By STEVE SINISKI
The Clarke Rams have a number of wrestlers still sweating it out in the gym, helping the program take major strides on the mats. Jordan Spirou (171-pound weight class) and Matt Gaynor (145) recently became the first two Rams to ever qualify for the upcoming Cadet and Junior National Tournament to be held in Fargo, N.D. from July 19-28.
³It¹s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,² Rams coach Mike Leonard said. ³There are over 7,000 wrestlers from every state in the country [competing].²
Spirou and Gaynor qualified based on their performances at the recent NY-USA Wrestling Junior & Cadet State Championships held at Broome Community College from May 4 to 6. Spirou finished second in the freestyle competition and third in Greco-Roman. Gaynor earned sixth place in freestyle.
³It shows that the offseason work they¹re putting in is starting to pay off,² Leonard said. ³Matt and Jordan are good examples for [Clarke] teams to come.²
Hard work doesn¹t even begin to describe what Spirou has accomplished. He¹s already recorded an offseason record of 36-3 and is one of five Rams with at least 25 bouts under their belt since early March.
³He¹s a driven kid,² Leonard said of Spirou, who also laces up the cleats for the varsity lacrosse team. ³He¹s really looking for a county title and along the way he¹s showing other kids how to do it [with commitment].
³We¹re hoping he and Matt [Gaynor] push each other by trying to outwork each other,² Leonard added.
Three of their teammates ‹ Tiago Pereira (112), Derek Courtney (125) and Mike Leonard, Jr. (105) ‹ all fell just one round shy of qualifying for the upcoming national tournament, but all is not lost for the trio. The three are slated to compete at an upcoming tournament at Sacred Heart University from June 1-3, where they have one final opportunity to join Spirou and Gaynor in Fargo.
From a program standpoint, the benefits of having wrestlers compete in the offseason pay off in both the short term and long term. Along with setting an example for how to prepare for the best of the best, the spring and summer matches allow the wrestlers a chance to gain valuable mat experience. It¹s also a reason why the team traveled to Orlando, Fla. last December for a national tournament. The cost of that trip and the offseason trips to tournaments are subsidized by numerous fundraisers, including a dinner dance at Levittown Hall scheduled for Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m.
