Lansing eager to resume wrestling

Ron Averill is an advocate of preparing in December for late February.

That’s why his Lansing wrestling program had a tough early season schedule. Lansing headed into the winter break by challenging itself against a deep field of 16 teams in the Emporia Winter Classic on Dec. 20.

Averill sets his schedule with one thing in mind: having his wrestlers ready to win at state.

“We have tried to build a quality wrestling program at Lansing,” he said. “We feel that the best way to prepare for state is to seek out quality competition throughout the season. As competitors, I want my wrestlers to be willing to seek out competition and welcome it.”

At Emporia, Lansing was up to the challenge, finishing fourth in the team standings with 150 points. Emporia won the event with 280 points. Maize was second, followed by Hutchinson.

Lansing’s top-four finish without three solid wrestlers, including senior Spencer Blew, who is 12-1 at 130 pounds this season, was impressive.

“We were pleased but not satisfied with our fourth-place finish at Emporia,” Averill said. “We recognize that Emporia is a fairly deep tournament as far as talent and competition goes, and we’re encouraged with the fact that second place was well within our grasp.

“It gave us a really good chance to look at what we needed to work on throughout the break.”

Lansing had a pair of individual champions in Bo Pursel and Grant Hinckley. A freshman, Pursel went 3-0 in winning the 103-pound division title. Pursel, 16-0, is currently No. 2 in his weight class in the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association’s Class 5A rankings.

Hinckley, a freshman who is ranked fourth in 5A, won the 172-pound title and improved to 15-1. Dillon Scanlon (135), Nate Wessel (189) and Cullen Demarest (152) finished second in their respective weight classes.

“I felt that regardless of the final outcome, all of our finals matches were competed in a championship style,” Averill said.

“Bo and Grant dominated their competition throughout the day, and capped off the tournament as champions. Dillon, Cullen and Nathan all came home with a second-place finish but left with the knowledge that they, too, could have finished first.”

Lansing, which has spent most of the season ranked in the 5A KWCA poll and currently is seventh, returns to the mat this weekend at the Louisburg Invitational. Averill’s squad is eager to resume competition.

“We were all looking forward to having a break, but now it feels like the break has lasted forever,” he said. “Our competition this week will be a nice tuneup in preparation for the upcoming Bobcat Classic (at Basehor-Linwood) next week.”

submitted by Special to The Star - 2009-01-06 16:45:01

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