WEST OCEAN CITY- Young wrestlers from the Eastern Shore Intensive Wrestling Club stayed on a big roll last weekend with several first-place wins and a handful of other top finishes in a Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Association (MAWA) Southern District qualifying meet in Severn, Md.
At the MAWA Southern District qualifying meet last Saturday, seven ESIWC wrestlers placed in their respective age-weight divisions and advanced to MAWA’s South Regional Qualifier set for April 6. Taking first in their divisions were Noah Reho, Jagger Clapsadle, Anthony Caruso and Andy McKahan. Finishing second in their divisions were Logan Tapman and Spencer Kaminski, while Alex Koulikov finished third.
The top three place-winners in each weight class advance to the MAWA South Regional Championships on April 6 at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, meaning each of the ESIWC wrestlers move on and each will have the chance to earn a spot in the MAWA Eastern Nationals set for May 6-7. After the MAWA qualifying event last Saturday, a couple of ESIWC wrestlers were invited to compete at the Virginia vs. Maryland Challenge last Sunday and turned in strong performances. Clapsadle finished second in his age-weight class, while McKahan and Tapman each finished third.
The Eastern Shore Intensive Wrestling Club, under the direction of Coach Keith Tobin and his staff, provides young grapplers in the area with training and mentoring all year around in an effort to provide them with a foundation for future success. Tobin said his young wrestlers’ accomplishments this winter have been the byproduct of their dedication and commitment all year long.
“The ESIWC wrestlers are getting results and finding success in the sport of wrestling by competing and practicing in-season, and in the off-season,” he said. “Most of them play spring and summer sports, but they make the sacrifice and commitment to practice at least once or twice a week. It’s not easy for a youth or teenager to practice in the summer with the Atlantic Ocean and beach towns nearby, and some of them have summer jobs. They deserve credit for setting goals and making sacrifices to achieve them.”