(March 1, 2013) Four Stephen Decatur wrestlers placed fourth or better during the 4A/3A East Regional tournament, allowing them to advance to this weekend’s state championship at University of Maryland College Park.
The East Regional tournament was held Feb. 22-23, at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md.
“Everybody wrestled really well. It seems like they are peaking at the right time,” said Decatur Coach Todd Martinek. “I would like to see all four place in the top six [at states] and I think they all have the potential to do it.”
Senior captain Ryan Kail captured the title in the regional heavyweight division, 285 pounds.
“I think I did pretty well. I probably could have done better in my semifinal match, but I still won,” Kail said. “I’m pretty excited. Now that I committed to my college, I just want to wrestle my best and try to win it.”
Kail has officially committed to wrestle for the University of Maryland.
Martinek said he is proud of Kail, adding that the senior’s hard work over the years has paid off.
“Ryan and his family have made a lot of sacrifices to wrestle and be dedicated during the season and off-season. It shows what an athlete he is and I can’t wait to see him wrestle for his home state,” he said. “It also means a lot to our program sending another athlete to a Division I program.”
Junior Nate Rosenblatt took second in the regional 113-pound division. He lost 7-5 to River Hill’s Taariq Mohammed in the finals.
“I did [well] until the finals,” said Rosenblatt, who admitted to losing his temper at one point and faltering. His goal is to place top six at states.
“I’m really excited. I’ve been looking forward to [states] all year,” he said.
Junior captain Andrew Borradaile (160) finished second in his division. After edging out Old Mill’s Lalito Trevino 3-2 in the semifinals, Borradaile met Hammond’s Bryan Overton in the finals.
“I pulled out a good victory in the semifinals, then I got caught in a cradle about a minute into the finals and coach came on the mat and tapped the ref so I got disqualified,” Borradaile said. “I didn’t really get a shot in the finals, but it’s alright. I wrestled pretty well in the tournament.”
Added Martinek, “He was in what is called a ‘stud cradle,’ but the kid didn’t have it on correctly causing a huge amount of pressure on the outside of his knee. I begged the refs to call ‘potentially dangerous,’ but they wouldn’t so I basically threw in the towel and ended the match.
“Andrew was upset for a little bit, but I did it out of concern for his health, and I would do it again. It really looked like his knee was going to get blown out,” Martinek said.
Borradaile said he hopes to wrestle well during his state debut and place among the top eight.
“I don’t want to lose any matches I shouldn’t. I don’t want to have any regrets coming out of states, so I just have to give it all I’ve got,” he said. “I have to pull out those close victories and stay off my back and not get into trouble early.”
Junior Adam Bargar (195) lost his first match of the tournament, 10-9 to Aberdeen’s C.J Allen, but he fought back to finished third in his division.
“My first match, I performed pretty [badly] and then the next day I realized I needed to step up my game,” he said. “My second match, I knew I had to beat [Annapolis’ Brenden Schniedwind] if I wanted to place in regions and move to states. I just went out there and gave it all I had and won (major decision 13-1).
“The next kid (Arundel’s Adam O’Brien) was pretty jacked and I started psyching myself out, but and I just went out thinking I was going to win and stuck him 1:23 into the match,” he said. “For the consolation finals, I just kept shooting and shooting and I majored [Bel Air’s Cyler Crawford] 14-6.
Bargar said he is “pretty excited” for the state tournament and hopes to place top eight.
Senior captain Alex Schiffer (145) finished fifth in his regional weight class divisions and will go to states as an alternate. Sophomore TJ Scafone (106) and senior captain Kaelan Patterson (152) also competed at regionals, but did not place.
Decatur placed fourth overall in the tournament out of 24 teams.
Preliminary rounds of the state tournament are set to begin at 2:30 p.m. today, Friday. Consolation and championship matches will take place Saturday in Cole Field House at the University of Maryland College Park.
Stephen Decatur wrestlers, from left, Andrew Borradaile, Adam Bargar, Ryan Kail and Nate Rosenblatt will compete in the 4A/3A state tournament, today and Saturday, at University of Maryland College Park.
