VASJ Wrestling stars

by John Sheridan

The Wrestling Stars from VASJ:

Phil Wellington (senior, 189 pounds) – Chosen as the Vikings’ “most valuable wrestler,” Wellington placed fourth in the state meet after earning third-place honors in the Division III district tournament. He finished the season with a 35-6 record. “At the state meet, Phil wrestled five great matches,” says head coach Bob Mullin. “He took it right to the wire against the state runner-up before losing a hard-fought 3-2 battle.”

DiAnte Jackson (junior, 215 pounds) – Selected to receive the “outstanding junior” award at the Vikings’ awards banquet, Jackson also qualified for the state tournament. He compiled a 27-13 record and was coming on strong late in the season, earning runner-up honors in the district meet. In the district finals, he had his opponent—Ken Smith of Chanel—in pinning combinations several times; however, Smith struggled free and won the district title with a pin of his own.

Mullin, who was named one of the “coaches of the year” by the Greater Cleveland Wrestling Coaches and Officials Assn., reports that Wellington and Jackson were invited to compete in a national tournament in Virginia Beach, Va., in late March.

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Others selected for our wrestling All-Star team are:

VASJ:

Mato Vunak (sophomore, 119) – A district qualifier, Vunak finished the season with a 15-7 record.

Chris Pokorny (junior, 125) – Increasing his intensity on the mats this season, Pokorny recorded a 19-13 season mark.

Ryan Gallagher (senior, 145) – A district qualifier, Gallagher compiled an admirable 25-10 season record and provided leadership as the Vikings stepped up their overall team performance against tough competition.

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PHOTO CAPTIONS:

PHOTOS 8 & 9 & 10 & 11 & 12 – Wrestlers of the Year

VASJ’s Phil Wellington

VASJ’S DiAnte Jackson