Published: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Everett’s Bird captures 2nd state title
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CHRIS GOODENOW / For The Herald
Archbishop Murphy's Cam Wade (top-right) wrestles against Centrailia's Connor Pelzel during their 145-pound 2A title match, Saturdayat the Tacoma Dome.
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CHRIS GOODENOW / For The Herald
Everett’s Alec Bird (left) attempts to flip over White River’s Chase Myers during their 215-pound 3A title match Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. Bird registered a second-round pin.
TACOMA — Everett wrestling coach Brien Elliott was not happy with Alec Bird.
As a raw sophomore, the 215-pound Seagull was a technical nightmare but got by on athleticism and strength.
“He’s just a freak of nature,” Elliott said. “There were guys that he just out-muscled.”
In 2008 Bird finished fourth in state, but over the past two years he’s gotten into his coach’s good graces as he’s added technique to his brute strength. On Saturday he showcased that technique pinning both his semifinal and final opponents, to capture his second consecutive state championship.
Bird made it look easy becoming the first Everett repeat winner since Otto Olson, who won three in a row from 1994-1996.
“Believe it or not Alec’s been one of our kids that we’ve had to work harder with on the technical things,” Elliott said. “He has it athletically but technically we’ve had to work really hard with him.”
To speak with Elliott is to learn the importance of technically sound wrestling and seeing Bird intentionally use bad technique drove him crazy.
“His sophomore year during the state tournament he would on purpose go to his back so that he could roll them to their back and pin them,” Elliot said.
Saturday was the culmination of Bird’s fusion of technique and strength. He toyed with his final opponent Chase Meyers of White River, who was ranked second behind Bird all year.
“I knew I’m better on top and bottom than him,” Bird said. “He put himself in bad positions and I capitalized.
“I know he’s not that good protecting his legs when he’s on bottom so I just put him right to his back and pinned him.”
Bird’s semifinal opponent didn’t burst into tears as many did this week when their championship dreams were dashed. He could only shake his head after a second-period pin.
“I haven’t gotten nervous since last year at state,” Bird said.
Mentally tough, Physically tough
As a 103-pound girl, JoMae Alewine is as physically small as any competitor at the Mat Classic. But in the areas that can’t be measured by a scale or a ruler, like heart and toughness, Alewine is as big as they come.
The senior from Lake Stevens lost last year in the finals to Bremerton’s Lauren Richardson and that heartbreak pushed to the championship in 2010. Alewine’s dream rematch was shaken up when freshman Rachel Archer from Winlock upset Richardson in the semifinal. Alewine still had Richardson on the mind when she pinned Archer in 1 minute, 48 seconds to take the 103-pound crown.
“We had a close match (last year) and I wanted to show Lauren that, if I did get to wrestle her, that it wouldn’t have been close,” Alewine said.
After her semifinal win in the morning, Alewine revealed that she had a partial meniscus tear in her left knee that has bothered her for the past few weeks and kept her from wrestling to her potential in the semis. Instead of pinning the third-place wrestler from Skyview she won 17-7.
Alewine said that her doctor didn’t want her to wrestle at all and she knew that she should protect the knee with a brace. But this feisty champion was loath to show weakness to her opponents.
“I took my injury out of the equation (in the final),” Alewine said. “If it started hurting I wasn’t going to think about it.”
The one time that Alewine showed weakness was when the subject of her brother came up. BJ Alewine wrestled at Lake Stevens last season and is currently stationed with the Army in South Korea. He’s the reason she became a wrestler.
“He would have been really proud of me,” Alewine said, fighting back tears.
As a raw sophomore, the 215-pound Seagull was a technical nightmare but got by on athleticism and strength.
“He’s just a freak of nature,” Elliott said. “There were guys that he just out-muscled.”
In 2008 Bird finished fourth in state, but over the past two years he’s gotten into his coach’s good graces as he’s added technique to his brute strength. On Saturday he showcased that technique pinning both his semifinal and final opponents, to capture his second consecutive state championship.
Bird made it look easy becoming the first Everett repeat winner since Otto Olson, who won three in a row from 1994-1996.
“Believe it or not Alec’s been one of our kids that we’ve had to work harder with on the technical things,” Elliott said. “He has it athletically but technically we’ve had to work really hard with him.”
To speak with Elliott is to learn the importance of technically sound wrestling and seeing Bird intentionally use bad technique drove him crazy.
“His sophomore year during the state tournament he would on purpose go to his back so that he could roll them to their back and pin them,” Elliot said.
Saturday was the culmination of Bird’s fusion of technique and strength. He toyed with his final opponent Chase Meyers of White River, who was ranked second behind Bird all year.
“I knew I’m better on top and bottom than him,” Bird said. “He put himself in bad positions and I capitalized.
“I know he’s not that good protecting his legs when he’s on bottom so I just put him right to his back and pinned him.”
Bird’s semifinal opponent didn’t burst into tears as many did this week when their championship dreams were dashed. He could only shake his head after a second-period pin.
“I haven’t gotten nervous since last year at state,” Bird said.
Mentally tough, Physically tough
As a 103-pound girl, JoMae Alewine is as physically small as any competitor at the Mat Classic. But in the areas that can’t be measured by a scale or a ruler, like heart and toughness, Alewine is as big as they come.
The senior from Lake Stevens lost last year in the finals to Bremerton’s Lauren Richardson and that heartbreak pushed to the championship in 2010. Alewine’s dream rematch was shaken up when freshman Rachel Archer from Winlock upset Richardson in the semifinal. Alewine still had Richardson on the mind when she pinned Archer in 1 minute, 48 seconds to take the 103-pound crown.
“We had a close match (last year) and I wanted to show Lauren that, if I did get to wrestle her, that it wouldn’t have been close,” Alewine said.
After her semifinal win in the morning, Alewine revealed that she had a partial meniscus tear in her left knee that has bothered her for the past few weeks and kept her from wrestling to her potential in the semis. Instead of pinning the third-place wrestler from Skyview she won 17-7.
Alewine said that her doctor didn’t want her to wrestle at all and she knew that she should protect the knee with a brace. But this feisty champion was loath to show weakness to her opponents.
“I took my injury out of the equation (in the final),” Alewine said. “If it started hurting I wasn’t going to think about it.”
The one time that Alewine showed weakness was when the subject of her brother came up. BJ Alewine wrestled at Lake Stevens last season and is currently stationed with the Army in South Korea. He’s the reason she became a wrestler.
“He would have been really proud of me,” Alewine said, fighting back tears.
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