31-13.
Or how about sophomore Garrett Gimson, who last year as a freshman went 9-14 and turned that around this year to a 16-12 record?
Or consider that freshmen Aaris Gruber, Sean Domas and Cody O'Keefe wrestled almost 48 matches this year, experience that Jonseck is convinced will pay dividends next year.
So, a year can make a difference.
But Jonseck is quick to point out that the nature of that difference will depend on what his young wrestlers do during the off-season.
After the individual regionals, which were held Feb. 24 at Milan High School, Jonseck said he planned to give his wrestlers three to four weeks off before expecting them to start up again and begin off-season training.
"It's really about having a strong work ethic," Jonseck said.
Experience helps, too, of course.
The Big Reds didn't have much of it this year, and it showed at times, such as the team's sixth-place finish in the Huron League meet.
But next year could very well be a whole different story, when the makeup of the Big Reds changes from young, talented and inexperienced to young, talented, and veteran.
The Big Reds will hold their team banquet March 25.
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