The Visor

Schindel victorious at districts, returns to states

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March 11, 2010

Ryland Parnell

Heart is a word head coach Rich Lann uses often to describe his wrestling team.

“You don’t have to have a ton of natural ability or muscle, but if you push yourself and have heart, you can be a good wrestler,” Lann said.
The wrestling team had one of the toughest schedules they have ever had with powerhouse teams like Perry, St. Ignatius and Walsh Jesuit. Regardless, the Knights had a ton of positives over the course of the season, including taking 3rd in the Chippewa tournament and beating North Coast League rival Holy Name 57-10.

“The record for the year doesn’t matter to me. I know that I have great kids and they faced some of the best competition this year,” Lann said.

The Knights were able to bring four wrestlers out of sectionals, senior captain Joe Schindel (145 lb. weight class), senior Sammi Gheith (119), junior Max Straus (140), and freshman Michael Belknap (130).

“It was great to see Straus beat a number two seed; Gheith and Belknap also really worked hard to get this far,” Lann said.

Schindel battled through adversity Friday night, Feb. 27, at the district meet. He wrestled an opponent from Aurora, and he was down by one point with ten seconds to go. Giving everything he had, Schindel was able to hit a takedown to get two points to win the match and advance to the next day. The whole gym roared with excitement; everyone in his family was jumping around, still trying to believe the event that they just witnessed. Schindel wasn’t done yet – that only helped him advance to the next day.

“I knew I had a short time, so I had to try to do something,” Schindel said of the win. “That really boosted my confidence… I have never won in the final seconds like that.”

The next day was the final rounds and Schindel knew he was going to have to wrestle even better than he did the day before to make it to states. Schindel won his match in the morning to guarantee his spot at the state tournament and he was wrestling in the finals to place first. Schindel took control of his opponent from Crestwood for the whole match and placed first at districts.

“It was one of the greatest moments of my life,” Schindel said.
The journey is far from over for one Knight as he travels to Columbus this weekend to compete in Ohio’s 2010 state wrestling tournament for the second time of his high school career.

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