Kelly Green
02-06-2005, 10:03 PM
BEARS BASH I
What’s there not to love about the Bears Bash wrestling tournament that Lemont host every year? The kids weigh-in, they wrestle and everyone goes home WAY in time for the Super Bowl. It’s great. Seniors wrestle first in the small gym. Little guys out in the field house. It’s all good. Yeah, people are all over the mats by the end of the tournament but who cares. I and many others think they do a great job.
You can count on it baby...
There’s always a few things you can count on at the Bash I. It starts on time. The little guys were called to staging right at 8:30am and the seniors were called at 8:36am. It’s unbelievable how they do it. Did I mention they get everyone out WAY early, and home in time for the Super Bowl??? The only real knock against it is the parking situation, but I don’t think it’s too bad either. Get there early enough and parking is no problem...get there late and you may have to hike it a few blocks. And the "walking-taco" was the bomb!!!
Ahhh the competition
It was there today. Hinsdale, Gladiators, Little Celtics, Orland Park, Vittum, Oak Lawn, and Tinley Park are a few that stick out in my head. Anytime you can get the Central Chicago and South Chicago section teams together, there’s going to be some wars on the mats. The West Chicago section teams also add to the level of competition. Holy Molley...some of the kids were just flat out brawlin’ in the last round. WOW. It was pretty intense for an "Open" tournament. You can tell IKWF regionals is right around the corner.
Matches of interest:
#1-Ward(Hins) and #5-Zimmerman(OL) final was a brawl. Ward won by decision. In the upper weights #1-Smith(PAN) beat #1-Merenowicz(LCWC) again.
BUT, the big match of the day had to be Wojcik(OPP) and Heimer(TP). Wojcik is ranked #1 and Heimer #2, both at 115lbs. It was on baby...in the first period both were very close to getting a takedown but neither could quite finish and get the points. In the second period Wojcik started down. Heimer rode him tough for most of the period and it looked as if it was going to be 0-0 going into the third and final period. But, Wojcik appeared to be getting an escape when all of a sudden Heimer hits him with a spladel from their feet. It was nuts. From my vantage point I never saw it coming. My mouth just about hit the floor. I couldn’t believe it. Wojcik was on his back!!! Then with time running out, Wojcik managed to get out of it AND got an escape. WOW! It’s now 3-1 going into the third and Heimer starts in the down position. After riding him for about the first 20 seconds Wojcik "cuts-him" to make it 4-1. Wojcik shoots a quick take down to make it 4-3. Time is getting short so Wojcik lets Heimer go again...5-3 now. With very little time left Wojcik shoots and Heimer does it again...spladel....and time runs out. 7-3 final. This was the third time these two have wrestled each other. 2-1 Wojcik’s advantage. They should see each other again next week at the Tholl Elite for the fourth time. I expect nothing less than another tough battle between these two. Can’t wait.
And IF they both wrestle to their potential and the ‘bracket gods’ allow it...they should meet in Rockford for all the marbles too.
What’s there not to love about the Bears Bash wrestling tournament that Lemont host every year? The kids weigh-in, they wrestle and everyone goes home WAY in time for the Super Bowl. It’s great. Seniors wrestle first in the small gym. Little guys out in the field house. It’s all good. Yeah, people are all over the mats by the end of the tournament but who cares. I and many others think they do a great job.
You can count on it baby...
There’s always a few things you can count on at the Bash I. It starts on time. The little guys were called to staging right at 8:30am and the seniors were called at 8:36am. It’s unbelievable how they do it. Did I mention they get everyone out WAY early, and home in time for the Super Bowl??? The only real knock against it is the parking situation, but I don’t think it’s too bad either. Get there early enough and parking is no problem...get there late and you may have to hike it a few blocks. And the "walking-taco" was the bomb!!!
Ahhh the competition
It was there today. Hinsdale, Gladiators, Little Celtics, Orland Park, Vittum, Oak Lawn, and Tinley Park are a few that stick out in my head. Anytime you can get the Central Chicago and South Chicago section teams together, there’s going to be some wars on the mats. The West Chicago section teams also add to the level of competition. Holy Molley...some of the kids were just flat out brawlin’ in the last round. WOW. It was pretty intense for an "Open" tournament. You can tell IKWF regionals is right around the corner.
Matches of interest:
#1-Ward(Hins) and #5-Zimmerman(OL) final was a brawl. Ward won by decision. In the upper weights #1-Smith(PAN) beat #1-Merenowicz(LCWC) again.
BUT, the big match of the day had to be Wojcik(OPP) and Heimer(TP). Wojcik is ranked #1 and Heimer #2, both at 115lbs. It was on baby...in the first period both were very close to getting a takedown but neither could quite finish and get the points. In the second period Wojcik started down. Heimer rode him tough for most of the period and it looked as if it was going to be 0-0 going into the third and final period. But, Wojcik appeared to be getting an escape when all of a sudden Heimer hits him with a spladel from their feet. It was nuts. From my vantage point I never saw it coming. My mouth just about hit the floor. I couldn’t believe it. Wojcik was on his back!!! Then with time running out, Wojcik managed to get out of it AND got an escape. WOW! It’s now 3-1 going into the third and Heimer starts in the down position. After riding him for about the first 20 seconds Wojcik "cuts-him" to make it 4-1. Wojcik shoots a quick take down to make it 4-3. Time is getting short so Wojcik lets Heimer go again...5-3 now. With very little time left Wojcik shoots and Heimer does it again...spladel....and time runs out. 7-3 final. This was the third time these two have wrestled each other. 2-1 Wojcik’s advantage. They should see each other again next week at the Tholl Elite for the fourth time. I expect nothing less than another tough battle between these two. Can’t wait.
And IF they both wrestle to their potential and the ‘bracket gods’ allow it...they should meet in Rockford for all the marbles too.