BLHS wrestling team hopes to carry summer momentum into school year

By Angelique McNaughton

August 21, 2013

Stepping onto the mat and seriously contending hasn’t been a problem for Basehor Linwood wrestlers as of late.

The issue will be how to capitalize on this summer’s successes and translate that into a winning season come November. BLHS coach Tyler Cordts hopes this is the season the Bobcats are on everyone’s radar and become the team to beat.

“Right now, I’d say sky is the limit,” Cordts said. “We’ve really put that much into it this summer and my expectations are just so much higher than they were last year. We are going to have a solid duel team and we will be tough to beat. We will start making some noise at the state tournament this year and should have many on the medal stands.”

During Cordts’ first year as BLHS head coach, the Bobcats went 5-4 in duels and failed to shine in many of the tournaments. But this summer, the team went 15-1 in duels, something that hasn’t happened at BLHS for many years, including going undefeated during the Summer Scuffle tournament in Baldwin City.

Cordts is counting on an experienced group to continue competing and working like they have all summer in preparation for the upcoming season.

“I don’t think this program had really been exposed to summer wrestling and it was pretty crazy because we practiced all throughout the summer,” he said.

Starting in June, wrestlers began 6:30 a.m. workouts four days a week and would return in the evening to wrestle. BLHS hosted a wrestling camp in July and participated in a couple area tournaments.

The Bobcats traveled to Iowa for the Iron Sharpens Iron Camp from June 9-13 and ended up placing third out of the 40 teams there.

Senior 152-pounder John Hopper (30-12 in 2012-13) went 15-0 at the camp and said he enjoyed the notoriety that came with it.

“It was cool that a bunch of kids were talking about me and I didn’t know them but they knew my name,” he said.

The camp’s focus strayed from typical technique drills, allowing the participants more time to duel, which Hopper said was beneficial to see other wrestlers.

“Competition was very hard and it wasn’t just pin and win,” he said. “You had to grind out to get the victory.”

Fellow senior Cory McCleary (28-15), who wrestled at 145 last year but will compete at 160 this year, said the Bobcats are succeeding more as a team versus having just one standout individual.

“The duel tournament in Iowa was awesome and we went 9-1,“ McCleary said. “That’s never happened before because we mostly had one or two great wrestlers, but now we are more of a team.”

Senior and 138-pound wrestler Dalton Inlow made the transition to a varsity wrestler this summer and Cordts considers him the most improved wrestler on the roster.

“He just came on so strong this spring and summer by working hard and has really brought it (his wrestling) to a new level,” Cordts said. “I have real high expectations for him next year.”

As does Inlow.

“I feel like I can do a lot better and I should at least place in every single tournament we have,” Inlow said. “Hopefully I can place in the top four in state at least.”

Other Bobcats who had a great showing this summer were Shayn Morris wrestling in the 106-pound division and Zack Carter competing in the 195-pound division.

Incoming freshman Corbin Nirschl is also expected to garner some attention wrestling at either 106 or 113 pounds. Cordts said he wouldn’t be surprised to see him medal at the state tournament.

One new face to the coaching staff is Joe Zlatnick, who will be joining Cordts and returning coach Travis Phippen. With a strong wrestling background, Zlatnick can bring something to the coaching staff that was lacking before: size.

“What is really key about him is he’s a big guy,” Cordts said. “We didn’t have a whole lot of size in our coaches.”

As summer concludes and school is back in session, the Bobcats will look to resume workouts sooner rather than later for their season that begins in mid-November.

“It was a great summer and I just hope we can keep that momentum going in to the next year,” Cordts said. “They put in so much hard work and that hard work is going to pay off for them. I’m really excited for the year.

SMNW’s Galvan captures title, SMN hampered by illness at Sunflower League wrestling tourney

 Angelique McNaughton

February 10, 2013

Lawrence — Shawnee Mission Northwest junior Mario Galvan brought home an individual title on Saturday at the Sunflower League meet in the 195-pound weight class, while several of his teammates placed within the top five.

The Cougars earned 110 points to place eighth out of the 12 teams at Lawrence High School, behind Olathe Northwest and ahead of Free State.

Freshman Brian Morelan (120) and senior Colton Almos (145) each took second in their respective weight classes. Senior Reed Bowker (138) and junior Laphonso McKinnis (170) placed fourth.

“I was really proud of Morelan getting to the finals and Colton (Almos) battling to the finals, it was some tough matches for those guys,” SM Northwest coach Howard Newcomb said. “And then Mario getting the championship, it was a nice way to end the day especially after losing all the final matches.”

Meanwhile, the SM North wrestling team didn’t necessarily have things go in their favor on Saturday.

Senior Armando Contreras (220) was out sick all week and was unable to wrestle for the Indians. Contreras was the top seed in his weight class going into the weekend and was expected to be a main contender.

“He’s been ill and he’s lost weight with the illness,” SM North assistant coach Zach McKamie said of Contreras. “He’s the only wrestler that’s been with our team for four years and he’s our champion.”

The only wrestler to make it to the semi-finals, freshman Cesar Salgado (160), was disqualified for biting his opponent.

The Indians placed 12th at the league meet, behind Olathe South, scoring just one point.

Keal hopes MVHS wrestling team returns to full strength soon

The Mill Valley wrestling team may have finished 10th overall in Eudora’s Tournament of Champions on Saturday, but with four starters out, coach Travis Keal was pleased with the results.

“Our other kids stepped up and wrestled hard,” Keal said. “That’s what I talked about before the tournament: ‘We’re going to be minus four of our starters and someone is going to have to step up and make it a positive experience.’”

The Jaguars earned 152 points, falling behind Lawrence High School’s 156 points. Mill Valley’s lone first place finisher on Saturday was Landon Scott, wrestling in the 106-pound weight class and improving his record to 12-1.  Both Derrick Paxton at 182 pounds and Jake Gramke at 196 pounds placed third. Also, a pair of sixth-place finishes came from the Burnett brothers, Seth (152) and Bryan (138). Adam Swearengin placed eighth at 220 pounds.

“We had a lot of guys step up and wrestle,“ Keal said. “We had some JV kids that won some matches and that was good experience for them. They helped the team score points.”

Keal said his squad is working extra hard on the mat to try to get in good position to score points.

“We just need to keep going and keep getting at it,” he said.

Three of the four starters absent on Saturday were state qualifiers for the Jaguars last season. Both Logan Marx and C.J. Beran were out sick and James Gray and Jake Ellis sustained injuries, making them all ineligible to compete.

“It’s just part of the wrestling season,” Keal said of his starters’ absence. “If they’re not better and well this weekend, they just won’t wrestle. February is more important to me.”

The Jaguars will be at Blue Valley High for a two-day tournament with Johnson County area schools this weekend.

“Hopefully we get some of those guys back and we can score a little higher as a team,” Keal said.

First-year BLHS wrestling coach has been here before

Tyler Cordts won’t ask Basehor-Linwood wrestlers to do anything he hasn’t done before himself.

Cordts wrestled on the varsity squad at Santa Fe Trail High School for four years at 103 pounds. He competed at BLHS during the Bobcat classic and walked the very halls his athletes traverse daily, less than 10 years ago.

He understands the sport and the toll it can take on an athlete to endure the grueling practices, weight requirements and one-on-one competition.

“I’ve been in their shoes, been through everything they have and know what it feels like to go through those workouts,” Corts said.

Cordts was hired last spring and began practices earlier this month. With the expectations of a new coach and Cordts’ debut season approaching, he admitted to being nervous in advance.

But as soon as Cordts stepped onto the mat, he eased into his new role. Comfortable with the students he had seen in the hallways and had in classes, Cordts began coaching wrestling again.

“I have all these ideas and the time flies in practice,” he said. “Next thing I know it’s 5.”

On the mat since around the age of 11, Cordts was the lone member of his family to take up wrestling.

“It was just kind of the thing to do,” he said one day with the shrug of his shoulders. “Everybody did it and no one in my family had done it before.”

After graduating high school in 2005, Cordts pursued wrestling for a year at Central College in Pella, Iowa.

Competing in the lowest collegiate weight, 111 pounds, Cordts was forced to wrestle outside of his class.

“I wasn’t naturally very big and that’s why I transitioned,” he said of the move from athlete to coach.

Coaching wasn’t something he had seriously considered but he admired his high school and college coaches. He started his coaching career at Central College before taking on a position as an assistant at Pella High School.

Cordts, 25, who is also the special education teacher, returned to his alma mater last year as the head junior high coach at Santa Fe Trail High School, while teaching at West Franklin High School.

After three-year coach Ed Seaton decided to step down last season, Cordts stepped in.

“I’ve got a son in college and wanted to follow his wrestling a little bit,” Seaton said of the choice to become an assistant. “I just felt like they needed to get a coach and teacher in the school that could motivate them and spend the time. I was working a full-time job and just didn‘t have the time.”

“I just felt like someone else could do a better job,” he added.

And so far, Seaton said Cordts has risen to the task. He’s motivated and organized, Seaton said, and strict.

“He doesn’t take anything from the kids and I think they respect that,” he said with a laugh.

Seaton is staying on staff, joining fellow assistant coach Travis Phippen, for the upcoming season.

“I have two head coaches as my assistants and I am taking over a program with standout wrestlers,” Cordts said. “I couldn’t ask for a better way to start.”

The 27-man roster is heavy with juniors, with just three seniors leading the helm and an evenly distributed group of underclassmen.

The loss of senior state qualifier Antonio Ferro is balanced by returning state qualifiers 126-pound senior Sammy Seaton and 145-pound junior Cory McCleary.

Cordts said he also expects junior John Hopper to have a strong showing this year at 152 pounds.

“Those three boys are our three great leaders,” he said. “One thing I feel is that we have a lot of great leadership and a lot of returning experience.”

The Bobcats open the season at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Bonner Springs against the Braves and Piper. A quick turnaround will then pit the varsity in a dual the next day, on Nov. 30, at Spring Hill. The highly anticipated Bobcat Classic returns on Jan. 11.

With practice officially underway, Cordts said the athletes are enthusiastically approaching practice and are ready to work.

“I’m really surprised they’re coming in working hard,” he said. “And having fun with it and getting the job done.”

Some of the exuberance could be attributed to the wrestlers abandoning their former,  small, green-mat filled room in the high school for a donated, year-round practice facility in the district’s sixth-grade center.

“They’re excited about it,” Cordts said.

Stressing sound, solid technique and a knowledge of the basics has proven effective in the past for Cordts as both an athlete and coach.

“Basics are what works,” he said. “Just being in better shape than your opponent is a huge advantage, especially later in the match.”

Taking over an existing program hasn’t entirely intimidated Cordts, who just wants to continue building the sport at BLHS and within the wrestler-friendly community as the season progresses.

“I’m just trying to get the community excited about us because I’m excited to finally get everything going,” he said.

Youth tourney brings in big bucks

March 24, 2011 – 7:57pm

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

While youth wrestlers from across the state are preparing to hit the mats this weekend at the Kansas Expocentre, Topekans are gearing up for everyone else who plans to come, too.

Those involved with the Kansas Kids Wrestling Championships expect it to bring more than 7,500 people to the capital city.

H.R. Cook, general manager of the Expocentre, said the importance of the event extends beyond the actual venue.

“It’s a really, really big deal, because it’s not only the Expo that hosts the event but the entire community,” Cook said.

From city officials to Visit Topeka Inc., to those in the restaurant and lodging industries, a lot of people in Topeka are preparing for the influx of out-of-town parents, aunts and uncles, siblings and grandparents who will be at Landon Arena on Saturday and Sunday to watch about 1,500 wrestlers compete.

The wrestling championships occur annually in March, drawing participants of varying ages and sizes from every district in the state.

Mayor Bill Bunten said the event allows people to get together in the capital city and take advantage of what Topeka has to offer.

“For us, it’s a weekend when people stay here, eat here and shop here,” Bunten said. “It’s a fun event, and economically, it brings a great number of people to our city.”

Olivia Simmons, president and chief executive officer of Visit Topeka, said the overall economic impact of the event is huge.

Simmons said a conservative estimate of the revenue garnered from the event is $1.47 million.

The wrestling championships are the second-largest event in terms of revenue behind NHRA drag racing at Heartland Park Topeka.

Dena Soden, director of sales for Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd, said the hotel is completely booked tonight and Saturday night.

Soden said the hotel typically sells out a year before the championships.

Topeka has hosted this event for more than 15 years, continuously outbidding other cities for the contract.

In 2009, Topeka outbid Salina, Hays, Hutchinson and Wichita to retain the event under the current three-year contract, which expires in 2012.

The bidding process for the next host city will begin in the fall. Next March could be the last year the event is in Topeka as the competition gets tougher with new, larger arenas popping up across the state.

But Cook said it is because of the open arms of the citizens, not the arena, that Topeka has been able to retain this event for so long.

Simmons agrees.

“It’s that hospitality and that personal touch that you can’t put a price tag on,” Simmons said. “And that’s what we need from our community to help bring this event back year after year.”

Weigh-in for the wrestlers starts this evening. The opening ceremony and competitions commence Saturday morning.